"Cacology" is the study of bad word choices and/or poor diction and pronunciation. Articulation markings are music’s diction, the alteration of which creates an entirely different musical meaning. Though every articulation in this short piece is painstakingly spelled out, many trumpeters tend to ignore them, especially during an initial reading, in favor of achieving the notes and rhythms at minimum. Musically speaking, such a reading is the epitome of a cacological phenomenon. And then there’s the scathing plague of “cacks” in general on a brass instrument. This piece indeed poses the potential for those.

This brief work was commissioned by Dr. Louis Eckhardt, Assistant Professor of Music at Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska, in the spring of 2022. The intent of the composition was to be the opener for a solo recital in which all new music was to be premiered. The tonal nature and rapid technical flourishes throughout this 1.5-minute “fanfare” opener excitingly grab the attention of the audience.