CSU music instructor and assistant director of bands, Kevin Poelking (M.M. Conducting Specialization, 2019), was honored in July 2023 to work with the award-winning Budapest Scoring Orchestra on a recording of his new composition, With Eyes Anew.
The work, which takes the audience on a five-minute journey conveying a "story of ego, reflection, growth, and redemption," has been featured on Colorado Public Radio's Colorado Spotlight segment (88.1 FM in Northern Colorado).
The Budapest Scoring Orchestra offers recording sessions to composers around the world. The orchestra has worked with the Super Bowl, Disney, on feature films and video game scores, and with popular recording artists.
For Poelking, preparation for the recording session included sending the score and a MIDI Tempo Map to the orchestra's librarian about a month ahead. During the session, Poelking was linked to the conductor in the studio via video chat. After performing a section of the piece, the conductor provided feedback to the orchestra in Hungarian and then asked Peolking (in English) for his notes.
"I conveyed very short feedback in 30 seconds or less, most of the time having to do with musical style. This continued until we were happy with the first section of the piece. Then the recording booth played the final few seconds of the best recording of the first half so that the tempo and pitch could be perfectly blended as we went into the second half, making one cohesive listening experience," Poelking explained.
Poelking received a mastered mix from Budapest within a few days. With so many microphones in the studio focused on individual instruments and instrument sections, his response was mostly about re-balancing certain parts (more violin, less trumpet, etc.). "Because the piece was thoughtfully orchestrated, not many changes were necessary," he said. After the audio recording was approved, it was forwarded to film editors for the video.
"It wasn't a complex process and I was really glad to be able to work with them!"
Composer's Notes About the Piece
The music begins seemingly mid-thought. The piece develops quickly as phrases hurriedly repeat themselves, leading to more underdeveloped ideas that are loosely based on the previously stated 'thoughts.'
Somewhere within this opening Aggressivo section, the music seems to begin to question itself. After a quick episode of desperation, it relents, quickly losing the conviction it once had. As the old ideas fade away, meaningful growth can begin...
The music has now started to rebuild "with eyes anew." Old convictions of the past are suspended, as small motivic material begins to construct a new idea. This larger second section of the music is less rushed, almost meandering at times, as if to question and reaffirm that this is the correct path.
While it takes almost twice as long to develop as the entire opening section did to perform, the payoff is massive, as the entire orchestra joins together in a triumphant, passionate arrival.
Poelking describes the inspiration for the composition: "In a world where there is immense pressure to make quick decisions and chase approval or immediate satisfaction, there is sometimes an unhealthy need to be absolute in our beliefs. We are often so strongly identified with our convictions, that we can sometimes forget how they came about. If unquestioned, they become ingrained in our self-identification, and it never occurs to us to question their origin. We remember what we learned but are perhaps unclear on why we chose to believe it in the first place."
Poelking noted, "With Eyes Anew is a musical reminder that if we take the time to re-assess our beliefs and ensure that they lead to actions that align with our highest values, we can begin to understand ourselves and each other with more purpose, clarity, empathy, and kindness – ultimately creating something beautiful in the process."
About Kevin Poelking
As an emerging composer, Kevin Poelking has been named a winner or top finalist in several competitions including The NBA/ William D. Revelli Memorial Composition Contest (2022 Finalist), The American Prize (3rd Prize and two-time National Semi-Finalist), The Dallas Winds Fanfare Competition (2019 Winner), The Reno Pops Composer’s Showcase (2nd Prize), and The Minot Symphony Orchestra Young Composer’s Competition (Winner).
Discover more about Poelking's work at kevinpoelking.com