Compositions/Arrangements
Below are audio excerpts of some of my works.
To purchase sheet music, please visit my score store, or to commission a new work, please contact me.
Excerpt of “Oseh Shalom” from the album “The New Day Bends Light” (to be released March 31, 2023). If you’ve ever been to a service at a synagogue, perhaps you’ve heard this well-known prayer for peace set to this famous melody by Israeli composer Nurit Hirsh. In a world that was ravaged by Covid over the past two years, and now with the war in Ukraine, with maternity hospitals and children’s shelters purposefully and meaninglessly bombed, this call for peace is stronger than ever.
The words mean:
May the one who makes peace in high places make peace for us and for all of Israel. And let us say: Amen.
Personally, writing this arrangement (it was written in 2018) was a reckoning with my complicated religious past, including my half-Jewish roots- finding the beauty that religion can inspire that is beyond any category or dogma. And for me, that was through the music we sang in synagogue growing up, which included Nurit’s melody and the beautiful Hebrew language of Oseh Shalom (which was my favorite song to sing as a kid.)
Musically, it was written to feature Meg Okura’s beautiful violin playing. Many years ago Meg converted to Judaism, and hearing her speech at her Bat Mitzvah of what it truly meant to be Jewish was an inspiring experience. I wrote this arrangement in a way to encourage Meg to connect even closer with the music and prayer.
When writing this arrangement, I also wanted to enhance the mysticism this prayer and melody inspires, and give band members opportunities to pray and chant throughout the arrangement. Another excerpt below; this one based on the third part of the melody (“Ya-aseh Shalom, Ya-aseh Shalom, Shalom Aleinu V’al kol Yisrael.”) I pictured a group of people praying, crying out freely with a sense of solidarity. In this case, it is Meg on Violin, vocalist Tammy Scheffer, Quinsin Nachoff on Tenor Sax, Shan Baker on Soprano Sax, Ben Kono on Flute, and John Lake on Trumpet:
“Tangoing with Delusion” was written in 2014 and received a 2015 ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award. This piece represents a battle of the mind: a mind obsessively chasing imaginary pleasures and love, spiraling farther away from reality the more it chases after these delusions. At some point the mind recognizes these thoughts aren’t grounded in reality, but it’s too far gone and committed to come back to a sense of normalcy (actually… this scarily sounds like certain people on the global scale.) The only choice is to descend into total madness. Ben Kono gets to make this journey on alto sax (and John Lake gets to play the tempter role on trumpet, though you don’t hear him on this excerpt.)
“…And the Tire Swing Keeps Spinning…” is probably (currently) my most autobiographical composition. It deals with the theme of falling into depression, which I have long seen the image (I’m a very visual thinker) of riding a tire swing, spinning faster and faster until any sense of bearings or groundedness is lost. A 12-tone row introduced in the piano right from the start of the piece morphs over the course of ten minutes from innocence, to cycling thoughts, to uncertainty and fear, to a dark abyss, rising up in pure rage, and finally waking up in dissociation (the last state of mind I’ve always seen shattered glass suspended mid air; everything you’ve thought you were is destroyed or can’t be depended upon.) The excerpt you hear begins towards the end of this innocence and begins cycling, and at the end you start to get a taste of the fear that looms ahead (just when Nathan Eklund is about to enter on flugelhorn.) “…And the Tire Swing Keeps Spinning…” was written in fulfillment of the 2014 BMI Foundation Manny Albam Commission as part of the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop.
Excerpt of “Reel” from the album “The New Day Bends Light.” At the beginning of this excerpt you can hear the end of Eric Burns on Guitar and Meg Okura on Violin trading off. Reel was written in 2013 and the catalyst was an impulse buy of a hammered dulcimer in a shop of the Appalachian town of Black Mountain, NC! After learning several Celtic tunes on the instrument (which was sold on consignment because the location of the bridge markers was mislabeled) I took a spin at writing my own reel for large ensemble. Reel received a 2014 ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award as well as the 2014 ASCAP Foundation Johnny Mandel Prize.
“The Ravine” was written in 2013 and received the 2013 BMI Foundation Charlie Parker Prize for Jazz Composition as part of the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop. This piece was inspired by the ravine and the surrounding North Woods in the northern section of Central Park. Ben Kono is featured on Alto Sax.
