BMS​

BANDS
​
& WBSD ELEMENTARY BAND
2016 SPRING CONCERT

FEATURING WORLD PREMIERE OF JON ANDERSON’S

RUSH

ENHANCED PROGRAM
Monday, June 13, 2016
7:00 PM
Brownstown Middle School Gymnasium
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WELCOME.
We are so happy that you can join us tonight, as we celebrate the end of the school year in
tremendous fashion - with performances by our WBSD 5th Grade Band as well as the BMS
Beginning Band, 6th Grade Band, and 7th Grade Band. The highlight of the evening is the
world premiere of Jon Anderson’s “RUSH,” - the first work ever commissioned by and for a
Downriver middle school. Our selections will span from early 1800’s to 2015, and from
classical to traditional and folk to pop. The performance of our students will also reflect the
variety of eras and styles through the use of a variety of instruments, including electronic
media and non-traditional instruments.

We are pleased to have a few honored guests with us this evening. Sharing the podium with
me will be Ms. Ashley Hagadon and Mr. Nathanael Zuellig. These two fine young music
educators spent a portion of the school year with us as student teachers, and it is my honor
to welcome them to the stage. We are also very pleased to have Dr. Jonathan Anderson
joining us tonight for the world premiere of his amazing work, “RUSH.” There will be more
about “RUSH” later in this program.

Thanks to the many people and organizations that made the RUSH project possible,
including: ​
The Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs​
and their regranting
organization ​
The City of Detroit Recreation Department​
,​
The Woodhaven-Brownstown
Education Foundation​
, The Woodhaven Band Boosters, and the families of our ​
BMS Bands​
.

Enjoy The Show!

Mr. Mobley
BMS Band Director

“
Music can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.
- Leonard Bernstein

”
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PROGRAM
WBSD Elementary Band
Aura Lee ……………………………………… G. Poulton & W. Fosdick; arranged by M. Sweeney

When The Saints Go Marching In ………………………… Traditional; arranged by M. Sweeney

Ode To Joy ………………………………………………... L. Beethoven; arranged by M. Sweeney

Fanfare and March ……………………………………………………………………… M. Sweeney

Hard Rock Blues …………………………………………………………………………. M. Sweeney

BMS Beginning Band

Starsplitter Fanfare ……………………………………………………………………... B. Balmages

Gentle Winds ………………………………………………………………………………….. T. Loest

Tambora …………………………………………………………………………………….. W. Owens

BMS Sixth Grade Band

African Folk Trilogy ……………………………………………………………………….. A. McGinty

Eventide ………………………………………………………………………………….. M. Conaway

When Robots Rule The World ………………………………………………………………. T. Loest

BMS Seventh Grade Band

Electricity (Race Around The Circuit) ………………………………………………..… B. Balmages

There Will Come Soft Rains …………………………………………………………....… R. Sheldon

RUSH …………………………………………………………………………………….… J. Anderson

The Rush of Human Activity (of the Human Condition)
The Rush of Machine and Technology
The Rush of Nature
World Premiere
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WHAT TO LISTEN FOR TONIGHT

Here are some unique instruments, alternative techniques and interesting musical scoring
to pay close attention to as you listen to our performance this evening:

WBSD ELEMENTARY BAND​

For our ​ , it’s really all about progression. If you imagine what your
child was able to accomplish after their first eighteen lessons (short eight measure tunes, all
in unison), we will be taking you through their development from that point to now. Their
Aura Lee, ​
first piece, ​ When The Saints
represents their first foray into two-part harmony. Both ​
Go Marching In ​ Ode To Joy ​
and ​ show their progress from two-part harmony into true ​
polyphony​
.
Fanfare And March ​
is their first piece of sheet music - a major accomplishment for them, and
very exciting as well. And, this one piece happens to contain almost as many measures as
Hard Rock Blues - ​
all of the selections they played in their Winter Recital. ​ well you can’t blame
them for wanting to have a little fun!

Gentle Winds​
In ​ BMS BEGINNING BAND ​
, the ​ uses a special non-traditional technique to create the
sound of a soft breeze by blowing through instruments while others say “shh.” Also used is
a tubular wind chime, like one you might find in your own garden, to add to the effect. In
Tambora, ​
the band will stomp and clap, as well as incorporate the ​
djembe​
- a hand drum from
the nation of Senegal - to add to the sonic painting of an erupting volcano.

