Project Overview

The new band music is going to be based on artwork by student Brianna Le (on right). Band students were asked to study and interpret the artwork. Students submitted speculations on what the artwork means and how it could be represented musically. Composer Brian Balmages will use some of the student speculations and ideas to create the new work. 

About Hope Ahead ​written by Brian Balmages

When a friend of mine posted a sample of her daughter’s artwork, I was blown away. Brianna Le was just 14 years old when she drew what would become the cover art of this piece. Beyond the quality of the work itself, I was struck by the vast possibilities of its meaning. Was it a piece about artificial intelligence? If so, was this about an AI movement gone wrong? Or was it about a computer program that had finally learned to feel human emotion and suddenly became aware that it was alone? Was this a reflection on a dystopian future with a city in ruins? Or did that city represent a utopia that a broken society was so desperately seeking?
Not knowing the answer to any of these questions, I knew one thing for certain: I wanted to write a piece inspired by Brianna’s artwork. The timing was surreal as I had just been commissioned by Beyond the Notes Music Festival (Chris Gleason, president) and a consortium of its ComMission Possible Member Schools. Part of this project involved students writing essays on what the artwork meant to them. To be honest, I was already settled on what the piece was going to be about and had the title: AI Revolution. I loved the play on words, reflecting the current AI innovation happening all over the world, yet also questioning whether this would lead to an actual revolution in the future as depicted in so many movies. I waited for the essays to come in so I could find examples that aligned with my thoughts. And then I read them… and the students turned my world upside down.
Many students focused on concepts like mental health, looking to the future, hope in the face of adversity, the soft colors of a sunset and more. When I circled back with Brianna about all of this, she responded:
“My favorite essays / responses … all share a common idea of finding hope and/or reminiscing [about] the future and possible virtue. I understand you are inspired by a more directly technological-AI-idea, but I think the beauty of my piece and your composition will be that people are deriving so many different meanings. So, even if you take it in that direction, the interpretive meaning behind it should still depict these other ideas.” – Brianna Le
And just like that, a bunch of students caused a complete paradigm shift in my thinking, and I began looking at Brianna’s piece through a new lens and with a new appreciation for the depth of its meaning. That is when the title Hope Ahead emerged and became the focal point of the music.
The opening is both uncertain and somber. I wanted to capture the idea of feeling broken, whether physically or mentally. Unique sound effects including a wind wand, drill (without a drill bit, please!), and water gong introduce a mechanical element to the music. As this section continues, there are glimmers of light – the idea of hope beginning to emerge. A stage-4 cancer patient once told me that hope was sometimes the only thing you can hold on to, and that hope can show up in even the smallest, most mundane things in life. A beautiful sunrise or sunset. A moment of peace. A phone call. These are powerful reminders that while we may feel broken, there is always hope, somewhere. We may just need to stop, hold on to something, and take a moment to see it.
The music then shifts as the subject begins to find themselves surrounded by a sea of hope and virtue. We are reminded of our power to make the future a beautiful one through our own actions and our interactions with others. Even in moments of pause, there is a quiet determination that underlies every phrase as the music continues to evolve and becomes increasingly powerful. The final section looks at the future with conviction, resolve and greater hope than before. It is a powerful reminder that a radiant sunset can provide a powerful backdrop to our own personal growth in a world that so desperately wants us to steer ourselves toward the hope that lies ahead.

ComMission Possible Member Schools
Andrew Lewis Middle School 8th Grade Band; Salem, VA – Thomas Graham
Carl Sandburg Junior High; Rolling Meadows, IL – Julie Kurka
Central High School Bands; LaCrosse, WI – Jacob Klingbeil
Des Moines Christian Middle School 7-8 Band; Urbandale, IA – Doug Gibson
Dr. E Alma Flagg Concert Band; Newark, NJ – Jordan Peters
Eau Claire Memorial Eagle Band; Eau Claire, WI – Dominic Domeyer
Elkhorn Area High School Symphonic Band; Elkhorn, WI – Sarah Wuttke
Fergus Falls High School Bands; Fergus Falls, MN – Mickaela Pasch
Glacier Creek Middle School Band; Cross Plains, WI – Anne Vanderbloemen
Glenwood City Bands, Glenwood City; WI – Matt Lamb
Green Bay Franklin Middle School Band; Green Bay, WI – Zachary Baker
Green Bay West High School Band; Green Bay, WI – Danielle Scherer
Holmen Middle School Bands; Holmen, WI – Mary Andersen
Kromrey Middle School Band; Middleton, WI – Darlayne Coughlin
L.A. Ainger Middle Advanced Band; Rotonda West, FL – Tim Ostrow
Lake Country School 7-8 Band; Hartland, WI – Melissa Van Dyke
Lancaster Middle School Arrow Band; Lancaster, WI – Ashley Miller
Manawa Little Wolf High School Band; Manawa, WI – Caleb DeLeske
Medford 8th Grade Band; Medford, WI – John Kolth
Mineral Point 7-8 Band; Mineral Point, WI – Matthew Nevers
New Trier High School Freshman Concert Band; Winnetka, WI – Matt Temple
Oak Prairie 8th Grade Concert Band; Lockport, IL – William Rank
Oregon Middle School Band; Oregon, WI – Kati Seiter
Plum Grove Junior High; Rolling Meadows, IL – Mario Mongello
Robert Gray Middle School Advanced Band; Portland, OR – Julie Miller
Riverside Middle School Band 8; Watertown, WI – Erin Lynch
St. Francis High School Concert Band; St. Francis, WI – Sarah Dunmire
Walter R. Sundling Junior High; Palatine, IL – Jeff Zilke
Waunakee 7-12 Bands; Waunakee, WI – Ryan Caloud
Westview Hills Middle School Band; Willowbrook, IL – Karen Moffett
D.C. Everest Wind Ensemble; Weston, WI – Joe Finnegan
Winona Middle & High School Bands; Winona, WI – Tim Gleason
Winston Campus Junior High; Palatine, IL – Hannah Menich

