Grade 2.5 The Lost Valley came to be after I volunteered at Menifee Valley Middle School in the summer of 2016. I had the pleasure of seeing band director and family friend Juanita Jackson while I was there, and I asked her if I wrote something for middle school level if she would  read through it with her band. After I received a resounding yes, I set out to write a piece that was playable by young musicians but also challenging and fun for them as well. When I delivered the final product, I was ecstatic to hear that she enjoyed it so much, she wanted to take the piece to competition. I’m pleased to say that the Menifee Valley Middle School band did a phenomenal job, and earned unanimous superiors playing their selected repertoire which included The Lost Valley. After this experience, I solidified my love for writing music for large ensembles, and have continued composing primarily large works ever since. I also realized how much fun it was to write music for younger musicians as it can be quite challenging to write music that is fun to play without being overly challenging. I would like to dedicate this piece to Juanita Jackson and Menifee Valley Middle School, thank you for giving me such a wonderful opportunity to grow, and thank you for being one of the first to bring my music to life. While composing this piece, I imagined the discovery of a hidden land. I thought about large mountains, cascading waterfalls, hidden caves, and the excitement that one would feel being the first to explore such a place. The Lost Valley aims to capture the feelings of awe, wonder, and excitement that come along with exploration. Includes a Zip file containing the score (11x17) and a set of parts (8.5x11)