My thanks to Tad Greig and the Westminster College Wind Ensemble for their recording of “Rising Winds from the Valley”. The piece written for the Seneca Valley Freshmen Concert Band debuts tonight under the direction of good friends and colleagues Varden Armstrong and Bob Matchett. The piece is now available from Bandworks, alongside great music from Patrick J. Burns and Chris Bernotas!
I am very pleased to have received an Editor’s Choice for “Festival and Ballade for Winds”, a piece I wrote for the 2009 Pittsburgh Diocesan Honor Band. A recording should be up in the coming weeks at Wingert-Jones. Other new works coming this summer include “Moravian Dance” and “A West Highland Fanfare” from FJH, and “Siege of the Dark Castle” from Barnhouse.
It was a great day yesterday at Marion Center with the PMEA District 3 Junior High Honor Band. I was able to share some good music with a great bunch of students and directors – including “Supsended Animation” (Patrick Burns), “Marching Song” (Holst), and the world debut of “For the Love a Soldier”. The 6th Grade Honor Band was under the direction of friend and colleague Mike Grady – it was great catching up with him and hearing the debut of his “Gift for Band”.
Be sure to bump on over to Travis J. Weller on myspace to hear the PMEA District 5 Band recording of “Moravian Dance”. Jack Anderson did a great job with the band, and I am so proud of the students for what they did with the music. The piece will be available from FJH this summer.
What an exhilirating feeling today at approximately 2:10 p.m! It was a wonderful moment that I can only compare to feelings I had as my own children were brought into this world. The students of the PMEA District 5 Band under the direction of Jack Anderson finished a run-through on “Moravian Dance” and I could only tell them “Play well, love music, and support each other”. Their performance – and they still have another day of rehearsal! – was precisely what I had hoped for in this song. Jack’s interpretation, the musicians care and attention to the subtle nuances of articulations and dynamic changes, the passion, energy, and emotion that permeated the lines - I am so proud of the kids, I am indebted to Jack and all my colleagues of PMEA District 5 for their support, and am eagerly looking forward to the concert on Friday evening. It is a rush to hear musicians breathe life into music like they did with conviction, courage, and clarity. To be short – I couldn’t have said it better myself. Bravo students and thank you Jack!
I am honored to have “Moravian Dance” make its world debut on Friday, February 11, 2011 by the students in the PMEA District 5 Band. Being an educator in this district and having worked alongside their directors (many whom are great friends and colleagues) I am eagerly looking forward to their performance. There are many fine directors in this district and I know their students are up to the challenge of this program. Mr. Jack Anderson is the guest conductor, and Steve Garay, Jim Scanga, and Donnie White are the on-site hosts for the event. I am indebted to these gentlemen for asking me to write a piece to be debuted at the festival, and their long-time support and friendship is a blessing each day.
A sincere thanks to Susan Glover and the students of the West Ridge Middle School Wind Ensemble for their performance of “Tales of a Medieval Warrior” this past December at Midwest.
I was delighted to find another performance on Youtube given by the Hopkins West Junior High Band under the direction of Mrs. Kay Hawley. Bravo students and thank you Kay!
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