VALLEY VIEWS

• 3-movement suite for brass quintet (2 trumpets, horn, trombone, tuba)
• Duration: ~9 minutes
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Valley Views was created over two self-directed composing retreats at a cabin in a remote area of Southern Oregon. The musical ideas in this three-movement suite were inspired by the landscapes I experienced during my visits to this incredible place. 

The first movement represents the drive through the valley and up into the Cascade mountain range, where the roads are full of twists and turns and elevation changes. Despite the ups and downs of the land itself, the drive is smooth and offers sweeping vistas and seemingly never-ending waves of trees down below. 

The second movement reflects on the devastating effects of wildfires caused by climate change. Driving through the valley, it is easy to see the areas that have been damaged and, in some cases, completely burned to the ground because of uncontrollable forest fires. The water level of the reservoir I visited was at less than 10%. The long-lasting implications of this kind of environmental change moved me to tears and inspired this tender, emotionally-charged music. 

In contrast, the third movement offers a playful, quirky finale to the suite, depicting the abundance of adventure to be found in the Rogue Valley. 

This work was written for the Hogtown Brass Quintet with funding support from the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario. Special thanks to the Ferguson family for providing the beautiful space that allowed the creation of this piece. 

At Cait Nishimura Music, we care about the planet we call home. One dollar from every purchase of this piece will be donated to Tree Canada in support of their Operation ReLeaf project. To learn more, visit: https://treecanada.ca/operationreleaf/