LAYTON—Halloween is all about trick or treating and costumes but for extra fun, add to that a concert by the Davis County Celebration Orchestra (DCCO) on Oct. 28 at Northridge High School. The orchestra will be performing the world premiere of Baltimore-based composer Micah Levy’s “Romp.” The piece is for four horns, strings and percussion. 

“‘Romp’ was originally written and published as a French horn quartet but was commissioned by DCCO into the expanded form to be performed by our orchestra,” said Kent Nelson (DMA), Music Director/Conductor. “Levy has written music performed by the Utah Symphony among many other credentials.”

Levy said his musical career started in fourth grade. “It was a country-esic school. We had a visiting music teacher come once a week. My mom was also a teacher there. We were playing the Song Flute (recorder) that was made of plastic but it got kids started. My mom asked the teacher, "Does my child have any talent?’ the teacher said ‘no he has no talent.’”

In the spring his mother asked him if he’d like to play an instrument. “I said I’d like to play the trumpet,” said Levy. “She said you’re not going to play the trumpet. She was a French teacher at the elementary school and in California they kept the windows open. She could hear the trumpets from the high school blaring while she was teaching French.”

Most people didn’t want to invest in an instrument, he said. “I found out where I could get a French horn for free. It was a beat up king horn. I progressed very quickly. After six months my mom said ‘you’re going to be a musician aren’t you.’ I wasn’t really fit for much else.”

Levy played through junior high, high school and college. “I was playing professionally in high school,” he said. “I was playing a lot of gigs. At college I would play concerts in the morning and didn’t go to class. I’d drop off my assignment and then give a concert at night. That's how I lived through college.”

He decided to try conducting and fell in love with it. “My teacher said I was talented as a conductor and should go on,” said Levy. “I became a conductor and got a master’s in orchestral conducting.”

Levy said he thought composing might help him as a conductor. “I was actually good at it. You have to think if the audience will like it. You really have to work at that. So I composed my own piece and it didn’t stink. That was a surprise.”

For Levy, composing starts at the macro view. “I have to know what I want it to be,” he said. “I create a plan for the piece and decide the different things I want to do with that piece.”

It’s like cooks who go to chef school, said Levy. “They walk into the kitchen and see certain ingredients and they have to figure out what to make out of it.”

Levy just had his 70th birthday. “I’ve been a musician for 60 years,” he said. “I think I’m starting to get the hang of it.”

The concert will be held at 7 p.m. at Northridge High, 2430 North Hill Field Rd, Layton. It is free but they do accept donations. Costumes are allowed and there will be trick or treats after the concert.