Benjamin Williams

Push It Down (2016)

Ever try to push down a strong emotion? I’m reminded of an old episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show where “Chuckles Bites the Dust”. After trying to maintain a sense of dignified remembrance for the deceased clown as her colleagues kept cracking jokes, Mary bursts into laughter in the middle of his somber funeral. The minister responds by saying that laughter is actually the best way to remember Chuckles, who would find tears offensive. Again, Mary’s emotions overwhelm her, but this time with tears!

Push It Down vacillates between a somber and elated mood, one always taking over the other. Each time, the two sides seem a little less different as some sort of balance emerges. Even so, the music ends with a ‘mixed emotion”, reflecting a not-so-simple experience to which I expect many of us might relate at one time or another.

To purchase scores or parts, call (330) 268-2590 or send an email to [email protected].