LACW News:
Calling all students of music…
What do the words “Abracadabra”, “Vesuvius”, “Shenandoah” and “Nitro” conjure in your mind? Music may not be the first thing that you think of. These textured titles are works of world-renowned composer Frank Ticheli.
This spring, the Los Alamos Community Winds will be offering middle and high school students in North Central New Mexico the opportunity to work with Mr. Ticheli. Students from all over the region are invited to participate in the first ever Los Alamos Community Winds Band Festival and Honor Bands.
The festival will take place Friday and Saturday March 18-19, 2016 at Northern New Mexico College in Española. Students will be able to participate in one of two honor bands being formed for this event – a middle school level group, and a high school level group.
The LACW board has scheduled this event to make it possible for any student who wants to participate to do so. Fortunately, Mr. Ticheli’s schedule has allowed it to be held at a time that would be most beneficial to both the directors and band students in the area. With Music Performance Assessment (MPA) the week prior, students will be at “the top of their game” and it should make for quite a successful event.
Students will be chosen for the festival based on recommendation by their directors or private teachers or by directly applying to the Los Alamos Community Winds. Placement within the ensembles will be based on that recommendation and also with regard to what parts need to be covered. Students will not be required to audition for chair or part placement. They will however be encouraged to have their music prepared for the first rehearsal. Music will be made available to all participating students in early 2016.
In addition, no time will need to be taken from the school day as the festival will at 6 p.m. Friday. Rehearsals will be held on Friday evening and during the day Saturday with a final concert in the evening at the NNMC Center for the Performing Arts.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for wind and percussion students to learn and work under a master composer,” LACW Board President Carolynn Katz said. “It is always enlightening to study under somebody different,” adds LACW Flute section leader Laurie McGavran. “The opportunity to study under someone of Mr. Ticheli’s caliber should not be missed; it promises to be a fantastic growth experience.”
Mr. Ticheli will be in the area for the better part of the week prior to the festival. In addition to preparing music with LACW, he will be working with the Santa Fe Youth Symphony on Wednesday evening, March 16. Santa Fe Youth Symphony director William Waag, one of over 20 directors who have been invited to nominate students for the honor bands says, “We are very excited the have Frank Ticheli as our guest clinician. This is an opportunity that all our student musicians will benefit greatly from.”
Frank Ticheli is one of the most sought after band and orchestra clinicians in the entire world. He is also one of the most performed and best-known composers of band music living today. He lives in Los Angeles, California, where he is a Professor of Composition at the University of Southern California. A full list of his works with audio files and a bio can be found at: http://www.manhattanbeachmusiconline.com/frank_ticheli/index.html.
“We could not be more fortunate to have an event like this coming to our area,” said participating director Jose Muñoz of West Las Vegas High School. “The opportunity for our area directors to work this closely with Mr. Ticheli is both exciting and unique. Any director who has programmed Frank Ticheli’s works should not pass this up.”
LACW member-at-large Carl Necker whose daughter is a member of both the LAHS Band and the Santa Fe Youth Symphony is equally enthusiastic. “If you know any aspiring student wind or percussion musicians in North Central New Mexico, the weekend of March 18-19, 2016 with Frank Ticheli will prove to be a weekend they won’t forget,” he said.
Another highlight of the festival will be a private clinic/Q&A session with Mr. Ticheli for the participating directors on Saturday. “As educators in New Mexico, we are required to attend workshops and provide proof,” according to Pam Towry-Church, band director at Cimmaron High School and former LAHS director of bands. “This kind of professional development is essential.”
In addition to Frank Ticheli, each ensemble will have the opportunity to work with expert area clinicians during the festival. “We are still in the process of selecting our clinicians,” LACW Director Ted Vives said. “We are looking at availability from area directors and hope to have these selected sometime in the next few weeks.”
There will be a $25 participation fee to help offset the cost of the festival. This fee will cover various expenses and will include a catered lunch on Saturday.
The festival will conclude with a Gala Concert featuring both honor bands under the direction of Mr. Ticheli and the guest clinicians. The concert will conclude with a performance by the award-winning Los Alamos Community Winds also conducted by Mr. Ticheli.
If you have a student in grades 7-12 who is interested in participating in this event, please contact The Los Alamos Community Winds at info@lacw.org. Participation in the honor bands is limited to students who play woodwind, brass, or percussion instruments, however the min-clinic with the Santa Fe Youth Symphony is also open to string students.
Anyone interested in the Wednesday evening SFYS event should inquire with William Waag, SFYS director at wrwaag@gmail.com. Also, if you are interested or know of any students who would like to join SFYS on a regular basis, please contact Mr. Waag. If you are interested in joining LACW, please use the contact information above.
