Randall Standridge (b. 1976) is a prolific American composer from Arkansas. His music, now numbering more than 150 pieces for wind band alone, has been performed all over the US and internationally. All of it is available through his publishing company, Randall Standridge Music, which also features the music of dozens of other composers. He is also a marching designer, arranger, guest conductor, and speaker who has been especially outspoken about mental health issues, particularly through his unBroken Project. After composition studies (bachelors and masters) at Arkansas State University with Tom O’Connor and Tim Crist, Standridge began his career as the band director at Harrisburg (AR) High School. He left this position in 2013 to pursue composition full time. See more about him at his website, the Wind Repertory Project, and Alfred Music.
Standridge offers the following program note on Adrenaline Engines:
In 2008, I wrote a piece entitled Afterburn, which I premiered with my Junior High ensemble. The kids loved the piece; even more amazing was the response from my high school band students. The next day, I was bombarded with requests from the senior band members that boiled down to “We want to play something like that!” I was happy to oblige, and Adrenaline Engines was born.
Adrenaline Engines is essentially “Afterburn II.” It explores some of the same rhythmic and motivic ideas, but is written for more advanced players. There are time signature changes, key changes, timpani changes, etc… and the rhythmic and melodic challenges are greater.
Adrenaline Engines was also the result of a commission from George Pokorski, band director at Marion Middle School in Marion, AR. He wished to commission a piece to premiere with the Arkansas Small Band Association All-Star Band. He premiered the piece with that ensemble in the Spring of 2009.
I hope you, your students, and your audience will enjoy the thundering percussion, driving rhythms, and kinetic (sometimes frenetic) energy that I tried to imbue in this work.
Here is Standridge himself conducting his high school band in Adrenaline Engines:
And the inspiration for this piece, Standridge’s Afterburn performed by his middle school band with the composer conducting.