Todd Goodman, a composer from Midland, Beaver County, was thrilled to listen to the U.S. Army Band perform one of his works recently at Fort Myer in Virginia. He almost did not write it.
The 45-year-old said he suffered a huge blow to his mental health after shutdowns during the pandemic. Commissions, concerts and recordings he relied upon as a musician suddenly weren’t available.
Projects he had been working on were canceled or postponed indefinitely. The composer stopped writing for almost a year.
“I didn't know when or even if the lockdown would end, so why write music that may never be heard?” he said.
Justin Benavidez, an assistant professor of tuba and euphonium at Florida State University, had worked with Goodman before. Benavidez put together a consortium of more than 50 tuba players across several countries, and asked him to contribute a piece.
After thinking about it, Goodman gave it a go again, believing it would be a great opportunity to express the angst, desperation and resilience he was feeling.
“It was an amazing thing to have that many people support you,” he said.
Over about 10 months, Tuba Concerto No. 2 “This Too Shall Pass” was born.
Pittsburghers will have an opportunity to hear the piece Tuesday when the Duquesne Symphony Orchestra plays it, with James Gourlay on tuba and Daniel Meyer conducting. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 at www.duq.edu.
Benavidez, 40, of Tallahassee, Fla., said the piece is monumental. He expects it to be played again and again the world over.
“Todd creates a dynamic range of emotions from contemplative to dramatic and from anguish to joy,” he said.
Benavidez accompanied the Army band during the roughly 20-minute work as a soloist. The band then performed the premiere of the wind band version earlier this month.
Goodman, who has been a composer most of his life, said he felt some butterflies.
“There is an anxious nervousness composers feel before any performance,” he said. “Also, when it's the premiere of something, there's an extra layer of anxiety that goes into the performance.
“But their performance was wonderful. The band played great, and the soloist was world class.”
Benavidez was the tuba soloist.
Goodman said it was an honor writing for the U.S. Army Band, known as “Pershing's Own.”
“It's definitely a bucket-list ensemble,” he said.
1st Lt. Bonnie Alger, the Army conductor, said the unit regularly presents new compositions and arrangements during its programs. She said Goodman's concerto was one of four premieres performed during final, large-ensemble concerts for a tuba-euphonium workshop.
“I think many of us can relate to the swirl of emotions presented throughout Todd's second concerto,” she said. “Each movement of the piece takes the audience on an emotional journey, from the mysterious, unsettled nature of the opening, to the vibrant, triumphant conclusion.
“The tuba solo is written with attention to timbre and allows the soloist to shine in both tender, reflective moments and flashy, virtuosic ones.”
Benavidez said there are many things he enjoys about Goodman's writing: "The way he composes is compelling and engaging for the player and the listener. Each time I perform his music, I discover something new and exciting.
"Todd has a distinct way of writing that transcends the limitations of the tuba."
He learned about Goodman’s work from the composer's first tuba concerto, written in 2012. In that piece, Goodman explores the lyricism, agility and athleticism of the instrument.
Benavidez decided to record the piece for his album “Storyteller” with the Florida State University Wind Orchestra in 2019.
The two began discussing a follow-up piece right before the pandemic.
Goodman, the chief academic officer at the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School in Midland, said the second concerto comes from a totally different place than the first.
“2020-2022 was a unique and challenging time for everyone, particularly artists,” he said. “We went from being able to create, perform and share ideas with live audiences across the globe to having no real live outlet at all.
“Saying it was devastating to me would be the understatement of the decade.”
Goodman, who is married and has two sons, said he has learned to persevere despite uncertainty.
“No matter what is happening in your life, be patient,” he said. “It will pass.”
First Published: February 20, 2023, 3:41 p.m.