SIXTH GRADE BAND ​

Our ​ will also use stomping and djembe, as well as other native African
African Folk
instruments, as they recreate the sounds of children singing native songs in ​
Trilogy. ​
Listen for the ​
ostinato​
in the woodwinds, as they mimic the sound of a crib mobile in
Eventide. ​
There’s the sound of an electric drill, wind chimes, a synthesizer, and a talking robot
When Robots Rule The World.
(with an eerily familiar voice) in ​

SEVENTH GRADE BAND ​

The ​ incorporates the use of a technique called a ​
water gong​
to suggest
Electricity. ​
the sound of machinery shutting down in a blackout in ​ A​
rain stick​
and wind
There Will Come Soft Rains.
chimes help create the sound of wind blowing through the trees in ​
Also listen for the bells and ​
claves​
acting as a ticking clock. But for whom does the clock
RUSH. ​
tick? Listen carefully to the electronic environment that the band performs with in ​ You
may hear running, band instruments, water flowing, gusts of wind, your child saying “Rush,”
a​
Mustang GT350R​
, and much more.
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BAND PERSONNEL
BMS SEVENTH GRADE BAND
FLUTE CLARINET (con’t.) TENOR SAXOPHONE TRUMPET (con’t.) BARITONE
Melanie Charron Emily Weimer* William Berry Joseph Vance Seth Quaigg*
Jesse Laginess Hayden Johnson* Katey Williamson* Kevin Walters
Amaris Moore* BASS CLARINET Briana Wright
Isabella Spurr Angelyn Lapointe BARITONE SAXOPHONE TUBA
Tom Totte* Kaylee Alesescu* FRENCH HORN Alexander Voltzikos*
ALTO SAXOPHONE Conner Scott
CLARINET Joseph Brothers TRUMPET Brock West* PERCUSSION
Abigail Crispell* Gavin Davis Jessica Carlone Olivia Bricker*
Nathan Duchene John Hakanson* Matthew King TROMBONE John Durocher
Sierra Felske Alyssa Kuehnlein* Caleb Kramer* Chase Garcia Grace Fenech
Malina Rowe* Emily Lloyd Crystal Magusin Joseph Henegar* Kate Robinette*
Alyssa Shivel Mikayla O’Connor Andrew Pouliot* Megan Larabell* Steven Victor
Imani Smith Daniel Sheldon* Joshua Primeau* Andrew O’Such
Elizabeth Solomon* Ethan Williams* Nyla Simmons
Becca Thacker Kelley Williamson*

BMS SIXTH GRADE BAND

FLUTE CLARINET (con’t.) ALTO SAXOPHONE TRUMPET (con’t.) BARITONE
Sean Doran* Allison Bellor Ryan Bolduc Alex Korte Paigelynn Pattenaude
Zona Niebrzydowski Emily Briggs John Horvath Nathan Kriebel*
Infinity Variot Victoria Dodd Peighton Lloyd* Andrew Piontek PERCUSSION
Fiona Villarin Kayla Hill Javier Caldwell*
Abigail Kramer* TRUMPET TROMBONE Kody Combs
CLARINET Kennedy O’Rourke* Miranda Barden Joseph Filek Jonathon Michalski*
Piper Barnhart Nicole Parent Sullivan Briscoe* Justis Garber Draven Whitaker*
Jordan Bechtol* Isabella Richley Emma Caldwell Aliyah Jackson Dylan Williams
Alyssa Beckon Briana Vojinov Joshua Ferguson Austin Rhines
Joslyn Harrison Andrew Whitman

BMS BEGINNING BAND

FLUTE CLARINET ALTO SAX (con’t.) TRUMPET BARITONE
Emily Garrison Anaya Gonzalez Xavier Hinds Tyzedd Bowles Corey Perry
Talexandre
Kylee Higby Morgan Walter* Sean O’Neal Schrock
Kameron Hudson PERCUSSION
Kaylee Morris ALTO SAXOPHONE TENOR SAXOPHONE TROMBONE Mandy Chen
Lorenzo Cerasuolo Darren Smith Cooper Eckert Jamie Sullivan
Steven Cook Bryan Wilson
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WBSD ELEMENTARY BAND

FLUTE CLARINET SAXOPHONE TRUMPET (con’t.) TROMBONE
Riley Grendys Paige Adamisin Sarah Carroll Jacob Ford Keegon Coleman
Julia Noal Madison Brown Julia Downey Trevor Johnson Connor Doederlein
Ethan Schmidt Montez Cole Joshua Durocher Taylor Long Noah McKenzie
Abby Solomon Jillian Courteau Emma Hall Joseph Masters Dylan Whitacre
Alondra Villanueva Katie Dietrich Lauren Heard Ian McIntyre Rozelle Yost
Rachel Weimer Eva Filippi Savannah Hollis Jaya Meeks
Kailey Hodge Devin Matthies Ethan O'Neill BARITONE
Merric Justian Jacob Navarro Isaac Perez Andrew Matzo
Shannon Lehane Alexander Sanchez Natalia Perez Summer Swisher
Kailey Miller Matthew Sterbenz Joseph Sagert
Bethany Podlewski Matthew Sanchez PERCUSSION
Jane Rennie TRUMPET Jonathan Sarkissian Brett Allie
Trevor Smith Ibrahim Amine Emma Scroggie Cara Creutz
Landon Stover Aiden Baron Olivia Smith Tyler Dominick
Christian Campbell Dylan Solano Sean Hodge
Elizabeth Carr Lance Sterbenz Ian Wolney
Mariah Cole Antonio Vega
Alaina Craig Elina Villemure
Garrett Crosson

* - Denotes Member of the BMS Jazz Band - The Jazz Warriors

Apologies for any misspelled or omitted names. If you would like a corrected program,
please just email me and I will send one to you with the correction.

