For the Past and the Future was commissioned by the students, parents, and staff of the Johnston Community Schools Band Program in honor of Tim Fuchtman. Mr. Fuchtman taught instrumental music in the Johnston schools for ten years. For nine of those years he served as one of the fifth grade band directors.
Tim is a diverse individual. Besides being a fine teacher, conductor, and trombonist, he is deeply interested in his faith, Hungary, athletic pursuits, and film. Recently, Tim has traveled on missions trips to Hungary. In Hungary, he has spent time sharing music with children.
Mr. Fuchtman’s interest in Hungary served as inspiration for much of this work. A simple Hungarian folk melody can be heard throughout. This melody is first introduced by the trombones and is heard alongside pieces of the Hungarian National Anthem. The slow introduction serves as a moment to reflect on his great service to the children of the Johnston Community School District. This introduction is also meant to have an almost cinematic quality to reference his interest in film. The following up-tempo section of the piece is symbolic of Tim’s energy and passion for what he does. The fast section is also forward-looking, representing the many great things that Tim will accomplish in his future. In the last section of the piece a canon can be heard. A canon occurs when a melody is heard and is then repeated in another voice or instrument note for note after a specific interval of time. This is representative of the strong positive influence he had on the people around him.
