ARTS

Classical piece inspired by Jacksonville

Courtney Bryan For the Times-Union
Courtney Bryan, Jackonville Symphony Composer-in-Residence [Photo by Tiffany Manning]

A little over two years ago, I received a message from former president and CEO Robert Massey about the possibility of doing a project with the Jacksonville Symphony. I was thrilled and also curious. While I correctly guessed the project was a commission for orchestra, I hadn’t anticipated that it would become an invitation to be the Mary Carr Patton Composer-in-Residence with the symphony. Of course, I was honored to take on this role. After several conversations with Director of Artistic Administration Tony Nickle, I made my first to visit to Jacksonville to meet with Music Director Courtney Lewis, members of the symphony staff, Symphony Board member Barbara Darby and the diversity committee, and to hear a concert performed by the wonderful Jacksonville Symphony.

"Bridges" is a tribute to the city of Jacksonville, its diverse communities and the bridges that bring them together. As part of my research process, I learned about Jacksonville (and St. Augustine) by visiting museums and galleries, historic landmarks, educational institutions, and by meeting with contemporary artists, art supporters and residents. Everyone that I spoke with had such love and pride for their city, and that energy was something I wanted to capture in the piece. Among the people I learned from, my central inspiration for the music came from my visits to schools in different neighborhoods of Jacksonville where the young students improvised sounds of their neighborhoods, particularly sounds of water, weather and traffic. The schools I visited include Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, Whitehouse Elementary School, The Bolles School, KIPP Jacksonville Elementary, Switzerland Point Middle School and LaVilla School of the Arts. Additionally, I asked my colleague, performer, producer and educator Ulysses Owens Jr., to do a similar workshop with his students from the organization Don't Miss a Beat. Along with a musical improvisation on sounds of their neighborhoods, the students added to their improvisation creative movement that added to my inspiration as I composed the music.

After many months of these varied experiences, it was time to compose the piece. I was full of inspiration and information, and the challenge was to create a piece of music that could best represent how I, as a visitor, experienced Jacksonville. The form is based on a series of vignettes. Some sections are inspired by historical events, including the early cultural encounters of Northeast Florida along the St. Johns River from the time of Ossachite to Cowford to Jacksonville, including the Timucua (Saturiwa), French, Spanish, West African, British, Seminole and Americans. Other sections are inspired by specific experiences that affected me while visiting historical sites such as Kingsley Plantation and American Beach, and the general experience of the beaches, rivers and driving across bridges. Inspiration from architecture, artifacts and art that I experienced at the Ritz Museum, the Museum of Science and History (MOSH), Space 42, Yellow House, Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center, the Lightner Museum American Beach Museum and visits with Leslee Keys at Flagler College informed my musical choices.

I look forward to the Jacksonville Symphony sharing "Bridges," my response to your beautiful city. While bridges may separate the city, this piece celebrates how through people’s intentions and actions, they can bring the city together. I hope you enjoy the premiere this April 4, 5, and 6. www.JaxSymphony.org

Special thanks to Mary Carr Patton; Courtney Lewis and the Jacksonville Symphony staff, committees and musicians; the National Endowment for the Arts; Piotr Szewczyk; and to the artists and art supporters of Jacksonville.

Courtney Bryan is the Jacksonville Symphony's Mary Carr Patton Composer-in-Residence.

‘BRIDGES’

Symphony in 60 performance at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 4, $15.

The piece will also be performed at 8 p.m. Friday, April 5, and Saturday, April 6, as part of the Florida Blue Masterworks Series, along with pieces by Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff. $19-$86.

All performances will be at the Times-Union Center. Visit www.jaxsymphony for tickets.