Band students meet composer Larry Clark
Ahead of the All Bands Winter Concert, students got to play for Larry Clark, the composer who arranged the holiday medley that the band will perform at 7 p.m. Tuesday, December 9 in Durnan Auditorium.
By Ian Dinkins, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications
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With University School of Nashville bands’ winter concert right around the corner, students received the rare opportunity of a working session with the composer whose music they will perform.
Larry Clark had a virtual visit to the USN band room to offer musical insights, answer questions, and help the ensemble refine their upcoming performance of his holiday medley.
For Clark, whose catalog spans works for university ensembles across the country, Christmas and holiday music account for roughly 30 percent of his output, making this time of year particularly busy.
Still, he arrived ready to dive into the specifics of this particular arrangement: its transitions, its color, the pacing of each medley segment, and the fine-tuned choices that bring the piece to life.
Throughout rehearsal, he paused to help students shape phrases, correct note placement, and think more intentionally about style.
His most poignant message was pretty simple: “Always play musical,” Clark said. “It’s not just the notes, but how the music is played,” he reminded students. “What’s on the page is only the beginning.”
Having Clark give notes directly to the band wasn’t originally the plan; it was the result of a quick exchange initiated by Band Director John Hopkins.
“Clark’s publishing company, Excelsia, included a QR code to get in contact with him on the music we purchased,” said Hopkins. “He responded almost immediately, and we organized a time for him to meet with our group during class.”
For Hopkins, the chance to speak with the composer was invaluable for him, as well as the band.
“The job of any music conductor is to interpret the piece in the way the composer intended,” he said. “I was able to get a better mental landscape for the style and feel he wanted from his music to be performed as written.”
The band has been hard at work on the piece since October. By the time of the All Bands concert, they will have completed 27 rehearsals — balancing time between Clark’s medley, its Preview Day performance, and the wide-ranging selections slated for the concert.
Hopkins saw Clark’s visit as not just a musical boost, but an emotional one.
“I wanted students to have a deeper emotional connection to the piece by seeing how the sausage was made and learn that behind these pieces of paper is a human being with a life and a story,” he said. I also think it was worthwhile to pump the brakes and change course for a moment. This was a great opportunity to pull us out of a rut and reset our stamina.”
Students were eager to ask questions about Clark’s writing process, career journey, and experience as a professional composer.
Mason Lack ’26 asked Clark how he gets his music published, sparking a conversation about the business side of composition and Clark’s decades of work in the publishing world.
Clark spoke openly about his process: the balance between work-for-hire arrangements, writing on commission, and building a catalog that spans levels and genres. He encouraged students to explore composition themselves, emphasizing both discipline and curiosity as essential tools.
As for the winter concert, audiences can expect an eclectic and joyful lineup.
“During the concert, we’ll be showcasing a bit of everything that the USN band is capable of,” Hopkins said. “We aren't a ‘one trick pony.’ We will demonstrate standard fine art repertoire, popular music, winter holiday classics, and varying styles of original jazz arrangements. There is something for everyone at our concert.”
As USN’s newest band director, the visit also strengthened the bond between Hopkins and his students.
“I mean with complete honesty that the students of USN have been some of the greatest young people I've had the pleasure of working with,” he said. “There were very big shoes left for me to fill, and the students have welcomed me as one of their own right away. Because of them and Assistant Band Director Miranda Vargo, I wake up each day excited to wave my baton around.”
With polished transitions, fresh inspiration, and the composer’s own encouragement echoing in their minds, the USN band is heading into its winter concert ready to play and delight the crowd.
The USN community can hear bands play during the All Bands Winter Concert at 7 p.m. Tuesday, December 9 in Durnan Auditorium.
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Band students meet composer Larry Clark
Ahead of the All Bands Winter Concert, students got to play for Larry Clark, the composer who arranged the holiday medley that the band will perform at 7 p.m. Tuesday, December 9 in Durnan Auditorium.Read More -
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2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
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University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.