The RUSH commissioning project was made possible in part with grants
from the following:
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PROGRAM NOTES

Compositions
Aura Lee
Written in 1861, Aura Lee is a Civil War era ​
sentimental ballad with the highly traditional
theme of a beautiful young woman with shining hair.

They called the song Aura Lee and it was published and copyrighted in Cincinnati in 1861:
“As the blackbird in the spring, 'Neath the willow tree Sat and pip'd I heard him sing Sing-ing
Aura Lee. Aura Lee! Aura Lee!Maid of golden hair; Sunshine came along with thee, And
swallows in the air.”

Although Aura Lee was successful as a minstrel song, it gained unexpected popularity with
the trainee soldiers at West Point, where it quickly became a graduating class song and
gained new words (by LW Becklaw), soon becoming known as Army Blue. The song was also
known later as The Violet and The Girl With the Golden Hair.

After the war, Aura Lee was taken up by barbershop quartets and recorded by many artists.
In 1956, the piece gained an international audience, when Elvis Presley and Vera Watson
rewrote the lyrics, and it became the title song for the movie Love Me Tender .

(adapted from May 2016 edition of the Telegraph)

Youtube recording of Aura Lee

Youtube recording of Love Me Tender

When The Saints Go Marching In

Arguably one of the most catchiest and well-known pieces in gospel history, “When The
Saints Go Marching In” is an example of a song that has penetrated many genres across the
musical spectrum.

The exact history of the song has not been pinpointed, but this traditionally Christian hymn
has wrongly been attributed to lyricist Katharine Purvis and musician James Milton Black in
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1896. Purvis and Black had composed a song similarly titled “When The Saints Are Marching
In,” a soulful piece.

Traditionally this song has been used in many funeral marches, with a prominent place
within jazz funerals in New Orleans, Louisiana. This popularity, as well as the well-known
version released by jazz musician Louis Armstrong released in the 1930s, helped the song
soar in prominence within the pop music world and turned it into a jazz standard.

(adapted from mysendoff.com)

Youtube recording of When The Saints, as performed by Louis Armstrong

Ode To Joy
This is the theme from the final movement of Beethoven's Ninth and last Symphony. The
German composer was increasingly aware of his declining health and spent seven years
working on this symphony, starting the work in 1818 and finishing early in 1824. The
symphony is one of the best known works of the Western classical repertoire and is
considered one of Beethoven's masterpieces.

At the time it was a novel idea to use a chorus and solo voices in a symphony, which is why
it's also called the "Choral" symphony. Beethoven, in fact, had serious misgivings about
portraying the music's message with actual words. Even after the premiere, he apparently
came very close to replacing all the vocal lines with instrumental ones.

The words, which are sung by four vocal soloists and a chorus, emanate a strong belief in
mankind. They were taken from a poem written by German writer Friedrich Schiller in 1785
and revised in 1803, with additions made by Beethoven.

The Ninth Symphony was premiered on May 7, 1824 in the Kärntnertortheater in Vienna.
There had been only two full rehearsals and the performance was rather scrappy. Despite
this, the premiere was deemed a great success.

Beethoven was completely deaf when he embarked on this masterpiece, and it's a tragedy
that he never heard a single note of it except inside his head. At the end of the symphony's
first performance the German composer, who had been directing the piece and was
consequently facing the orchestra, had to be turned around by the contralto Caroline Unger
so that he could see the audience's ecstatic reaction. Beethoven had been unaware of the
tumultuous roars of applause behind him.
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(Adapted from songfacts.com)

Youtube recording of Ode to Joy

Starsplitter Fanfare
As its name implies, Starsplitter Fanfare is a spirited and powerful work that is inspired by
the phenomenon known as a supernova. These stellar explosions can be extremely bright
and can actually cause a burst of radiation that outshines an entire galaxy for a few weeks or
months before fading. In addition, they can radiate as much energy as the sun would over
its entire lifespan. It is estimated that these supernovae occur approximately one every 50
years in a galaxy the size of the Milky Way. In addition to the amazing explosion, the
resulting shock waves can trigger the formation of new stars. The amazing concept that
such an incredible explosion can cause new formations in the sky underscores the energy of
this entire work.

(Written by the composer)

Youtube video animation of a supernova explosion, provided by the ESA

Gentle Winds
Gentle Winds is an expressive work with a little title that can be understood in two ways.
While the title refers to the lyrical playing of wind instruments, it also refers to a soft, moving
breeze. Although the piece is constructed from the first six notes that band students learn
to play, it is full of contemporary harmonies and intricate textures.

