Draw Me The Sun by Greg Simon

Recorded by the University of Nebraska Percussion Ensemble in 2018.
Dr. Dave Hall, director
Audio by Ian Whillock
Photography by Jack Kloecker
Video Editing by George Warner
Program Notes
“‘Draw me the sun,’ said the star. And the artist drew the sun. It was a warm sun.”
The original Draw Me the Sun, for chamber orchestra, was written for Alarm Will Sound in 2013. This version was commissioned by Dave Hall, my amazing friend and colleague at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, for his tremendous percussion ensemble.
The story of Draw Me the Sun starts in 2013, when my stepson Leo was just seven years old. One day I asked him to tell me a story; he launched into a vivid, colorful tale of a young artist who, with his paintbrush, slowly draws the world into existence. Later I would find that this story comes from Draw Me A Star by the American author Eric Carle, but Leo’s telling of the story was so full of life and passion that it became his own.
With “Draw Me the Sun,” I wanted to capture the childlike wonder and exuberance of the story and of its 7- year-old narrator. The piece starts with a simple, diatonic idea - a blank musical canvas, perhaps - upon which every gesture is built. The music is colorful, fiery, and acrobatic. As I was composing the early versions, it reminded me more and more of the artist drawing the sun: a vivid, glowing orb in which a mélange of intricately woven colors resides. The artist covers the blank canvas in colors warm and cool, delicately intertwining them to reveal the sun - full of energy, flourish, and life.

[@andrewgrandpre2224]

THIS. IS. SO. GOOD! Thank you for presenting such a wonderful piece of music in a such a musical way. reminds me why I love percussion so much. You all rock.

[@evanbookout]

jazz

[@slabman9955]

what he said

[@evanbookout]

@@slabman9955 oh maybe