Dreamweaver (Band Gr. 2)

Dreamweaver invites both musicians and audiences to reflect on how individual choices come together to create a collective journey, symbolizing personal and shared dreams, through tuneful melodies and an introduction to aleatoric music-making.

Genre: Band | # of Players: Standard
Series: Sapphire Band Series
Level: 2 | Duration: 3:30

Instrumentation
Conductor's Score (8.5x11 stapled booklet)

Flute 1
Flute 2 / Oboe
Bassoon [optional]
B-flat Clarinet 1
B-flat Clarinet 2
B-flat Bass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone

B-flat Trumpet 1
B-flat Trumpet 2
F Horn
Trombone
Euphonium
B-flat Euphonium T.C.
Tuba

Timpani (3 or 4 drums)
Keyboard Percussion: Glockenspiel and/or Vibraphone
Percussion 1: Snare Drum, Bass Drum
Percussion 2: Suspended Cymbal
Percussion 3: Triangle, High Woodblock, Mark Tree

Program Notes
Dreamweaver reflects the idea that our lives are shaped by the actions we take, each one like a stitch in the quilt of our future. Over time, this quilt becomes a reflection of who we are—either something we’re proud of or something frayed and worn. It’s up to us to weave carefully and intentionally, knowing that sometimes the process can be exhausting. When we run out of thread, we seek new opportunities and new dreams to weave.

Instead of composing a traditional, predetermined work for young bands, I chose to incorporate an aleatoric section, allowing the conductor to cue the ensemble as each student makes their own musical choices. This mirrors the process of weaving one’s dreams, where every individual contributes something unique. As the piece progresses, the trumpets take over with a bold, expanded version of the main theme, representing the collective growth of the quilt—the shared dreams woven by the ensemble. This gives the work a human element, allowing students to create something they can be proud of, both individually and together.