Powerstroke

Powerstroke is an easy and fun piece for the band to let loose! With driving rhythms, big dynamic shifts and lots of energy, this will surely be a band favorite. The piece is based on a G minor pentatonic scale so there are only five notes in the whole piece. There is an optional piano part, baritone TC, and plenty of percussion parts to utilize. The piece can be played with a small instrumentation since there is not a lot of harmony and all parts are double throughout the band.

David Larsen is the director of instrumental studies at Spokane Falls Community College. He holds a PhD from Washington State University and degrees from Pacific University, University of Oregon, and Western Oregon University. David has been a presenter/performer for the Jazz Education Network, North American Saxophone Alliance, and several other conferences and festivals. David is an active composer. His published works cover a wide variety of styles and genres. His compositions have won numerous awards including JW Peppers Editor’s Choice for 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. His music has been performed and recorded by a wide variety of groups around the U.S. and abroad. His compositions can be found on Dapper Page Music, iJazzMusic, PDF Band Music and more. David has performed with a variety of artists including Ken Peplowski, Francisco Torres, Jimmy Branly, Dave Glenn, Ron Vincent, Bill Mays, Dean Johnson, and the internationally acclaimed jazz vocalist, Halie Loren. David’s release, The Mulligan Chronicles (2021), is an homage of Gerry Mulligan and has received international radio play and rave reviews. Recently, David appeared on the Origin Records release New Normal (2021) by Greg Yasinitsky and was featured on the award-winning Halie Loren album Butterfly Blue (2015). Larsen’s previous releases include Singularity (2025), Mancini (2025), Cohesion (2023), and Might (2023). His compositions and arrangements have been performed around the country including Washington State University and University of Oregon.