Composer Writes Original Piece for JCPS Music Students

Jefferson County Public Schools students will perform an original piece of music from a renowned composer this week.Music director at the JCPS Youth Performing Art’s School (YPAS) Todd Parker said he reached out to composer David Maslanka last year following a rehearsal of another of his compositions from YPAS students. Maslanka agreed to compose an original percussion piece for school.Maslanka said he was asked to write a piece that would challenge the students.“My first thought is that it has to be written for younger players, that is, players who might not be so well developed technically. But Todd sent me DVDs of his performances and said very specifically not to write down to them, that he wanted a piece that would challenge anybody. And his kids play awfully well," he said.Now 14 students will perform an original composition titled “Hurtling Through Space at an Unimaginable Speed” this Thursday.“It is about what we’re doing as a human race on the planet…who we are hurtling through space. The title will inspire a certain thing and yet the hearing of the music will be something which is quite heart felt, quite powerfully human," said Maslanka.