The Lonely Machine takes place in a world that is both familiar and strange. Although humans still live in advanced societies and trade with one another, the land is dangerous and filled with large machines that can be dangerous to the casual traveler. This piece focuses on a mysterious machine of giant proportions that, while not dangerous like most of the others, wanders the land in search of something.

The piece begins with a percussive fanfare, the large and slow steps of the mechanical giant thumping out the rhythm that will determine the pulse. This is followed by the low brass and winds playing the main melody which, due to its mathematical precision, sounds more mechanical than organic. The piece then transitions to an exploration of the mysteries surrounding the beast, the upward motion of the band representing the climb to the top of the enormous machine. Upon reaching the top a brief peal of victory is sounded, but further examination is cut short by a sudden plummet back to the ground. The piece returns to the steady beat of the beginning, with a few variations and countermelodies representing the machine’s ability to adapt to the environment. But as the piece winds down and the machine stomps away into the distance, the clarinets’ final note doesn’t conform to the underlying mathematical precision, suggesting that there may be an element of humanity to this beast after all.

Premiered by Lance Major and the American Fork Junior High Concert Band, May 16, 2023