Description
Click here to view the perusal score for uncharted.
Watch Cale Smith perform uncharted in 2023:
Program notes:
When you study music pre-professionally, a lot of people tell you your teacher is the most important figure in your life. In many ways, they’re right—our teachers and mentors shape and shepherd our artistic development, help us navigate the often-treacherous waters of academia, and are supposed to be our biggest cheerleaders.
For many of us, though, that doesn’t turn out to be the case. I still distinctly recall the teacher I studied with in high school telling me I didn’t have the work ethic to major in performance and that composition was the better choice. (For the record, I don’t know how composition requires less work ethic.) I also remember switching teachers during my master’s degree, after Ed Carroll looked down on me for missing notes due to unexpected period cramps and then said, “You have to be careful. This is why some people say women shouldn’t play brass.” His presence in my academic sphere was a big part of why I didn’t come out as nonbinary until after I left CalArts. Both of these teachers were supposed to be my lifelines, my supporters, my champions, and still they told me—not just in these individual moments but time and time again—that I wasn’t cut out for what I was doing.
When Cait Krueger showed up in my life asking about a commission, we bonded over mentor figures and other important folks in our lives who time and time again told us we weren’t capable of doing what we’re doing today. I am so lucky to work with so many artists who are carving the paths they want despite powerful figures telling them they should do otherwise, but getting to actively tackle that with Cait has been a unique joy. uncharted is a brief but emotional glimpse into those stories, encroaching on many of the things we aren’t able to speak aloud but that are part of how we succeed: in spite of the people who tell us we can’t.
Run time: approx. 2’40”
(Brief notes to the performer are included in the score.)
Frequently asked: How should I write the name of this piece in programs/posts/etc.?
Answer: In all lowercase (“uncharted”). This song is intentionally not written with Capital Letter Energy; please honor that by writing it as I’ve written it for your programs and other media.
May I chop up your program notes?
Answer: Please don’t! My notes are in many cases my only opportunity to speak directly to your audience. If limited program space is a consideration, consider linking them to this page via a QR code and/or reading them aloud for your audience during your set.
Can I download materials forever?
Answer: As long as my website is functional and the materials are stored there, yes. HOWEVER, I strongly encourage all performers to download all your performance materials immediately after purchase—technical difficulties can occur on both my end and yours, and I’d hate to leave you without your materials if a problem arises! NOTE: An updated 2026 edition of this piece, complete with a hyperlegible edition for folks who may benefit from it, has replaced the old file. If you purchased uncharted previously (for any instrumentation) and can no longer access your materials, please drop me an email using the information on my Contact page. Include a copy of the invoice or receipt you got with your original purchase and be sure “replacement score” is in the subject line for a faster resolution!
What is the Atkinson Hyperlegible edition?
Answer: The Atkinson Hyperlegible edition is a new, second version of the score that delivers along with my original. This edition exclusively uses a typeface (Atkinson Hyperlegible) that is designed to be friendlier for low-vision and dyslexic folks. It automatically delivers with all scores composed in 2025 or later, and I am in the process of retroactively adding these additions for new purchases of older works. If you have previously purchased or commissioned a piece of mine and would benefit from an Atkinson Hyperlegible edition, please drop me an email using the information on my Contact page and I will get you a PDF ASAP at no charge!
Known performances:
Got one I’m missing? Let me know! (And performers: if you see a name on here that you no longer use, I will fix it! Please send me an email with your old name, what you’d like it changed to, and where it appears.)
- 3/3/2025, Cale Smith, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN. Click here to watch Cale’s 2025 performance.
- Spring 2023, Cale Smith, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN. Click here to watch Cale’s 2023 performance.
- 10/27/2022, Ashley Killam, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA
- 4/24/2021, Caitlin Krueger, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL (world premiere)
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