Brass Quintet - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1489494 Composed by Dr. Daniel N. Thrower. 21st Century,Chamber,Historic,Holiday,Wedding. 19 pages. Https://gildedmusicpress.com/ #1066358. Published by https://gildedmusicpress.com/ (A0.1489494). The title and dedication tell the necessary story to outsiders.  To me and my sweet wife, however, the one-day event being celebrated represents a one-of-a-kind saga through a quarter of a century of two human lives spent together.  The epic story includes bearing and raising six wonderful children with the formation of countless memories that span a unique spectrum of the human experience.Days after our 24th anniversary, we arrived in Japan for a three-year tour of duty for the United States Air Force.  Only our youngest of the six children accompanied Eden and me, creating an abruptly unique 25th year of marriage!During that first year in Japan, assignments took me to many locations throughout Asia and the Pacific.  It was my goal to purchase a silver item from every location I visited, which I gratefully accomplished.  Those accumulated gifts accompanied this special heartfelt song for brass quintet, which was graciously performed by my friends and colleagues of the USAF Band of the Pacific, Pacific Brass on our anniversary, to an audience of one: my special bride.Happy 25th Silver Anniversary, Eden!  I love you very much!  Just wait for our 50th!

Brass Quintet - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1489490 Composed by Dr. Daniel N. Thrower. Chamber,Classical,Historic,Patriotic. 38 pages. Https://gildedmusicpress.com/ #1066354. Published by https://gildedmusicpress.com/ (A0.1489490). Three of these seven short pieces are worthy to open any brass quintet concert or recital.  Two fanfares are too short for a concert feature but work extremely well in a ceremony or celebratory setting.  The last two short pieces aptly serve contrasting special purposes, as explained below.“Fort Pierre Fanfare” is about 40 seconds in duration, and was composed to open the feature concert at the South Dakota Bandmasters Association convention in 2022.  Offutt Brass, from the US Air Force Heartland of America Band, was invited to perform that concert.  Before the final piece of the concert, when gifts were exchanged between the sponsor and performers, beautiful presentation copies of the sheet music were presented to the sponsor.  In performance, staging directions on the music can be extremely effective or cringy, depending on how they are conveyed.  If there is any inkling that there may be a cringe factor, ignore them, and play the fanfare already on stage.“Enduring Freedom Fanfare” is nearly a minute of music.  It was composed as a gift for the outgoing Commander of the US Air Force Heritage of America Band, Major Rafael Toro-Quiñones.  His leadership was strong and inspiring, and he held a place of high esteem among many of the fine military musicians that he led.  The Change of Command ceremony was toward the end of the Covid-19 shut-downs, so the work was not performed at the ceremony.  Chief Remley, from the command’s satellite location in Nebraska, hand-delivered some finely printed presentation copies to Major Toro-Quiñones.“Noble Eagle Fanfare” is slightly over a minute in length, and, like “Enduring Freedom Fanfare,” was composed as a gift for another outgoing Commander of the US Air Force Heritage of America Band, Captain David Neil Regner.“Pilgrims’ Fanfare” was composed on what many Americans acknowledge as “Pioneer Day,” 24 July 2023.  Not only honoring the thousands of pioneers that settled the western United States, but also the pilgrims that voyaged across the ocean to settle in the new continent.  It is about 15 seconds in duration and is effective for any occasion in need of a magnificent fanfare.“Flightline Fanfare,” as its title implies, was composed for the ribbon cutting ceremony of the dedication of the newly renovated flightline at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.  Unfortunately, the ceremony itself was altered last-minute, and the 15-second fanfare was not used.  However, like “Pilgrims’ Fanfare,” it is very handy for any event demanding a splash of pomp.“American Interlude” is a soft 75-second underscore for an MC’s moving speech or dedication.  It was originally composed as a smooth segue between two moving patriotic pieces of different keys in a concert setting, but can be used in any similar appropriate situation.“Troop 184” is dedicated to my childhood BSA Scoutmaster, Gerry Nielson, who molded me in significant ways into the man I am decades later.  It is functional music, akin to a fight song, and can be easily marched to.  Words may be crafted as a customized hiking ditty, or it can be featured before or after ceremonies as prelude or processional music.  The duration can also be customized, as there is a written optional repeat, lengthening the tune from 45 seconds to a minute and a half.

