program notes
Concert Band and Wind Orchestra
Electricity is such an integral part of our existence that we may no longer consider its inherent value, awesome power, and potential danger. It simply “is”. Tonight’s program considers the generation of electricity (through lightning), its effect as a musical element (through electronic sounds and effects), and its destructive nature when unchecked.
Lightning Field, by John Mackey, is based on a work of art by Walter De Maria. That work is a massive expanse of New Mexico desert, claimed and transformed by the artist via an installation of steel rods: planted in the earth and reaching toward the sky, they call down its power - literally creating man-made lightning storms. Like them, Lightning Field speaks to the ancient impulse to summon nature’s power, and the magic such acts unleash. A sense of energy runs throughout the work, with the driving onstage percussion enhanced by the sound of thunder surrounding the audience.
POP MUSIC, an electro-acoustic work by Alex Shapiro, celebrates dedicated band students who were unable to do something they love—gather, rehearse, and perform—for an extended period due to precautions against the Coronavirus pandemic. A circus-like atmosphere often accompanies the seriousness of our times, and a little clown-like silliness and, uh, balloonacy…may be good for a much needed laugh after years of uncertainty in which the only constant has been the lack of constancy. As for the title? It's an ironic nod to all our unmet expectations. This piece is neither pop music, nor does a single balloon explode. At least, not intentionally!
Steven Bryant has been a major force in the development of electro-acoustic works for band and orchestra, and his Ecstatic Waters is recognized as one of the most significant works for band in the 21st century. Regarding is work Coil, he writes:
Coil began when I took a Tesla Motors Model S electric car for a test drive. It’s a fantastic car and a fascinating company, though I didn’t want to depict the drive itself in music. Instead, it provided the spark to explore the company’s namesake, inventor Nikola Tesla, and in particular the sonic possibilities of his famous Tesla Coils. These buzzing, intense sounds led to composing this groove-entrenched combination of the power of the symphonic band ensemble with abundant samples of actual Tesla Coils and other electrical sources.
Since Ottorino Respighi’s Pines of Rome, the option of including recorded sounds in an orchestral work has given composers (and audiences) a way to co nnect the natural world and our environment as an integral part of the musical experience. Jodie Blackshaw’s music is among the most inventive, creative, and thoughtful of our time and her piece Little Bush Buddah uses several examples of this technique. In her own words:
…and then it hit me. It was entirely possible that I would see the extinction of the koala in my own lifetime (and I’m already in my 50’s). Tears rolled down my cheeks. How could I not know? How could I, a passionate environmentalist, a proud Australian and a member of a regional Australian community not know how desperately fragile the situation is for the Australia koala at this very moment? The global pandemic greatly overshadowed the impact of the 2019-2020 Australian bushfires. The impact of those devastating fires didn’t just magically go away, it’s just that the media turned our attention toward the next “big disaster”. Communities didn’t have time to catch their breath and our native flora and fauna were seemingly left out in the cold. It will literally take decades for native populations to recover (if they ever do).
Two years later, on Feb. 11, 2022, the koala was listed as endangered by the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Prior to British settlement, there were an estimated 10 million koalas living along the East coast. Today, the Australian Koala Foundation places that number at somewhere between 43-80 thousand. 61,000 koalas were lost in the bushfires.
Alessandro Volta (1745 – 1827) was an Italian physicist whose invention of the electric battery provided the first source of continuous current. In 1899, the Italian city of Como hosted a celebration of Alessandro Volta, for whom the electrical term ‘volt’ is attributed. Giacomo Puccini (1858 – 1924), at that time already a renowned opera composer was commissioned to write a celebratory march for the occasion. The result was Scossa elettrica (Electric shock), a small brilliant march.
Born in the waning years of the 19th century in Kansas City, MO, Robert Russell Bennett was most well-known for arranging and orchestrating over 200 Broadway shows and films. Bennett contracted polio when he was a young child and it was during his recovery from that illness that his father who himself was a professional musician recognized Bennett’s musical aptitude. Bennett studied composition with Carl Busch and Nadia Boulanger and was friends with Aaron Copland and Roger Sessions. In 1919 he became associated with Broadway where he later teamed up with Jerome Kern, Richard Rogers, Cole Porter and George Gershwin. Awards received included an Oscar, a Christopher and an Emmy. Besides his prolific career on Broadway, Bennett also produced over thirty orchestral works, thirty band works and over twenty-five chamber / piano pieces. Premiered on July 6, 1958, Concerto Grosso for Woodwind Quintet and Wind Orchestra was Bennett’s first of many works written for the American Wind Symphony Orchestra and its conductor, Robert Boudreau. The AWSO was comprised of a “double wind section” of the symphony orchestra, and did not include saxophones or euphonium.
