Merry Christmas!

And if Christmas is not a Holiday you keep, may you have a wonderful day!

I'll be taking this Sunday off, preparing the calendar of concerts for the spring season. That will post right after the New Year. And I have some exciting news regarding the Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Concert Band. So stay tuned!

Christmas is almost here

Reminder, the Milwaukee Festival Brass performs Christmas for Kids today at 3 PM at Wisconsin Lutheran College. It will be a good concert, so please attend if you can. And be sure to bring a new toy for the Toys For Tots collection.

Many of you celebrate Christmas, while others celebrate other Holidays of the season. But whichever religious holiday you keep, there is a good chance that music will be a part of the celebration. And that music may very well be performed by volunteer musicians within the community. Community Music is not unique to America, but it is a part of our heritage since colonial days. If you enjoy the performance, please stop by and tell the musicians. I know they'll appreciate it very much.

The very best to you and yours during this wonderful holiday season. I'll be back in January with the posting of the concerts coming up in the rest of the winter and early spring months.

Until then, I leave you with the words of Obie Yadgar, from the old WFMR: Find a concert, and go to it!

Concert Preview - Milwaukee Festival Brass

The Milwaukee Festival Brass will perform a special concert of Christmas Music on Sunday December 20 at 3 PM in the Schwan Concert Hall on the campus of Wisconsin Lutheran College. The theme is Christmas for Kids and the concert features the Milwaukee Festival Youth Brass Band.

The MFB will perform with the Youth Brass on three selections, including the World Premiere of The Twelve Days of Christmas, penned by Music Director Dr. Pat Bachhaus.

Lots of other favorite tunes and carols will fill the hall, by the likes of Brass Band composers William Himes, Philip Sparke, James Curnow, and Goff Richards. Should be a very nice concert; but then the MFB concerts are always entertaining! Don't miss it. I know I won't!

One important note: the Milwaukee Festival Brass is teaming up with the U.S. Marine Corps' Toys For Tots Campaign. So, bring a new toy to the concert, and the Marines will be sure to get it to kids that might otherwise not have a happy Christmas. We can't let that happen!

See you there!

Upcoming Concerts this week

Don't forget the two performances today: one by the Hartland Community Band at the Holy Hill Shrine, and the other by the Milwaukee American Legion Band at Milwaukee Lutheran High School. Both concerts are at 3 PM.

There are two concerts coming up this week for your listening pleasure.

The first is on Friday December 11th at 7:30 in Shattuck Auditorium on the campus of Carroll University. The Waukesha Area Symphonic Band performs their annual concert of Holiday music. The performance will include music by smaller ensembles within the band, as well as full band pieces. Admission is $5, but free admission will be given to all who bring non-perishable food items for the Waukesha Food Pantry. Items in need include peanut butter, canned chili, stews and meats, canned vegtables, pasta, rice, and soups. For more information, see their web site: http://www.wasband.org/.

And on Saturday December 12, the Menomonee Falls Symphony Orchestra celebrates the Holiday Season with their first Holiday Pops Concert. In the past, the Symphony performed a Sing-along Messiah. This year, they chose a Pops concert. It begins at 7:30 on the 12th in the Hamilton Fine Arts Center attached to Sussex-Hamilton High School. See their web site for more information, including directions: http://my.execpc.com/~regent/mfso.htm

Enjoy the concerts. They are a nice respite from the hustle and bustle of the preparation for the Holidays!

A short reminder

UPDATE Tuesday 12/1: The Friday concert in the Greendale Library begins at 5 PM.

Just a reminder that the Horns A Plenty Christmas concert at the Marcus Center is Wednesday evening this week at 7 PM, and that the Hornucopia Quartet is playing in the Greendale Library at 5 PM on Friday evening as a part of the Dickens of a Christmas celebration in Greendale.

Be sure to enjoy at least one concert this season...it makes the hustle and bustle go a lot easier!

See you on Wednesday and Friday! I'll be at both!

Happy Thanksgiving!

No post this week, just a wish that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday. Enjoy the feast and be sure to enjoy music during the celebrations!

The next post is on the morning of Sunday December 6th.

Until then, enjoy...and get going on your Christmas Shopping!!!

The Holiday Season of Concerts

Update November 23: Note the time change for the concert on Friday December 4 to 5 PM.

And now, here is the calendar of Holiday / Christmas Concerts that I have, and the links to more information. (Note that all of the concerts I have listed are in December.) If you know of other concerts, leave a comment and add your concert to the list. Thanks.

2 - Horns A Plenty Christmas in Milwaukee at the Marcus Center, 7 PM
4 - Dickens of a Christmas Celebration in Downtown Greendale, performance by the Hornucopia Quartet, Greendale Library on Broad Street, 5 PM for about an hour
6 - Milwaukee American Legion Band, Milwaukee Lutheran High School, 3 PM
6 - Hartland Community Band, Holy Hill National Shrine, 3 PM
11 – Waukesha Area Symphonic Band, Carroll University – Holiday Favorites, 7:30
12 - Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Concert Band, Mitchell Park Domes, 1 PM, concert is included with paid admission to the Domes
12 – Menomonee Falls Symphony Orchestra, Sussex Hamilton Fine Arts Center, 7:30
13 – Lakeshore Symphonic Band, Holy Hill National Shrine, 6 PM
19 - Horns A Plenty Christmas in Appleton at St. Joseph Middle School, 2 PM
20 – Milwaukee Festival Brass, Wisconsin Lutheran College – Christmas for Kids, 3 PM

So be sure to enjoy at least one concert this Holiday Season.

Final concerts of the fall season

Today's post is a reminder of the last two concerts of the fall season. Next week I'll summarize the Holiday concerts that I have on the calendar.

On Saturday November 21, the Menomonee Falls Symphony Orchestra will perform at the Hamilton Fine Arts Center on the campus of Sussex-Hamilton High School. The concert is dedicated to the students of the school district. There will be a number of light classical works showcasing the many sounds of the symphony orchestra. The director, Michael Kamenski, will introduce the different pieces, explaining the different sounds to listen for, or explaining a bit about the composer of the music. There will also be movie music from Star Wars and Harry Potter. A great concert to enjoy, and maybe get a younger one interested in classical music!

On Sunday November 22nd, the Knightwind Ensemble will present Milestones at 3 PM in the Schwan Concert Hall on the campus of Wisconsin Lutheran College. All the details are at the Knightwind web page: www.knightwind.org. And, if you print out the page with the concert information, you'll receive $1 off the adult admission for everyone in your party. I know that will happen because I will be selling the tickets at the door. Stop by and say Hi!

As far as the concert, the music will be amazing, and I expect the performance will match the music! (The rehearsals have been going very well!) See you on the 22nd!

New Event for Christmas

Here's something new and exciting for the Milwaukee area that has been around for a number of years in the Fox Valley...

To celebrate Christmas, the Fox Valley Horn Club and Choir (lots of French Horns) performs Christmas Music every year, the Saturday before Christmas. They call it Horns A Plenty Christmas. Two years ago, they set a Guinness world record for most French Horns playing Christmas Music. This year, they will again perform in Appleton on the Saturday before Christmas, Saturday December 19 at St. Joseph Middle School in Appleton, but Milwaukee will also get to experience Horns A Plenty Christmas concert at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday December 2. The concert begins at 7 PM.

The fun part is that, if you play a French Horn, you are welcome to join the group and play along! The music is not difficult so students are encouraged to play. And experienced horn players tell me that the concert is lots of fun. Just think of playing a concert with 80 other horn players! What fun!

Registration for hornists will begin at 5:30 at the Marcus Center on December 2.

For more information, or to get copies of the music, see their web site: http://www.hornsaplentychristmas.com/.

And I'll be there taking pictures, so say hi!

Concert Reminders

Just a few reminders this week.

First, the Wauwatosa Community Band performs their Halloween concert on Monday November 2 at Longfellow Middle School, corner of 76th and North Avenue in Wauwatosa, beginning at 7 PM. Lots of fun! Great music, including the Funeral March for a Marionette, and The Sorcerer's Apprentice. And to top it off, a magician as well. Great fun for all!

The good news is that kids who wear their costumes get in free! Another use of the costume is good news!


And one other note from Music Director Donna Kummer: she still needs a Tenor voice in the chorus at Plymouth Church (east side near UWM) for their Christmas Concert. If you are interested, email her at kummer@arcfile.com.


On Saturday November 7th, the Waukesha Area Symphonic Band performs at Shattuck Auditorium on the campus of Carroll University. The concert, entitled Songs and Dances, begins at 7:30 PM.

And finally, on Sunday November 8th, the Milwaukee American Legion Band performs at Milwaukee Lutheran High School at 3 PM.

As Obie Yadgar used to say on the old WFMR: "Find a concert, and go to it!"

