Seth Morton plays the saxophone and the piano. He “gets by” on the trombone. And he plays the cymbals.

“It’s harder than it looks,” he said. “I got lots of bruises.”

But his favorite instrument is the tuba. “It’s got the lowest sound in the band. I like playing the baseline.”

A 2002 graduate of Lewiston High School, Morton, 23, is a senior at the University of Maine where he’s the quintessential music man.

He plays in the university’s pep band, the marching band, the symphonic band and the brass ensemble. He also composes and arranges.

That range of involvement is “pretty uncommon,” said Christopher G. White, sports band director at the University of Maine.

And Morton isn’t even a music major. He changed to chemistry as a freshman because he wanted something that involved more math and physics. He’s working on a minor in music.

As a composer, Morton must decide the notes for every instrument.

As an arranger, he takes popular music such as the Guns N’ Roses song “Sweet Child of Mine,” and creates lively, new styles. “I decide what instrument plays what, who gets the melody, who gets the harmony. After a while, you figure out what works and what doesn’t.”

White, who has used several of Morton’s arrangements, had high praise for them.

“They sounded great,” White said. “They worked well. The kids liked them. It was dynamite.”

Playing in the pep band is fun, Morton said, especially during hockey games. “The crowd likes the band. The fans really appreciate us. They clap for songs they like, get involved, and yell out requests.”

But musically, Morton finds the 63-member symphonic band more rewarding.

During its recent spring tour, the band featured an original piece by Morton called “The Passing of the Torch.” The bold sounds of the instruments portray the sun setting and the moon rising, he said. The lights dim “and the mood takes over.” Different instruments create tension when the sun moves toward the horizon. Lots of brass and cymbals are used as the sun sets. The finale is quiet.

“All the places we’ve played it, the audience has overwhelmingly enjoyed it,” said music professor and band director Curvin Farnham. “We’ve played it nine times. It’s moving and powerful.”

It’s very uncommon for his band to play pieces composed by students, Farnham said. “Most students at this level are not that interested, or have not achieved the skills.”

Morton, the son of Fred and Linda Morton, had the advantage of being raised in a musical family.

He started taking lessons in the fifth grade. At Lewiston Middle School he participated in concert and jazz. During high school he played in the marching, jazz and concert bands, and participated in chorus and drama.

When he graduates from UMaine with a bachelor’s degree in May, he plans to eventually work toward a doctorate, then to do research on fuel or solar cells. He hopes to stay involved in music, performing and creating.

“Hopefully I’ll make it a side profession.”