Hello, members of Women Band Directors International!
Nice to meet you!
I am Clare Howard, a Minneapolis-based composer devoted to creating music that captures the depth and vitality of the wind band.
I’m excited to share two of my wind band works, Over the Blue and Green and Hath No Fury, as free offerings to members of Women Band Directors International. Though very different in style, they both represent the passions and experiences that have shaped me as a 24-year-old composer at the beginning of her career.
Grade Four | Six Minutes
One very hot summer, I accompanied a group visiting the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During this time, we sat down with two retired astronauts who told us about their experiences in space. One astronaut, when asked how his perspective on life has changed since being in space, recalled seeing the Earth as an inherently peaceful place, like this beautiful blue and green thing, which he now felt a stronger duty to protect. When asked to share her favorite memory during a mission, the other astronaut detailed a story about being ahead of schedule during a mission, and in the free time she was allowed, watching Earth from the windows of the spaceship. She recalled stretching out her arms, feeling like she was an angel watching over Earth.
I’ve been imagining myself in these astronauts’ places, wondering what the world would be like if we all saw ourselves as guardians of Earth in this way. This piece explores the feeling of watching over our planet, cherishing its beauty—flying over the blue and green.
To download the pieces for free, add to cart and use code WBDI2025 at checkout.
Over the Blue and Green was inspired by my encounter with astronauts who described seeing Earth from space. Their stories reshaped my own fear of space into a sense of awe, gratitude, and reverence for life on our fragile blue and green planet. The piece is sensitive, existential, and full of wonder.
Grade Four | Two Minutes
In popular culture, the phrase “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” has long shaped a narrow perception of women’s rage. It is rooted in romantic betrayal, defined through relationships, and often dismissed as irrational or excessive. Hath No Fury pushes back. This piece is not about heartbreak. It is about fury: raw, explosive, and righteous. It draws from the idea that women’s anger should not be tethered to love lost or roles imposed. Through relentless momentum and jagged dissonances, the music explores a strength that refuses to be softened. In reclaiming the phrase, Hath No Fury insists that a woman’s wrath defies decorum. It is messy, mighty, and wholly her own.
To download the pieces for free, add to cart and use code WBDI2025 at checkout.
Hath No Fury channels something quite different: rage. Too often women’s anger is expected to remain hidden—reduced to silence or a single tear. This piece resists that narrative, presenting women’s rage as righteous, powerful, and unapologetic, framed through a march-like energy.
I hope these works will resonate with you and your ensembles. If you choose to program either piece, I would be grateful to hear from you. I am always looking for more opportunities to bring new music to the wind band world, and I look forward to building connections with women band directors who share in this passion.
Cheers,
Clare