Horn,Trombone,Trumpet,Tuba - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1158382 Composed by Dr. Daniel N. Thrower. 20th Century,Chamber,Classical. 49 pages. Https://gildedmusicpress.com/ #758665. Published by https://gildedmusicpress.com/ (A0.1158382). Brass quintet in six short movements. Duration, approx. 8 minutes. Movement I: “Family Vacations.� Fond memories of childhood vacations as well as leading out on road trips as a father, are reflected by the excitement of this movement. Feel free to reminisce on your own family trips as you listen to or perform this movement. Movement II: “Jovial Banter.� I was going to call this movement “Roughhousing,� but that is only part of what this playful piece conjures. Besides wrestling my five boys (with my one girl amusedly watching off to the side), friendly joking with friends about rival universities, and playing harmless pranks on friends and family, all seem to be rolled up into this truly jovial movement. It has its own tricks and surprises to one who has never heard it before. Movement III: “Holiday Foods.� This waltz displays more elegance and structure than most of the other movements. It primarily elicits memories of the distinctive Thrower Christmas feasts, for which we created a unique tradition. Our yuletide banquets hail from a different country every year. Through the decades, we have discovered and adopted many international favorites that we continue to enjoy! Note the middle section of the waltz gets a bit spicy… Movement IV: “Pets.� Though as an adult I have not had the pleasure of enjoying personal pets, my youngest son developed an affinity for YouTube videos about funny cats and dogs. Nevertheless, my favorite childhood pet was “Blackie,� the splendid satin feline featured on the cover of this work. Pets are often quirky and extremely fun, as is this music. If it doesn’t put a smile on the listener’s face, someone in the line of musical communication may have failed. Movement V: “Sharing God’s Wonders.� Slow and wondrous, the music in this movement yearns to be shared. The theme, though only somewhat related to the other variations, strays to its own content after the first motivic notes. The melody is borrowed from a 2010 band composition of mine titled “Tribute to Joel Robison,� an ancestor, and a Texas hero. One passion I have enjoyed through the years is family history, truly a God-given legacy from which I draw much inspiration. Movement VI: “Personal Triumphs.� Indeed a subject to celebrate, triumphs of self-mastery, conquests over difficult tasks, and achievements of monumental goals all prompt me to break out in triumphant fanfares!

Brass Quintet - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1489486 Composed by Dr. Daniel N. Thrower. Chamber,Classical,Contest,Festival,Instructional. 45 pages. Https://gildedmusicpress.com/ #1066349. Published by https://gildedmusicpress.com/ (A0.1489486). This collection of short compositions for brass quintet was conceived specifically to supplement a dearth of appropriate and artistic original compositions for the young aspiring brass quintet.  These pieces are most fitting for a good high school quintet or a beginning college ensemble that wants a conquerable challenge.  With a variety of keys, styles, and tempos, they lend themselves well for deep work on the core ensemble skills of rhythmic accuracy, intonation, and dynamic balance.  These brief works are also quite enjoyable for the professional quintet to perform for ever-popular school shows, or simply to read as a warmup with the focus of improving ensemble skills.  Performance time for all five pieces is approximately five minutes.“Blackhawk” (duration 0:45) was originally composed in D-sharp minor as a melody to be used in Comprehensive Trumpet Skills, Book 9: Sightreading and Transposition (p. 39).  The quintet version is in concert D minor for more manageable execution.  This brisk four-four work is perhaps the most difficult in the collection, with demands of multiple tonguing for all the instruments as well as fairly advanced intervallic jumps.  “Lamb of God” (duration 1:00) is one of many hymn tunes originally composed by Dr. Thrower for use in Comprehensive Trumpet Skills, Book 7: Ensemble Skills (p. 54), intended to be used to tune unisons and octaves.  As a tuning study it was published in the key of F major for B-flat trumpet, or concert E-flat major.  The quintet version retained the original key of concert E-flat.  The reverently subdued four-four tempo makes this the easiest piece in the collection, technically, though the three core ensemble skills listed in the introductory paragraph (rhythm, intonation, and balance) must still be extensively addressed.  The horn part is perhaps the most demanding in “Lamb of God,” with arpeggiated discant lines toward the end.“Summer Solstice” (duration 1:10) was started on June 21, 2023, which was the summer solstice.  It is a bright, cheerful piece in concert F major with a lot of interest in all the parts.  One source of the title’s inspiration came from my family’s new situation living in Tokyo, Japan, where the dawn sky brightens around 4:00 AM on the longest days of the year, which obviously coincide with the summer solstice.  The 70-second piece was completed four days after conception while the long days started at their earliest.“Triumph: Children’s March” (duration 1:00) was the catalyst for this collection.  It started as a cute little brass quintet piece in the key of concert B-flat major, to be performed for children, such as for school concerts.  The cut-time tempo is very brisk for a march, but animated little legs (or a more manageable audience activity of clapping hands) can easily handle the task.  Although the first trumpet part ends up on a high C, there is an alternate note for a more comfortable ending.“Waltzing Puma” (duration 0:30) is an evocative title for an evocative piece.  Like “Blackhawk,” this melody was composed as a melody for Comprehensive Trumpet Skills, Book 9: Sightreading and Transposition (p. 36).  The melodies in that series took on titles of military aircraft, and this one was the helicopter “Puma.”  Since this tune is in a fast three-four, it became the “Waltzing Puma.”  The quintet version retains the original key of concert F minor.