(Written by the composer)

Tambora
Mount Tambora is an active volcano in the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. Tambora’s
eruption of 1815 was the largest and most deadly ever recorded, causing the deaths of tens
of thousands. In the aftermath, the volcanic cloud was so dense and widespread that the
year 1816 became known as “The Year Without a Summer.”

The piece begins with power and majesty. The tempo soon quickens with bold melodic lines
and driving rhythms throughout. Boisterous percussion along with “stomping” and
“clapping” sounds represent the massive, random volcanic blasts as the music approaches
its rousing end.
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(Written by the composer)

Smithsonian web article on the explosion of Mount Tambora

African Folk Trilogy

African Folk Trilogy features three authentic children’s songs with traditional
accompaniment. The first song, Banuwa, is from West Africa and means “Don’t Cry Little
Girl.” The same melody was used by Christian missionaries; thus it is also known as “African
Noel.” The second song, Ditho Tsa Mmele, is a South African game song that teaches
children the words for head, shoulders, etc. by pointing during the song. The third song is a
playground song from Ghana, Sansa Kroma, also a singing game. The hawk (sansa) tries to
catch small chicks but the group protects them from attack. A short reprise of the first song
concludes this trilogy, punctuated by a foot stomp.

African music is characterized by short melodic patterns repeated with endless variations
and spontaneous improvisations. The songs are quite simplistic, as are children’s songs all
over the world, and the treatment in performance gives them life and excitement.

Many thanks to Bryan Burton, Associate Professor of Music Education, West Chester
University, West Chester, Pennsylvania, for providing the arranger with authentic African
Children’s songs, authentic accompaniment patterns as well as the instruments used to play
them, and for comments about the style of music. He is an expert in the field of
multicultural music and has done field research all over the world, with the exception of
Antarctica.

(Written by the composer)

Youtube recording of Banuwa

Youtube recording of Sansa Kroma

Eventide
Eventide is a term from Old English simply meaning “evening.” This lullaby for band was
premiered by the Elkhart Central High School Wind Ensemble (Tim Carnall, director) at the
2011 Indiana Music Educators’ Association state convention. The composition is meant to
portray a very young child’s thoughts as evening descends and slumber approaches. The
mobile over the crib turns gently, playing soothing, beautiful lines, and the child’s
imagination creates stories of adventure and joy for the circling figures overhead. Those
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stories are forgotten as eyelids grow heavy, and sound of the mobile’s music box fades,
perfectly timed with his descent into sleep.

Eventide is dedicated with love to my young cousins Dorrean and Benjamin.

(Written by the composer)

When Robots Rule The World

It’s machine versus man in this robotic dubstep thriller, and at the center of it all are robots!
robota​
The word robot comes from the Slavic word ​ , which means forced work. Often
Robots perform tasks that are too technical, repetitive, or dangerous for humans. There are
many different kinds of robots, including industrial, medical, military, and household. While
many robots use electric motors to operate moveable parts, some robots utilize hydraulic
systems.

When Robots Rule the World musically tells the story of a race of intelligent machines that
rises up to enslave humanity. While such a futuristic revolt is unlikely, some scientists feel
that it is inevitable.

(Written by the composer)

Web news video on the 10 robots that will change the world

Electricity (Race Around the Circuit)

Electricity, the result of moving electrons, is a complex and fascinating concept. When
applied to a circuit, it becomes even more intriguing. Electricity cannot flow in an open
circuit - it must have a complete path before electrons can flow. The concept of this piece is
generated from the closing of a circuit, that is, the flipping of a light switch to “on.” As soon
as this happens, it initiates a wild ride through the wires, lights, and other electronic devices.
The subtitle of the work refers to what it would be like to watch a single electron race
through the circuit at mind-boggling speeds.

The opening section immediately takes off without warning, signaling the beginning of the
wild ride. This intensity continues until, without warning, a blackout occurs, shutting down
power to the entire circuit and immediately halting the progress of the electron. As the
music continues to build, the power eventually comes back on and the electron races to
complete the circuit. As it nears the end, the music becomes relentless, showing no sign of
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slowing down as the electron races with abandon. A powerful ending provides as much
intensity as the first few measures of the work.

(Written by the composer)

Brainpop video and more on electrical circuits

There Will Come Soft Rains

This lovely lyrical offering was inspired by the poem of the same title, written by Sara
Teasdale:

There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground,
And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;

And frogs in the pools singing at night,

And wild plum trees in tremulous white;

Robins will wear their feathery fire,

Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire;

And not one will know of the war,

Not one will care at last when it is done.

Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree,

If mankind perished utterly;

And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn,

Would scarcely know that we are gone.

