Jonathan Cohen

Free As A Child

Free As A Child recalls memories of freedom that most of us will remember from childhood. The first movement, 'Bicycle Breeze', is a waltz: 'We rise at dawn on a sunny Saturday. Nobody stirs as we silently get our bikes, coast out of the driveway, and pedal away, reveling in the breeze at our command. The trip ends by (barely) riding up the big hill and sailing back down. The second movement, 'Daydreaming, is more flowing and peaceful, recalling this feeling: 'So here we are, trapped by what parents think is interesting. Or are we? We can always escape by daydreaming.... ' The third and final movement, 'School's Out', evokes the pure joy of this cherished memory: 'It's the lastday of the school year. The bell rings. We burst though the doors into sunshine and the promise of summer. ' Guaranteed to get an audience laughing. Scored for piccolo, 4 C flutes, alto, and bass. Performance time: approximately 6 minutes.