Lisa Snyder, clarinet
Michael Markowski, piano

CLARINET SERENADE was composed in 2003, when I was just a sophomore in high school. At this point in my life, I hadn't yet heard any of my music played for me live, with real human beings; rather, it had all been computers and synthesizers, MIDI via Finale and Sibelius.

In the early mornings before school started, while the rest of the band was deep in marching band practice out on the field, I would wander around the otherwise empty music building. I would hear echoes of one of the more remarkable clarinet players in the top band, a senior named Lisa, alone, warming up, practicing her etudes, scales, and long tones. One morning, this lowly sophomore manned up the courage and brought in a copy of the clarinet part and asked her, probably somewhat nervously, if she would mind playing through it. She enthusiastically agreed.

I was so overwhelmed by hearing her breathe life into the solo line that I asked her if she would record it for me if I accompanied her on piano. She met me at my house one Saturday afternoon, and with my dad acting as our recording engineer, we recorded one of my very first compositions. I won't ever forget it.