This poem also inspired Ray Bradbury, the beloved author of dozens of books, including
Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, Dandelion Wine, ​
and ​Something Wicked This Way
Comes, ​as well as hundreds of poems and short stories. His short story “There Will Come
The Martian Chronicles​
Soft Rains” appears in ​ and was published in 1950. Sara Teasdale’s
poem plays an integral part in the story.

Most middle school students read the short story “There Will Come Soft Rains,” and are
moved by the thought of life continuing on after humans are gone. The voice-clock in the
story is represented by the “tick-tock” of the claves, and the music is lyrical and pastoral in
nature, expressing that we are just part of a cycle of life, and the Beauty of all that
 15

surrounds us will go on after we are gone. The piece ends quietly with unaccompanied wind
chimes.

(Written by the composer)

Clip from the 1979 movie “The Russian Chronicles”

Reading of “There Will Come Soft Rains” with video animation

World Premiere Performance

RUSH - ​
Last year, James Mobley contacted me about the possibility of writing a new piece for the
Brownstone Middle School Band he directs. We were particularly interested in having the
students be a part of the composition’s creative process. I visited the Brownstown Middle
School Band to get a sense of what kind of piece the students were interested in creating.
After a productive brainstorming session, the students contributed in creating a word cloud
containing many active words that seemed to be best encapsulated in the word “Rush.”

Because we wanted to incorporate an electronic music element, I equipped the students

with handheld audio recorders. They were sent off on a mission: to record various
real-world sounds appropriate to our “Rush” concept. We embarked on our journey around
the school recording sounds such as the wind blowing, water dripping, running in the
gymnasium, running outside, and coordinated speaking and chanting.

In addition, other students found sounds such as car engines, computer noises, and other
environmental noises that were sent to me over the course of the creative process. These
sounds were woven together into the electronic score that is performed simultaneously with
the live acoustic band performance.

With a name in tow, three ideas developed around a loose narrative: the rush of Human
Activity (of the Human Condition), the Rush of Machine and Technology, and the rush of
Nature. The three sections of the work therefore follow a loose three-movement structure.

After the opening introduction provided by the electronic score and coordinated stomping
by the ensemble, we are taken into the rush of human activity represented by a slowly
developing scale in some parts coupled with a rising and falling melody emerging in other
parts.

The second section, signifying a rush of machine and technology, introduces faster sixteenth
note motives and detached melodic cells that evoke typing, computer code, incessant
beeping, and occasionally a breakthrough of a melody.
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A small break separates the third movement, the rush of nature. Here we return to a more
melodic section combining two emerging ​
Phrygian scale​
-based melodies. In conjunction,
they evoke the power of nature rushing in to take back what it once lost.

(Written by the composer)

The RUSH commissioning project was made possible in part by funding from The Michigan
Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs and their regranting organization The City of Detroit
Recreation Department, The Woodhaven-Brownstown Education Foundation, and The
Woodhaven Band Boosters. The BMS Bands thank them for their generous support.

IMAGES FROM THE RUSH PROJECT:

During the brainstorming session with

the Seventh Grade Band and Dr.
Anderson, this word cloud was
created. It was the starting point for
RUSH.

Dr. Anderson working with the students during the project.

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WHAT IS ELECTROACOUSTIC MUSIC:

In school and concert band circles, the term “electroacoustic music” or “EA music” is roughly
defined as any work that combines traditional acoustic instruments along with electronically
produced musical sounds. Those electronically produced sounds may include:

● Electronic instruments (synthesizers, computers, ipads, etc.) that are

manipulated/performed in time by a performer.
● A pre-created or pre-recorded “environment” of musical sounds which the ensemble
performs along with.

These musical sounds are either natural (real recorded sounds of nature, industry, human
action, etc.) or electronically generated (synthetic, such as a sine wave). These sounds are
often manipulated to create a musical palate for the composer, performer and audience
member which would not possible through the use of traditional instrumentation alone.

The electronic music organization Monoskop, explains the dawn of electronic music and
electroacoustic music this way:

Many date the formal birth of electroacoustic music to the late 1940s and early 1950s, and in particular to
the work of two groups of composers whose aesthetic orientations were radically opposed. The ​
Musique
group was centered in ​
​
concrète​ and was pioneered by ​
Paris​ Pierre Schaeffer​
; their music was based on the
juxtaposition and transformation of natural sounds (meaning real, recorded sounds, not necessarily those
made by natural forces) recorded to tape or disc. In ​ elektronische Musik​
,​
Cologne​ , pioneered in 1949–51
by the composer ​ and the physicist ​
Herbert Eimert​ Werner Meyer­Eppler​
, was based solely on
electronically generated (synthetic) sounds, particularly sine waves. The precise control afforded by the
studio allowed for what Eimert considered to be an electronic extension and perfection of ​
serialism​
; in the
studio, serial operations could be applied to elements such as timbre and dynamics.

