I am pleased to announce that “Journey to the Prairie” audio has finally been posted at Manhattan Beach Music. The recording is by Dr. Edwin P. Arnold and the Grove City College Wind Ensemble – thank you Doc and students! My thanks to sound engineer Dr. Joseph M. Pisano for his assistance as well! The piece should be available by September 1, 2011. For those of you who have been asking – for over a year now – thank you for your patience and support!
Now available from Wingert-Jones, Festival and Ballade for Winds was written for the 2009 Pittsburgh Diocesean Honor Band hosted by Bishop Canevin High School. I am especially proud of this piece as it was the first one I wrote completely away from a piano or keyboard. The work develops from the opening motifs, and after the energetic allegro spiritoso there is a lush and refelctive ballade – a real “jersey cow” section as Julie Giroux would say. There are recordings posted at both WJ and Pepper for your perusal. It is a great “festival” selection or concert opener for high school band at the grade 3 level. My thanks to the Pittsburgh Diocesean Band Directors for giving me the opportunity to share this music with them and work with such great kids. I know there are lots of good choices out there, but please consider Festival and Ballade for Winds as you make your selections for next year.
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.
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.
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