Commissioned by the Tokyo Wind Symphony Orchestra. Today's Lessons! was written to be enjoyed not only in concert settings but also at school performances and educational events. Inspired by the theme of "school lessons," the work consists of four movements. Originally scored for oboe, clarinet, and bassoon, it has been arranged into a flexible instrumentation edition for publication.

l. A Kind Heart (Moral Education) expresses kindness, compassion, and consideration for others, as its title suggests. Each part has its own unique musical role. The inner voices and bass lines are just as important as the main melody. Listen carefully to one another and strive for a balanced, unified ensemble.

II. ?? (Math) portrays the struggle of solving a difficult math problem. Although the same rhythmic pattern is repeated throughout, try not to make it overly expressive. A slightly mechanical, detached style of playing will help bring out the atmosphere of "???". As the tension gradually builds, the music captures the frustration of wrestling with an impossible calculation, finally bursting out in an exasperated "I don't know!"

III. In the Style of Bach (Music) evokes a minuet in triple meter. Even those who are not familiar with classical music have probably heard Bach's name and will likely recognize the style of his melodies. To capture the character of Bach's style, the music makes use of ornaments such as trills. There are very few dynamic markings in the score. Likewise, many editions of Bach's piano works contain relatively few dynamic indications, although this varies by edition. I therefore encourage you to shape the dynamics freely and bring your own musical interpretation to the performance.

IV. Footrace (Physical Education) is a lively, energetic finale full of speed and excitement. As a child, I always associated school sports festivals with Galop of the Comedians by Dmitry Kabalevsky, and I wrote this movement to capture a similar atmosphere. Although the movement includes several technically demanding passages, they are intended to depict runners overtaking one another during the race. With its abundance of rapid note patterns, performers should take care not to let the tempo rush ahead.

Each movement has its own distinct character, and I hope performers enjoy bringing these contrasting musical scenes to life.

(Tomohito Matsushita)