21st Century (2010). Pledge was commissioned for an all American composers concert in April 2010 during the Butler School of Music's Second Annual Research Week. The piece was inspired by the composer's own feelings regarding America as well as the reputation the country has acquired throughout the world. This piece questions where the nation will go from here, and what the future may hold for its citizens. To compose the Bass Trombone melody for the A section of the piece he set the text of the Pledge of Allegiance to music, resulting in a singing, syllabic style. The work (all in bass clef) is about 4 minutes in length and can be performed by intermediate (taking the lower octave option bars) to moderately advanced performers. The range of theBass Trombone part goes from a pedal G to an optional high B-flat above the staff. -the publisher