Composer keeps music alive with wind ensemble

Dead composers offer little if any feedback on how their works
should be presented. Luckily, Roger Bourland is a living, breathing
composer who can tailor his pieces to the performers.

“You make changes,” Bourland said. “You say
“˜that note doesn’t work, that sounds like the wrong
note, why don’t you not play, or why don’t you add
this.’ Everybody is a part of the creative
process.”

A professor of theory and composition, Bourland is busy with the
UCLA Wind Ensemble making alterations to a Bourland piece called
“Ozma.” Originally written for an orchestra, the piece
had to be customized for a wind ensemble, which lacks string
instruments. “Ozma” will be performed with no strings
attached for the first time in the Wind Ensemble’s spring
finale on Wednesday, May 21 at 8 p.m. in Royce Hall.

According to Meghan Turner, a first-year design | media arts
student in conducting and trumpet, the string parts have been
replaced by various wind instruments to maintain the necessary
emphasis. Professor Gordon Henderson of the marching band spent two
weeks arranging the new version, which the Wind Ensemble is
currently rehearsing for Bourland.

“It’s a truly remarkable experience to perform a
work of a living composer,” Turner said. “To have them
not only in the audience, but also attending rehearsals and
offering input to the ensemble is a rare learning opportunity that
fills the students with inspiration.”

“Ozma” is a musical book report of “Ozma of
Oz,” the third sequel to Frank Baum’s modern fairy tale
classic “The Wizard of Oz.” The piece was written in
1994 for the 50th anniversary of the Topeka Symphony Orchestra.

“What (was) I going to write for an orchestra in
Kansas?” Bourland said. “Oz.”

The project took two months, as Bourland spent his mornings
listening to relaxation tapes of rain and thunder with a giant pot
of coffee within arms reach. The end result was a 10-minute
storyteller.

“There’s a big introduction where all the characters
are on a boat with the waves going up and down,” Bourland
said. “Then it starts introducing the characters. At the end,
it’s this great, big climax where Ozma brings a parade of
people to defeat the villain. It doesn’t really matter if you
know the story. You can just imagine whatever you want. You can
create your own movie in your head.”

Though “Ozma” is not intended to be part of a film
score, Bourland has plenty of experience composing music for small
films such as “The Wolf at the Door,” “The
Trouble with Dick” and “Night Life.”

“Writing music for films is fun, but I really love writing
concert music,” Bourland said. “I like film music, but
I don’t trust it for a career. You’re in it for a
while, and all of a sudden you’re out of work.”

Bourland’s teaching philosophy is to help his students
discover something they are good at and love doing. He prides
himself in finding a career he truly loves.

“My dad was a minister so I heard lots of music in the
church,” Bourland said. “In the ’60s, I was in a
rock ‘n’ roll country band. Then I got tired of playing
in bars where people just got drunk. I wanted to write music for
people to stay home and listen to rather than get drunk and not
listen to.”

The future composer proceeded to finish his bachelor’s
degree, master’s and Ph.D. in music at the University of
Wisconsin, Madison, the New England Conservatory of Music and
Harvard University, respectively. Now his music is heard by
thousands in music halls.

“I think it’s a fabulous experience when
you’re part of a great, big piece,” Bourland said.
“There are 200 of you up on stage playing for 2,000 people in
the audience. When you come home, you can’t sleep ““
you’re so turned on. To create an environment like that is a
real thrill.”

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