THRUWAYS was commissioned and premiered by the 2025 Kingman Unified School District Honor Band.

THRUWAYS is a Grade 3 concert band piece that explores a wide range of musical styles and textures, offering students the opportunity to shift performance styles within a single, cohesive work. With standard instrumentation and five unique percussion parts, the piece is designed to challenge young musicians while remaining accessible and rewarding to perform.

The piece opens with an intimate percussion duet, representing a fresh beginning. A recurring three-note motif is introduced early on and developed throughout, creating forward momentum and giving the piece a strong sense of direction. Midway through, the music shifts into a drum-and-bass-inspired section, adding rhythmic intensity and a more contemporary sound. This change reflects the title’s reference to “thruways”—fast-moving highways that symbolize life’s chaotic and unpredictable pace.

As the piece returns to its opening theme, it offers a sense of reflection and resolution, highlighting the idea of growth through persistence and change. Inspired by a variety of musical influences, including the emotional depth of David Maslanka and the rhythmic energy of funk and jazz artist Louis Cole, THRUWAYS provides students with an engaging, stylistically varied experience that encourages both technical growth and expressive playing.

• Piccolo

• Flute 1, 2

• Oboe

• Bassoon

• Bb Clarinet 1, 2, 3

• Bass Clarinet

• Alto Saxophone 1, 2

• Tenor Saxophone

• Baritone Saxophone

• Bb Trumpet 1, 2, 3

• F Horn

• Tenor Trombone 1, 2, 3

• Euphonium

• Tuba

• Timpani

• Percussion 1, 2, 3, 4