Canvas the Bear

My granddad owns a very, very old jeep. A mostly nonfunctioning, terrifying vehicle. Nevertheless, a great joy of my childhood was the mountaineering that it tolerated. One day, racing an afternoon thunderstorm back down the mountain, my grandad mashed the brakes to stop short of a hulking bear. The only thing standing between the enormous animal and my meager ten-year-old body was the ancient jeep’s rusting frame. The bear meandered on, apparently unperturbed by the vehicle’s sputtering.

I spent many youthful afternoons thinking of that bear. Where does it live? How is it doing? Does it think of me too?

Additional Performances

Grand Valley State New Music Ensemble 2016 National Parks Tour @ Badlands, Wind Cave, Yellowstone, & Grand Teton National Parks, Billings MT Public Library, & Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State New Music Ensemble 2018 National Parks Tour @ Voyageurs, Glacier, North Cascades, Olympic, & Mount Rainier National Parks & Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State New Music Ensemble @ Grace Episcopal, Holland MI
Grand Valley State New Music Ensemble @ First Presbyterian, Grand Haven MI
Grand Valley State New Music Ensemble 2021 National Parks Tour @ Cuyahoga Valley, Acadia, Shenandoah, Great Smoky Mountains, Mammoth Cave, & Indiana Dunes National Parks & Grand Valley State University
Grand Valley State New Music Ensemble 2022 National Parks Tour @ Rocky Mountain, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon, & Great Basin National Parks, Dinosaur National Monument, Baker NV Bristlecone General Store, & the Boulder CO Rayback Collective

All solo, chamber, and large ensemble works have score, parts, & relevant media available for purchase. Please contact me at nikodschroeder@gmail.com with inquiries. I’m happy to get my music in your hands!

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