Upcoming Concert - Waukesha Area Symphonic Band

The Waukesha Area Symphonic Band performs on Saturday November 7th at 7:30 PM in Shattuck Auditorium on the campus of Carroll University in Waukesha (100 N. East Avenue). The theme of the concert is Songs and Dances. Here is what will be on the program (subject to change, of course):

• Lauds (Praise High Day): Nelson
• Missouri Shindig: Reed
• Perthshire Majesty: Hazo
• Wild Nights: Ticheli
• Jig from Saint Paul's Suite: Holst
• Slip the Surley Bonds: Kirby
• Incantation and Dance: Chance
• National Emblem March: Bagley

A lot of big names composed this wonderful music. Not an easy concert, by a long shot. This should be a good performance, so be sure to put November 7th on your calendar!

Very sad news...

I'm saddened to report that the Milwaukee Music Community has lost a champion. Wayne Becker passed away yesterday, October 17th. For those of you who are not familiar, Wayne directed many community music groups in the Milwaukee area for over 40 years including the Milwaukee Elks Youth Band, the Milwaukee Knights Band, and the Milwaukee Civic Concert Band.

He also co-founded (with Reverend Tom Raber) the Milwaukee British Brass Band, now known as the Milwaukee Festival Brass. Their first concert was in the summer of 1985, and he remained the Director until 2000, when he joined the cornet section as a player. (I attended their concert last June, and not only did he play the concert, he arranged one of the pieces. And, of course, the Milwaukee Festival Brass performed the World Premiere of Wayne's Laude - St. Francis of Assissi just last Sunday.)

He was a past president of the Wisconsin Bandmaster's Association, and past state chairman of the Pi chapter of Phi Beta Mu, the International Bandmaster's Fraternity. In 1998 he received the Lifetime Achievement in Music Award from the Civic Music Association of Milwaukee.

I have a lot of memories of Wayne, too many to post. But I do remember one theme that was always present when he worked with community music groups: he always worked to get the group to play the music the best it could. In community music groups, there is no higher goal!

Wayne, we already miss you!

Everyone: if you'd like to post a memory of working with Wayne, or a memorial, please do so. I think it would be a fitting tribute for many memorials to be posted on a blog devoted to community music groups in the Milwaukee area. Thank you.

Upcoming Concerts

The October concerts have been performed. Now we have a couple of weeks before the November concerts come to us.

Just a reminder that the Halloween Concert by the Wauwatosa Community Band is on Monday November 2. Also, the Waukesha Area Symphonic Band performs on November 7th, and the Milwaukee American Legion Band concert is on November 8th. The last November concert is by the Knightwind Ensemble on Sunday November 22.

Speaking of the Knightwind Ensemble, I have more information on the program for the upcoming (3 PM in the Schwan Concert Hall on the campus of Wisconsin Lutheran College on the 22nd). Here's a listing of the pieces on the program:

• The Finale from the Fifth Symphony of Dmitri Shostakovich
• The March from the Symphonic Metamorphosis by Paul Hindemith
• Irish Tune from County Derry, Children's March, and The Duke of Marlborough Fanfare by Percy Grainger
• Rhosymedre by Ralph Vaughn Williams
• Russian Christmas Music by Alfred Reed
• La Fiesta Mexicana by H. Owen Reed

As you can see, this will be one intense concert, not only for the musicians (a real lip buster), but for the audience as well. Very rarely does one concert have all of these blockbuster pieces. It really shows the talent level of the group.


If you haven't marked November 22nd on your calendar yet, do so right now. Be sure to attend - this is a concert not to miss!

Besides, I'd like to meet you when you purchase your tickets from me!

Wauwatosa Community Band Halloween Concert

Before I get to the concert, just a note to let you know that I created an email address just for this blog: milwaukeecommunitymusic@yahoo.com. If you have info about your favorite community music group, send it to me and I'll get it on the blog. And thanks to the folks at the Hartland Community Band for pointing out that the blog needed an email address.

As for the Halloween concert, the date is set: Monday November 2 at 7 PM. The Wauwatosa Community Band will celebrate Halloween with a fun concert at Longfellow Middle School, corner of 76th and North Avenue.

Gladys Chmiel will be back as the announcer for the concert, and will be featured in two pieces as the narrator. Her narrations are full of life and fun, no doubt due to her theater background. (I remember seeing her play Mama Rose in Gypsy, a wonderful performance.)

Included on the program will be a great piece: The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Paul Dukas. Perfect for a Halloween concert. Also on the program is the Theme from the old TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents. The theme is actually The Funeral March of a Marionette by Gounod. And you can meet the band via the piece Meet The Band.

Kids and adults (I guess bigger kids) are encouraged to dress in costume. (Might as well get more use out of them!) Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for Seniors and Students, and can be purchased at the door. And kids dressed in costume get in free!

So, take the kids to see the Halloween Concert. You'll enjoy it too! And you'll still get to see the second half of the football game!

And one other note from director Donna Kummer. She also directs the Chorale at Plymouth Church (on the east side) and is in desperate need of a tenor. Their concert will be on Sunday December 6th at 7 PM, featuring works Hayden, Handel, Mendelssohn and others. If you are interested or know someone who is interested, please contact Donna at kummer@arcfile.com.

Milwaukee Festival Brass Concert this weekend - WORLD PREMIERE

That's right, the concert this Sunday afternoon at 3 PM in the Schwan Concert Hall of Wisconsin Lutheran College will include the world premiere of Laude - St. Francis of Assisi, written by the group's Co-Founder and Conductor Emeritus, Wayne Becker.

The concert celebrates the Milwaukee Festival Brass Band's Silver Anniversary, and so it is fitting that the co-founder be featured with a new piece. Some of you may not be aware that Mr. Becker has had some health issues of late, but he has completed the work and it will be performed on Sunday. This concert will be one not to miss!

Hartland Community Band

I heard from the Hartland Community band this past week. They have just finished a successful summer season, and are gearing up for their next concert, a Christmas Concert at Holy Hill on Sunday December 6th at 3 PM. (I've added that to the Calendar posted in September.)

The Hartland band has a rather unique schedule, performing during the summer, taking a short break, performing the Christmas Concert, and taking another break during the winter months. Rehearsals to prepare for the summer season begin in March, after the worst of winter is gone.

They begin rehearsals for the Christmas Concert this Wednesday October 7th at Arrowhead South High School in the band room at 7 PM. If you are interested in joining, you can contact the band through their web site: www.hartlandcommunityband.com. Their director, Jack Schulze, tells me that he has openings in the percussion and trombone sections. However, he will consider all applicants. No formal audition is required, but you will need to play for the section leader and the director.

I'll have more on the selections for their Christmas Concert later in November.

And I should mention that Jack Schulze also plays in a brass quintet in the Lake Country area, Sterling and Brass. You can get more information at their web site: www.sterlingandbrass.com.

Upcoming Concert - Wauwatosa Community Band

I think...

The Wauwatosa Community Band is planning a wonderful Halloween Concert at Longfellow Middle School in Wauwatosa, 76th and North Avenue. The problem is that the date and time have not been confirmed by the powers that be. So, while I reserved this week's post to tell you of the fun music coming up, I can't go any further until the date and time are confirmed. The best laid plans...

I can tell you of a fairly new group in Oshkosh, open to French Horn players. The Oshkosh Horn Choir is the brainchild of Dr. Bruce Atwell, Professor of Music at UW-Oshkosh. Dr. Atwell has put together a wonderful group of hornists, performing everything from transcriptions of classical standards to pop favorites. The fall concert will be on November 11th at 7 PM in the Music Hall of the Arts and Communications Center, 800 Algoma Blvd. I will have more on the program in a future post. Until then, be sure to mark your calendar for a trip to Oshkosh.

Were you in a music group at one time?

Were you ever in a community music group? Maybe a youth band or a high school band or a drum and bugle corps? If it's been a while since that time, I bet you don't remember much of the rehearsals and practices that you were a part of in preparing for a performance. OR maybe you've never had the chance to perform in a group and really don't know what it's like.

Well, here is a way you can get one person's take on preparing for a community band concert. One of the Clarinet players in the Knightwind Ensemble is posting her impressions of each rehearsal, as the Knightwind Ensemble prepares for it's concert this November 22nd (more on that later). So, once per week you can see what happened at rehearsal and how the music is coming along...all the ups and downs that occur in the preparation of music for a performance. It's an interesting read and definitely worth the time. You can access her blog for the rehearsal season at: http://knightwindmilwaukee.blogspot.com

Now, about that concert on November 22nd. The theme of the concert is Milestones, and it refers to specific concerts and performances that the Music Director, Mr. John Steinke, experienced. One of the pieces on the program is the Finale from Fifth Symphony of Dmitri Shostakovich, the first classical music he heard as a child. It impressed him so much that he decided that music was his calling. Other pieces on the program include Alfred Reed's Russian Christmas Music, and the march from Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphosis. And a number of other pieces as well. The concert will be loaded with band favorites, all of them very difficult to perform well. I suggest you mark your calendar for this concert. You don't want to miss it.

