Hillside March is a concert march for young band with a sunny, yet quirky, disposition. It draws inspiration from British marches, but filtered through my own particular American lens. The work starts as a pleasant walk in the countryside as we take in the beauty all around us. A darker theme creeps in later (a nod to the style of Ralph Vaughn Williams and his fantastic English Folk Song Suite), but a chorale melody answers it with an overwhelming sense of hope. We finish our promenade as we began it, whistling and strolling along our country path.