My arrangement of “Time to Say Goodbye” (originally Joe Zawinul’s “A Remark You Made, with words added by Kurt) for Kurt Elling and the Metropole Orchestra. From the 2012 Arranger’s Workshop. Vince Mendoza, conductor.
Now for something silly, episodic, and somewhat ridiculous!
This is "Running Away From Yourself"... subtitle: "Welcome to My Cabaret of Hell." This is a 12-minute mix of ragtime, cabaret, jazz, and circus music about trying to run away from your problems with various methods (such as drinking, chasing beyond-optimistic delusions, clinging to desperation, and literally driving away) rather than facing yourself and your problems bravely head-on.
Performed Live by the Erica Seguine/Shan Baker Orchestra at CultureLab LIC in Queens, NY on October 8th, 2021. This was our first performance together since before COVID! (Last performance was January 2020.) Even more bonus- this was our first time playing together in 20 months, AND our only rehearsal (for 2 sets of music that night) was the hour of soundcheck we had right before the performance (due to my concerns of rehearsing indoors with Covid.) Featuring Bob Bennett on Trombone, John Lowery on Clarinet, and Andrew Hadro on Baritone Sax.
List of works
Large Ensemble/Big Band/ESSBO Instrumentation
“We Ruined the Zoom” - Commissioned by Commissioned by JC Sanford and St. Olaf Jazz Band 1 (5 reeds, 4 bones, 4 trumpets, vibes, piano, bass and drums). (2022)
Prince Lynn’s Twin (Joel Ross, arr. Seguine)- Written for Joel Ross and the Danish Radio Big Band (5 reeds, 5 bones, 5 trumpets, vibes, piano, guitar, bass and drums). (2020)
Alone Together (Arthur Schwartz/Howard Dietz, co-arranged by Yu Nishiyama and yours truly)- Written for the 45 musician WIJO (Women in Jazz Organization) Mentors Big Band. (2020)
Oseh Shalom (Nurit Hirsh, arr. Seguine)- Written for the J-Orchestra (Standard big band, voice, and violin). (2018)
Medley- We Three Kings/Silent Night (Traditional, arr. Seguine)- Written for PJ Rasmussen’s Boardwalk Big Band for their televised “An American Christmas” special (Standard big band and voice). (2016)
Leaves Swirling Through the Dusk Sky- Standard big band and voice. (2016)
Running Away from Yourself- Standard big band. (2015)
Another Adventure (PJ Rasmussen, arr. Seguine)- Written for PJ Rasmussen’s Boardwalk Big Band (Standard big band). (2015)
The Dark Ball of Energy- Commissioned by NYYS Jazz (Standard big band). (2014)
Avionics (PJ Rasmussen, arr. Seguine)- Written for PJ Rasmussen’s Boardwalk Big Band (Standard big band). (2014)
Hold Me Still- Standard big band and voice. (2014)
…And the Tire Swing Keeps Spinning…- Standard big band and voice (optional violin). (2014) Written in fulfillment of the 2014 BMI Foundation Manny Albam Commission as part of the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop.
Tangoing with Delusion- Standard big band (optional violin and optional 6th woodwind). (2014) Winner of a 2015 ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award
Reel No. 1- Standard big band (optional violin). (2013) Winner of a 2014 ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award and the 2014 ASCAP Foundation Johnny Mandel Prize
The Ravine- Standard big band and voice. (2013) Recipient of the 2013 BMI Foundation Charlie Parker Prize for Jazz Composition as part of the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop.
Summertime (Traditional Northumbrian Air, arr. Seguine)- Standard big band (optional violin). (2013)
Solar (Chuck Wayne, arr. Seguine)- Standard big band. (2013)
The Dancing Winds- Standard big band. (2013) Winner of the 2013 ArtEZ Jazz Composition Competition and performed by the Millennium Jazz Orchestra in the Netherlands.
