Product Description
Having just entered Japan for a six-month stay only a few days after the massive earthquake and tsunami disaster that occurred in March of 2011, I was able to witness firsthand the indescribable amount of pain and suffering that so many were put through.
However, it was not just waters of destruction and sadness that swept the country; a wave of strength, endurance, and love guided the people of Japan to remain focused on what was important: recovering and helping one another.
Beneath the Wave's title comes from Hokusais famous painting, The Great Wave. Next to Hokusais signature he has written three Japanese phrases, among them is "nami ura," which translates to English as "beneath the wave."
In Hokusais painting there are 30 fishermen in boats, rowing fearlessly toward their demise, unafraid of the titan that nature has sent toward them while Mt. Fuji (representing heaven), in the center of the painting, watches over them.
When writing the text, I related the events of March 2011 to some of the symbolism that can be found in Hokusais painting in a non-standardized Japanese style of haiku, known as gendai. When writing the music, I represented each of the three disasters that occurred (the earthquake, the tsunami, and then the nuclear reactor meltdown) with its own musical climax, leaving the listener to feel the same relentless emotional ride that was felt during that time.
May all of those who lost their lives on March 11, 2011 find eternal peace, and may all of their families and loved ones find solace in knowing that their loves ones sleep peacefully beneath the wave.
Luke Flynn (b. 1988) is a composer, arranger, and conductor with a highly active career in film, television, and the concert hall.
In the media industry, Flynns Hollywood music department credits include over 100 of the biggest movies and television series of his lifetime, including Avatar 2: The Way of Water, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Frozen II, and many others.
As a concert composer, his works are performed regularly throughout the world, including commissions and performances by major symphony orchestras, choirs, and ensembles in over 20 different countries as well as throughout the U.S. He is also an active guest lecturer and conductor, visiting professional ensembles, universities, and high schools around the globe.
Flynn is a graduate of Butler University, Clarke University, and The International University of Kagoshima in Japan. His primary composition mentors include Michael Schelle, Amy Dunker, and Tadashi Kubo.
www.LukeFlynnCompositions.com
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.