About our Guest Conductor
Laura Rexroth joined the music faculty at the University of Wisconsin Parkside in 2014. In addition to her duties as conductor of the UW Parkside Wind Ensemble and UW-Parkside Community Band, she teaches courses in world music, music education, music history, and conducting. Prior to her appointment at Parkside, Rexroth held conducting posts at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Central College in Iowa, and The College of William and Mary in Virginia.
Her university bands have been selected to perform at several College Band Directors National Association and National Association for Music Education conferences. She has also led high school band programs in Massachusetts, Illinois, and Minnesota. Rexroth has guest conducted district, regional, and all-state bands in several states, as well as the Valley Festival Brass, the U.S. Army Field Band, the United States Military Academy Band, the Colorado Intercollegiate Band, the U.S. Army Band, the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Band, the Tactical Air Command Band, the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music Symphonic Band, the National Band Association-Wisconsin Chapter Intercollegiate Honor Band, the Virginia Symphony, and the St. Olaf Band. She has also been on the conducting faculty of the Hooked On Bands/New Horizons Band Camp in Door County, WI.
Rexroth did her studies in music education and conducting at St. Olaf College, Northwestern University, Indiana University, the Aspen Music School in Colorado, and the International Conductors Workshop in Zlin, Czech Republic. Her conducting teachers include Miles Johnson, Steven Amundson, John Paynter, Ray Cramer, David Effron, and Paul Vermel.
An advocate for new music, Rexroth has commissioned and conducted works from numerous composers, most recently Shuying Li, Jennifer Jolley, Jodie Blackshaw, Tim Mahr, Ryan George, James Crowley, Daron Hagen and Anthony O’Toole. She has taught conducting workshops in Missouri, New Hampshire, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Massachusetts.
Rexroth enjoys collaborating with colleagues and guest artists, including Gaudete Brass, Ed Shaughnessy, JoAnn Falletta, Paul Vermel, Steven Bryant, David Bayles, Russ Johnson, Ami Bouterse, and Jana Batty. In addition to regular concerts, Rexroth’s bands have performed for numerous special occasions and guests, including Jane Goodall, Warren Burger, Lady Margaret Thatcher, and HRH Prince Charles.
About our Guest Performer
Group Members
John Ross, flute
Jenna Sehmann, oboe
Evelyn Moria Tunison Pieper, clarinet
Keegan Hockett, bassoon
Katey Jahnke, horn
Praised as “new and exciting” by The Daily Iowan, the award-winning Wild Prairie Winds promote accessible chamber music through community outreach, education, imaginative programming, and creative concert settings. In an effort to be as accessible as possible to audiences, the quintet performs in libraries, city centers, public parks, schools, nursing homes, and local theaters. Their newest venture, the annual Iowa Great Lakes Summer Chamber Music Festival, brings music to public venues in the Okoboji, Iowa area.
As advocates for chamber music education, the Wild Prairie Winds incorporate innovative clinics and outreach into their residencies. Most recently, they presented public school performances and instrumental masterclasses in Wenatchee, Washington; Quincy, Illinois; and Nevada, Missouri. In 2021, they created a High School Honor Wind Quintet, which saw the performance of five outstanding young Des Moines musicians alongside the Wild Prairie Winds.
The Wild Prairie Winds were awarded First Prize in the Professional Division of the 2020 Gates of Hope International Chamber Competition and the 2024 Kings Peak International Music Competition. They have appeared as guest artists at the University of Arkansas, Truman State University, St. Ambrose University, Western Illinois University, Cottey College, and the Conference of the International Double Reed Society. Recent highlights include performances at the Icicle Creek Center for the Performing Arts (Leavenworth, WA) and the Quincy Civic Music Association (Quincy, IL). Upcoming 2025–2026 engagements include residencies at Stephen F. Austin State University (Nacogdoches, TX) and Carthage College (Kenosha, WI).
The Wild Prairie Winds is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Flutist John Ross is an accomplished soloist, educator, chamber musician, and orchestral performer. He is on the faculty and administration of the Portland Conservatory of Music in Maine and has served on the faculties of Cottey College and West Virginia State University. He also performs in the summers with the Taneycomo Festival Orchestra in Branson, MO and has taught on the faculties of Sparrow Music Camp in High Springs, FL, the Florida State University Summer Music Camps, and Music for the Sake of Music (MFSOM) in Green Bay, WI.
