“Ghost Train” wasn’t planned; it was a happy accident. Back in the fall of 1993, when I was studying at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, I stumbled upon the wind symphony rehearsing. The sound, even through closed doors, was captivating. I had to sneak into the band room and ended up staying for the entire 50-minute rehearsal. It was the loudest, most incredible music experience I’d ever had – six percussionists and eight trumpets! I was completely blown away.
Afterward, I approached Thomas Leslie, the conductor, and, on a whim, asked if I could write something for them. To my surprise, he immediately said yes, even adding that if it was good, they would perform it at the CBDNA convention in the spring. The thing is, up until that moment, I had only written for voices, never for instruments. So, I reached out to my instrumentalist friends, picking their brains about their instruments. I asked them about their favorite pieces, comfortable ranges, and instrument pairings.
Christmas break was spent wrestling with this new challenge, writing in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and even Waco, Texas. When school started again, I presented Tom with the first movement. He conducted it at the convention, and just like that, “Ghost Train” took off. Band directors started contacting me, wanting to purchase it. That’s how my journey as a professional composer really began, all thanks to this unexpected piece inspired by the powerful sound of a wind symphony, a unique kind of train song born from pure sonic impact.
A year later, I completed the second and third movements. Tom premiered the entire “Ghost Train Triptych” in the spring of 1995. Just two months later, I graduated and went on to Juilliard. “Ghost Train” is my dedication to Thomas G. Leslie, the man who brought this unlikely train song to life.
Ghost Train Triptych
I. The Ride
II. At the Station
III. The Motive Revolution
Download the Mvt 1 Treble Euphonium Part
