Music! Its Role and Importance in Our Lives

Chapter 13: Condolences and Commemoration

From the Top

Name: Kenneth Stewart
Age: 18
Instrument: Composition/Cello
Hometown: Tucson, AZ

Kenneth Stewart on performing his composition Fallen Soldier on the From the Top radio show:

Q: What are your thoughts and feelings about this piece?

A: The musical gestures inside the work develop as if the solo cellist is the bugle player playing "Taps" at the service of his fallen comrade. With this in mind I tried to capture my feeling of sadness, irony, and confusion toward the war and the loss of so many lives.

Q: What is unique or special about this piece of music?

A: Every piece of music has its own evolution. Fallen Soldier is no exception. The tone row, on which Fallen Soldier is based, preceded the composition by a year. Two weeks prior to writing the piece I discovered the row in a pile of papers. I didn't do anything with the row until I found out that my cousin just received his orders to serve a tour in Iraq, the night it was written. I got the idea to title it Fallen Soldier and to incorporate the bugle call, Taps. After that, the process accelerated. Before I knew it, in two hours, I had a finished piece. To this day I haven't made any revisions. My cousin is now out of Iraq.

Q: What was it like preparing for and performing on From the Top?

A: As a performer, I had a unique vantage point in interpreting this piece. The page of music wasn't just a series of black notes, it was a series of personal feelings. Having the opportunity to share my piece and my feelings with the radio listeners gave me a great sense of accomplishment. Finally, as a young musician, it was a privilege to be selected as the first From the Top Young Composer honoree.