Commissioned by Dr. Tyler Austin and the Old Dominion University Wind Ensemble

(CONTENT WARNING: This program notes describes an act of violence and may be traumatic or uncomfortable to some readers. Discretion is advised.)

On March 13th, 2022 at 8:28pm on the intersection of De Zavala Rd. and Frontage Rd, I was involved in a car accident. While on the way home from getting pizza with some friends, a car ran a red light that caused me and another to collide with the car that ran a red light and completely totaled my car. Luckily, no one was injured in this accident.

This was the first car accident that I had been in and what surprised me the most was how accurate people depict a car accident in movies. The shock after all of the cars stop, the smoke filling the car, the cyclist stopping to ask if you’re ok, the ringing in your ears, the realization several seconds after the accident happens, etc.

Crash, Burn, and Smell the Smoketakes this short five second experience and enlarges it into a two and a half minute concert band piece. It takes the audience through the car crash from my point of view all the way until the moment I realized the smoke coming out of my car.