| Rifle, CO; September 29, 2003--On July 6, 1994, | | | | As Van Devender sat in his new workplace, in the |
| 14 firefighters, including Smoke Jumpers from | | | | shadow of Storm King, the melody began to flow. |
| Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Colorado and other | | | | He remembered the images he had witnessed, |
| western states died when fierce winds fanned | | | | flames cresting over mountain ridges, glowing |
| towering flames up Storm King Mountain (just | | | | smoke hovering in the mid-day sunlight, |
| west of Glenwood Springs, CO). They had been | | | | emergency personnel working to restore order |
| spending the better part of the day clearing brush | | | | and, most of all, the brave souls who came from |
| and digging trenches to slow the spreading fires, | | | | other parts of the country and sacrificed their |
| when high winds forced them to run for cover. | | | | lives while trying to save material possessions and |
| With nowhere to run, outpacing the fast moving | | | | the beautiful environment surrounding a resort |
| flames was impossible on the steep slopes. | | | | community. "The powerful story just took over |
| Forced to take cover inside their protective | | | | & before I knew it, everything was in place," he |
| shelters as the flames whipped over them, 14 | | | | remembers. |
| never made it through the firestorm. | | | | Storm King Sacrifice turned out to be a |
| In September 1998, Colorado musician and | | | | descriptive piece from beginning to end. The |
| JavaMusiK recording artist Jeff Van Devender sat | | | | listener can visualize the mountain sitting in all it's |
| at the piano in the music room of the school he | | | | splendor, before being attacked by the flames. |
| just started teaching at. The window of his new | | | | Suddenly, a stark progression of 14 chords climbs |
| room happened to have a perfect view of Storm | | | | toward it's final ascent leading to an unmistakable, |
| King Mountain. Van Devender had witnessed the | | | | overwhelming silence. In the end, despite the best |
| terrible tragedy in '94, not knowing until he got | | | | efforts of those who sacrificed so much, the |
| home that evening how awful it really was. | | | | mountain burned, then revealed it's own new life, |
| "The smoke created a mushroom type cloud | | | | reflecting nature's inevitable cycle. |
| which glowed as it hung over the mountain," he | | | | More information about this piece and other music |
| remembered. "As we headed home (Gypsum at | | | | by JavaMusiK pianist Jeff Van Devender is |
| the time), the walls of Glenwood Canyon revealed | | | | available at and The song Storm King Sacrifice is |
| a reddish-orange color which was eerily quite | | | | available on Van Devender's latest release, |
| beautiful." Upon turning on the TV however, the | | | | 'Bending Chords,' and is available at or |
| scope of the tragedy began to unfold as | | | | 1-800-289-6923. Proceeds from the sale of each |
| continuous news updates blanketed the airwaves | | | | cd purchased through will be donated to a |
| reporting the passing of so many heroes. | | | | firefighter memorial fund. |