And I'll have more details on the other pieces on the Knightwind Ensemble concert program in future posts.

Season Preview - Milwaukee Festival Brass

Here is a preview of the 2009-2010 Season for the Milwaukee Festival Brass. Looks like a good one to me!

Silver Jubilee, October 11, 3 PM, Wisconsin Lutheran College

The Milwaukee Festival Brass kicks off their 25th Anniversary Season with the World Premier of Conductor Emeritus Wayne Becker’s Laude St. Francis. MFB's B-flat tuba soloist, Scott Paulkner will be featured. The Brass will also perform a Disney salute, Sir Edward Elgar’s Severn Suite (the only piece he composed for brass band) and Facet’s of Glass by Gordon Langford, one of the top composers of Brass Band music.

Christmas for Kids, December 20, 3 PM, Wisconsin Lutheran College

The concert will feature special guests the Milwaukee Festival Youth Brass playing side-by-side with the MFB. What a sound that will be! The program includes the perennial crowd favorite Three Kings Swing, along with Frosty the Snowman by William Himes, and a Philip Sparke treatment of the Christmas Favorite The Little Drummer Boy. Rafael Pietri Davila (Eb tuba) is featured on Higgy Jig by Goff Richards.

Festival Concert: Italia, March 7, 3 PM, Wisconsin Lutheran College

The Milwaukee Festival Brass salutes our hometown: The City of Festivals! Puccini ‘s Nessun Dorma will feature solo euphonium player, Dave Meyer. Sing, Sing, Sing will fill the docket for a big band charts and the Theme from Rocky will bring down the house! Remember to bring a non-perishable food item for reduced admission and to help MFB help the Hunger Task Force.

Spirituelle, June 6, 3 PM, Wisconsin Lutheran College

Songs, hymns and spirituelle songs are the focus of this concluding concert. Dem Bones will feature the trombone section, Climb Every Mountain from The Sound of Music and the tour de force Pines of Rome will round out this program and set the tone for the next 25 years of Milwaukee Festival Brass programming.

Quite the season! Make sure those dates are on your calendar!

The 2009 - 2010 Calendar of Concerts

Here is the list of concerts for the upcoming season, as I have them now. I am still waiting for the schedule for two groups: the Wauwatosa Community Band, and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Concert Band. When I get additional entries, I will update this list, and also let you know about them in the weekly post.

September
11 – Menomonee Falls Symphony Orchestra, Basilica of St. Josephat, 7:30 PM
12 - Tosa Jazz performing at TosaFest on the State Street Stage, 12:30 PM

October
11 – Lakeshore Symphonic Band, Cedarburg PAC
11 – Milwaukee Festival Brass, Wisconsin Lutheran College – Silver Jubilee, 3 PM

November
7 – Waukesha Area Symphonic Band, Carroll University – Songs and Dances, 7:30
8 - Milwaukee American Legion Band, Milwaukee Lutheran High School, 3 PM
11 - Milwaukee American Legion Band, Zablocki Hospital Chapel, 10:30 AM
21 – Menomonee Falls Symphony Orchestra, Sussex Hamilton Fine Arts Center, 7:30
22 – Knightwind Ensemble, Wisconsin Lutheran College – Milestones, 3 PM

December
6 - Milwaukee American Legion Band, Milwaukee Lutheran High School, 3 PM
6 - Hartland Community Band, Holy Hill National Shrine, 3 PM
11 – Waukesha Area Symphonic Band, Carroll University – Holiday Favorites, 7:30
12 – Menomonee Falls Symphony Orchestra, Sussex Hamilton Fine Arts Center, 7:30
13 – Lakeshore Symphonic Band, Holy Hill National Shrine, 6 PM
20 – Milwaukee Festival Brass, Wisconsin Lutheran College – Christmas for Kids, 3 PM

January

February
12 & 13 – Menomonee Falls Symphony Orchestra, Silver Spring Country Club, Dinner/Concert
20 – Waukesha Area Symphonic Band, Concerto Competition open to wind and percussion players in grades 9 through 12, time TBA

March
7 – Lakeshore Symphonic Band, Cedarburg PAC
7 – Milwaukee Festival Brass, Wisconsin Lutheran College – Italia, 3 PM
21 – Knightwind Ensemble, Wisconsin Lutheran College, 3 PM

April
30 – Waukesha Area Symphonic Band, Carroll University – Luminescense, 7:30

May
8 – Menomonee Falls Symphony Orchestra, Sussex Hamilton Fine Arts Center, 7:30
16 – Lakeshore Symphonic Band, Cedarburg PAC
16 - Milwaukee American Legion Band, Milwaukee Lutheran High School, 3 PM

June
6 – Milwaukee Festival Brass, Wisconsin Lutheran College – Spirituelle, 3 PM

An upcoming concert, and do you want to play your instrument?

First, here is an upcoming concert. Tosa Jazz, the big band portion of the Wauwatosa Community Band, will perform at Tosa Fest on Saturday September 12th, from 12:30 to 2:30 at the State Street Stage. Come see one of the best community jazz big bands in the area. And you also get to enjoy the wonders of Tosa Fest. Best part: it's all free!

Last year at this time I posted a list of different community music groups in the area, organized by the night of the week that they rehearse. Time to reprise that posting. If you have an instrument, and would like to play in a group, there are many to choose from in the Milwaukee Metro area. Here are some of the groups. And all of them would love to have a new member!

Sunday: There is one group rehearsing on Sunday evening, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Concert Band. The band is always looking for new members. If an audition is needed, it is in order to determine where a person would sit. The group performs a more traditional concert band repertoire, and performs most of the year. The group is lead by conductor Karen Lippert. Unfortunately the group does not have a web site at this time. If you're interested in more information, please send me an email and I'll forward it to the conductor.

Monday: There is a community orchestra rehearsing on Monday evenings, the Menomonee Falls Symphony, directed by Mike Kamenski. Auditions are required. The group performs traditional symphony orchestra works. To get more information, see the web site: http://my.execpc.com/~regent/mfso.htm.

Tuesday: There are three groups rehearsing on Tuesday evening: the Wauwatosa Community Band, the Waukesha Area Symphonic Band, and the Milwaukee Festival Brass, the area's only British style brass band.

First, the Wauwatosa Community Band is sponsored in part by the Wauwatosa Parks and Rec department and welcomes any and all players. Their concerts are lighter in nature with some more serious works for band. See their web site for more information: http://www.arcfile/com/wcb/index.html

Also on Tuesday is the Waukesha Area Symphonic Band. WASB performs more serious works and more difficult works for band. Auditions are required. Their web site is http://www.wasband.org/.

Finally on Tuesday is the Milwaukee Festival Brass directed by Dr. Pat Backhaus, one of my favorite groups. If you are a brass or percussion player, this group offers something different from most community groups as the instrumentation is that of a traditional British Brass Band. The music is a wide variety from Pops favorites to very difficult brass band competition pieces. Auditions are required. See the web site for more info: http://www.mfbrass.org/.

Wednesday: There are three groups rehearsing on Wednesday evening: the Sudler Award Winning Knightwind Ensemble, the Lakeshore Symphonic Band, and the Milwaukee American Legion Band. The Legion band is modeled on the traditional patriotic military band. Not sure if they require auditions. Please see the web site for more information: http://milwakeeamericanlegionband.com/home.htm

The Lakeshore Symphonic Band is located in Ozaukee County in Grafton. Their performances are at the Cedarburg Arts Center. You can get more information from their web site: http://www.lakeshoreband.com/.

The Knightwind Ensemble also rehearses on Wednesday evening. The Ensemble specializes in performing newer works for band and wind symphony. Their web site has the list of the pieces performed in concert over the past 10 years plus, and it includes international award winning pieces. Auditions are required, and the band will add you to the waiting list if the section is full. See the web site for more information: http://www.knightwind.org/. The Ensemble received the Sudler Silver Scroll from the John Philip Sousa Foundation in December of 2005. Of the tens of thousands of community bands eligible for the award, the Knightwind Ensemble is one of 37 groups to EVER receive the award. Quite the accomplishment!

Thursday: Three groups rehearse on Thursday evening. The first is the Milwaukee Concert Band. As they do not ave a web site, it is difficult to get information about the group. However, if you are interested in a Thursday rehearsal, send me an email and I will make sure that the director receives it.

Also rehearsing on Thursday is the Suburban Concert Band in West Allis, and the Greendale Village Band. These groups do not have web sites either. However, the Wisconsin Music Group Band list at http://my.execpc.com/~regent/band.htm has contact information for them.

And that wraps up the list of community music groups in the Milwaukee area. If I missed one that you know of, please email me or add a comment to the post. I'll be sure to add it to the list.

The first Community Music Event of the Season

Welcome to the 2009-2010 Season, well almost. Technically, it begins in September.