ComMission Possible 2024 Band Timeline

2023

• Now-Aug 1       Schools/ensembles register to become a ComMission Possible Member
• Sept 1-Oct 20    Ideas are generated by students using curriculum materials supplied by Beyond The Notes (BTN). Schools apply to be host ensemble.
• Oct 20-Nov 1     BTN panel selects top 15 ideas and host school. Information shared with the composer for consideration.
• Nov 20               Composer Interview #1 revealing concept selected/decided for the new composition.
• Late Dec            Composer Interview #2 focusing on questions from students.

2024

• Feb 1                 Composer Interview #3 sharing final work, ideas for rehearsal and performance.
• April-June         Composer visit to the selected school for world premiere performance and residency! Schools that did not apply for the world premiere performance or were not selected will have the opportunity to perform the new composition listed as a "regional premiere".

Student Speculations

The new band music is going to be based on artwork by student Brianna Le. Band students were asked to study and interpret the artwork. Students submitted speculation on what the artwork means and how it could be represented musically. Below are the top 15 ideas submitted:

Ensemble	School	Student	Idea
Band	Holmen MS	Olivia	Not Afraid Of The Future
Band	Oregon MS	Amelie	Finding Hope
Band	Oregon MS	Daniel	Unable to Understand Technology
Band	Robert Gray MS	Amelia	Robot On A New Planet
Band	Elkhorn Area HS	Mark	The New World
Band	Lake Country MS	Ashley	Utopia
Band	Lake Country MS	Charlotte	Mental Health
Band	Lake Country MS	Gabby	Imperfections of a Dystopian World
Band	Lake Country MS	Laura	World of Forgotten Inventions
Band	Kromrey MS	Annushka	Pensive
Band	Glacier Creek MS	Aditya	Six Elements
Band	​Glacier Creek MS	Christopher	AI
Band	​Glacier Creek MS	Eleanor	Feeling Broken
Band	Green Bay West HS	Carley	Coming Home Story
Band	​Green Bay West HS	Lucky	Dream

Composer Interview #1 - Concept Reveal

Composer Interview #2 - Student Questions

Brian Balmages (Band)

Brian Balmages is known worldwide as a composer and conductor who equally spans the worlds of orchestral, band, and chamber music. His music has been performed by groups ranging from professional symphony orchestras to elementary schools in venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Sydney Opera House, Toronto Centre for the Arts, and many more. He is a recipient of the A. Austin Harding Award from the American School Band Directors Association, won the 2020 NBA William D. Revelli Composition Contest with his work Love and Light, and was awarded the inaugural James Madison University Distinguished Alumni Award from the School of Visual and Performing Arts. In the same year, he was commissioned by his other alma mater, the University of Miami, to compose music for the inauguration of the institution’s 6th president, Dr. Julio Frenk. His music was also performed as part of the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service, which was attended by both President Obama and Vice President Biden.
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As a conductor, Mr. Balmages enjoys regular engagements with all-state and regional ensembles as well as university and professional groups throughout the world. Notable guest conducting appearances have included the Midwest Clinic, Western International Band Clinic, Maryborough Music Conference (Australia), College Band Directors Conference, American School Band Directors Association National Conference, numerous state ASTA conferences, Teatro dell’Aquila (Italy), and others. He is an elected member of the American Bandmasters Association and has taught instrumental conducting at Towson University where he also served as Assistant Director of Bands and Orchestras. Currently, he is Director of MakeMusic Publications and Digital Education for Alfred and MakeMusic.

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