Waves of the North Shore- Standard big band and voice. (2012)
Nocturne No. 1- Standard big band. (2012)
Dawn’s Rise- Standard big band and voice. (2012)
Tribal Chant- Standard big band and voice. (2011)
Bach Adagio a la Tango (from Telemann’s G Minor Concerto No. 9, arr. Seguine)- Standard big band. (2011)
Rain- Standard big band and voice. (2011) Movement 3 of “Phases of Water”
Ice Storm- Standard big band and voice. (2011) Movement 2 of “Phases of Water”
Snow- Standard big band and voice. (2011) Movement 1 of “Phases of Water”
Moving Forward (Bernie Williams, arr. Seguine)- Standard big band. (2010) Written for Bernie Williams and the William Paterson University Jazz Orchestra
Ritmo De Otono (Bernie Williams, arr. Seguine)- Standard big band. (2010) Written for Bernie Williams and the William Paterson University Jazz Orchestra
The Outlaw (Horace Silver, arr. Seguine)- Standard big band. (2009)
Departures- Standard big band. (2008)
A Quaint Acquaintance- Standard big band. (2008)
I Will Wait for You (Michel Legrand/Jacques Demy, arr. Seguine)- Standard big band. (2007)
Sweet Georgia Brown (Bernie/Pinkard/Casey, arr. Seguine)- Standard big band. (2007)
Amor Apasionado- Standard big band. (2006)
Gray Sky- Standard big band. (2006)
Studio Orchestra/Orchestra/Chamber Orchestra
Regeneration- Written for the Symphonic Jazz Orchestra (Los Angeles). Studio Orchestra (2019)
Feeling Good (Newley/Bricusse, arr. Seguine)- Arranged for the Metropole Orchestra for their “Dudok in Concert.” Studio Orchestra and voice (2016)
Leggo of Ego (Sabrina Starke, arr. Seguine)- Arranged for the Sabrina Starke and the Metropole Orchestra for their the 2016 Edison Jazz & World Music Awards. Studio Orchestra and voice (2016)
Torna Piccina Mia (Cesare Andrea Bixio, arr. Seguine)- Arranged for Italian pianist Mike del Ferro and a chamber version of the Metropole Orchestra on their CD “Italian Opera meets Jazz. Chamber orchestra (strings, 2 flutes, oboe, french horn, harp, and percussion) and rhythm section (2016)
Non ti Scordar di me (Roberto Casalino/Giusy Ferreri, arr. Seguine)- Arranged for Italian pianist Mike del Ferro, vocalist Claron McFadden, and a chamber version of the Metropole Orchestra on their CD “Italian Opera meets Jazz. Chamber orchestra (strings, 2 flutes, oboe, french horn, harp, and percussion), voice, and rhythm section (2016)
What a Wonderful World (Bob Thiele/George Weiss, arr. Seguine)- Arranged for the vocal group Adlicious and the Metropole Orchestra for the World Wildlife Fund Gala. Studio Orchestra and vocal group (2015)
Baby Don’t Change Your Mind (Van McCoy, arr. Seguine)- Arranged for Edsilia Rombley and the Metropole Orchestra for the album “Sweet Soul Music.” Studio Orchestra and voice (2013)
I Feel a Song (In My Heart) (Tony Camillo/Mary Sawyer, arr. Seguine)- Arranged for Edsilia Rombley and the Metropole Orchestra for the album “Sweet Soul Music.” Studio Orchestra and voice (2013)
Time to Say Goodbye (originally “A Remark You Made” by Joe Zawinul, words set by Kurt Elling, arr. Seguine)- Arranged for Kurt Elling and the Metropole Orchestra as part of the 2012 Arrangers Workshop. Studio Orchestra and voice (2012)
Journey- Studio Orchestra (2009)
Midnight Shades- Studio Orchestra (2008)
Small Groups/Chamber Ensemble
Bowl Fallen from the Roof (poem by Rumi)- Voice, Flute, String Quartet, Piano, Bass (2010)
Community of the Spirit (poem by Rumi)- Voice, Flute, String Quartet, Piano, Bass (2010)
The Bay of Tsunu (poem by Kakinomoto No Hitomaro)- Voice, Violin, Piano (2010)
Autumnal Darkness (poem by The Monk Ryozen)- Voice, Flute, String Quartet, Piano, Bass (2009)
The Road (poem by Ariwara No Narihira)- Voice, Flute, String Quartet, Piano, Bass (2009)
Question of Understanding (poem by Lady Otomo No Sakanoe)- Voice, Flute, String Quartet, Piano, Bass (2009)
Horizon (poem by Fujiwara No Tadamichi)- Voice, Flute, String Quartet, Piano, Bass (2009)
The Edge of the Mountains (poem by Lady Izumi Shikibu)- Voice, Flute, String Quartet, Bass (2008)