But the first event is nearly here. On Friday September 11th at 7:30 PM, the Menomonee Falls Symphony will remember the sad events of that day in 2001 with a concert at the Basilica of St. Josephat, on the corner of 6th and Lincoln. The Orchestra will perform Karl Jenkins The Armed Man: A Mass For Peace, partnering with the St. Sebastian Adult Choir and members from the Milwaukee Archdiocesan Choir.

The Armed Man - A Mass For Peace is the result of a special millennial commission from the Royal Armouries and the latest in a six century old tradition of "Armed Man" masses that take the fifteenth century French song "L'Homme Armé" as their starting point. Large scale in both scope and scale "The Armed Man" it is a profoundly moving yet very accessible work which uses the most traditional of means to explore an all too contemporary subject. From the composer: "As I started composing "The Armed Man" the tragedy of Kosovo unfolded. I was reminded daily of the horror of such conflict and so I dedicate the work to the victims of Kosovo" .

In a manner reminiscent of Britten's War Requiem, "The Armed Man" interpolates a number of different texts within the usual Mass form. Malory, Dryden, Swift, Tennyson, Kipling, The Koran and the Hindu Mahàbharàta contribute to a compelling account of the descent into and terrible consequences of war.

The performance by the Monomonee Falls Symphony in remembrance of September 11, 2001 has become an annual event. If you have not heard this piece, I strongly recommend that you attend. There is nothing I can think of to which I could compare it. You really need to hear this piece for yourself.

I'll post an update with ticket information once I have it.

The summer season is winding down

Most of the community bands have completed their seasons. You can still hear the Racine Concert Band performing today the 16th at 7 PM at Zoo Park, as well as next week Sunday the 23rd, also at 7 PM.

Next week I'll have details on the first community music performance of the fall season, a concert in remembrance of September 11th, 2001. Later I'll have the Calendar of Fall Season Concerts, and a preview of the Season for the Milwaukee Festival Brass.

More fun at the State Fair

There is a great event coming up on Sunday August 16th at 3 PM. It's the Grandstand Show at the State Fair featuring the Wisconsin School Music Association Music Showcase.

The program will feature a number of different types of groups. Marching bands, jazz bands, and Launchpad groups all will be featured. (Launchpad groups are bands formed outside of school, usually rock or rap groups.) The different performing groups will be judged and the feedback from the event will help each of the music groups, and music programs, improve. Plus the groups chosen for the showcase get to play for a large audience, which is always a thrill. Everybody wins!

Some of the school performing groups include the Pius High School Jazz Combo, and the marching bands from Roncalli HS, Romeoville, HS and Mukwonago HS. Should be a lot of fun. Presentation of the plaques for participation should be completed by about 6 PM. A great afternoon.

So get to the State Fair for your cream puff, your favorite treat on a stick, and support our music students. A great day and a lot of fun.

Community Music at the State Fair

One of the things I like about the State Fair (besides the strange things on a stick you can eat) is the daily parade through the grounds. All the groups volunteer their performances, so the size of the parade varies from day to day. I've seen Senior Dance teams, antique cars, and many school bands.

I always enjoy the performances of the school bands. The kids try really hard. And they are usually pretty good. And the few goofs I sometimes hear can usually be attributed to nervous tension from playing before a much larger crowd than they've ever seen.

I stop and enjoy at least one tune before moving to my destination. After all, these kids are the future of our community bands and orchestras!

So get to the fair and enjoy the parade. Less fat and calories than anything you can get on a stick!

An important anniversary

Back in 1909, band music was changed forever. A number of composers began writing for wind band, called Military Band at the time. The first big piece composed for band was done 100 years ago by Englishman Gustav Holst, the First Suite in Eb for Military Band.

Up to this point, band music was marches and orchestral transcriptions. Holst was the first to use the color and texture of the band instrumentation in his original music.

The Eb Suite is still one of the most widely played in band literature. One of the things I find amazing is that, given the number of times I've heard the piece, it does not grow old. To me, that is a true mark of greatness.

A number of British composers followed Holst and wrote original music for band. Because of this movement for band music in England, we have the Vaughn-Williams Folk Song Suite and Toccata Marziale, and we have so many pieces from Percy Grainger and Gordon Jacob.

My guess is that you will hear many of these pieces this summer at your favorite band concerts. The wonderful band music being written today traces it roots back to this movement in England a century ago. And we get to enjoy it all!

A number of things this week...

Hope you were at the last Shorewood Concert Band concert of the season. Lot's of fun with circus music. And a lot of pennies were collected for the Shorewood High School Band fund. Hopefully they will add up.

And a special note from Dr. Pat Backhaus of the Milwaukee Festival Brass, Milwaukee's only British style Brass Band. She tells me that MFB will be holding auditions for the soprano e-flat cornet slot for the coming season. If you are interested or need more information, send an email to Dr. Pat at: director@mfbrass.org, or call 262-385-9627.

I have an update on the concerts in Racine. Music Director Mark Eichner is celebrating the music of English composers for band this season. Here is an update of the remaining concerts, including soloists and featured music.

July 19 at 7:30 - Diane Cosmala is featured on clarinet. The featured music is the English Folk Song Suite of Ralph Vaughn Williams.

July 26 at 7:30 - Rick Sunier performs Spanish Dance Number 5 from Enrique Granados on the euphonium. Vocalist Allison Hull joins the band for some music from opera and a little Gershwin. The concert also features three movements from the Moorside Suite bu Gustav Holst.

August 2 at 7 PM - Besides a wonderful flute duet featuring Beth Kapralian and Vera Olguin, Gregory Berg from Gateway Technical Institute performing music of the Gershwins and Lerner and Lowe. Gordon Jacob's Original Suite is featured on the program.

August 9 at 7 PM - Katherine Hall performs Gabriel's Oboe from The Mission, and vocalist Aimee Hall, a former UW-Parkside student, performs some popular favorites. Sea Songs by Ralph Vaughn Williams is the featured piece.

August 16 at 7 PM - The annual Children's concert featuring a trumpet trio, and Michael Snider narrating The Bremen Town Musicians. And there may be a chance for the kids in the audience to conduct the band...

August 23 at 7 PM - The finale of the summer season features Music Director Mark Eichner performing the Trumpet Concerto in D by Tartini, and wonderful standards sung by Jeannie Hatfield, a former Miss Racine.

The concerts are all held at Zoo Park. Admission to the park for the concerts only are free. You will need to pay admission to the Zoo if you come earlier in the afternoon (fair is fair).

Concert Updates

I now have the list of concerts for the summer season of the Racine Concert Band, but before I list them, just a reminder that this Thursday is the final concert of the summer season for the Shorewood Concert Band. It will be at 7 PM in Atwater Park (corner of Capitol Drive and Lake Drive). The concert will feature the music of the Circus. Be sure to check your chairs and couches for pennies and bring them to the concert. The penny drive will benefit the band program at Shorewood High School. My guess is that if you bring other money, they will accept that as well. See you there.

Now on the the Racine Band. Each concert has at least one Sousa March and one other march. The concerts usually also feature a famous classical piece. And every concert will have a special guest, some from the band itself, and others from the area. Here's the concert schedule with the start times:
July 12 - 7:00
July 19 - 7:30
July 26 - 7:30
August 2 - 7:00
August 9 - 7:00
August 16 - 7:00
August 23 - 7:00

All of the concerts are at the Racine Zoo. While the Zoo charges admission during the day, there is no cost to attend the concert (as long as you don't arrive 5 hours early). Bring a lawn chair or blanket. The concert stage is at the bottom of a hill, giving a nice sound to everyone sitting on the hill - a natural amphitheater!

So be sure to take in one of the concerts - or maybe all. The price is right and so is the music!

A belated Happy Independence Day

I trust you enjoyed the celebrations in your area, the parades, the picnics, and hopefully a concert. Certainly the fireworks!

I was able to enjoy a performance of the UW Badger Band. As always, a great show.

But the summer concerts continue. This Wednesday is a performance of the Whitefish Bay Community Band at 7 PM in the park across from the library. And next Sunday begins the summer concert series by the Racine Concert Band at the Racine Zoo.

There are performances all over. If you are in the far western suburbs, the Oconomowoc Legion Band continues their summer performances this Wednesday evening.

Lots to enjoy. Take in a community band concert! I know you'll have a good time.

Summer Concerts are in full swing!

First a reminder: Tuesday the 30th is the only concert by the Milwaukee American Legion Band at Humboldt park this summer. Concert begins at 6:30. See you there.

I've mentioned the Shorewood Concert Band schedule and the Whitefish Bay Band schedule in a previous post. Here's the schedule for one of the longest running bands in the metro area - our neighbors to the South, the Racine Concert Band.

The Racine Concert Band has been in existence since 1877. In 1923 they officially were sponsored by the City of Racine (named the Racine Park Board Band) and began a series of free concerts. There were a couple of other name changes as well, the Racine Municipal Band in 1967 , and the Racine Concert Band in 1996.