Isolated examples of the use of electroacoustic and prerecorded music exist that predate Schaeffer’s first
experiments in 1948. ​
Ottorino Respighi​
used an (acoustical) phonograph recording of a nightingale’s song
The Pines of Rome​
in his orchestral work ​ in 1924, before the introduction of electrical record players;
experimental filmmaker ​ Weekend​
created ​
Walter Ruttmann​ , a sound collage on an optical soundtrack in
1930; and ​ used phonograph recordings of test tones mixed with live instruments in ​
John Cage​ Imaginary
Landscape no. 1​
(1939), among other examples. In the first half of the Twentieth Century, a number of
writers also advocated the use of electronic sound sources for composition, notably ​
Ferruccio Busoni​
,
 18

, and ​
Luigi Russolo​ Edgard Varèse​
, and electronic performing instruments were invented, such as the
in 1919, and the ​
Theremin​ Ondes Martenot​
in 1928.

Here are two examples of EA works for school concert bands by respected composers
Steven Bryant and Alex Shapiro:

Hear ​
“Machine Awakens” by Steven Bryant​This piece has been performed by PHMS Bands.

Hear ​
“Paper Cut” by Alex Shapiro​This piece has been performed by the BMS Bands.

Composers

Jonathan Anderson
Dr. Anderson teaches composition and theory courses, and composes a variety of acoustic
and electroacoustic music. Having frequently collaborating with dance artists, his research
centers on kinesthetic approaches to creating music. His music has received honors, awards,
invitations and performances from the Society of Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States
(SEAMUS), the International Computer Music Conference (ICMC), the NYC Electronic Music
Festival, Judson Memorial Church, Triskelion Arts, the Symposium for Arts & Technology, the
International Society for Music Education, the Pierre Schaefer International Competition of
Computer Music, the Cuban Institute of Music & National Laboratory of Electroacoustic
Music, the Society of Composers, Inc (SCI), Electroacoustic Barn Dance Festival, the Studio
300 BYTE Gallery International Exhibition, the Florida Electronic Music Festival (FEMF),
Electronic Music Midwest, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music,
Friends & Enemies of New Music, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, SCI/ASCAP, and
Voices of Change.

Prof. Anderson holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Composition from the University
of North Texas (2010) where he studied with Butch Rovan, Cindy McTee, Joseph Klein, and
Jon Christopher Nelson; the Master of Music degree in Composition from the University of
North Carolina at Greensboro (2000), where he studied with Eddie Bass and Craig Walsh;
and the Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Luther College (1998), where he studied with
John Howell Morrison and piano with John F. Strauss.

Jon Anderson WSU page

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Jon Anderson music on SoundCloud

Brian Balmages
Brian Balmages is an award-winning composer, conductor, producer, and performer. He
holds a bachelor’s degree in music from James Madison University and a master’s degree
from the University of Miami in Florida. His compositions have been performed worldwide
at the state, national and international level. His active schedule of commissions and
premieres has incorporated groups ranging from elementary schools to professional
ensembles, including the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Miami Symphony Orchestra,
University of Miami Wind Ensemble, Boston Brass, and the Dominion Brass Ensemble. In
2012, Mr. Balmages received the prestigious Albert Austin Harding Award from the
American School Band Directors Association. He is also a 2010 winner of the Harvey G.
Phillips Award for Compositional Excellence, presented by the International
Tuba-Euphonium Association.

As a conductor, Mr. Balmages enjoys engagements with numerous all-state and regional
honor bands and orchestras along with university and professional groups. Notable guest
conducting appearances have included the Midwest Clinic, Western International Band
Clinic, National Association for Music Educators, American School Band Directors
Association, CBDNA, the Kennedy Center, and Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. He has also served
as an adjunct professor of instrumental conducting and Acting Symphonic Band Director at
Towson University in Maryland.

Currently, Mr. Balmages is the Director of Instrumental Publications for The FJH Music
Company Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He resides in Baltimore with his wife Lisa and their
two sons.

Brian Balmages website

Matthew Conaway
Matthew R. Conaway was appointed to the Purdue faculty in August, 2012 as an Assistant
Professor of Bands. He serves as an associate director of the famed “All-American” Marching
Band and basketball pep bands, and directs the University Concert Band and Varsity Band.

Prior to his appointment to Purdue’s faculty, Conaway served for ten years as the Director of
Bands for the West Lafayette Community School Corporation, during which time the
program received many state and national accolades for musical excellence. During his
 20

tenure, West Lafayette became regarded as one of the great small-school music programs in
Indiana, with two state concert finals appearances and dozens of superior festival ratings.
Under Conaway’s leadership, the NAMM Foundation recognized the West Lafayette
Community School Corporation as one of the “Best Communities for Music Education in
America” in 2006, 2010, 2011, and 2012.

Conaway is an award-winning, internationally-known composer for concert bands, with over

fifty original works currently in publication. His compositions range from very beginning
through very advanced, based on his experience working with all levels of performers in
grade 5-12, collegiate, and professional ensembles. Conaway was honored to experience his
Carnegie Hall debut in March 2016 with a world premiere performance by the Purdue Wind
Ensemble.

