About the composer
Writing creative music you’ll enjoy all season
I’m Stephen Downing, a composer, percussionist, and former high school band director based in Hillsborough, North Carolina. I write marching band and indoor percussion shows and work directly with directors to make the music fit their students.
I like finding musical ideas that help tell a story and give each show its own identity. Having taught band, I’m also thinking about the rehearsals behind the performance. I want students to understand what they’re playing and have something worth working on throughout the season.
I earned my Ph.D. and master’s degree in music composition at Duke University and my bachelor’s degree in percussion performance at the University of Tennessee at Martin. My goal is to write music students love playing and feel proud to perform, helping create memories that stay with them long after the season ends.
Cohesive
Winds, percussion, and sound design written together by one composer.
Teachable
Music shaped by classroom experience, with clear purposes behind the parts.
Adaptable
Instrumentation and difficulty adjusted to fit what your students need.
Personal
Work directly with me, from choosing a show to making it your own.
Let’s find the right show for your ensemble
Explore the catalog, listen, and request a perusal score for any show that catches your ear. There’s a variety of styles and stories to choose from, and I’m happy to help make one fit your ensemble.
Whether you need the difficulty adjusted for your students, percussion parts tailored to your section, or a trombone solo changed to clarinet, we can talk through what would work best. Interested in adapting a marching band show for indoor percussion? I can do that too.
You’ll work directly with me on the changes, with support as questions come up in rehearsal. Tell me what your students do well, where they need room to grow, and what you’re hoping to accomplish next season.
You don’t need every detail figured out before reaching out. We can start with a show you like and figure out the possibilities together.