Zen Monkey, for brass quintet, by Daniel Grabois

“Zen Monkey (1995) unfolds in three sections. In the first section, I have tried to create a sense of repose and stasis. Two-beat and three-beat gestures alternate with small pockets of silence, which act as punctuation. The second section sets a very simple melody on top of an ever-quickening groove. I have tried to create a sense of the music hurtling forward toward its climax. The final section recapitulates the first, but the material here is much less spare, and is heavily ornamented, with only the pockets of silence remaining the same as before.
The inspiration for this piece comes from the brilliant musicianship of my colleagues in the Meridian Arts Ensemble.
The title of the work is probably meaningless.”
- Daniel Grabois

Performance time: 
Appropriate for recitals and contests.  Contemporary.