Brass Quintet - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1489525 Composed by Dr. Daniel N. Thrower. 21st Century,Chamber,Classical,Historic,Religious. 17 pages. Https://gildedmusicpress.com/ #1066388. Published by https://gildedmusicpress.com/ (A0.1489525). Ultimate Sacrifice, Op. 152, for brass quintet was started 15 Oct 2023 during the compositional process of “America’s 250th” and was completed 4 Apr 2024 with a title that has reference to both Jesus Christ and military personnel who perished in the line of duty.  The scriptural reference used in the subtitle, John 15:13, though obviously referring directly to the Savior, has also been used to parallel anyone who has sacrificed their life for the good of another: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”  Atypical of my compositions, this does not end in the key in which it began.  The depth of sacrifice herein extolled yields an unalterable loss.  Duration: 4:00.Although this work had been prepared for publication, it was not released for months, which is not common for my works.  On July 13, 2024, an attempt was made to assassinate the former president during a Trump rally in Pennsylvania.  The touching news of a hero who instinctively shielded his wife and daughter reached my ears, and I decided to fittingly dedicate this composition, “Ultimate Sacrifice” to my new hero, Corey Comperatore.  May his selfless courage inspire this struggling world.

Brass Quintet - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1489498 Composed by Dr. Daniel N. Thrower. 21st Century,Chamber,Historic,Instructional,Multicultural,World. 17 pages. Https://gildedmusicpress.com/ #1066363. Published by https://gildedmusicpress.com/ (A0.1489498). Rounding out the “American Trails” with the fifth composition in the collection, “Trail of Tears” is in reference to the heart-wrenching dark history of over 60,000 American Indians being expelled from their lands.  During the period between 1830 and 1850, natives from five tribes were forcibly displaced from their homelands in what later became known as the American Deep South.  These “Five Civilized Tribes” included the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee, and Seminole nations.  Under the leadership of President Andrew Jackson, Congress passed the “Indian Removal Act” in 1830 which revoked all land ownership from all Native Americans in the Southeast.  Although Jackson was not the originator of the movement to remove the Indians, it was his top legislative priority upon taking office.  In his mind, they were a primary obstacle for the fulfillment of the Manifest Destiny and American national success.  There were many opponents to the violent legislation, such as David Crockett of Tennessee and Catherine Beecher.The most brutal year of the Trail of Tears occurred in 1838 among the Cherokee who had resisted the Treaty of New Echota of 1836 through petitions and pleas to the US government.  Despite their efforts, the expulsive treaty was ratified and the resistant Cherokee were compelled by militia to vacate all lands east of the Mississippi River.  The heaviest death tolls occurred in the summer and winter months of 1838 after the deadline to depart had passed in May.  Disease, exposure, starvation, and harassment by frontiersman compounded the physical exertion of the “death marches” that killed many.This composition extensively borrows the four-note motif from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.  That symphony was composed in the early 1800s in Europe at the same time as the growth of the anti-Indian sentiment across the American frontier.  Rather than primary thematic material, “Trail of Tears” uses the motif as a morose, plodding accompanimental pattern that adds depth of sorrow to the musical homage.

