Three Impressions From Aboard The U.S.S. Blaisdell: for solo piano

Three Impressions From Aboard The U.S.S. Blaisdell was composed in 2004 and was my second composition assignment at West Valley Community College in Saratoga, California. I gave it its first performance in late Spring of that same year in the recital hall of the College's music building.

Performance time: 12'14"

I. CHRISTENING

II. ÆVÉLO THE WHALE

III. GOODBYE TO ROMANCE UPON OUR JOURNEY'S END

The U.S.S. Blaisdell is a submarine on display in Juneau, Alaska. Its christening in 1955 was a milestone in history, for this new class of submarine was to be the flagship of the U.S. Naval Submarine Fleet. Its commission spanned nearly 50 years with several crews. The christening brought much excitement and angst to its first crew as they looked forward to the adventures that were to come.

One of the crews assigned to the submarine had quite a character of a chef in the mess hall. The sub was in its second decade when it had an encounter for several months with a curious whale. The chef, Ævélo, spent much of his free time watching this whale and singing to himself in a mock whale-song. This behavior went on long before the whale had arrived and long after its disappearance. The captain and crew, from the whale's departure onward, nicknamed the chef, Ævélo the Whale.

Finally, when the sub had reached the day of its decommissioning, all the crews from over the years had a celebration to give their final farewells to the submarine and all the memories that came from the long years of adventure.

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Born in 1985 and raised in San Jose, California, I grew up with a very musical background. I imitated simple tunes by ear on the piano as a child that my father would play and I eventually began to formally learn how to read and play music at the age of 10 by learning the trombone. At 15, as a Sophomore in High School, I then picked up the guitar. The idea of composing music had always intrigued me. However, after being exposed to some jazz arrangements and a composition by a high school marching band friend and fellow trombonist, the wheels began to turn in my life that eventually brought me to the decision that I wanted to spend the rest of my life composing music. The idea that something never heard or even imagined before could come out of someone's mind and be written down for others to read, play and hear had fascinated and inspired me to go for it myself. My music is largely inspired by my faith in God and should tell you about Him and what He has done in my life through the salvation His Son, Jesus Christ, brought to you and me.

I like this quote:

"Life, wherever it reveals itself; truth, no matter how bitter; bold, sincere speech with people -- these are my leaven, these are what I want, this is where I am afraid of missing the mark." - Mussorgsky in a letter to Vladimir Stasov

-Daniel Mollé

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