Part of Life – for solo vibraphone

Part of Life is a good example of my approach to composition at times.  The cool thing about this piece, is that it is, in a sense, a bit of a jazz/classical crossover.  This tune definitely has what would be called a “head” in jazz or a main theme statement.  Then, I use a standard way of playing in jazz is called “head, solos, head,” and I give the performer performance markings that hint at this form.  There is a section labeled with chords that can be improvised or not.  The player can play exactly what I’ve written, which is a transcription of my own improvisations, or they can improvise something themselves since I have given the general chord structure of the improvisation section!  Classical players should dive in and jazz players should also relish!!  Have fun!