Horn,Trombone,Trumpet,Tuba - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1158398 Composed by Dr. Daniel N. Thrower. 20th Century,Chamber,Classical,Historic,Patriotic. 18 pages. Https://gildedmusicpress.com/ #758679. Published by https://gildedmusicpress.com/ (A0.1158398). Composed to commemorate the 20th year of the 9-11 terrorist attacks. This somber, gorgeous piece of music draws tears when presented correctly, and is an extraordinarily important contribution to the brass quintet repertoire. The Jewish “feast� (or “appointed time�) of trumpets, as outlined in Leviticus 23:24-25, prescribes the observance: “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.� According to the Jewish calendar, the feast of trumpets in 2001 coincided exactly with the 9-11 attacks, which could indeed be thought of as “an offering made by fire.� Effectively no servile work was done on that day throughout the attacked nation, and it has indeed become a somber type of “sabbath� to observe every year. It seemed extraordinarily appropriate—perhaps even requisite—that a somber composition with trumpets be composed for the 20th annual observance of the horrific attacks on American soil, as a “Memorial� to those lost that day, and those who since perished in the Global War on Terror. “Where were you when you first heard about the 9-11 attacks?� This common question is posed to those who were of age to comprehend what had happened in 2001. Personally, I had just listened to an emotional rendition of Maurice Ravel’s “Pavane to a Dead Princess.� Elements of that musical memory influenced this present work “Memorial.� Other sources of inspiration—whether intended or subconscious—include Samuel Barber’s heart-wrenching “Adagio for Strings,� Michael Kamen’s “Quintet� for brass, and John Williams’ “Hymn to the Fallen.� The harmonies are thick and often dissonant, including many suspensions. The players get little rest, symbolic of the constant state of alertness of a shocked nation after being so brutally attacked. Perhaps of greatest symbolic import is the fact that there are exactly 911 notes in this composition. Because of this, it is crucial that the percussion part be performed, and that great care be taken by all performers to refrain from altering the notes or rhythms in any way. A comment on the interpretation of notation: all long notes that are tied to a staccato note on the downbeat are to be held to the downbeat and gently released, not held over.

Brass Quintet - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1489487 Composed by Dr. Daniel N. Thrower. 21st Century,Chamber,Classical,Historic,Multicultural,World. 28 pages. Https://gildedmusicpress.com/ #1066350. Published by https://gildedmusicpress.com/ (A0.1489487). One of my last assignments as an Air Force musician before being stationed in Japan was to perform music in support of the 50th commemoration of what has become known in America as “Vietnam Memorial Day.”  It is observed on March 29 every year, the date when the last U.S. troops withdrew from Vietnam in 1973.  After the memorable ceremony in 2023, I lingered to talk with those mature veterans and to hear some of their experiences.  It was a strange feeling when I told them that my first assignment at my new duty station in Japan would be a series of cultural exchange performances in Vietnam.  What a somber generational bridge.I was only in Japan for a matter of days, including some intense rehearsals, before Pacific Brass (the brass quintet from the U.S. Air Force Band of the Pacific) packed up and headed to Hanoi to start our brief musical outreach in three cities.  My reflections were sobering as I contrasted my military service in Vietnam with the veterans whom I had just honored three months prior.  During some off-duty time, all five of the Pacific Brass military musicians found our way to the well-known Hòa Ló Prison, infamously known as the “Hanoi Hilton.”  Indeed, how vastly different was my brief military service in Vietnam!To the Vietnamese people, the “American War,” as they call it, is ancient history.  They are extremely forward-thinking, putting those dark years far from them, looking to the bright future that is theirs.  What an educational bridge of paradigms.  Although it was important for us as U.S. Servicemembers to witness the Hòa Ló Prison firsthand, our lot was to experience the beautiful present-day Vietnam with its rich culture of food, street shops, temples, dance, music, and other wonders that awed us all—including gongs!Our trombone player purchased a gong in a shop that sold little else besides gongs of all sizes and pitches.  That struck me as quintessentially Vietnamese, and the sights and sounds of that modest shop lingered in my imagination.  As we absorbed the extraordinary majesty of the Temple of Literature in Hanoi, ideas for this musical composition started to formulate as a bridge connecting American musical culture with Vietnamese traditional gongs.  For practicality in both notation and live performance, I scored the consort of 18 glorious “gongs” in my head for orchestral tubular bells.  It is a passionate hope that someday in a video presentation, a masterful cultural bridge of the two diverse countries will be crafted.  Better yet, what an experience it would be to have a legitimate gong consort perform live with Pacific Brass!The year of our visit, as we were coached many times by the Embassy’s Attaché, was a milestone landmark between the two nations, worthy of praise and celebration: the ten-year anniversary of the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership, signed by Presidents Obama and Sang in July 2013.  This bilateral relationship has bridged both nations’ commitment to economic engagement, cultural exchange, tourism, education, and human rights.  This composition is in celebration of this Comprehensive Partnership and a gift to the wonderful people of Vietnam.  May this music contribute to a continuing growth of positive relations bridging the two nations.

