Crossing the Threshold

Difficulty: Medium Advanced
Duration: 5:15

Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, or the hero’s journey, is a fascinating and universal phenomenon that the author outlines in detail within his book The Hero With A Thousand Faces. After reading Campbell’s book, every story I encountered (books, movies, Netflix series) felt more enthralling, and in nearly every case, aligned beautifully with the universal truth’s Campbell describes as the arc of a hero. While composing Crossing The Threshold, imagery filled my mind of an object that was passed down from person to person, continent to continent, and generation to generation. That journey inspired the original title for the work: Talisman, but as I neared the finish line, I zoomed out, and took a view in totality from a distance. In doing so, I realized I had written a brief soundtrack for Campbell’s monomyth. The Call was there, as was the Threshold, the Challenges, the Abyss, Transformation, the Second Threshold, and finally the Return; but with a newly enlightened spirit. The work can still represent that traveling Talisman, or one can look within: seeing if it represents a personal journey you may have taken or perhaps someday will take yourself.

Crossing The Threshold is scored for eleven percussionists and piano. It was commissioned by the Park City Education Foundation for the Park City High School Percussion Ensemble (Park City, Utah), Bret Hughes, Director.