INSIDE LOOK
The Story of a Song: SJSU Wind Ensemble Presents Original Piece by Antioch Family
By Julia Halprin Jackson Photography by Robert C. Bain
Last fall, the San José State Wind Ensemble performed a variety of pieces by contemporary composers — but one composition in particular stands out. Titled “The Curse, The Crown, the Crimson Sky”,” this six-minute piece was inspired by a story written by a trio of siblings — Carswell, Matthew and Patrick Ouimet — and composed by Alec Schantz, ’21 Music Education. The piece was performed by the Wind Ensemble, with a special vocal solo by Luis Alejandro Orozco, director of the SJSU Opera Theater program and assistant professor of music, at the Hammer Theatre on Oct. 22, 2025.
Carswell and Matthew Ouimet live with Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 1 (PH1), a rare genetic disease that leads to an overproduction of oxalate in the liver, often causing kidney and liver failure. Though their 20-year-old sibling Patrick does not have PH1, he, along with his parents Kristi and Kelly, have dedicated much of their lives to advocating for the treatment, support and welfare of his siblings.
“Their story is very Dungeons & Dragons, high-fantasy inspired,” says Schantz. “They structured it with the disease being represented by a wizard’s curse. I was inspired by ‘Lord of the Rings,’ ‘Game of Thrones,’ high-fantasy music, and tried to give it some whimsy, almost as if you’re telling a bedtime story, with a happy, triumphant ending. My ultimate goal is for them to hear it and be happy with it, maybe hear something new from it.”
The Ouimets, who live in Antioch, California, were paired with Schantz thanks to a unique collaboration with the nonprofit Sing Me a Story, an organization that invites children to work with songwriters on original songs that reflect their own experiences. The pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk sponsored Sing Me a Story to work with the Ouimet family, who have advocated for people with PH1 through organizations like the Oxalosis Hyperoxaluria Foundation.
Sing Me a Story cofounder and executive editor Austin Atteberry, who felt compelled to create the organization after visiting children’s hospitals to sing and interact with children, says that this musical collaboration with the SJSU Wind Ensemble offers a mutually beneficial opportunity for students, composers and music-lovers alike. While many of Sing Me a Story’s earlier compositions were created and shared with individual families, “The Curse, The Crown, the Crimson Sky” is different in that the Ouimet family got to see their story performed live by an entire ensemble, with their family, friends and medical community in attendance.
David Vickerman, professor of music and director of bands at SJSU, says that he receives dozens of requests from composers and musicians to have SJSU students perform their work — which is why the premise of Sing Me a Story felt so unique. The opportunity represented a rare chance for him to select his own composer — Schantz came to mind as a talented former student — while supporting a worthy cause. Because Novo Nordisk was underwriting the project, the collaboration was a no-brainer. Novo Nordisk manufactures one of the drugs that Carswell takes to manage PH1, and the company plans to show a short documentary of the Ouimets’ Sing Me a Story experience at an upcoming conference.
“When I read the story that the kids wrote, I thought, ‘Oh, this is awesome,’” says Vickerman. “This entire project hinges on Alec’s incredible composition. They are a San José alum who is crushing it not only as a teacher, but as a composer. That’s part of what makes this project so incredibly special for me.”
David Vickerman
Luis Orozco performing "The Curse of Oxaluria."
Matthew Ouimet with his parents, Kelly (left) and Kristi.
Austin Atteberry with (left to right) Carson, Matthew, Patrick, Kristi and Kelly Ouimet.
Kristi Ouimet
An origin story’s origin story
Regardless of how much artistry, thought and expertise go into composing an original piece, so much of the music’s impact is measured by the way it makes an audience feel. “The Curse of Oxaluria,” the original story written by the Ouimets that inspired Schantz’s composition, appears on the page as a tale of adventure, with three courageous heroes who survive a wizard’s curse through ingenuity, compassion and bravery. Together they are reminded to drink water — people with PH1 are encouraged to hyperhydrate to slow damage to their kidneys — and to prepare themselves for an onslaught of “stones,” a reference to kidney stones, a common occurrence in people with the disease. The story calls attention to the “sacrifice of fallen heroes,” or donors whose donations of blood, tissue and organs support the ongoing treatment of PH1.