Horn,Trombone,Trumpet,Tuba - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1158199 Composed by Dr. Daniel N. Thrower. 20th Century,Chamber,Classical,March,Patriotic. 32 pages. Https://gildedmusicpress.com/ #758476. Published by https://gildedmusicpress.com/ (A0.1158199). There is nothing more quintessentially military than the grand sound of marches at special military events. Hundreds of marches have served their purposes through the many decades of military tradition in the United States of America. This 3.5-minute march was composed for the occasion of the change of command of the 55th Wing—“The Fightin’ 55th�—under Air Combat Command, located at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. The ceremony took place on June 14, 2019, which was also Flag Day. The new march served as a grateful tribute to the outgoing Commander, Colonel Michael H. Manion, and a welcoming gesture to the new Commander, Colonel Gavin P. Marks. Printed copies of the score were presented to the Commanders before the ceremony, and the march was premiered as the final pre-ceremony musical selection. The opening motifs are strongly reminiscent of the introductory measures of the “Air Force Song� most commonly played by Air Force brass quintets. Keeping in tradition with the form of most marches, the “Trio� section presents new material in a new key (down a fifth), with a contrastingly quiet dynamic. The opening motif of the Trio strain is a mutation, or a paraphrase, of “Anchors Aweigh�, emphasizing the joint-force nature of the 55th Wing. The melody is repeated with a louder dynamic and a countermelody in the horn, and then is repeated once more with increased excitement in the accompaniment, variety of dynamics, and even a temporary key shift. Straying from the form most used by the “March King�, John Philip Sousa, Dr. Thrower omitted a fourth or final strain, and instead he modulated the key back to the original B-flat major and brought back the melodic content from the first strain. This form predates Sousa, and was more commonly used in Europe and early America. It smacks of “sonata form�, and even the modern formal designation of “recapitulating march� alludes to sonata form. The final recapitulating strain repeats with an obbligato soaring above it in the first trumpet part, now on piccolo trumpet. The march ends with a short coda that brings back the opening motivic allusion to the Air Force Song. Due to the selected formal structure, this march, “The Fightin’ 55th�, is much more unified than most typical marches. The very nature of military marches (including America’s beloved “Stars and Stripes Forever�) displays four or even five completely unrelated melodies, or strains, throughout. The incorporation of thematic structure similar to that found in sonata form indeed makes “The Fightin’ 55th� an appropriate and even artistic concert march.

Horn,Trombone,Trumpet,Tuba - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1158017 Composed by Dr. Daniel N. Thrower. 20th Century,Chamber,Classical. 17 pages. Https://gildedmusicpress.com/ #758313. Published by https://gildedmusicpress.com/ (A0.1158017). Dr. Thrower grew up near the granite hills of northern Utah. As he composed this short fanfare, the octaves in the tuba and trombone conjured images of a solid foundation for the upper brass to build on. The imagery of a granite monolith powerfully provided a suitable title. He pictured himself back in the mountains of his youth, standing on seemingly eternal ground that even an earthquake would have difficulty cracking. The grandeur of that feeling of security and connection to something safe and firm is hopefully reflected in the power of the strong notes of this brief fanfare. Pictured on the cover is “Devil’s Tower� located in Wyoming. Although not in Utah, this monolith is a dramatic specimen, worthy of the intended musical imagery of this fanfare. The piece was composed for the student brass quintet at the University of Texas at San Antonio. The premiere performance opened their exciting concert on December 1, 2010. It has since been performed by various brass quintets throughout the United States, including universities and military ensembles.

