Craig Fitzpatrick holds a Bachelor of Music degree in composition from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, where he studied composition with Stephen Heinemann. He obtained his Masters in Music Composition in 2003 from the University of Illinois in Champaign. While there, he studied composition under Stephen Taylor and Rick Taube and also served as a teaching assistant, instructing undergraduate theory and ear-training courses. Since then Craig has had the opportunity to work closely with Jack Stamp, David Maslanka, and David Holsinger.
Craig has been commissioned to write concert band literature for various groups throughout the Midwest. His compositions for band, orchestra, choir, soloists, and small ensembles have been performed at Bradley University, the University of Illinois and the University of Michigan.
Since 2001, Craig has composed and arranged music, as well as written drill for competitive high school marching bands across the United States. Schools Craig arranges for have been Illinois State Class Champions, BOA Super Regional Finalists, BOA Grand National Semi-Finalists, and have placed in their class at BOA regional competitions.
Shows
A.F. 632: Brave New World – Grade 4+
Original Music based on Themes from Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” The Storyline is based on Huxley’s novel, “Brave New World”. Simplified…it is a twisted take on a love story….how the savage cannot be with the civilized in the society that exists in the novel. In the end, the savage dies and the civilized character is outcast from society. Part 1: The Assembly Line (this recording fades in while playing, there is pre-show music through the announcements), Part 2: The Savage and the Civilized, Part 3: Everything is not going to be OK. Includes drum-line parts.
A Day of Infamy – Grade 4
“Day of Infamy” is a musical tribute to the to the members of our armed services that gave their live at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The show begins quiet and unsuspecting, just as that morning must have been. However the tone quickly turns dark and intense depicting the attack. The source material for the entire show is the hymns from all the branches of the military.
Part 1: Courage
Part 2: Honor
Part 3: Commitment
Front ensemble parts included.
American Landscapes- Grade 3
Take a journey across America, starting with the first colonized east coast all the way to the wild west! ”American Landscapes” reflects on Americana by taking the melodies from Simple Gifts, Chester, and Shenandoah and forming them into a contemporary show for today’s marching band!
Part 1 – “Colonial Saturation”
Part 2 – “Riverscape”
Part 3 – “Terian’acle Frontier”
Show include Winds and all percussion Parts
Contagion – Grade 4
First there was one….then two…then four….then sixteen…then finally all are consumed and Contagion is everywhere. Much like the music of JS Bach in the 1700′s, various plagues ran rampant and civilization feared it’s outcome. A field design resembling a pedestrian way of the 1700′s sets the tone as Contagion takes life.
Show includes winds and front ensemble parts only – (Show with line parts available soon for $2,000)
For Every Action – Grade 3.5
Titled after Newtons third law of motion, “For Every Action” is designed to show both musical and visual interaction. The concepts of one theme motivating another as well as well as creating musical direction help lend to a clear visual program. Falling motives also reference to ideas related to gravity on other external forces. Includes all drum parts. From Wikipedia – Newton’s Third law: Whenever a particle A exerts a force on another particle B, B simultaneously exerts a force on A with the same magnitude in the opposite direction. The strong form of the law further postulates that these two forces act along the same line. This law is often simplified into the sentence, “To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”
Part 1: “Kinetic Energy”
Part 2: “Acted on by an External Force”
Part 3: “There is an Equal and Opposite Reaction”
Impressions: The Art of Claude Debussy – Grade 4
The show is exactly as it sounds. It is a new take on the music of Debussy. You will be exposed to many familiar Debusy works, while getting to experience them in a new way at the same time!
Part 1: “Clair de Lune” / Fetes / La Mer”
Part 2: “Clair de Lune”
Part 3: “Finale (La Mer / Fetes Reprise)”
Includes front ensemble parts.
Kaleidoscope – Grade 3.5
Part 1: Colors
Part 2: Reflections
Part 3: Kaleidoscope
Front ensemble parts and drum-line parts by Aaron Mills included.
Not Another BACH Show – Grade 4
“Not Another BACHshow” is purely a musical exploration of familiar Bach melodies. The title is a play on the term “Box Show” or a prefabricated musical book. However, the goal was to create a setting unique and educational for the performers so that it didn’t feel like another “Box Show”, and in the end, educating the students to a number of great works by J. S. Bach. Part 1: Toccata and Fugue in “D Minor”, Interlude 1: Cello Suite in “G Major”, Part 2: Mass in “B Minor”, Interlude 2: Fugue in “C Minor” (percussion feature), Part 3: Jesu Joy on Mans Desiring. Includes all drum parts.
Of Hope and Suffering: A Hero’s Journey – Grade 3.5
Original music based on Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” and Strauss’ “Ein Heldenlieben”, “A Hero’s Life”.
Ring of Fire – Grade 3.5
Music of the Pacific Rim… Inspired by various regions around the Pacific Rim, all the music is based on folk tunes and regional influences.
Part 1: The Americas (South, Central, and North)
Part 2: Japan and Eastern Asia
Part 3: South Pacific (Indonesia)
Front ensemble parts included.
SE7EN – Grade 4
Seven is a show depicting the 7 deadly sins through music and movement. The use of various musical styles and well as metric groupings of seven help connect the show from start to finish. This diverse show exposes your students from everything from contemporary wind band writing to jazz and swing! Show includes front ensemble parts (no battery).