For their mother Kristi Ouimet, the musical collaboration has provided a creative outlet for her three kids, two of whom have lived with the condition almost their entire lives. Carswell began having kidney stones at 3 years old, and Matthew experienced organ failure for the first time at just 5 months old. Now 14, Matthew has been educated at home until recently; he now attends an independent high school. Carswell, 22, has seen their education interrupted by long hospital stays and intermittent illnesses. They are currently enrolled in a community college film class with Kristi and hope to one day direct horror films. For all three Ouimet children, this October marks their first trip to SJSU’s Hammer Theatre — to see their own story onstage. It is a milestone to remember.
“My kids love theater,” Kristi says. “They listen to a wide variety of music, and they’re excited to see if the music brings out certain feelings in the composer, the musicians, the audience. Will it be charged? Laid back? Aggressive? Sad? Happy and triumphant? Will the performers understand what was happening in the story? Will they feel what I felt? How do you put your feelings of passing a kidney stone or going through surgery or being on life support into a song, a visual image or a short story so that others understand what you’re feeling?”
For Schantz, who played clarinet in the Wind Ensemble during their time at SJSU, the stakes for composing a piece for this performance are different than other pieces they’ve performed. Because the Ouimets’ story is based on their experiences with PH1, Schantz feels especially responsible for delivering on their creative goals. They also understand the role that art can play when processing difficult experiences.
“Writing music is a really great way to get my emotions out in a healthy way,” Schantz says. “I’ve always found it really powerful when people feel the same feelings when a piece of mine is played and I can see them in the audience reacting; it validates my feelings. But it’s also a very esoteric thing when you’re in your room by yourself writing music. To hear it played by real people is such a powerful moment.”
“When your kids are babies, you have to be their voice. But then there’s a shift where you have to balance still providing for them and being there, but also encouraging them to use their own voices, their words, their experiences. We’ve realized that in the darkest of times, you can usually find a light somewhere. If you can’t find it, then be it.”
— Kristi Ouimet
Composer Alec Schantz at the Wind Ensemble performance in October.
In many ways, the collaboration between Sing Me a Story, the Ouimet family and the SJSU Wind Ensemble is an exercise in finding one’s voice. This past summer, when the three Ouimets were working hard on their story, Carswell was hospitalized with Valley fever. Despite this setback, they found ways to collaborate with their siblings, united by a desire to make their story heard.
“When your kids are babies, you have to be their voice,” says Kristi. “But then there’s a shift where you have to balance still providing for them and being there, but also encouraging them to use their own voices, their words, their experiences. We’ve realized that in the darkest of times, you can usually find a light somewhere. If you can’t find it, then be it.”
And shine they do: Watching their song performed onstage, surrounded by family and friends, the Ouimets are in their element. How nice to be in the spotlight for making art; how special to revel in creativity and not health care.
“We believe that the greatest gift in the world is the gift of giving and doing for others,” says Atteberry. “Whether that means giving students at San José State the opportunity to share their talents with others, or giving the kids that we serve the opportunity to act as storytellers and give the one thing that we all have — their imaginations and their creativity. The hope is that we all learn the lesson that we live in a community, and it is important to think about others, especially those who are most in need. We hope that by doing so, we’re really helping ourselves as well.”
David Vickerman at the fall 2025 Wind Ensemble performance.
After the show
There’s no real way to prepare for such a special presentation of one’s own work, says Kristi. Accompanied by friends, family members and colleagues, the Ouimets were “surrounded by so many talented people [who] used their gifts to bring our story to life with such beautiful music. It was absolutely magical.”
Carswell, who is taking community college theater and drama classes, describes the evening as a “once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
“Inspiration can come in so many different forms and touch so many hearts; seeing that happen in real time is something I’ll never forget,” they say. “I’m so unbelievably honored that so many talented musicians were able to come together for something me and my brothers created.”
Matthew adds that he was “blown away by the skills, talent and the professionalism from everyone who had a hand in creating and performing.”
“I hope this inspires other people to share their story and connect with others,” he says. “It far exceeded my expectations and I will never forget being a part of it.”
