ASCENT
for wind band
and prerecorded audio.
Composed by Alex Shapiro
2020; Duration 2:30.
Published by Activist Music LLC (ASCAP).
Grade 4 and beyond.
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Live recording of ASCENT,
performed in March 2020 by
The University of Hawai'i Wind Ensemble,
in Honolulu, Hawai'i,
conducted by Jeffrey Boeckman.
Play this LOUDLY!
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ASCENT is available as a
physical, bound set of score and parts
plus audio download,
or as a digital set of .pdf score and parts,
plus audio download.
Full set: $60.
Score only: $10.
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Click here to order from Activist Music:
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Click the icon to order the
print set from Hal Leonard:
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Enjoy a few of Alex's photos while listening to
the University of Hawai'i Wind Ensemble
conducted by Jeffrey Boeckman,
performing the March 1, 2020 premiere
of ASCENT in Honolulu, HI:
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Watch the November 13, 2024
performance of ASCENT
by the UW-Platteville Symphonic Wind Ensemble,
Matthew Gregg, conductor:
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A live recording of ASCENT, performed in March 2020 by The University of Hawai'i Wind Ensemble, in Honolulu, Hawai'i, conducted by Jeffrey Boeckman. Play this LOUDLY!
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PERUSAL CONDUCTOR SCORE
(email Alex for code access)
PERUSAL ONLY; not for performance or duplication. |
.pdf file of the TRANSPOSED CONDUCTOR SCORE,
11 x 17; 15 pages including cover and notes.
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ASCENT reflects the effort to get off the ground, literally or figuratively. It's a micro-overture that begins with the promise of upward transcendence, yet soon flies off into rogue disorganization. A raucous flock of notes finally converges into a united upward-headed murmuration, but the freedom of soaring through the sky brings an uneasy mystery before settling into the tranquil air of anticipation.
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PROGRAM BIO for Alex Shapiro 
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Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Webex, etc. are wonderful tools for affordably bringing Alex into your rehearsal, without having to book a plane flight! She has a great time coaching students, and the difference between their musicianship at the beginning of the session and by the time it ends, is remarkable.
Alex can tell the ensemble about how the piece was created and engage them in conversation, and even show them how her digital project studio works! It's also easy to arrange to have her say hello to the audience during a concert, via a custom video. Webhearsals connect musicians to the real person-- and the stories-- behind the notes on the music stands. Get in touch with Alex-- her contact info is at the bottom of this page.
To see some examples of webhearsals, and the view Alex loves to share from her desk, click here.
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Alex was an early adopter of online "webhearsals"! Here's one from December 2012 with Alex in her studio
on Washington's San Juan Island, and band director
Mary Bauer and the Mt. Mansfield Union High School Band far across the continent in Vermont. |
Alex has written an extensive two-part article about electroacoustic band music and the uses of multimedia in the concert world. The essay, titled The e-Frontier: Music, Multimedia, Education, and Audiences in the Digital World echoes the presentations she has given at the 2013 Midwest Clinic, the 2014 TMEA convention, and countless other seminars, and appears in the June and September 2014 issues of the magazine of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, WASBE World. The pdf is offered here with the very kind permission of the organization. |
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Click here for the full .pdf file
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Composer Sergio Barer invited Alex to be a guest on his podcast, Let's Talk About Music!. Click the icon to hear her discuss the creation of ASCENT, describing exactly what decisions were made, and how the head-spinning sound design was created. |
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ASCENT was commissioned by Jeffrey Boeckman and the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, with the participation of the following members of the consortium:
University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Jeffrey Boeckman, Director
Cal Poly Pomona University, Rickey Badua, Director
California State University-San Bernardino, Nicholas Bratcher, Director
Capital University, Jeffrey D. Gershman, Director
Clemson University, Mark J. Spede, Director
Georgia College, Cliff Towner, Director
Kamehameha Schools, Matthew K. Urabe, Director
Kaua'i Community College, Sarah Tochiki, Director
Marshall University, Adam Dalton, Director
Michigan Technological University, Michael Christianson, Director
Mililani High School, Mililani, HI, Curtis Hiyane, Director
The Ohio State University, Phillip Day, Director
San José State University, San José, CA., David Vickerman, Director
St. Charles East High School, St. Charles, IL, Jim Kull, Director
Shenandoah Conservatory, Timothy J. Robblee, Director
University of Arizona, Chad Nicholson, Director
University of British Columbia, Robert Taylor, Director
University of Missouri-Kansas City, Steven D. Davis, Director
University of Northern Iowa, Danny Galyen, Director
University of South Carolina, Tonya Mitchell-Spradlin, Director
University of Texas at El Paso, Andrew Hunter, Director
University of Texas at San Antonio, John Zarco & Ron Ellis, Director
University of Toronto, Gillian MacKay, Director
University of Washington, Timothy Salzman, Director
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Glenn C. Hayes, Director
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Alex loves writing for band! You can listen to any of her other pieces by clicking here
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The
VERY best way to reach Alex is
through email, by clicking here
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LICENSES:
Every work in Ms. Shapiro's catalog is published by Activist Music LLC unless otherwise indicated. Synchronization and mechanical rights are included free of charge for music educators and non-profit ensembles wishing to stream and upload their performance to YouTube, etc. or create a virtual recording and video of this piece, subject to written approval from Ms. Shapiro prior to publicly posting the media.
ALL licensing inquiries, including marching band or other arrangements, audio recording, broadcast, synchronization to video or dance, etc., are handled DIRECTLY by Ms. Shapiro and Activist Music LLC. Please avoid the unnecessary expense of third party businesses, and send an email with the details of your request by clicking HERE.
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All photographs by Alex Shapiro.
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