A versatile performer, Dr. Ross has given numerous performances throughout the United States, Canada, Central America, and central Europe, and in such venues as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. and the Lucerna Great Hall in Prague, Czech Republic. He is currently the flutist with Wild Prairie Winds, a professional wind quintet. He has also been principal flute of the orchestra for MFSOM, the Italian-American Opera Festival Orchestra (CA), the Charleston Chamber Orchestra (WV), and has also performed with the Topeka Symphony, the Muncie Symphony, Tallahassee Symphony, and the Charleston Light Opera Guild.
Dr. Ross has appeared as faculty soloist with the WVSU Wind Ensemble, the Cottey College Wind Ensemble, and the orchestra of MFSOM. He has also been a featured soloist with the FSU Symphonic Band and the Butler Philharmonic Orchestra in Hamilton, OH. His flute ensemble Silver Lining Flutes toured around Costa Rica in Spring 2017, performing and giving masterclasses as part of the Promising Artists of the 21st Century series. His folk trios, Cuttin' Bracken and Rakish Ramblers, have performed throughout northern Florida, including multiple performances at the Florida Folk Festival in White Springs, FL.
Dr. Ross attended West Virginia University, Ball State University, and Florida State University, studying with Joyce Catalfano, Thomas Godfrey, Francesca Arnone, Mihoko Watanabe, and Eva Amsler. He is also pursuing a certification in body mapping through the Association for Body Mapping Education, studying with Amy Likar.
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program notes
Dr. Jenna Sehmann is the Assistant Professor of Oboe and Music History at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. She holds degrees from the University of Iowa, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and Eastern Kentucky University. Professionally, Dr. Sehmann performs regularly as a with the Longview Symphony, Taneycomo Festival Orchestra, and Wild Prairie Wind Quinet, and the Stone Fort Wind Quintet. Previously she has held teaching positions at Southeast Missouri State University, Mount Mercy University, and Cornell College.
In addition to performing and teaching, she enjoys spending time with her retired racing greyhound, Peggy Sue. You can learn more about Jenna on her website, jennasehmann.com
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Dr. Moria Tunison Pieper currently works in arts administration as the Scheduling Specialist at the Jacobs School of Music. Her former faculty positions include Affiliate Instructor of Clarinet and Woodwind Methods at Bradley University, Adjunct Instructor of Clarinet at Illinois Wesleyan University, and Adjunct Professor of Clarinet at the University of Illinois at Springfield.
An active performer, Moria has performed with the Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra, the Heartland Festival Orchestra, the FrancoAmerican Vocal Academy Opera Chamber Orchestra in France, the Urbana Pops Orchestra, the 2017 National Intercollegiate Band, and with the Eastern Symphony Orchestra as the 2010 Concerto Competition Winner.
Studying with J. David Harris, Moria received her Doctorate in Musical Arts in Clarinet Performance and Literature, with a cognate in Musicology, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She earned her Master’s in Clarinet Performance from Michigan State University, where she studied with Dr. Guy Yehuda, and her Bachelor’s in Clarinet Performance and her Bachelor’s in Instrumental Music Education from Eastern Illinois University, where she studied with Dr. Magie Smith.
More information about Moria’s latest projects and performances can be found at evelynmoriatunison.com
Katey Jahnke is a passionate hornist, educator, and advocate for women in music. She is Assistant Professor of Horn at the University of Arkansas, where she leads a vibrant studio and performs with Lyrique Quintette and Arkansas Brassworks. Her teaching career spans institutions across Iowa and Ohio including Grand View University, Central College, Muskingum University, Marietta College, and Mount Vernon Nazarene University. Her private students have earned accolades in youth symphonies, all-state ensembles, and prestigious summer programs.
An accomplished performer, Dr. Jahnke has appeared worldwide as a soloist, orchestral musician, and chamber artist. Recent highlights include performances with the Lyrique Quintette in Thailand and Panama, principal horn roles with the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas and Arkansas Philharmonic, and solo appearances at the International Horn Symposium and International Women’s Brass Conference. She frequently collaborates with Magnolia Brass, Sapphire Brass, and the award-winning Wild Prairie Winds.
A dedicated advocate, Dr. Jahnke mentors through the International Women in Brass and serves as Treasurer of the International Alliance for Women in Music. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Iowa and actively champions female composers, premiering and recording new works celebrating women’s contributions to music.
Keegan Hockett is the Instructor of Bassoon at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and St. Ambrose University. An active musician across the Midwest, he has appeared with the Des Moines Symphony, Orchestra Iowa, Quad City Symphony Orchestra, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony, and the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra. Keegan is a DMA candidate at the University of Iowa and graduate of the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, where he earned his MM as a Henry Mancini Fellow. When he's not teaching or performing, Keegan produces sheet music at Just a Theory Press in Iowa City, IA.