Brass Quintet - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1489491 Composed by Dr. Daniel N. Thrower. 21st Century,Barbershop,Chamber,Classical,Multicultural,World. 20 pages. Https://gildedmusicpress.com/ #1066355. Published by https://gildedmusicpress.com/ (A0.1489491). “Rising Sun” was composed as a gesture of friendship between the two great nations of Japan and the United States of America.  As a uniformed member of the Armed Forces, mine is a unique position of being able to share such a meaningful gift in an official capacity that bears great depth and meaning far beyond similar civilian cultural exchanges.Before being assigned to Yokota Air Base in Japan, I was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.  Part of my duties as a trumpeter in the military is to sound “Taps” as part of the full complement of a fallen hero’s military honors.  Among the most somber occasions of fulfilling that special privilege was on behalf of a WWII Seaman, Wesley Brown.  In 2021, his remains were identified and shipped home to America’s heartland after 80 years of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.Fast forward to August 6 and 9, 2023, shortly after I arrived at my new duty station in Japan.  On those dates in 1946, nuclear bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  I recorded in my journal on the 9th that my walk to work was quite sobering as I realized that my presence there was a direct result of that complicated global conflict.  With significant symbolism, Pacific Brass read “Rising Sun” for the first time that day.After nearly 80 years, the post-war occupation has evolved to a thriving partnership most worthy of celebration.  This composition “Rising Sun” potently delivers a personalized celebratory gesture from an American Airman to all those communities we serve throughout the glorious “land of the rising sun.”In the music itself, one can picture a dim early dawn with the serene opening of the low brass trio.  The musical content is repeated more loudly, with brilliant trumpet interjections as the sun crests over the early horizon.  The music morphs and grows; varies and repeats, as it is intended to depict the subtly but rapidly changing beauties of an orange-filled sunrise.  At last, the colors fade and the new day has begun, with a full brightness of hope.

Brass Quintet - Level 5 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1489492 Composed by Dr. Daniel N. Thrower. 21st Century,Chamber,Classical,Contest,Festival,Multicultural,World. 37 pages. Https://gildedmusicpress.com/ #1066356. Published by https://gildedmusicpress.com/ (A0.1489492). Dragon’s Breath, Op. 139 for brass quintet began as a short brass quintet fanfare as a gift to celebrate Giddings Mouthpieces 20th anniversary of making stainless steel mouthpieces, on which I played for much of my Air Force career.  Ivan, the owner of Giddings Mouthpieces, was pleased with the gesture, but with the feedback that the low brass needed to have more fun.  With that feedback and some encouraging words from Esteban Batallán, the principal trumpeter of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO), I went to work on this fiery piece.The evocative title Dragon’s Breath comes from a heat treatment that Ivan Giddings uses on some of his mouthpieces.  It is a title fitting of a fiery piece!  Especially in light of my family moving to Japan during the compositional process, the title is also autobiographical with dragons being a prevalent theme throughout many Asian countries.Although trumpet parts in both B-flat and C are provided, the trumpet parts lay much more comfortably on C trumpets than on B-flat.  The technical requirements of all five parts present delightful challenges and weave a complex furor throughout the piece, even when underlying the lyrical, albeit turbulent, melodies.  Story line and imagery are left to the hearer’s imagination based on everything the title may invoke.