Movements
1. Intro and Pride
2. Envy
3. Gluttony
4. Lust
5. Greed
6. Sloth
7.Wrath
Shattered - Grade 4
Original music inspired by the music of Mahler, Wagner, and Bruckner. Shattered Dreams? Broken Heart? The emotion of these events are different for all. The music of “Shattered” depicts these events by tearing apart old melodies and eventually putting them back together in a very new way! Show includes front ensemble parts (not battery).
The Butterfly Effect – Grade 4+
“Butterfly Effect” is an original show based on a few fragments from Igor Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring”
The show illustrates how one small event can eventually lead to a very significant result. A result that we often cannot predict or speculate how that small seemingly insignificant event will effect the course of events. This is done through the morphing of the small Stravinsky quotes into larger ideas as well as through visual design.
Part 1: “Everything Starts Somewhere” (The first 35 seconds is a really cool “pre-show”)
Part 2: “The Unknown Path”
Part 3: “Where will we all end up?”
(from Wikipedia) The butterfly effect is a phrase that encapsulates the more technical notion of sensitive dependence on initial conditions in chaos theory. Small variations of the initial condition of a dynamical system may produce large variations in the long term behavior of the system. This is sometimes presented as esoteric behavior, but can be exhibited by very simple systems: for example, a ball placed at the crest of a hill might roll into any of several valleys depending on slight differences in initial position. Quantum chaos is the study of the butterfly effect in semiclassical physics and quantum mechanics. It is a common subject in fiction when presenting scenarios involving time travel and with “what if” scenarios where one storyline diverges at the moment of a seemingly minor event resulting in two significantly different outcomes.
The Road Not Taken – Grade 4
Music is taken from and inspired by Strauss, Saint-Saens, Smetana, and Debussy. Robert Frost poem “The Road Not Taken” serves as the vehicle for this entire production.
This program explores the ideas of duality, and the idea of making the choice to move ahead or take a new path. New vs. Old … Major vs. Minor … Are all explored in these musical selections. The music takes us on a journey with many twists and turns before reaching its satisfying conclusion!
Narration by Dan Potter available for an additional fee directly from Mr. Potter. Front ensemble parts included (not battery).
Trapped – Grade 3.5
Imprisoned……Restricted…..Pressured…..Powerless…..Manipulated……..TRAPPED!
“Trapped!” explores these situations and feelings. This show imposes itself on you and never lets go! While still having musical diversity, it has a constant and suffocating pulse that is connected to the music at all times….you cannot escape it! Are you ready to be Trapped?
This show comes with front ensemble parts (not battery).
Urban Sprawl – Grade 3.5
The idea for “Urban Sprawl” started with the location of of the commissioning school, at the cross-roads of suburban and country living. The first movement of the show “Industrial Complex,” is meant to represent the creation of an urban landscape. Metallic sounds in the percussion and lots of assembly line type movement in the winds help paint this picture. The second movement “Country Mile,” represents an escape from the fast paced city life. The third movement “Urban Sprawl” brings a return to the fast paced and exciting urban landscape. The memorable ending represents the seemingly unstoppable sprawl of cities.
Part 1: “Industrial Complex”
Part 2: “Country Mile”
Part 3: “Urban Sprawl”
Show includes winds and front ensemble parts only.
Warrior- Rising to Battle – Grade 3.5
“Warrior” illustrates the process of training a warrior for battle. The show is designed to take you from the early training of a warrior through the final stages of battle, where hopefully honor is achieved. Originally written for a new school whose mascot is the Warrior, this program was also the competitive program for the bands first season on the field, and in many ways they were that “Warrior” training for their first battle. Part 1: “Courage” Part 2: “Wisdom” Part 3: “Honor”. Front ensemble parts included.
When Push Comes to Shove – Grade 3.5
This piece explores the ideas of str uggle and conflict both musically and visually.
Part 1: Push
Part 2: The Struggle
Part 3: Shove
Front ensemble parts and drum-line parts by Robert Hornsby included.
Wonderland – Grade 3.5
Wonderland is the dark and mysterious journey of a conflicted Alice as she discovers her strength from within. The musical nuance in the singing and auxiliary percussion add an eerie and intriguing introduction to what is a powerful and dynamic progression of the story. The tempo changes create a building sense of impending danger until Alice is found lost and asking herself “Who am I?” Through the melancholy introduction in the saxophone she finds her way to a bold a beautiful chordal statement from the entire ensemble. The final battle is portrayed through the contrasting styles of the brass and the winds culminating in a major momentum shift where the two forces face off.
Part 1: “Welcome to Wonderland”
Part 2: “Who am I?”
Part 3: “The Final Battle”
Show includes winds and front ensemble parts only.
Young Persons Guide (to life) – Grade 4
When Benjamin Britten wrote “A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra” he used Purcell’s famous theme from “A Moor’s Revenge.” The goal here was to use the same theme, but create new variations based on the theme “A young Person’s Guide (to life).” This production takes the performer and audience through the many impactful learning experiences we have throughout our youth!
Show includes winds and front ensemble parts only – (Show with line parts available soon for $2,000)
