Скачать или смотреть Pumpkins; Intermezzo Two Step (2022) composed and arranged by Michael Chisholm

2022 was a phenomenal year in terms of composing for me. "The Gumbo Stomp", "Chippewa", "The Amazon Drift", "The Diamondback", "Bell Peppers", and this, "Pumpkins" were all written that year. I'm sure there are others, but they don't immediately come to mind. (I don't remember what I had for breakfast on any given day...or if I even had breakfast).

This particular piece has one of my favorite stories. One evening, I was in the mood to write something but was having the damndest time coming up with anything. So, I decided to have a single glass of wine (that's my story and I'm sticking to it) to help turn my mind off. I figured I'd try improvising something and whatever happened happened. I had it in my mind to write an Indian Intermezzo, so I started making something up. It devolved into a standard march by the end, but it was at least something... And it only took two and a half minutes to come up with. Rather pleased with what I had made up, I played through it again and changed a couple things. This piece came together in about five minutes. About 20 more minutes of fumbling with it produced the solo piano version I perform today. I didn't have a title for it, so I tacked "Pumpkins" on there as a working title. It seemed fitting at the time, but I wasn't crazy about it.

Just before the 2022 West Coast Ragtime Festival, Kevin Gunia had flown in early to rehearse some of our piano duets. During his visit we both played recent compositions of ours for each other. I belted out the several well thought out, kind of difficult to play rags that took me weeks to compose. "Oh, there's one more", I said, and played "Pumpkins". No sooner did I slam the last chord when Kevin, a little too enthusiastically, said, "Oh my God, that's the best thing you've ever written." REALLY? IT TOOK ME FIVE MINUTES TO WRITE. I've known Kevin a long time...and I've never seen him so animated. It was kinda scary. When he asked what the title was, I said, "Pumpkins", but that I didn't like it and wanted to change it. He just about slapped me and said it was the perfect title and to NOT change it.

Moral of the story: Apparently Michael tries too hard.

This piece is dedicated to my dad who, for a brief time with some help from the family dog, was the most renowned pumpkin farmer on the whole street. I figured since my mom got "Parade of the Loons" my dad needed a march too. :)