He is also an accomplished arranger, and has written for athletic bands at Indiana
University, Purdue University, and many high schools and colleges throughout the country.
Millions of people have heard Conaway’s arrangements at multiple festivals, bowl games,
basketball tournaments, and other major sporting events since 1999. His compositions and
arrangements are available globally through the C.L. Barnhouse Company and the Hal
Leonard Corporation.

After graduating from ​

Woodhaven (MI) High School in 1997​
, Conaway attended Indiana
University – Bloomington, where he studied arranging with David Woodley. He received his
Bachelor of Music Education with Distinction in 2001, and earned a Masters of Music degree
from the American Band College of Sam Houston State University in 2010. He is a member
of NAfME, CBDNA, NBA, Indiana Music Educators Association, Indiana Bandmasters
Association, and ASCAP. He is an honorary member of Tau Beta Sigma and Kappa Kappa Psi,
and was recently inducted into the Gamma chapter of Phi Beta Mu. He is in demand as a
clinician and adjudicator at concert band festivals and competitions throughout the
Midwest.

Barnhouse Publishing Co. page on Matt Conaway

Timothy Loest
With musical works for band possessing an imaginative, well‐crafted style that resonates with
performers and audiences worldwide, Timothy Loest has become a name in instrumental
music synonymous with creativity, versatility and accessibility.
 21

Mr. Loest had his first work published in 1995, and today he is an exclusive composer and
arranger for The FJH Music Company Inc. The bestselling supplemental methods he has
Warm‐ups and Beyond​
written for FJH include ​ Rhythms and Beyond.​and he is a co‐writer
and ​
Measures of Success®: A Comprehensive Musicianship Band Method​
of ​ .

As a clinician, Mr. Loest delivers engaging and thought provoking presentations on various
aspects of instrumental music. He frequently guest conducts bands throughout the United
States and regularly accepts commissions.

Mr. Loest received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Illinois State University, and
his Master of Music degree from Northwestern University. He holds membership in NAfME,
ASCAP, Illinois MEA, the Illinois Grade School Music Association, and the Christian Educators
Association International.

Mr. Loest is band director at F.E. Peacock Middle School in Itasca, Illinois. An ASCAP
award‐winning composer, he strives to advance music education through his writing and
teaching.

Timothy Loest website

Anne McGinty
Anne McGinty is known throughout the world as the most prolific woman composer in the
field of concert band literature, having written more than 225 pieces, with more than 50 of
those commissioned by bands across the United States. Thousands of people have played
her music and discovered the joy and beauty of playing music that is both educational
(helping instrumentalists learn basic musical skills) and also musical, engaging their
imagination and encouraging them to stay in the instrumental music program. All of her
compositions and arrangements have been published. Her publishers include Queenwood
Publications (now Queenwood/Kjos), C. L. Barnhouse Co., Boosey & Hawkes, Hal Leonard
Corporation, Kendor Music, Kjos Publications and Southern Music Company.

She received her Bachelor of Music, summa cum laude, and Master of Music from Duquesne
University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she concentrated on flute performance, music
theory and composition. She studied flute and chamber music with Bernard Goldberg and
composition with Joseph Willcox Jenkins.

She is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)
and has received annual composition awards since 1986. She received the Golden Rose
 22

Award from the Women Band Directors National Association and the Outstanding Service to
Music Award from Tau Beta Sigma, a national honorary band sorority.

Highlights of her career include being the first woman composer commissioned to write for
the United States Army Band. She was commissioned to write an original composition (To
Keep Thine Honor Bright) for the Bicentennial of the United States Military Academy at West
Point and another (Victorious) for the United States Continental Army (now TRADOC) Band.
Another very special commission (‘Tis A Gift) was for victims of TWA Flight 800 and to help
heal the community of Montoursville, Pennsylvania, with music.

Barnhouse Publishing Co. webpage on Anne McGinty

William Owens
William Owens received his Bachelor of Music Education degree in 1985 from VanderCook
College of Music in Chicago. A seasoned music educator, Mr. Owens is active as a composer,
conductor, and clinician throughout the United States. Mr. Owens has written numerous
commissioned and published works for middle school and high school concert bands. His music
has been programmed at prestigious venues such as the Midwest Clinic and appears on
required music lists both nationally and abroad. Principal commissions include those from the
California Band Directors Association, the Chicago Public Schools Bureau of Cultural Arts, and
the Texas University Interscholastic League. He is a winner of the ASCAPlus award and a
two‐time recipient of the Forrest L. Buchtel Citation for Excellence in Band Composition.
Professional memberships include ASCAP, the American Composers Forum, and Texas MEA.
Mr. Owens resides in Fort Worth, Texas, with his wife Georgia.

