Brandon Nelson - The City Built on the Shining Hill (concert band) [score video]

I was born, raised, and presently live in, Ishpeming, Michigan (with a few different stops along the way). I suppose most people have warm feelings about their hometown, but I truly think Ishpeming is someplace special.

The name Ishpeming comes from the Ojibwe word ishpiming, meaning "above", "in the air" or "on high," appropriate given that it lies in elevation above most of the surrounding area.

Much of the history of Ishpeming revolves around the discovery of iron ore, and its shining variant called hematite, in the mid-19th century. The population was 6,140 at the 2020 census, less than it was in the 1950s and 1960s when the iron ore mines were running at their peak. Many still remember this "heyday" and have sadly witnessed its gradual decline, like so many other midwestern "Rust Belt" towns.

But I still believe in the Ishpeming built on the shining hill. I believe its people still have what the immigrant Finns referred to as "sisu," or a stoic perseverance in the face of daunting odds. There is a bright future as long as there are people who want there to be one and are willing to roll up their sleeves to make it happen, and this piece is humbly dedicated to those folks who are working hard to do just that.