Not only does the Texas Music Educators Association Clinic and Convention bring tens of thousands of educators, students, and exhibitors to San Antonio each year, but the many performances by student ensembles also draw composers to the city to work with students as they premiere new music.
Reena Esmail is an award-winning composer in San Antonio for the first time to share a new band arrangement Saturday night of her piece, “Tuttarana,” which began life as a choral work. It’s a fast-moving, rhythmically challenging piece that sounds like it’s as much fun to play as it is to listen to.
“When I was writing this piece, the conductor who I wrote it for was like, ‘Hey, I want something that's not just pretty and about flowers and trees, I want the exact opposite of that,’” Esmail said.
“It comes in very hot!”
In recent years, the programming during All-State concerts has welcomed younger and more diverse composers.
Esmail is Indian American and noted the changing demographics of Texas.
“The Indian population is growing,” she said of the Lone Star State. “There’s a lot of people who have moved here and they want their kids to do well in Western classical music. They also want their kids to do well in Indian classical music… I feel like I've just been the beneficiary of seeing, you know, this influx, in this kind of repertoire change.”
As for Esmail’s San Antonio experience so far, she said the River Walk is “beautiful,” and marveled at how vibrant the city was.
“I was walking last night back to my hotel, and there's just like, all these bands playing and people playing outdoors,” she said. “It’s such a fun town.”
“Tuttarana” will be performed by the All-State 6A Symphonic Band on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. at the Lila Cockrell Theatre. Concerts at the TMEA Convention are open to badge holders and registrants first, and to the general public on a space-available basis after that.
To hear our full interview with Reena Esmail, use the audio player at the top of this page.