FJH Publishing Co. webpage on William Owens

Robert Sheldon
Robert Sheldon has taught instrumental music in the Florida and Illinois public schools, and
has served on the faculty at Florida State University where he taught conducting and
instrumental music education classes, and directed the university bands. As Concert Band
Editor for Alfred Music Publishing, he maintains an active composition and conducting
schedule, and regularly accepts commissions for new works. Sheldon received the Bachelor
of Music in Music Education from the University of Miami and the Master of Fine Arts in
Instrumental Conducting from the University of Florida.
 23

An internationally recognized clinician, Sheldon has conducted numerous Regional and

All-State Honor Bands throughout the United States and abroad. His teaching career
included 28 years in the Florida and Illinois public schools as well as at the University of
Florida, Florida State University, Illinois Central College and Bradley University. He also held
positions as conductor of the Alachua County Youth Orchestra in Gainesville, Florida and the
Prairie Wind Ensemble in East Peoria, Illinois. He maintains membership in several
organizations that promote music and music education. He is lead author for the SOUND
INNOVATIONS FOR BAND method books, and is a co-author for the MEASURES OF SUCCESS
Volume 1 method book and the SOUND INNOVATIONS FOR STRINGS method books.

The American School Band Directors Association has honored him with the Volkwein Award
for composition and the Stanbury Award for teaching, and the International Assembly of Phi
Beta Mu honored him with the International Outstanding Bandmaster Award. He has also
been a twenty-eight-time recipient of the American Society of Composers, Authors and
Publisher’s Standard Award for his compositions in the concert band and orchestral
repertoire.

Robert Sheldon website

Michael Sweeney
Michael Sweeney is currently Director of Band Publications for Hal Leonard Corporation in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, one of the largest publishers of printed music in the world. Michael is
directly responsible for the development, production, recording and marketing of new
publications for school bands. In addition, he contributes as a composer and arranger in all
instrumental areas, and is particularly known for his writing at the younger levels for concert
band and jazz. Since joining the company in 1982, Hal Leonard has published over 500 of his
compositions and arrangements. Mr. Sweeney is a 1977 graduate of Indiana University
(Bloomington), where he earned a bachelor's degree in music education and studied
composition with Bernard Heiden, John Eaton and Donald Erb.

Prior to working for Hal Leonard he was a band director in Ohio and Indiana, working with
successful concert, jazz and marching programs at all levels from elementary to high school.
Ancient Voices​
A winner of multiple ASCAP awards, his ​ Imperium​
(1994) and ​ (1992) are
Teaching Music Through Performance​
featured in the acclaimed ​ series by GIA Publications.
Black Forest Overture​
Other compositions such as ​ The Forge of Vulcan​
(1996), ​ (1997) and
Distant Thunder of the Sacred Forest​
(2003) have become staples in the repertoire for
 24

middle school bands. He has received commissions ranging from middle school and high
school bands to the Eastman Wind Ensemble and Canadian Brass. His works appear on
numerous state contest lists and his music is regularly performed throughout the world.
Michael is also in demand as a clinician and conductor for honor bands and festivals.
Michael resides north of Milwaukee where he enjoys fishing and playing the bodhrán.

Hal Leonard Publishing Co. webpage for Michael Sweeney

OUR KIDS THIS YEAR:

 25

At the Toledo Mudhens game, at the Jazz Clinic with Arthurs MS, and at the Walleye game.

WHAT A GREAT YEAR! ​

Here’s the video of us playing the National Anthem for the Mudhens.

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING:

Brownstown Middle School Staff
Andrew Clark, Principal
 26

Roger Gurganus, Assistant Principal

Jill Robinson, Choir Director

WBSD Elementary Building Staff

Cherie Godfrey, Principal & Louise Munson, Music Teacher - Bates Elementary
Caterina Berry, Principal & Dave Waggoner, Music Teacher - Erving Elementary
Thomas Martin, Principal & Deb Wieckowski, Music Teacher - Gudith Elementary
Michelle Briegel, Principal & Kelley Radowick, Music Teacher - Wegienka Elementary
Tim Podlewski, Principal & Lorie Schell, Music Teacher- Yake Elementary

Woodhaven-Brownstown School District

Mark Greathead, Superintendent
Stacy Peterson, Curriculum Director
Rudy Wierich and the entire WBSD Support Services Staff

Woodhaven-Brownstown Board of Education

Cara Pimer, President

Woodhaven-Brownstown Secondary Music Staff

Brad Faryniarz, Director of Bands - PHMS and WHS
Chelsea Rize, Director of Choirs - PHMS and WHS

WHS Band Boosters

Mary Hunt, President

Additional Organizations that helped fund RUSH:

Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs
City of Detroit Department of Recreation (MACA Grant Regranting Organization)
Woodhaven-Brownstown Education Foundation

To all of you - My most heartfelt thanks!

& Our BMS Band Families - ​