PROGRAM NOTES
Written for the 2023 North Dakota Jr. High All State Band, Now & Forever is my first ever attempt at writing a concert march. Inspired by marches that present a more stately feeling (including Pomp & Circumstance and Entry March of the Boyars amongst others), this work seeks to capture the beauty of the North Dakota plains. While containing the structural elements of a traditional march, I have taken additional liberties to bring a slightly more contemporary approach. The march was also commissioned by the North Dakota Alpha Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta Mu in honor of Joseph. T. Alme, a long-time trombone teacher and figure in North Dakota. In paying honor to his profound impact on music education, I have utilized the trombone section for the first introduction of the first strain and the countermelody in the reprise.