Andrew Pease (b. 1979) got his start as a composer writing rock songs in high school, and he has written and arranged for wind bands and chamber groups ever since. In his day job, he serves as Associate Professor of Music and Director of Instrumental Music at Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY, where he leads the Wind Ensemble and Brass Ensemble. He is also co-conductor of the Catskill Valley Wind Ensemble, a community band also based in Oneonta. His guest conducting work has taken him to several states and the UK, and he has presented nationally and internationally on topics in the wind band field. He studied music and music education at Dartmouth College, Columbia University Teachers College, and Hofstra University. He completed doctoral studies in wind conducting at Arizona State University, studying with Gary Hill. His work there earned him the 2017 American Prize in Collegiate Wind Band Conducting. He started his career in New York City, where he was music director of the Columbia University Wind Ensemble and the community band Columbia Summer Winds (now Manhattan Summer Winds). Throughout his varied career, he has directed players of all ages and ability levels, from elementary beginning band to adult amateurs to professional ensembles. His latest compositions appear at his personal website, www.andypease.com. He also runs two websites dedicated to wind bands. Wind Band Literature (windliterature.org) is a repertoire resource for bands around the world. The Wind Band Symphony Archive (windsymphonies.org) is a dynamic archive of symphonies for wind band.

Still me, still weird, but still writing! Tippy Tippy Top was sort of a grade 2 side project at first, but ever since I finished, I can’t get it out of my head in the best way possible. My official program notes might clarify things:

My daughter Maya (almost 7 as I write this) loves to sing. Like so many little kids, she has no filter when it comes to making up her own songs. When she was about 3, this little ditty came pouring out of her:

The tippy tippy top of the mountain,
The tippy tippy top of the moon,
The tippy tippy top of the flower,
And the tippy tippy top of you!

Somehow, it has stuck around in our family over these last several years. It seemed a natural starting point for a lighthearted tune for young band, once that celebrates the fun and creativity inherent in music. Tippy Tippy Top takes this simple tune and decorates it in several different ways, from an intro that teases at bitonality to a syncopated party that builds in layers at the end. And in case you’re wondering, it has Maya’s 100% stamp of approval.

Andrew Pease
April 9, 2025

Cute, right?!?! Tippy Tippy Top hasn’t had its premiere yet, but the Catskill Valley Wind Ensemble graciously did a live reading for me:

Wanna see more? Check out my website! And always listen to kids when they have musical impulses. You never know where they may lead.