Zionsville Middle School Murray Lilly Concert

In 2021, Zionsville Middle School Teachers Chris and Ashley Murray received grants as part of the Lilly Endowment’s Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program allowing them to travel to Acadia, Olympic, Everglades, and Big Bend National Parks.
They hiked, journaled, and photographed the parks and then shared their collection of experiences with composer Ryan Fraley. He composed an original, four-movement piece based on those travels. Each movement was inspired by the landscapes and wildlife in the places visited. Eighth grade band and orchestra students learned and performed the inspirations behind each movement.
The project took nearly three years to complete and the students were thrilled to take part in the world premiere performance of this remarkable work.