Composed in memory of Charlie Kirk, Turning Point is a slow, somber meditation for brass quintet, conceived as a tribute to a life cut short and the reverberations of loss that follow. The title references his foundation, Turning Point USA, and reflects both the ideals he championed, and the tragic turning point marked by his loss.

The piece begins in sparse, fragile textures—quiet voices that hover in the air like unanswered questions in the aftermath of violence. As instruments enter hesitantly, they seemingly search for meaning amid staggering perplexities. The ensemble quickly builds to anguished climaxes: excruciatingly loud cries that embody the pain of a life cut short, brass voices raised in lamentation.

Following these eruptions, the music rises with strains of hope, echoing Charlie’s convictions in the salvific work of Jesus Christ, to meet him on the Other Side.The piece then retreats into stillness, underscoring the emptiness left behind. The closing measures fade into quiet echoes, ultimately unresolved and haunting, a reminder that grief lingers long after the sound has gone.

Dedicated to Charlie Kirk, Turning Point is both a memorial and an outcry—a searing testament to the human need to mourn, remember, and give voice to sorrow.