The Racine Concert Band is one of 37 community bands in all of North America to be honored by the John Phillip Sousa Foundation. In December of 1995, they were awarded the Sudler Silver Scroll, the highest honor a community band can achieve. While a number of groups can receive the award in any given year, to this day there are only 37 bands to be so honored.

Since then the group continues the tradition began in the late 1800's, performing high quality free concerts for the people of Racine and its visitors. At the end of last season, the band had performed over 1400 free concerts! Quite an impressive run!

This year the summer season begins on July 4th with the Racine Independence Day Parade on Main Street in the morning and a concert of Patriotic music at North Beach beginning at 8 PM, just before the fireworks.

The summer season at the Zoo begins on Sunday July 12th at 7:30 PM. (If you come to the Zoo for the day, remember that the Racine Zoo is now charging admission. If you come just for the concert, admission is free.) Concerts will also be held at the Zoo on July 19 and 26, also at 7:30. In August, the concert time changes to 7:00 due to the available daylight. Those concert dates are August 2, 9, 16, and 23.

Director Mark Eichner has a lot planned for this season. Be sure to take in at least one of these fine concerts. Better yet, enjoy them all! See you there!

Sorry I'm Late

It's been one of those weeks, and in all the confusion, I did not prepare a post for Sunday. I apologise. My intention was to let you know about the summer concert series of the Racine Concert Band. I'll push that back to this coming Sunday.

In the meantime, don't forget the next concert by the Shorewood Concert Band, this Thursday evening at 7 PM in Atwater Park, corner of Capital Drive and Lake Drive. I'll be there, and I hope you will be too!

Summer Band Information

Here's some information about the schedules for two community bands in the North Shore area.


First, is the Shorewood Concert Band. This last Saturday was their first concert, in conjunction with the Shorewood Men's Club Chicken Dinner at Atwater Park. (By the way, the chicken was great and the concert was too!) Here's the rest of their schedule for the Summer.

• June 25 at 7 PM in Atwater Park


• July 4 in Atwater Park as a part of the Independence Day Celebration at 6:30 PM


• July 17 at 7 PM in Atwater Park

Whitefish Bay also has a community band, with concerts held in Old Schoolhouse Park.

• June 24 at 7 PM


• July 8 at 7 PM


• July 22 at 7 PM


• August 2 at 3 PM


• August 9 at 3 PM

I'll have concert listings soon for one of the longest running community bands in the area, the Racine Concert Band. And if you know the schedules for your favorite community band, leave a comment with the schedule and we'll all benefit. Thanks.

So, there are some options for your calendar for free summer fun. Enjoy the concerts!

Forgot to include this

I forgot to include this reminder in the last post...

This Saturday is the first concert of the Shorewood Concert Band, appearing as a part of the Shorewood Men's Club Chicken Dinner. The festivities are all day at Atwater Park (Capitol Drive and Lake Drive) with the Shorewood Band performing at 4:30 PM.

So stop by, enjoy the music, and have a great barbecue chicken dinner prepared by Rupena's. Yum!

A Milwaukee Music Tradition Continues

Don't forget the concert June 7th by the Milwaukee Festival Brass at Wisconsin Lutheran College at 3 PM...now back to our regularly scheduled posting.

This tradition will continue in 2009...

The Milwaukee American Legion Band will perform a concert in Humboldt Park this summer. This performance continues a tradition as long as I can remember. Even when I was a kid, our family would go to see the American Legion Band perform concerts in the park during the summer. Unfortunately, this year, like last year, the band will perform only one concert. However, that does keep the tradition going! It also means that we all need to set the date aside on our calendars!

The concert will be held on Tuesday June 30th at the Music Chalet in Humboldt Park, as one of the concerts in the Chill On The Hill series. The music begins at 6:30. At this time, I am not aware of any music on the program. Needless to say, it will begin with the traditional March of the Champions, and end with the traditional encore.

So, don't miss out on a Milwaukee Tradition, from the great setting at Humboldt Park, to the traditional opening and closing numbers of the concert. See you there on Tuesday June 30th!

The first Summer Concert - and Chicken Too!

Don't forget this coming Sunday June 7th is the Interlactic Brass concert performed by the Milwaukee Festival Brass. The concert begins at 3 PM in the Schwan Concert Hall on the campus of Wisconsin Lutheran College. See you there.

Now on to the summer season! The first of the summer concerts is performed by the Shorewood Concert Band under the direction of Dr. Pat Backhaus (who also leads the Milwaukee Festival Brass). It will be held in Shorewood's Atwater Park, corner of Capitol Drive and Lake Drive on Saturday June 13 at 4:30. This will be in conjunction with the Shorewood Mens Club Chicken Dinner fundraiser. Besides a nice concert from Shorewood Band, you can also enjoy a barbecue chicken dinner from Rupena's. (Very good, take my word for it.)

This year Dr. Pat's first Shorewood concert is entitled Hands Across the Sea. The band will feature selections from the European Union including March of the Belgian Paratroopers, British Master's Suite and Gustav Holst's First Suite for Military Band. From the US, the band will include Sousa's Hands Across the Sea (of course).

The concert will be great fun and the chicken will be very tasty. No need to cook on June 13th. Enjoy a concert and dinner and help raise funds for an organization that supports the Shorewood Concert Band! Everybody wins!

Remembering

I always shake my head when I hear someone say "Happy Memorial Day". One of my pet peeves...

The day was set aside to honor those who gave their lives that we might keep our freedom. It started out known as Decoration Day. President Johnson in 1966 declared that Waterloo NY was the birthplace of Memorial Day, but it is difficult to trace the origin. Most likely, the idea began in a number of places and grew to become a national day of remembrance.

Here in Milwaukee, there are two concerts to honor Memorial Day, one by the Knightwind Ensemble at the Zoo at 1 PM, and the other at 5 PM in Memorial Hall at the War Memorial Center downtown performed by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Concert Band. Both concerts will be fun but will also observe the solemn reasons behind the holiday. Certainly, there will be many services at local cemeteries all over the Milwaukee area which will also remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.


On a lighter note, I will be at the concert at the Zoo, assisting the Knightwind Ensemble with their last concert of the season. If you are there, stop by and say Hi. I'll be moving equipment to and from the truck.



But please keep Memorial Day as a day of remembrance. Thanks much!

The last Spring Concert

The last of the Spring concerts will be held on Sunday June 7th at 3 PM in the Schwan Concert Hall on the campus of Wisconsin Lutheran College. The Milwaukee Festival Brass will present Intergalactic Brass.

The concert will feature some great music all associated with stars and sky. Music from Star Trek and Star Wars along with Hoagy Carmichael's Stardust fill the pop side of the concert. Great transcriptions of Holst's Mars and Jupiter show off great technical facility from the brass.

The feature of the program is the US Premier of Judith Bingham's The Stars Above the Earth Below, a monumental work inspired by a poem of W.B. Yeats. It's a story tells of a large winged bird that flies over the strife torn country. Using a vast array of notes it is posslble to hear the wings of the bird. Bingham uses some very interesting combinations of instruments to paint fairytale world through sound.

Judith Bingham is a living, British composer. In 1977 she received the BBC's Young Composer award. She has written a great deal of choral music for the King's Singers, conductor Peter Pears and the BBC Singers, of which she was a member for 11 years.



Tickets are $12 for adults, $9 for Students and Seniors. For more information, see the Milwaukee Festival Brass web site: http://www.mfbrass.org/

Also, don't forget the Memorial Day concerts on May 25th. Remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice to allow us to play in and support Community Music Groups. We owe them our way of life!

The last of the Spring concerts again

When I posted the last of the spring concerts, I had forgotten about two of them. This post mentions one of the concerts, and next week, I'll provide information on the other one.


The first concert is this Tuesday May 12th at Longfellow Middle School in Wauwatosa performed by the Wauwatosa Community Band. The concert, entitled Music of Wisconsin and America, begins at 7:30. Included in the program is American Sketches: A Folk Song Set of Wisconsin, as well as On Wisconsin...can't have a concert of Wisconsin music without that one! Also on the program is a standard of the US Army Band written by their former director Joseph Wilcox Jenkins: American Overture for Band. You have to listen for the French Horns in this piece!

Joining the band is Chris Flieller of the In Tandem Theatre company to narrate the band's performance of Casey at the Bat. The kids will love it.

Rounding out the program is music from the movies: The Magnificent Seven and The Cowboys (music by John Williams and the only film in which John Wayne's character died).

The concerts are always fun, so don't miss out. Longfellow Middle School is on the corner of 76th and North Avenue and parking is plentiful. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for Seniors and Students, and can be purchased at the door. Even more good news: Longfellow is open and not affected by the swine flu closings!

Mark your calendars!

