an electro-aquatic piece
for symphonic wind band and prerecorded audio.
Composed by Alex Shapiro.
2014; Duration 9:00.
Published by Activist Music (ASCAP).
Commissioned by Carthage College in commemoration of the 140th anniversary of the Carthage College Band, Christo et Ecclesiae.
Grade 5.
Click the arrow below
to enjoy the full recording of the
Central Washington University Wind Ensemble
playing LIQUID COMPASS,
conducted by Lewis Norfleet.
LIQUID COMPASS 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.
LIQUID COMPASS is a tone poem that takes the musicians and the audience on a watery journey spanning the mystical and the triumphant. Commemorating the 140th anniversary of Carthage College's wind band, the piece migrates to different places, but never loses its bearings in pursuit of a musical true north. The spiritual power of the sea is ever-present, in layers of unique sounds heard in the audio track, and duplicated by the musicians. The effect is a physical surround-sound of texture, as metal bowls capture slow, resonant drips of water, and flutists breathe other-worldly intonations. The piece, like the school that commissioned it, continues to push forward while observing that which has come before. Because one can't celebrate history, without reflecting on the waters over which time and experience have passed.
PROGRAM NOTES for download
PROGRAM BIO for Alex Shapiro
Conductor James Ripley and Alex Shapiro rehearsing LIQUID COMPASS
with the Carthage College Band, May 2014.
Here's something VERY helpful: a complete guide to the software and hardware setup for your band room and performance venue.
A VERSION WITH PIPE ORGAN
LIQUID COMPASS is a large, dramatic work, and it gets even larger and more dramatic with the addition of pipe organ! At the invitation of conductor Jay Jones and with Alex Shapiro's guidance, the distinguished organist Jan Kraybill created an organ part to add to any performance, and premiered it (pictured above) in March 2020 in Kansas City, Missouri at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, on the stunning Julia Irene Kauffman Casavant Organ, Opus 3875.
If you'd like to see the pipe organ part,
reaach out to Alex!
Conductor Derek Wickum leading the Bemidji High Band
in Minnesota
during a 2015 performance of LIQUID COMPASS.
CONCERT VIDEOS
The Lamont Wind Ensemble of the University of Denver, conducted by Sarah Wagner on November 18, 2021:
The University of Kentucky Symphony Band, conducted by Adam Miller on February 24, 2025:
PERFORMANCE NOTES
Some of the sounds and their entrances in the track are intentionally "floating," and not always right on the beat. Try not to be distracted, and just stay with the click. The band might be prone to falling behind, so every meter change should be anticipated. The ongoing ostinati will be helpful for keeping everyone together!
Percussionists: always hold sponges high in the air, for both a great visual effect, and also because the water dripping sound will be louder! If everyone uses a big sponge, that has a nice visual.
Chimes: please use your hardest mallets, and play as loudly as possible, always.
Marimba and vibes: Please use soft mallets, and when your parts are exposed, please blend with the band and track texture rather than stick out.
It is ideal if the house and stage lights are significantly dimmed, and if the percussionists can be wearing colored LED lights or glow-sticks as they proceed from the audience to the stage.
Timpani and all Percussion, please note:
at measure 82 and again at 208, the tempo shift makes an accurate entrance at the correct speed very tricky for the timpanist and percussionists. A future edition of the score may tacet these instruments from bars 82 to 84, and from bars 208-210, and place more eighth note activity in the recorded track.
Flutists: be sure to open and close your mouth widely when doing the "ooh wah," and keep the rhythm irregular and moderately slow. The flute and piccolo entrance at bar 46 should sneak in, blending with the band.
Winds and brass: throughout the score, there are some long sustained tones. Wherever a player needs to stagger breaths, all re-entries should begin quietly in order to blend seamlessly.
Solos, including:
Trumpet, bars 88-96 and 209-214 Euphonium, bars 124-143 and 243-256 Trombone, bars 253-256 Horn, bar 135, and 250-260:
Please play out and be heard!
All brass that have fill counterpoint at bars 170-172, 264-265, and 270-272, play loudly!
As a general rule for this and many other Shapiro electroacoustic large ensemble works, please OVER-accentuate dynamics and articulations, so that they cut through the texture of the audio track.
WEBHEARSALS
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.
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.
ADDITIONAL MEDIA
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 multimedia presentations she has given at The 2013 Midwest Clinic, the 2014 TMEA convention, and countless other seminars. It appears in the June and September 2014 issues of the magazine of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, WASBE World, and the .pdf is offered here with the very kind permission of the organization.
LIQUID COMPASS is available on the album, NAfME 2017 Northwest, from Soundwaves Recordings, recorded by Central Washington University Wind Ensemble, Lewis Norfleet, conductor. Click the album icon for more info.
LIQUID COMPASS is available on the album, Everything Beautiful, on Mark Custom Records, recorded by the DePauw University Band, Craig Paré, conductor. Also on the album is Alex Shapiro's TIGHT SQUEEZE. Click the album icon for more info.
Alex and conductor James Ripley were guests on The Morning Show with Gregory Berg on Wisconsin's public radio station WGTD-FM on May 9, 2014. They covered a lot of ground, and some ocean, too, as they delved into the making of LIQUID COMPASS, commissioned by Ripley and Carthage College, and the world of composing. The broadcast starts at 2:25 in, and continues for 45 minutes. Click the icon to enjoy an animated conversation!
Stream the broadcast:
THANK YOU
LIQUID COMPASS was generously commissioned by Carthage College, and its alumni, to commemorate the 140th anniversary of the Carthage Band, Christo et Ecclesiae. The participating donors are greatly appreciated:
Generous support was provided by:
Anonymous Friend of Music
Carthage College Department of Music
Ralph Lane
Additional support was provided by:
Nathaniel Card
Kurt and Vicki Chroust
Calvin and Nona Claus
John Dorch
John and Lori Gnabasik
Scott Jones and Jennifer Bodrie Jones
Lorilyn Krug
Ronald and Cynthia Larson
The Justice Law Firm P.C.
Genevieve Mundis
Mari Panzer
Lewis and Margaret Payne
Diane Presta
Michaela Ross
Brian Schoettler
Richard and Mary Sjoerdsma
Karin Stefans
Very special thanks to Dr. James Ripley, who set his musical compass with the faith that we might discover a shared true north!
CONTACT INFO
The
VERY best way to reach Alex is
through email, by clicking here
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.
There's a lot more Shapiro band music to hear!
Head on over to THIS PAGE for an overview of Alex's wind band pieces. You can listen to each one, read all about it via a link, and if desired, request a free pdf perusal score. Have fun!
If the photos above transported you across the water, you can enjoy more such virtual journeys by clicking over to Alex's blog, Notes from the Kelp, here
