To listen while following along with the score, click here: (2) Dance Scene, by Dr. Daniel Thrower, for Brass Quintet - YouTube

Some symbolic gestures of this cute two-minute piece include several allusions to partner dancing, beginning with the tradeoff of duets (partnerships). In a performance situation, it is highly recommended that the performing brass quintet collaborate with a dance studio to choreograph a charming routine to go along with the music. Such collaboration is almost a no-brainer for a university performance, as dance and theater departments thrive on such teamwork.

As the composer, I picture two sets of partners playfully dancing to reflect the musical gestures, including dynamics, key changes, and transitions. “Dance Scene” began as a complete melodic sketch for a scene in an incipient musical, in the spring of 2021. Edits were made that summer and it became a splendid trumpet etude for inclusion in “Comprehensive Trumpet Skills, Book 5: Practice and Warmup” (published in May 2022) with plans to flesh it out for a very cute brass quintet. The quintet was completed on October 20, 2022.