Technicolor Pachyderms, a concert march in circus style, was inspired by the 1941 Disney animated film DUMBO. The story of an elephant with big ears—said to have been discovered in a cereal box that arrived at the Disney story department in 1939—opened to audiences troubled by the war raging in Europe. The triumphant story of an underdog, a little elephant that was different from the others, provided much-needed release. The title Technicolor Pachyderms comes from an inspired sequence in the film, "Pink Elephants on Parade," depicting the consequences of falling into a barrel of pickle juice and the hallucinogenic effects it has on the baby elephant.

This piece challenges the musicians to play catch using melodic, rhythmic, and colorful themes as the ball! In this intense original work, the trading of melodies around the ensemble and chromatic minor chord runs create interesting color moments throughout, capturing the attention of musicians and audiences.

This endearing lyrical work was inspired by an artist's magnificent painting on an old wooden door. Reflecting the beautiful scenery of the maritime provinces in Canada, it has a sincere, heartfelt melody that is both contemplative and powerful.

This colorful and highly original work depicts the various stages of creativity in the life of the world-renowned artist Pablo Picasso. The piece is divided into five distinct sections:

Leonardo da Vinci is considered to be one of the greatest geniuses of all time—a painter, sculptor, musician, architect, mathematician, geologist, botanist, inventor, and more. His insatiable need for knowledge continues to be a model for how to live life to the fullest.

Da Vinci was also an accomplished musician who played the flute and lyre and was an accomplished singer. For da Vinci, music was sensory and spiritual nourishment. He viewed music as the sister of painting because music is dependent upon hearing, whereas to him, the sense of sight was the ultimate window to the soul. Using his vision, da Vinci was able to capture exquisite details of the human experience in his paintings through exhaustive critique from every angle—often viewing his work through a mirror to critique it as if it were by another artist.

Circles is a timeless, impressionistic work portraying a dark void with various colored circles aimlessly spinning around and gently colliding with each other. Brian Balmages uses wildly vivid musical colors throughout the work, creating an extraordinarily unique atmospheric soundscape.

Ghost Train illustrates a tale from American folklore of a supernatural machine that roars throughout the Western United States. Highly programmatic and rich in special effects, compositional techniques include pitch bending for the train whistle, accelerandos combined with rhythmical patterns mimicking the gradual start of a steam engine, layered instrumentation suggesting movement past changing scenery, and extensive use of ostinati portraying the relentless movement of a train.

Inspired by legendary film composer Carl Stalling—famous for his iconic Looney Tunes scores that introduced generations to classical themes like Rossini's Barber of Seville and Wagner's Ring Cycle—Animation: Episode 1: Wabbit! operates under the conceit of a "lost score" to a forgotten cartoon.

The piece opens with jaunty credit themes before following a hunter sneaking through the forest. Upon spotting our "wascally" friend, a wild chase ensues! The pursuit dashes through forest trails, encounters a charming (and suspiciously furry) mademoiselle who slaps the hunter, races into busy city streets, and culminates on a high-rise construction site complete with falling anvils, fake painted doors into the sky, and a triumphant final wink before the end credits roll.