Larry Clark
Composer • Author • Clinician
New Works for the 2022-2023 School Year
Recordings of my new music for Concert Band, String Orchestra, and Jazz Ensemble are now available. I have 7 new Concert Band, 4 new String Orchestra, and 2 Jazz Ensemble pieces published by Excelcia Music Publishing and Wingert-Jones Publications.
Concert Band
Oblivion
This piece is epic, fresh, and cool. Your students will be asking to play this on loop! Great part-writing gives each section something to work towards. Oblivion is going to fit on any concert program!
Buckets Full of Christmas Joy
Make your next holiday concert more fun by highlighting your percussion playing “junk band” instruments of paint buckets, plastic school trash cans, metal trash can lids, metal pipes, etc. with this arrangement of popular carols in an aggressive Latin Rock style. Bring your percussion section to the front for the most audience appeal.
Reliance
(March)
Set in the classic “fast and fun” American march style, Reliance is unique in that it begins in the relative minor for the introduction and first strain, before shifting to a major key for the second strain and beyond. Exciting and different!
Gravitas
The definition of gravitas (dignity, seriousness, or solemnity of manner) perfectly describes the style of this piece. It contains some carefully placed descending dissonance in the introductory material that is used throughout the piece to make even the youngest of students sound bold!
Santa's Spring Break
Ever wonder what Santa does the rest of the year? Give your students something fun to play with this clever combination of popular carols with Vivaldi’s famous Spring movement from his piece The Four Seasons. Of course, the piece is intended to be fun, and make the audience smile, but also a great way to introduce younger students to the famous Vivaldi work.
Axiom
An axiom is a statement or proposition which is regarded as being established, accepted, or self-evidently true. Make your band sound mature with this bold piece that includes fanfare gestures, strong themes and contrasting lyrical music. A strong choice for festival performance.
Ambassador
(March)
This is a very easy march using only the first six notes students learn in all band method books. It is intended to teach students march form, but remains tuneful and exciting just like the more challenging marches. How does Larry Clark do it year after year!
String Orchestra
Humble Heart
Anyone who has met Larry knows how humble he is, and while he would never admit it, this piece perfectly reflects the care and consideration he takes with the musical education of young musicians. A wonderfully beautiful work for String Orchestra.
Gravitas
The definition of gravitas (dignity, seriousness, or solemnity of manner) perfectly describes the style of this piece. It contains some carefully placed descending dissonance in the introductory material that is used throughout the piece to make even the youngest of students sound bold!
Santa's Spring Break
Ever wonder what Santa does the rest of the year? Give your students something fun to play with this clever combination of popular carols with Vivaldi’s famous Spring movement from his piece The Four Seasons. Of course, the piece is intended to be fun, and make the audience smile, but also a great way to introduce younger students to the famous Vivaldi work.
With a Vengeance
As the title implies, this piece is bold and aggressive and something that very young musicians will enjoy. Larry Clark knows how to write for beginning string players, and always with something fun and engaging to get them excited about the next step on their journey!
Jazz Ensemble
Bossa Suave
Here’s a classy way to introduce the important Bossa Nova style to your younger players. Very playable but filled with subtle dynamic shadings that are usually found only in more advanced charts. The winds introduce the melody in unison followed by a harmonized Saxophone soli. The bridge includes fresh harmonic ideas and a flowing legato melody in the brass.
That's What!
As you can guess from the title, this is a modal jazz chart that uses the same basic structure as the Miles Davis classic “So What”. After the initial presentation of the tune there is an excellent development section that builds on melodic fragments to create a great send off for the solo section. A fun shout chorus caps off the composition with a captivating “down” ending.
News
Flexible, Compatible & Adaptable Works
Flexible and adaptable instrumentation music has been a large part of my mission as a composer/arranger/author for many years now, and these types of works are needed right now more than ever. I've created a special page on my website with information on all of the books and pieces I have done that work in this manner.