Horn,Trombone,Trumpet,Tuba - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1158678 Composed by Dr. Daniel N. Thrower. 20th Century,Chamber,Classical,Historic. 30 pages. Https://gildedmusicpress.com/ #758696. Published by https://gildedmusicpress.com/ (A0.1158678). The opening of this 4-minute piece is dance-like, intimating a celebratory mood up front—alone at first, but shared with the ensemble throughout the piece. After much celebration, the piece ends solemnly, as if giving each other final hugs and good-byes. Every Airman has a story to tell. “Farewell Celebration� is part of my story as an Airman musician. It is a fitting farewell to the Heartland of America Band stationed at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska, and to the entire American Midwest, as my family and I finalized our plans to uproot for an extraordinary three-year adventure in Asia. Work on this composition began toward the end of July and beginning of August 2021 as a melody with instructions to be the opening of a brass quintet piece, beginning with trumpet alone. It remained in that state until January 2022 when I entered this sketch into the computer to be worked on sporadically along with several other works in progress. When I contracted Covid-19 in July 2022, all of these works and other incipient pieces received attention, but this one more than most others. In the fall, I felt an urgency to complete it as a sentimental gesture of enthusiastic good-byes due to many life changes taking place. In particular, my fourth son, Paul, was departing for two years for Brazil. I was compelled to complete this work before he left on October 17, 2022, which I accomplished the day prior to his departure. In addition to Paul’s farewell, two co-workers with whom I had worked closely in the Air Force brass quintet called “Offutt Brass,� were also moving on with new exciting chapters in their lives. MSgt Ben Kadow, our fantastic trombonist, had received an assignment to move to Germany, leaving us on November 8. And MSgt Ryan Heseltine, our unparalleled French horn player, retired at the end of the year. On top of all that, in September I was given an assignment to move to Japan the following summer. Some farewells are more difficult to endure than others, though all seem to have varied brands of profound emotion. In contrast to saying good-bye to a loved one who passes away, all of these farewells were joyful, albeit poignant. “Farewell Celebration� is dedicated to my son Paul, to my outstanding professional colleagues, Ben Kadow and Ryan Heseltine, and to all our friends and family members who we left behind as we moved to Japan.

Horn,Trombone,Trumpet,Tuba - Level 5 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1158419 Composed by Dr. Daniel N. Thrower. 20th Century,Chamber,Classical,Comedy,Contemporary. 31 pages. Https://gildedmusicpress.com/ #758705. Published by https://gildedmusicpress.com/ (A0.1158419). This piece was inspired by a post-concert reception with the Sioux City Symphony to which all musicians, season ticket holders, and other select guests were invited. As I found a place to sit down and geek out with some fellow trumpeters, a group of concertgoers began to gather at the adjacent table. Each guest that joined that animated group added more character until they had spilled over into our small gathering. Their conversations also spilled over, including a couple of mild warnings about one final guest who would be joining us, who had already had just a bit too much to drink. Of course, she sat by me—a seasoned Brit with an easy-going love of life. During the course of the evening, several pairs of glasses made their way out of her purse and onto her head. Her friend asked me to take her picture and send it to her. That dignified portrait, textured and filtered with color highlights, became the cover to this work. “Concertgoers� is a musical soundtrack to that memorable evening with the unforgettable group of concertgoers. It begins with the motivic intro in the horn that becomes the main melodic content throughout the work which repeats in allusion to concertgoers joining the festivities one by one until the party blooms in full. Quirky and fun, this piece paints a fitting aural picture of the cacophonous reception and varied chatter of the evening. The use of chromaticism provides much of the quirkiness, along with the use of mixed meter for some of the varieties of that night of entertainment. These modern compositional techniques challenge a good college-level quintet, though it is accessible to the musicians and listenable to the average concertgoer. To program it on a brass quintet concert or recital aptly tips the hat in acknowledgement of the audience, as it is a dedicated piece just for them!

Brass Quintet - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1489534 Composed by Dr. Daniel N. Thrower. 21st Century,Chamber,Classical,Multicultural,World. 17 pages. Https://gildedmusicpress.com/ #1066398. Published by https://gildedmusicpress.com/ (A0.1489534). Jellyfish, Op. 147, for brass quintet was completed 17 Feb 2024 and posted on YouTube.  The video clips used for this video were taken at the Omaha Zoo on 26 Nov 2021 and 13 Jul 2022, and eventually, this serene music was composed to beautifully highlight the exquisite loveliness of these enigmatic (albeit perilous) creatures.  This work unexpectedly became the most popular original Thrower composition on YouTube.  The sheet music was originally intended to be published in a collection of other similar short compositions written to underscore memorable scenes and amusements from my life.  Due to the overwhelming popularity of this work, however, it needed to be released as its own publication.  Duration: 2:15.