LEFT OF BOOM (Gr.3)
For Concert Band
Duration Approximately 4:15
Grade 3
FULL SCORE / 2 (+Picc) 1 1 3 (+Bass) Alto (2), Tenor, Bari / 3 1 3 1 1 / Timp Perc (4)
"Left of Boom" is a military and intelligence agency term referring to the period of time leading up to an event, often the detonation of a bomb or the carrying out of an attack. As opposed to "right of boom" (which is after the attack - based on a left to right timeline), "left of boom" is a critical period for gathering intelligence and preventing a disaster. The term was popularized by Washington Post writer Rick Atkinson.
LEFT OF BOOM is a work for developing bands, heavily utilizing repeated notes & phrases, dynamic contrast, and minor modality, while maintaining ranges, rhythms and tempi appropriate for student musicians.