Alex Shapiro
Paper Cut
About the Piece:
Workshopped January to June 2010 with the Friday Harbor Middle School Band in Friday Harbor, WA under the direction of Janet Olsen.
Composer Alex Shapiro wrote Paper Cut with young musicians’ taste in mind and created a piece that is reminiscent of a movie soundtrack to which the players can imagine their own dramatic scene. Paper Cut is written to make the players themselves part of the action with choreographed maneuvers that look as compelling as they sound. In fact, the band members don’t even play their instruments until halfway into the piece – instead they “play” paper along with a prerecorded track!
Music isn’t just melody; it’s rhythm and texture as well. The unusual element of paper and the myriad sounds that can emerge from something so simple offers a fresh view of what music-making can be and opens everyone’s ears to the sonic possibilities found among everyday objects.
Although Paper Cut was composed with middle schoolers in mind, it’s also suited to more advanced musicians, since the paper techniques and the skill of playing against a prerecorded track are interesting for all ages.
Ms. Shapiro is delighted to introduce a new approach to concert wind band repertoire, and hopes that conductors and band members have as much fun with this piece as she had creating it.
Instrumentation:
1-Conductor | 3-B-flat Trumpet 1 |
1-Piccolo | 3-B-flat Trumpet 2 |
6-Flute | 4-F Horn |
2-Oboe | 3-Trombone 1 |
2-Bassoon | 3-Trombone 2 |
9-Bb Clarinet | 2-Baritone B.C. |
1-Bb Bass Clarinet | 2-Baritone T.C. |
4-Eb Alto Saxophone | 2-Tuba |
2-Bb Tenor Saxophone | 1-Electric Bass |
1-Eb Baritone Saxophone | 1-Vibraphone |
| 1-Crash Cymbals |
| 1-Snare Drum |
| 1-Bass Drum |
Ordering information:
Score and parts: HL04003021 $60
Conductor score: HL04003022 $10
About the Composer:
Alex Shapiro (b. New York City, 1962) composes acoustic and electroacoustic pieces known for their lyricism and drama. Her music is heard daily in concerts and broadcasts across the U.S. and internationally, and can be found on over twenty commercially released CDs from record labels around the world.Educated at The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music as a student of Ursula Mamlok and John Corigliano, Alex spent the first fifteen years of her professional life scoring feature films, television and documentary projects in Los Angeles.
Alex is an ardent advocate for other artists through her speaking appearances, published articles, and community involvement. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Music Center and The MacDowell Colony, sits on ASCAP’s Symphony & Concert Committee and the ASCAP Board of Review, and is the past President of the Board of Directors of the American Composers Forum Los Angeles chapter. Raised in Manhattan and later a longtime resident of Malibu, California, Alex now lives on Washington State’s remote San Juan Island. When she’s not composing she can be found communing with the sea life, as seen on her music and photo-filled blog, notesfromthekelp.com and her website, alexshapiro.org.
Alex Shapiro in residence with the band
Alex-how I became a composer
Alex-advice for future composers
Alex-talking about paper cut
Alex-talks about writing for young musicians
Alex-how did you start writing for bands?
Alex-approach to composition?
Alex - how to play paper
Alex - electronics in residency band room
Alex - Emotion and Inspiration behind Paper Cut
Alex - responsibility of composers
Alex - takeaways from Paper Cut
Alex - what kind of composer are you
Alex explains the electornic element of Paper Cut
Alex - conducting to electronic track
Alex - working with ACF and BandQuest
Alex on the premiere of Paper Cut
University of Minnesota plays paper - recording session video
University of Minnesota - Crumpled Paper Crescendo
National Performing Arts Convention