The Footsteps of the Gardener

SAB and Piano

The first job I took after finishing my undergraduate degree in Vocal Music Education was as a high school choir teacher but, to date, the only grade I’ve never taught ranging from kindergarteners to graduate students is seventh (though I’ve conducted some very talented seventh graders in honor choirs over the years!). This is to say that, as a composer who is sometimes commissioned to write something that will be presented by an ensemble sponsored by an educational institution, I tend to fall back on how my music might be used to teach concepts both musical and non-musical.

The Footsteps of the Gardener was the first time I decided to actively knit this notion into the piece in an unsubtle way so, in a nod to educational concepts like the Theory of Multiple Intelligences or Neil Fleming’s work on learning styles as well as the music of American composer, Michael Torke, I decided to have the musical material “work out” the short Chinese proverb in a few different ways I found interesting and exciting to perform. I could list all the methods I used, but I think it might fit more with the spirit of the work’s composition to see if the singers can figure them out themselves.

The Footsteps of the Gardener was commissioned by the South Saint Paul High School Concert Choir (Chad Lindblom, conductor).

The Text

Chinese proverb

The best fertilizer is the footsteps of the gardener.

Performed by the Gardner-Webb University Concert Choir
(Dr. Joshua Cheney, conductor).