The Limitless Collective performs Jenni Brandon’s “CANE: Bassoon Concerto with Reed Quintet” for the National Association of Wind and Percussion Instructors National Conference (NACWPI) on October 11 – 13, 2019. The Conference is at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The performance is at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, Great Hall, 8392 University Ave., Cedar Falls, Iowa, on Saturday October 12^th, at 11:00am.

The first concerto of its kind, Cane tells a dramatic story of one bassoon reed’s journey from its origins as raw, organic cane, to the final joy of playing on the finished reed. The colors of the reed quintet and the virtuosic solo bassoon intermingle in this through-composed piece to take the listener through this vivid experience. Rhythm, lyrical lines, extended techniques, Afro-Cuban style music, jazz and fugue join together to remind us that this is an organic process. From making reeds to making music, we come together to create performance. Ever changing and ever evolving, every reed and every performance is unique, and Cane promises to tell this story in a powerful and exciting new way.
There are several sections in this through-composed work, taking us on a journey that is the life of a bassoon reed:
Split: short and percussive, like splitting cane
Gouge: Rhythmic, steady and driving. Removing and leaving…
Shape
Profile: Mechanical, with a little bit of mischief
Form: The cane becomes a reed (Internal/external sounds of transition)
Scrape: In the style of Afro-Cuban music
Playing the reed: Swing, sassy; thoughtful, reflective; with reverence; the reed plays…
Premiered by the newly formed Limitless Collective, an artistic collective of female musicians of highest caliber aimed at revolutionizing the dynamic between audience and creator.