In some ways, Kevin Day is like other millennials.
He likes Tex Mex and barbecue. A good feeling he calls a “vibe.” He spends a lot of time on email and social media.
But few 27 year olds are rising through the world of classical music as fast as he is.
The Arlington-raised composer and Texas Christian University graduate is getting commissions and having his works performed around the world — and back home in North Texas. The Dallas Winds soon play his Concerto for Wind Ensemble and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra is commissioning him to write a Double Concerto for trombone and piano, premiering in 2024.
Getting here hasn’t been easy.
As a kid, Day had a severe stutter that made him afraid to talk. When he was in high school, family hardships meant losing a car and a home. “We went some days without electricity or water,” Day told The Dallas Morning News in 2019. “We struggled through childhood to have things we needed.”
After the death of a childhood friend in 2015, Day struggled with depression and anxiety. He thought about giving up music and even considered taking his own life. But music, and a strong support system, ultimately helped him break through.
Music has been Day’s rock since the beginning. Growing up, he spoke most naturally through his instruments. “Whenever I would play music or sing, I forgot about [the stutter]. It was almost like it wasn’t even there.”
At Life in Christ Family Church in Lancaster, he played piano and organ while his parents sang. His dad, a hip-hop and gospel producer, taught him how to mix beats on a software program called FruityLoops. In school, he played euphonium, and later tuba, in band, and piano in jazz band.
These musical threads coalesce in his five-movement Concerto for Wind Ensemble, which Day calls his most personal piece.
In writing the “Soul” movement, Day thought about his mom singing gospel music at church. The different solos, particularly the alto saxophone’s near the end of the movement, Day said, are meant to represent his mother’s voice. His dad’s hip-hop influence comes through especially in the “Vibe” movement, Day said. And Day’s jazz background is evident in movements like “Riff.”
“Each piece is a representation of a part of me,” Day said in a recent phone call from California, where he was completing a composer’s residency. “I’m constantly thinking about, OK, what haven’t I shown yet? What haven’t I said yet musically that I could say in these moments?”
A big break came in 2019 when a clip of his Concerto for Euphonium and Wind Ensemble drew around 450,000 views on Facebook. “Kevin Day is trying to kill all euphonium players that attempt his concerto,” euphonium player Demondrae Thurman joked in his post about the difficult piece.
Kevin Day is trying to kill all euphonium players that attempt his concerto. Here's a sneak peek at the end of the first movement.
Posted by Demondrae Thurman on Monday, February 18, 2019
Since then, Day has built a network on social media, landing gigs and commissions. But balancing time on and away from devices has been a challenge.
“My manager has been helping me … get away from it,” Day said. “Which leaves me more time to write, more time to create and more time to just have my life as a human being outside of being the composer.”
Now based in Toronto, he works as an assistant professor of composition at Wilfrid Laurier University. He is also pursuing a doctorate in composition at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music.
He gets back to Dallas-Fort Worth when he can, but maybe not enough for his mom, who often asks when she’s going to see him next. He still considers North Texas home, however, and likes to eat at places like Texas Roadhouse and Red Hot & Blue when in town.
“Life has changed so much,” he said. “I’m grateful that it’s gone in a very positive direction. I love what I get to do, and I’m excited to come back home.”
Details
The Dallas Winds play Kevin Day’s Concerto for Wind Ensemble 7:30 p.m. April 25 at the Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora St., Dallas. $20 to $77. dallaswinds.org.
Lifelines of support
Here For Texas Mental Health Navigation Line: Grant Halliburton Foundation initiative that connects North Texans with mental-health resources customized to each caller at 972-525-8181, or go to HereForTexas.com.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 24-hour crisis hotline at 1-800-273-8255. Confidential online chat is available at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Crisis Text Line: 24-hour support by texting HOME to 741741. More information at crisistextline.org.
North Texas Behavioral Health Authority: 24-hour crisis hotline at 1-866-260-8000 or go to ntbha.org.
Suicide and Crisis Center of North Texas: Speak to a trained counselor on the 24-hour hotline at 214-828-1000 or 800-273-8255 or go to sccenter.org.
Dallas Metrocare Services: For help, call 1-877-283-2121 or go to metrocareservices.org.
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