In Observance of Memorial Day

Before I get to the Memorial Day information, I found out that there is one more concert in the Spring season that I have not mentioned. On Tuesday May 12 the Wauwatosa Community Band will perform at Longfellow Middle School in Wauwatosa (76th and North Avenue). I do not have any other information at this time. As soon as I get it, I will post it. And also on Saturday evening the 16th, don't forget the concert by the Menomonee Falls Symohony, which I previewed last week.

There are two concerts in the Milwaukee area (that I am aware of) for the observance of Memorial Day, both being performed on Monday May 25.

The first will be performed by the Knightwind Ensemble at 1 PM in the Peck Welcome Center (indoors) of the Milwaukee County Zoo. The concert is an old-fashioned concert in the park, complete with music from Broadway and the Movies, some light classics, and some patriotic music. This concert always finishes with the Salute to the Armed Forces, a rousing finish to a fun concert. And the concert is included with your admissioon to the Zoo.

Having a concert in the park held indoors is a good move for Memorial Day. The weather is just too changeable to hold the concert outdoors.

The second concert is later in the afternoon. The Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Concert Band performs a Memorial Day concert at 5 PM in Memorial Hall at the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center, Wells Street at the Lakefront. This is a free concert honoring those who have fallen and have served their country. Selections include American Patriot Overture, Tribute, A Quiet Music for the Fallen, A Billy Joel Portrait, and the Armed Forces Salute.

So you have a number of options for observing Memorial Day, part fun music and part solemn remberance.

Last of the Spring Concerts

Don't forget the upcoming concert this coming Friday May 1 at 7:30. The Waukesha Area Symphonic Band features the winner of their concerto competition, Emily Duffy, Hornist, performing the first Horn Concerto of Richard Strauss. The concert will be at Shattuck Auditorium on the campus of Carroll University.

The last of the Spring concerts occurs on Saturday May 16 at 7:30 PM. The Menomonee Falls Symphony present a Spring concert. The Orchestra will perform Robert Schumann's First Symphony, the Spring Symphony. Also on the program is Copland's Appalachian Spring.

The guest artist joining the Menomonee Falls Symphony is flutist Colleen White, winner of the Symphony's Young Artist Competition earlier this year. She will perform the Hungarian Pastoral Fantasy for Flute and Orchestra by Franz Doppler.

Tickets are: Adult $15, Senior $12, Student $6 and can be purchased at the door. For more information, contact Lillian Bautch, 414-481-3880 or Dolores Chrzan, 262-679-0779.

New Youth Group - Revisited

The news about the Milwaukee Festival Brass starting a youth British-style Brass Band is so good that it bears repeating. So here is the information again!

2009-2010 will be the inaugural year for the program. Membership is open to high school students who pass the audition. Auditions are open to any brass and percussion students who demonstrate a passion for music and are highly skilled on their instruments. Brass band music requires all of the brass musicians to learn treble clef and percussionists should be all around players as parts are rotated. F horn is not used in brass band and students will be asked to play e-flat tenor horns. Likewise, trumpet is not used and trumpeters will be asked to play cornet. Cornets, tenor horns and E-flat tuba will be provided.

The auditions for the Youth Brass Band will be held at the Lincoln School for the Arts, 820 E. Knapp Street in Milwaukee on Friday April 24th by appointment. For the audition, students will be asked to perform a 3-5 minute solo or etude, scales, double & triple tonguing and sight reading. Percussion will be asked to play drum set, timpani, and mallet percussion.

Call the Milwaukee Festival Brass to set up an audition appointment at 262-385-9627, OR visit their website at http://www.mfbrass.org/, to get more information. Questions can be emailed to: Director@mfbrass.org

I know one thing for sure. The students who make the Youth Brass Band will have great fun. Dr. Pat is a very good director, balancing fun with musical excellence. What a great thing for the Milwaukee area!

Information on Summer Concerts

Springtime is here.

I know because I received information from Dr. Pat Backhaus about the summer season of the Shorewood Concert Band. For those of you who are not familiar with the group, they rehearse on Thursday evenings one week, and perform a concert the next week. The only exception to this is the first concert, which is a part of the Shorewood Men's Club Chicken Dinner, and the 4th of July concert.

I wrote about their concerts last year. Besides playing marches, show tunes, and fun music in a traditional park setting, they also play a classical masterpiece every now and then. And they do a nice job at it considering they have only one rehearsal before a concert. Out of the many summer community bands in the area, the Shorewood Concert Band is one of the better ones.

No audition is needed. Everyone is welcome. If you would like to play, please contact Dr. Pat at CornetPat@aol.com.

Here's the schedule of rehearsals and concerts:

June 11th - rehearsal at 7PM
June 13th concert at 4:30 PM as a part of the Men's Club Chicken Dinner, Atwater Park
June 18th rehearsal 7PM
June 25th concert at 7PM, Atwater Park
June 30th rehearsal at 7PM
July 4th concert at 6:30, Atwater Park
July 9th rehearsal
July 16th concert, Atwater Park

So dust off the old horn, get the chops buzzing, and send Dr. Pat an email. You'll be happy you did!

Upcoming Waukesha Area Symphonic Band Concert

The Waukesha Area Symphonic Band (WASB) will perform their next concert on Friday May 1 at 7:30 in the Shattuck Auditorium on the campus of Carroll University in Waukesha. The theme of the concert is colors.shapes.lines, and will feature the winner of the WASB Concerto competition, french hornist Ms. Emily Duffy.

Ms. Duffy is a junior at Waukesha West High School, who not only plays in the band but also the school's Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble. In addition, she finds time to run track, play in the jazz band, and perform with the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra as the Principal Horn in the Senior Symphony. She currently studies with Darcy Hamlin of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. She will perform Horn Concerto Number 1 of Richard Strauss.

The Band will present music based on the theme of colors, shapes and line. Music to be performed will include Roger Cichy’s Colours, Mark Camphouse’s Fantasia on Black is the Color Of My True Love’s Hair and a world premiere of Music Director Rick Kirby’s composition titled Lines, Curves and Circles.

In keeping with a WASB tradition, this concert will benefit a charity in the Waukesha Area. This year’s beneficiary will be Waukesha’s Adaptive Community Approach Program (ACAP). ACAP serves adults with physical disabilities within Waukesha County. Some of their current programs include Graffiti Effacing, transplanting of plants, seed sorting and chipping trails for Retzer Nature Center, shopping for the elderly, providing snow removal, leaf raking and lawn trimming for Interfaith, and cooking meals at Sienna and Hebron House.

Tickets for the May 1st concert are $10 and are available by calling 262/370-6129 or in the Shattuck Auditorium lobby on the evening of the concert.

Milwaukee Festival Brass Youth Band

I mentioned a few posts ago that the Milwaukee Festival Brass have begun organizing a Youth brass band. 2009-2010 will be the inaugural year for the program. Auditions are open to any brass and percussion students who demonstrate a passion for music and are highly skilled on their instruments. Brass band music requires all of the brass musicians to learn treble clef and percussionist should be all around players as parts are rotated. F horn is not used in brass band and students will be asked to play e-flat tenor horns. Likewise, trumpet is not used and trumpeters will be asked to play cornet. Cornets, tenor horns and E-flat tuba will be provided.

The auditions for the Youth Brass Band will be held at the Lincoln School for the Arts, 820 E. Knapp Street in Milwaukee on Friday April 24th by appointment. For the audition, students will be asked to perform a 3-5 minute solo or etude, scales, double & triple tonguing and sight reading. Percussion will be asked to play drum set, timpani, and mallet percussion.

Dr. Patricia Backhaus will direct the NEW Milwaukee Festival Youth Brass. She has been passionately involved with brass music from a very young age and earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Pat is an internationally known trumpet and cornet soloist as well as a band history scholar. Her interest in pioneer women brass players stems from a doctoral project studying the history of early cornet soloists and her work as a band history scholar has been published in several international journals.

Call the Milwaukee Festival Brass to set up an audition appointment at 262-385-9627, OR visit our website at http://www.mfbrass.org/, to get more information. Questions can be emailed to: Director@mfbrass.org

And don't forget the MFB Annual Guest Night, where you can join the MFB members in an open rehearsal to see what it is like. Any brass or percussion player is invited to sit in. Please contact the MFB Manager at manager@mfbrass.org, and as always BRING A STAND.

Oh, one other thing...ENJOY!

Upcoming Concert in Wauwatosa

The Wauwatosa Community Band is in concert on Tuesday evening March 31 at 7:30 PM at Longfellow Middle School in Wauwatosa (corner of 76th and North). But this one is different. The concert will be a collection of recitals of small groups from within the Wauwatosa Community Band. The different groups performing include a Brass Choir, a Woodwind Choir, the Percussion Ensemble, Trumpets and Trombones, a Trombone choir, a Tuba Quartet, a Flute quartet, a Clarinet choir, a Saxophone choir, and a woodwind and brass quintet. (Whew!)

