Where the "Construction Concerto" came from

Bob Adney is a percussion instructor at the MacPhail Center for Music. He's also a composer, and wrote what he calls a Construction Concerto to mark the MacPhail's groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday. Adney says the music should feel like walking through the MacPhail Center for Music.

The Construction Concerto was inspired by the architect's rendering of the new MacPhail building. I thought to honor each level of the new building by creating a musical representation of that floor.

There are six floors:

Foundation (violins, viola, cello, bass); Piano (I took the liberty of adding harp, guitar and recorder to that floor as well); Administration; Suzuki; Voice; and Instrumental being the highest floor.

Layering each musical group/floor on top of each other, and in that order -- from the lowest floor to highest floor -- became the form of the composition. In fact, the score of this piece looks much like the silhouette outline of the new building.

There is music for construction workers utilizing cordless saw, drill, hammer and sandpaper with many fun surprises.

VIPs play fast-loud notes on 50-gallon drums, and the audience [is] asked to play exactly as the instrumentalists...[on] little plastic shovels.

We are going to help build MacPhail -- in about four minutes!