Austin Symphonic Band. April 23, 2023 concert at the Connally HS Performing Arts Center in Austin, TX. ASB performing ...my consciousness by Daniel Montoya Jr.. Music Director Dr. Kyle R. Glaser conducting. "Texas Treasures" Concert.

Video and Sound Production: Eddie Jennings

From the program notes written by David Cross:

. . . my consciousness (2013)
Daniel Montoya Jr. (b. 1978)

Program note by Jake Wallace: At its heart, Daniel Montoya, Jr.’s . . . my consciousness is a love song, albeit one that is unconventionally conceived and, like the composer, is not without its own quirkily humorous charm. It was written for and dedicated to his wife, who is known enigmatically in social media circles simply as “The Girl,” who asked him early on in their relationship to write a piece of music that would encap-sulate their story. The challenge was significant, and it took Montoya years to finally build up the courage to commit to the project, which he titled based on The Girl’s acknowledgment that they were finally becoming a serious couple in saying “You’ve entered my consciousness.”

The work is partially anecdotal in nature, programmatically reflecting the tale of the first time the pair met. The composer says of that fateful meeting:

“The first time The Girl and I ever met, I was wearing a black rocker T-shirt with silver writing. The shirt said AD/HD in the style of the AC/DC logo. At some point during the conversation, she asked if I liked AC/DC because of the shirt. I pointed out her error, and her response was, ‘…that’s marketing for you.’”

The opening gesture of the work, after an initial twinkling of mallet percussion, re-lates this exchange musically in an eight-note melody solo flute: A–C–D–C–A–D–H–D (B-flat is spelled as in the Germanic system as “H”). This sits atop extended diatonic harmonies that reflect the same pitches, listing by aimlessly in a naïve, floating passage of time. This is immediately answered by a gentle oboe solo mimicked by an expanding brass chorale, sighing dreamily downward toward a cadence in the home key of F major.

These are the primary materials of the work, and they metamorphose over the course of the rest of the work. The flute and oboe solos become thoroughly meshed into one entity, rather than the independent statements of the separate motives, almost as if the lovers have become, over time, more and more inseparable and indebted to each other.

The melody sweeps forward, picking up speed and passionately intensifying in vol-ume to what seems like a climax, but before it can fully resolve, a respite comes in the form of a sparser texture and a return of the earlier lovesick sighing, this time in alto saxophone, perhaps as a nostalgic remembrance of the beginning. This short section, questioning in its nature, contains unsure dissonances, but a lengthy euphonium solo sets the motion back on track to its assuredness, cresting to a grand apex before receding quietly back to the original fragmented motives, with one final “correcting” statement of A–D–H–D that is left incomplete, because—after all—the story isn’t finished yet…

Daniel Montoya Jr. is a composer, arranger, and conductor born and raised in Austin. His oeuvre spans several genres, including original pieces and arrangements for wind band, percussion ensemble, and the marching arts.

Listen for:
• An ethereal mallet percussion / flute solo opening
• A delicate tapestry of solo instruments throughout the piece
• Nuanced tempo shadings