The concert finishes with a short program from Tosa Jazz, the jazz big band arm of the Wauwatosa Community Band, will perform some new charts, never before performed in concert. The cost of the concert is $5, $3 for Seniors and Students.

Upcoming Concert - Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Concert Band

Don't forget the Knightwind Ensemble concert this Sunday March 22 at 3 PM at Wisconsin Lutheran College. Check their site for the details. If you attend, stop by and say hello. I'll be manning the ticket table.

Also next week, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Concert Band will present Music for the Young and Young at Heart on Saturday March 28th at 3 PM also in Schwan Concert Hall on the campus of Wisconsin Lutheran College. The group's director, Karen Lippert, tells me that this concert celebrates the 15th anniversary of MMCCB. Celebrating with the band, and guest conducting, will be the founding directors of the band: Dr. Patricia Backhaus, and Mr. Richard Mannisto.

The program will include pieces that reflect the life of a child - exuberance, playfulness and rest - such as Festive Overture (Shostakovich), The Teddy Bear's Picnic (Bratton), Creatures of Dreams (Barber), Joy Revisited (Tichelli), Easter Monday on the White House Lawn (Sousa), and Sleep (Whitacre).

This free concert will also include a special intermission with "Cookies & Milk", certainly a big event in a child's day!

The MMCCB always presents a fun program. And so I suggest that you take some time out of all your errands Saturday afternoon and help them celebrate their anniversary. You'll have a good time.

Upcoming concerts and other stuff

Back in January I wrote about two of the pieces on the program to be performed by the Knightwind Ensemble on Sunday March 22 at 3 PM at Wisconsin Lutheran College. Here's some information on the feature piece, Van Gogh Portraits by Aldo Rafael Forte.


First a bit about Mr. Forte. He is Composer / Arranger for the United States Air Force Heritage of America Band stationed at Fort Langley, VA. He is also Adjunct Professor of Composition at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA. He came to America at the age of nine, having been born in Cuba. His compositions are varied, having produced works for chamber orchestra, band, and orchestra.


The Van Gogh Portraits are his musical interpretations of a number of works by Van Gogh. The Potato Eaters is the first movement inspired by the dark painting of a poor peasant family eating a simple meal of potatoes. La Berceuse is a lighthearted, rollicking second movement based on portraits of the wife of Vah Gogh's postman. The Zouave, which features the percussion section, represents soldiers of North African origin, who were first brought to European awareness by Napolean. The Drawbridge was inspired by the Langiois Bridge. The Finale is a musical essay on Van Gogh's last self portrait, painted only months before his suicide. The work is very difficult to perform, but very exciting, interesting, and enjoyable.


For more information, see the Knightwind web site: http://www.knightwind.org/.



And on Sunday March 15th, Tosa Jazz is in concert at Plymouth Church, 2717 E. Hampshire, at 7 PM. I don't have any information at this time, but hope to get some details soon. More information on Tosa Jazz is at their website: http://www.arcfile.com/wcb/index.html

Finally, I received word from the Milwaukee Festival Brass that they have set the audition date for the Youth Brass Band. It is April 22. I'll have more details in the next couple of weeks. And speaking of the Milwaukee Festival Brass, I'll see you at their concert this afternoon at Wisconsin Lutheran College at 3 PM. Don't forget to bring some non-perishable food items for the Hunger Task Force!

Milwaukee Festival Brass - Concert this Sunday

I was reminded last night that the MFB concert this Sunday at 3 PM at Wisconsin Lutheran College is also a benefit for The Hunger Task Force. Bring two or more non-perishable food items and receive a discount on admission.

So, there you have it! Take in a great concert this Sunday, get a discount on the admission, and do something good for the Hunger Task Force. Your Sunday is set!

More from the Milwaukee Festival Brass

Last week I mentioned the upcoming concert by the MFB at 3 PM on March 8th at Wisconsin Lutheran College. It will be a good one, so be sure to mark your calendar. Mine is!

Today I devote the posting to two programs of the Milwaukee Festival Brass: one an ongoing program, and one that is totally new.

The program that is continuing is the High School Apprentice Program. In the past, the MFB has invited talented high school students to audition for a few selected positions in Milwaukee Festival Brass. By playing some of the concerts in the series, students gain valuable experience by sitting next to seasoned players. The current group of HSAP players view Tuesday rehearsals as one of the highlights of their week. Auditions for new applicants to the apprentice program will be held in late April. Any brass or percussion player may audition. Check the Webpage, www.mfbrass.org for more information or e-mail to Director@mfbrass.org.

If you know of a high school student that really enjoys performing brass music, this program is one you should take a close look at. What a great opportunity for students to perform with a very talented group!

The new program being offered by the MFB is The Milwaukee Festival Youth Brass. MFB is proud to announce auditions for the debut year of a full blown brass band for students from about grade 7 through high school. This Youth Band is designed to acquaint students with the fabulous repertoire of the brass band and to challenge them to extraordinary new heights of brass and percussion playing. Auditions will be held in late April. Any brass or percussion player may audition. Check the Webpage for more information or e-mail to Director@mfbrass.org.

So, congratulations to the Milwaukee Festival Brass for their innovative programs for the Milwaukee area. And be sure to attend their concert on March 8th. It will be a good one. I know I'll be there!

News from the Milwaukee Festival Brass

The Milwaukee Festival Brass will perform their Festival concert on Sunday March 8th in the Schwan Concert Hall on the campus of Wisconsin Lutheran College, 88th and Wisconsin Avenue at 3 PM. Every March the MFB salutes one of the ethnic groups within the City of Festivals, and this year the group salutes Finland with the performance of Jean Sibelius' tone poem Finlandia.


But the MFB is also saluting our Armed Forces and Veterans, performing Henry Fillmore's Americans We, and an Armed Forces Salute.

From the Brass Band world of music, Alan Fernie's brass band standard American Variations will be a highlight to the concert. Rafael Petrie Davilla will be the featured soloist for Edward Gregson's Tuba Concerto and the cornet trio will dazzle you with an evergreen favorite, Leroy Anderson's Bugler's Holiday. And as always there will be a few surprises as the MFB salutes our veterans.

And if you're interested in playing with a British Style Brass Band, the Milwaukee Festival Brass is announcing their Guest Night. You can try it out to see if it works for you, and I guess they can try you out as well. All this will happen on April 7. All they ask is that you contact the band manager so they can have a folder for you (you'll have to bring a stand). RSVP to manager@mfbrass.org.

And another exciting announcement from the Milwaukee Festival Brass next week. Stay tuned.

A fair question, part 2

This post is a continuation of the thoughts from last week.

I've always felt that the health of a system depends on the health of the different components. When all of the components are healthy and working together, the system is healthy. In southeastern Wisconsin, the arts community is healthy. Classical music, ballet, and theater are all thriving. This is not to say that the different groups are not feeling the recession - we just received a letter from the MSO stating that while ticket sales are good, they are expecting financial problems because of slower donations from corporations. And in any recession, this is to be expected. People and corporations will reduce discretionary spending, as their total funds are reduced.

We have a good tool for funding the larger groups within the Arts community in the United Performing Arts Fund. UPAF has done a wonderful job keeping our large arts groups thriving. However, they focus on the larger groups that also employ many people. They do not have funding for amateur groups with very small budgets, groups that produce concerts or events completely with volunteers.

An aside: In working with amateur groups for many years, I believe it would be very helpful for a foundation to set aside 10 to 20 grants of no more than $500 each to fund amateur group events (local guest artists, guest conductors, etc.). However, until I win the lottery, I can only lobby for such an idea to be implemented.


So, instead, I try to help by blogging about all the different community music groups in the area, in an attempt to generate interest and attendance at those events. Once a person has attended a concert or an event, they can determine if they wish to donate to the group to keep it thriving.

The end goal is to keep the good amateur groups growing, which will bring interest in attending events by the semi-pro groups (Waukesha, Racine, and Kenosha Symphony Orchestras as examples). That will in turn help boost attendance at the MSO concerts and keep our Symphony Orchestra world class. (When I travel on business, I always check to see if a classical concert is scheduled while I am in that city. I have been lucky to see a number of orchestras in a number of different cities. Our MSO is better than most of them! We are very blessed!)

And that's why I post every week!

A fair question

There have been a number of times over the past few months when people have asked why I post on Blogspot every week about community bands. They want to know why I even bother. My initial reaction was that community bands have very little exposure outside of their supporters, and that the information needs to get out to people. The blog is a good tool for doing that. That certainly is the simple answer. But there is a more complex one as well.

The complex reason is actually based on my view of the arts in this area, and how we can keep them viable and healthy. It took me a while to come up with a metaphor I like, but I view the arts community as an eco-system. My personal metaphor is that of a river. The larger creatures in the river remain healthy when the smaller ones are healthy, and so on down the line. If one level of creatures has problems, it affects all levels.

