WILL WHITTEN (he/him)

This standard setting is practical, but there is an oversight of composers writing meaningful material for all instruments which deprives musicians and audience members of engaging in all facets of musicianship. For a composer to give melodic material to a flute, where the instrument has great dexterity and flexibility, is normal and is often employed in concert band music. However, giving a tuba or a percussionist the melody is not common because of the specific and "appropriate"  roles these instruments are assumed to have in the band. This structure deprives all musicians of exposure to performing different musical skills. A composer should continue to develop their ideas but with the effort to expose every instrument within the concert band to as many factors of musicianship as possible. This approach will not only elevate a musician's experience but also enhance the audience's experience as they will hear a diverse range of sounds and expressive qualities exhibited by each instrument. 

Also, I see there should be no barriers between formal concert music and "popular" music. So, when venturing into composing for chamber groups and concert bands, I tend to draw inspiration from various musical cultures such as klezmer as well as skillfully fuse elements from artists I admire such as Björk, Louis Cole, Tyler, the Creator, Masayoshi Takanaka, Little Simz, and Vulfpeck.