PROGRAM NOTES  

 

Movin' on Down the Line was composed for the Auburn University Symphonic Band in celebration of its retiring and beloved conductor, Dr. Johnnie B. Vinson. Whenever I am approached with composing works of this nature, I always think of trains and the parallel they have to the human lifes journey.

 

Strangely, I have always lived within ear reach of train tracks. During the day, it reminds me that life just keeps on moving. At night, sometimes it is a lonely sound, and if I am up composing (which is most nights) it makes me smile because I know there is somebody else awake and working too. Always, it makes me wonder;

 

Where has that train been? Where is it now and where is it going?

 

Johnnie has been many places, and for 27 years, he has been at Auburn University. Soon, his life "tracks" will take him elsewhere. It is a time of sadness and a time of rejoicing. This work reflects on the journeys of a train and the journeys of a man. Full of memories, the love of life and the drive to keep going.

 

Just like that train, just like Johnnie, this piece moves on down the line.