In my view of the Arts community, the professional groups need the amateur groups to remain healthy. Many members of the amateur groups are the audience of the professional groups. Also, many who come to the amateur group concerts are potential audience for the professional groups. To my view, keeping the amateur groups healthy must be part of the effort to keep the professional groups healthy.

For example, I know of some folks who came to a friends concert (an amateur group) and enjoyed it very much. Later, they joined their friend at a Milwaukee Symphony concert. In the past they had declined the MSO invitations from their friends in the amateur group because they were unsure of what to expect. Attending their friend's concert took away some of the anxiety.

And they are not alone. I know of others who are intimidated by a symphonic concert. They love the concert experience if the event is a rock concert. But they do not know the "rules of behavior" in the symphonic concert. After a few questions, I learned that they did not know when to applaud. They were confused by the seeming ending of the music and no reaction from the audience, followed by more music and a large ovation.

On a business trip to San Francisco a few years back, I was lucky enough to attend a performance of the San Francisco Symphony. But there was a section of the program that caught my eye. It explained the idea of movements and suggested that the new attendee wait for others before applauding. So even the world class professional groups are experiencing this problem and working to overcome it.

I'll write more next week about the need to support the amateur groups, especially in these trying economic times.

The Big Game Day

Today is the day of the big game, the Super Bowl. I always have mixed emotions about this day, even if the Packers are playing.

I agree with the talking heads from ESPN who point out that the Super Bowl could be a bigger media event and party if held on Saturday night. It would certainly be easier for parents not to have to put their kids to bed in the middle of the third quarter. And the rest of us would have a day to recuperate before going back to work!

But that's not the main reason for the rant today. The main reason is that the Super Bowl folks schedule a show during half time, but do not produce a traditional football game half time show (at least in my opinion). I would love to see marching bands or drum corps perform at half time, maybe award winning units that would be chosen from the home areas of each of the teams. End the show with massed bands coming together for one big encore! That's what a half time show for a big football game should be. I'm already feeling goosebumps!

Ever since the Orange Bowl stopped showing marching bands and produced spectacles on rolling stages that no one in the stands could see, we have had very little in the way of traditional half time shows with marching bands and drum corps.

So, I'll be watching the game. And I'll be watching the Springsteen show. And I'll be wishing we could see a nationally acclaimed marching band instead.

But the nachos will be good!

UPDATE the next day: OK, maybe my rant was premature. The Springsteen show was excellent. The game was memorable. I guess this time the show was better than a marching band...

Kudos

Congratulations are in order. They go out to the East Winds Symphonic Band, in the greater Pittsburgh, PA area. The Sousa Foundation awarded them the Sudler Silver Scroll, the highest award a North American community band can achieve. While any number of community bands can receive the award in a given year, only the East Winds Symphonic Band received the award in December of 2008.

I believe this brings the total number of community bands receiving the award to 35. Southeast Wisconsin has always been active in community music, and the fact that there are two Sudler Award winning community bands in the area is certainly an indication. If you're keeping score, the Racine Concert Band received the award in the 90's and Milwaukee's Knightwind Ensemble received the award in 2005.

The award is special because each band that applies for it must show contributions to the culture of the community in which it serves, as well as musical ability. The musical portion is judged blindly by 15 people from around the country (the applying band must create 15 CDs containing about 30 minutes of music from their concerts of the last year). The application itself fills a three ring binder, showing the contributions to the community over many years. I've chatted with a couple of Sudler award judges who tell me that it is not uncommon to receive 50 applications for the award each year. Usually one or two of the applicants will receive the award. There were some years when no one received the award.

So, again, congratulations to the East Winds Symphonic Band of Pittsburgh, the newest community band to be recognized by the Sousa Foundation as one of the best in North America!

And a reminder: if you'd like tickets to the Valentine Dinner and Concert presented by the Menomonee Falls Symphony, call Delores Chrzan at 262-679-0779. Reservations must be made by February 6th.

Concert Preview

While it's early in the new season, I do have some information on one of the March concerts. The Knightwind Ensemble will perform on Sunday March 22 in the Schwan Concert Hall on the campus of Wisconsin Lutheran College. The theme of the concert is Deja vu, chosen because a piece was played once before or a composer was featured once before.


One of the pieces that the Ensemble has played before is the Satiricon Suite by Bogdan Trotsuk (an Azerbajani who studied at the Moscow Conservatory with Khachaturian). The suite is extremely fun to hear, full of satire and farce (and dissonance, but a good dissonance). The movements are Hooray for the Clowns, Cruel Tango, and Capricious Waltz. And I'll leave the rest to your imagination. A really fun piece to hear, but difficult to describe!


The Knightwind Ensemble will also welcome an old friend. Tubist Dan Neesley will perform J. Edward Barat's Introduction and Dance on the tuba. This performance will mark the sixth decade in which Dan has soloed with the ensemble or one of its predecessors.


And that's all for now. I'll have more information on the Knightwind concert, and other concerts coming up, in future posts. Stay tuned!


And don't forget to order your tickets for the Valentine Dinner and Concert performed by the Menomonee Falls Symphony. See the blog posting from January 4th for all the info.

As promised - the calendar

I promised at the end of December that I would list the concerts coming up for the Spring Season. My original thought was to post the calendar at the beginning of January, but I wanted to get the word out about the Valentines dinner-concerts last week. So, the calendar arrives on the second post of 2009. No concerts in January (no surprise there) or April (bit of a surprise), and only the Valentines dinner-concerts in February. But March, May and June are full of opportunities to hear community music groups. And here they are:


FEBRUARY


13 and 14 - Menomonee Falls Symphony present their annual Valentines Day Dinner and Concert at the Silver Spring Country Club. Dinner begins at 6:30.


MARCH

6 - Suburban Concert Band performs a winter concert at 7:30 at Nathan Hale High School in West Allis

8 - Milwaukee Festival Brass performs Americans We at their annual Festival concert at 3 PM at the Schwan Concert Hall. This year's concert salutes our Armed Services.

8 - Lakeshore Symphonic Band performs their spring concert at 3 PM in the Cedarburg Performing Arts Center

22 - Knightwind Ensemble performs their spring concert at Schwan Concert Hall at 3 PM


APRIL


MAY

1 - Waukesha Area Symphonic Band performs their annual Spring Benefit Concert featuring the winner of the Concerto Competition at 7:30 in Shattuck Auditorium

15 - Suburban Band of West Allis performs their spring concert at Nathan Hale High School at 7:30

16 - Menomonee Falls Symphony performs Springtime featuring the winner of their Young Artist Competition at 7:30 in the Menomonee Falls Jr. High School

17 - Lakeshore Symphonic Band performs their Concerto Concert featuring the winner of their concerto competition at 3 PM at the Cedarburg Performing Arts Center

17 - Milwaukee American Legion Band performs their spring concert at 3 PM at Milwaukee Lutheran High School

25 - The Knightwind Ensemble perform their 20th Annual Memorial Day Pops Concert at the Milwaukee County Zoo at 1 PM


JUNE


7 - Milwaukee Festival Brass present Intergalactic Brass at 3 PM at the Schwan Concert Hall



I'm still working to get the date of the May concert of the Fox Valley Horn Choir. As soon as I have it, I'll post it and add it to this calendar.

Happy New Year!

To everyone, a wonderful 2009. May it be better than you hope!

And to begin 2009, there is an interesting fund raiser coming up for one of the community music groups in the area. The Valentines Dinner and Pops Concert at the Silver Spring Country Club is a fund raising event for the Menomonee Falls Symphony Orchestra. Every year the orchestra performs a dinner concert with music appropriate for Valentines Day. This year the orchestra performs two dinner concerts: Friday February 13 and Saturday February 14. The theme for this year's concert is Viennese Romance. Dinner begins at 6:30, with the concert beginning at about the time dessert is served.

Tickets are $40 each. For more information, see the Menomonee Falls Symphony Orchestra web page: http://my.execpc.com/~regent/mfso.htm. You can also get more information my calling 414-481-3880 or 262-679-0779.

So, if you are out of Valentines Day ideas, and the stuffed monkey with the heart shaped box of candy will not work this year, maybe dinner and a concert will be the perfect gift!

I've also heard from Dr. Pat Backhaus of the Milwaukee Festival Brass. She will be c0-hosting a brass festival with the Soli Deo Gloria Institute for the Arts (http://www.solideogloriainstitute.org/index.html) next weekend January 10 and 11. Trombonist Larry Zimmerman from the Chestnut Brass will be the guest performer and will also hold a master class. All events are at the Star of Bethlehem Lutheran Church on Casper Drive in New Berlin.

On Saturday, Mr. Zimmerman will hold his master class at 1 PM, and perform in recital at 7 PM. On Sunday afternoon is the Festival Concert at 3 PM featuring participating brass groups and Mr. Zimmermann as guest conductor.

If you'd like more information, please contact Dr. Pat at 262-993-1834.