BENEATH

for orchestra
and pre-recorded soundscape.
(with Pacific Humpback whale soloist!).

Composed in 2010 by Alex Shapiro.
Arranged by Andrew Wainwright, 2019



2019. Duration 10:30.
Published by Activist Music LLC (ASCAP).

LICENSES INCLUDED:

Synchronization and mechanical rights are included free of charge for music educators and non-profit ensembles wishing to create a virtual recording and video of this piece, subject to written approval from Ms. Shapiro prior to publicly posting the media.

QUICK LINKS

PROGRAM NOTE for BENEATH:

Beneath brings listeners on a sonic journey into a private, aquatic realm. Below the surface of the ocean is a world of liquid beauty and grace hidden from our eyes and from our imagination. Even in this habitat of life and hope, exquisite creatures remain vulnerable to events triggered from beyond their fragile sanctuary. From hearing a volcanic eruption under the Pacific, to going on a guided tour of the sea alongside a Humpback whale, your ears and your heart will glide through a stunning place we sometimes forget to look.

PROGRAM BIO for Alex Shapiro

Immerse yourself in a watery world while watching this beautiful March 2023 performance of BENEATH by the Orquestra Académica da Universidade de Coimbra in Portugal, conducted by André Granjo.

Conductor Joseph Higgins gives his audience a wonderful introduction to BENEATH by playing the raw Humpback whale song for them before giving the downbeat to the Rowan University Wind Ensemble — have a listen!

PERUSAL CONDUCTOR SCORE for
BENEATH for orchestra

(email Activist Music for the code):

.pdf file of the TRANSPOSED CONDUCTOR SCORE,
11 x 17; 36 pages

CONDUCTOR SCORE

TECHNICAL NOTES:

Here's something VERY helpful: a complete guide to the software and hardware setup for your rehearsal space and performance venue.

This music lends itself to a multimedia performance if desired, with video, photos, lighting, or set design concepts. For access to existing photographs from Alex's extensive portfolio, or for more information, please contact Alex

Want to know how Alex found the perfect whale for this piece? Click here to read a short interview with her, on the blog The Natural World.

Alex appears in three of director Michael Stillwater's documentary films: Shining Night, Beyond the Fear of Singing,and In Search of the Great Song. Click the image below to watch a short excerpt from the latter, scored with the whale song track from BENEATH and filmed at Alex's home on San Juan Island, WA.:

Click here to listen to the February 2017 podcast interview Alex did with host Anthony Lanmanon his show 1 Track, in which she A/B'ed identical sections of BELOW, for contrabass flute, and its subsequent version for symphonic band, BENEATH -- the final movement of IMMERSION.

By Anthony Rodgers May 09, 2017
KCMetropolis.org
Elemental Excellence
Review of Mid America Freedom Band concert,
Lee Hartman, conductor:

"Two movements from Alex Shapiro's Immersion were fantastic, incorporating oceanic sounds and whale songs in the electronics. "Beneath" featured improvisational elements to create, as Hartman described, "a jazz club immersed under water." Four soloists—tenor sax, alto sax, trumpet, and vibraphone—did well to fit the atmosphere and groove of the piece without going too hard too fast in their brief, improvised features. In "Depth," the focus shifted to a more relaxed feel, featuring gentle washes of sound with warm winds and smooth percussion. The balance between electronic and acoustic sounds in both of these movements was great, and the ensemble's entrances were gentle to create gorgeous soundscapes."

ADDITIONAL INFO

Alex has written an extensive two-part article about electroacoustic band music and the uses of multimedia in the concert world. The essay, titled The e-Frontier: Music, Multimedia, Education, and Audiences in the Digital World echoes the presentations she has given at the 2013 Midwest Clinic, the 2014 TMEA convention, and countless other seminars, and appears in the June and September 2014 issues of the magazine of the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, WASBE World. The pdf is offered here with the very kind permission of the organization.

Click here for the full .pdf file

BENEATH is also the third movement of Alex's wind symphony to the sea, IMMERSION. Click here to read about the suite.

THE CONTACT INFO

The VERY best way to reach Alex is through email, by clicking here

All photographs by Alex Shapiro (offering a good hint about where all this watery music comes from!).