Timothy Michael Weiss

Thank you! The cheery-ness of the piece does make more sense in context, and I understand how it doesn't seem to fit. I was worried about that as I was writing. I wanted to focus on Emery as the beautiful and vibrant woman that she was, almost as a tribute to her character, and find the positive in the negative. Once I can, I'll be sure to post the video/complete version

A heavy hitting blues for big band composed in the vein of Thad Jones. I'm playing 3 of the 5 trumpet parts (including lead). The best part is the tenor solo, though; Mike McMullen from Sacramento laid down a killer solo in one take (http://www.csus.edu/music/faculty/mcmullen.html). I'm really proud of this composition of mine and I hope you all enjoy it!

I started this piece around the time I was taking advanced theory in college. I was trying to compose a tune that sounded "classical", and I wrote the first half quickly. Around the cadenza I was stuck for a few months until I finally found some inspiration in a new friend of mine. The musicians in the recording were great and were able to produce what you hear on a time constraint. Let me know which composer(s) you think I was trying to imitate. I hope you enjoy!

This score was written for the short film written and directed by Ya'Shalan Nelson entitled The Fifth. The story was inspired by the Billy Holliday song, "Strange Fruit". Taking place somewhere the American south in 1992, the film begins with two young men, named Moe and Stone, lamenting on not being able to catch any fish for grandma. Moe discovers a backpack close by, calls out to find the owner, but nobody is around. Stone directs Moe to look for the owner while he heads to the nearest payphone to call home. While Stone is trekking, he suddenly stops in his tracks, stunned by what he discovers. A young woman, named Emery, is hung, lifeless, from a tree. Both Moe and Stone move quickly to take care of this mysterious young woman's body and spirit. They carefully remove her from the tree and respectfully lay her down on the ground. They move to discovering who she is. Stone then leaves the scene to call the police, and Moe stays behind to protect the murdered victim. In the bag Moe discovered, he finds a letter penned by Emery to her boyfriend. The voice of Emery narrates her heartwarming love letter, and beautifully displays the hopes, fears, and joys of life as an African-American. Any thoughts and feedback are welcome, and thank you for listening!