Continuing in the tradition of her innovative electroacoustic band works including Paper Cut, Immersion, and Tight Squeeze, Alex Shapiro’s Liquid Compass takes the musicians and the audience on a journey that spans the mystical and the triumphant. A subliminal connection to the sea is conveyed through the creative use of metal bowls filled with water, and flutists will particularly enjoy the otherworldly “ooh-wah” effect that wends through the piece. Commemorating¦the 140th anniversary of Carthage College’s wind band, this work¦migrates to different places, but never loses its bearings in pursuit of a musical true north.

To perform the piece, you’ll need an audio system capable of playing the prerecorded audio tracks from a laptop computer via a small digital audio interface connected to an audio mixer. Download information is provided in the printed piece. Recorded by the Central Washington University Wind Ensemble, Lewis Norfleet – Director.