# An 18 year-old dream will come true for me tommorow



## Rodney Money (Jul 12, 2018)

Made possible by an utmost gracious contribution from Hampton House Art and Frame located in King, North Carolina a dream of mine for almost 18 years will become a reality tommorow when I'll have the high honor of presenting this personalized, engraved score of the West Stokes Alma Mater to the King Public Library in honor of all people that make up our home.




So how did all of this happen just in the past month? Well, if you are interested just let me know, and it has everything to do with the library CineBrass Core.

(Here's the story)

Well, the story goes back in June I was "hanging out" in a trumpet Facebook forum just throwing out this question for people to ponder, "I wonder what an all cylindrical brass ensemble would sound like with nothing but trumpets, alto trombones, trombones, bass trombones, bass trumpets, and cimbasso?" Then a member responded, "I'm not sure but if you ever have a recording of it I would love to hear it!" So then I told him as I posted a YouTube link of a piece of mine featuring nothing but CineBrass Core, "It might sound similar to this." He responded, "Gorgeous!!! That was stunning!" And then asked me if I would consider arranging it for brass quintet unknowing to me at the time I was talking to the 1st trumpet player of the United States Air Force Offutt Brass Quintet which comprises of some of the top players in the nation collaborating with other more well known ensembles such as the Canadian Brass. So I spent the next 4-5 days and nights arranging a full concert band piece for a professional brass quintet which meant the tuba part better have something more than just half-notes and whole-notes. I sent him handwritten sketches along the way as I finished each part before the finished engraved version in Finale. After I finished the piece, emailed it to him, he told me that it was going to be premier of all places at Mount Rushmore on July 4th, Independence Day for the United States.

Now here is the kicker, that little piece that is only a minute and a half that they wanted just happen to be the Alma Mater that I wrote for the high school in my hometown back in 2000 when the school was brand new. My hometown found out that our little city of King, NC was going to be represented on Mount Rushmore on Independence day and the whole thing just snowballed. I was getting phone calls and messages from the locals, papers, friends, and family thanking me and congratulating me, and then to commemorate the occasion Hampton House Art and Frame sponsored the framed engraving for the King Public Library's art gallery. I am 40 now, but ever since I wrote the piece back in my days at college I wanted to present an engraved score to the gallery but never had the time nor the extra money for such a large project which took about a month from mid June until now. Also, I cannot even calculate the amount of time concerning research, travel, and trial and error I had to endure before I could even write the very first note. If it was any other piece besides the Alma Mater non of this would have happened.


But the highest honor came to me when I messaged my old college trumpet professor, Dr. Bill Jones, telling him that I had a "gift" for him presenting him with the sheet music of the newly arranged brass quintet version of the Alma Mater now called "In the Heart of Our Home" for universal appeal. In his brass ensemble ironically named King Street Brass not related to my hometown of King but King Street located in Boone, NC where the university Appalachian State is located, they sometimes include an alto trombone or flugelhorn, so I made sure to include parts for those instruments also. He responded, "I am going to forward those parts to Harold if that's ok with you. We could play it on our July 4th concert. It brought tears to my eyes. I am so proud of you Rodney." Now this is a bold statement, but I honestly believe that some of the best musicians in the world are the unknown professors that teach in our music schools and conservatories. I am not a person who says this person or this person is the best in the world, but concerning trumpet I have never heard anyone clearly better than Dr. Jones on trumpet concerning orchestral playing. I've heard him play with members of the American Brass Quintet, New York Philharmonic's Phil Smith, and to this day I enjoyed his live rendition of Carnival of Venice better than Wynton Marsalis's recorded one, and Dr. Harold McKinney on trombone and Joe Brown on alto trombone are his equals on their respected instruments. Joe Brown might be the only person across the nation who can truly play an alto trombone properly, and Dr. Jones said that he had a huge smile on his face when he saw his part which for Joe is a huge compliment. This was the first time I ever wrote for alto trombone and with the reassurance from Joe he said, "You nailed it!" (I have attached the alto trombone part. Fun stuff!) The tuba player, Chris Watson, is a phenomenal player also and a dear friend of mine that we play gigs together. My daughter, Molly, loves him so much that she calls him Uncle Chris. After they performed the piece Dr. Jones messaged me telling me it was a good performance, everyone loved the piece, and it was well received.




So, a little piece I wrote almost 20 years ago as a kid in college is helping me accomplish several of my dreams all at once. I will never be known as Hans Zimmer or John Williams, and will never have 0.9% of their money either, but my pieces live in those intimate performance moments where my teachers from my past tell me they are proud of me, a college student majoring in bassoon performance messages me saying my piece was their favorite on their senior recital, my father telling me that they sung the Alma Mater again at graduation, a tuba player loves their part, my wife telling me that she is proud of me, my daughter wanting to hang my music on the wall in her princess Hello Kitty room, composing a trumpet concerto for a respected conservatory, accidently making a blue-haired elder from a church say, "Amen" in a church that traditionally supposed to be silent after one of my pieces is played for a prelude, and hearing NPR's Robert Siegel say, "It's a beautiful piece" about one of my choral works was played on All Things Considered. Thank you for letting me share everyone. Now I have to get ready with my family to present the score to the gallery!


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## leon chevalier (Jul 12, 2018)

Tell us


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## enyawg (Jul 13, 2018)

Rodney Money said:


> Made possible by an utmost gracious contribution from Hampton House Art and Frame located in King, North Carolina a dream of mine for almost 18 years will become a reality tommorow when I'll have the high honor of presenting this personalized, engraved score of the West Stokes Alma Mater to the King Public Library in honor of all people that make up our home.
> 
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> ...


Congratulations and pray tell.


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## TGV (Jul 13, 2018)

I'm slightly suspicious. He doesn't even look 18 in that picture.


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## Rodney Money (Jul 13, 2018)

TGV said:


> I'm slightly suspicious. He doesn't even look 18 in that picture.


I updated the original post for ya!


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## leon chevalier (Jul 13, 2018)

Rodney Money said:


> Made possible by an utmost gracious contribution from Hampton House Art and Frame located in King, North Carolina a dream of mine for almost 18 years will become a reality tommorow when I'll have the high honor of presenting this personalized, engraved score of the West Stokes Alma Mater to the King Public Library in honor of all people that make up our home.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice story ! Thanks for sharing ! And congrats


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## enyawg (Jul 13, 2018)

What an amazing and wonderful story due to just "hanging out" in a trumpet Facebook forum... isn't it great that music has the power to move people and bring them together in celebration.
I have to say that you sir are a positive shining light on this forum as well. On more than one occassion you have responded, assisting and encouraging even me!
You are a talented composer and musician no doubt, however, giving is possibly your most extraordinary gift.


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## JT (Jul 13, 2018)

Rodney, it seems like the stars are aligned for you. Congratulations!


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## Rodney Money (Jul 19, 2018)

enyawg said:


> What an amazing and wonderful story due to just "hanging out" in a trumpet Facebook forum... isn't it great that music has the power to move people and bring them together in celebration.
> I have to say that you sir are a positive shining light on this forum as well. On more than one occassion you have responded, assisting and encouraging even me!
> You are a talented composer and musician no doubt, however, giving is possibly your most extraordinary gift.


Thank you so much for your words, my friend.


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## Rodney Money (Jul 19, 2018)

JT said:


> Rodney, it seems like the stars are aligned for you. Congratulations!


It's truly been a crazy month. I'm kind of nervous about tommorow. I have to go to the actual library and be interviewed for the newspaper. Can I hire one of y'all to do that for me?


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