MUSIC FOR ALL NATIONAL FESTIVAL 2025
Wind Ensemble
Chris Kanicki DIRECTOR
Cris Garcia ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Sydney Ramos ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Manny Flores ASSISTAN T DIRECTOR / DIRECTOR OF PERCUSSION
Send-off Concert
Friday, March 7, 2025 | 7:00pm
Arlington ISD Center for the Visual & Performing Arts
Indianapolis, Indiana
MARCH 13 - 15, 2025
Music for All National Festival Concert Friday, March 14, 2025 | 12:30pm Indianapolis, Indiana
About Program
ABOUT TRINITY HIGH SCHOOL
Trinity High School is a public high school in Euless, Texas, serving grades 10–12 as part of the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District (HEB ISD). The school’s name, “Trinity,” honors the three cities within the district—Hurst, Euless, and Bedford—as well as the Trinity River, which marks the district’s southern border. Students at Trinity come from three feeder schools: Euless Junior High, Harwood Junior High, and Central Junior High.
Trinity is known for its rich diversity, recognized as the most diverse public high school in Texas and the fifth most diverse in the nation. The school takes pride in its inclusive and welcoming environment, particularly embracing Euless’s large Tongan community. One of Trinity’s most celebrated traditions is the varsity football team’s performance of the Sipi Tau, a powerful Tongan war dance, before and after every game. With a commitment to academic achievement, cultural celebration, and student success, Trinity High School continues to uphold its legacy of excellence and unity.
TRINITY HIGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION
Principal - Ronald Pugh
Principal Secretary - Kim McTee
Assistant Principal - Memphis Carter
Assistant Principal - Julie Darter
Assistant Principal - Dexter Lindsey
Assistant Principal - Tanya McIntosh
Assistant Principal - Jedidiah Phillips
Assistant Principal - Dr. Kara Prescott
Assistant Principal Intern - Mia Langi
HEB ISD ADMINISTRATION
Dr. Joe Harrington - Superintendent of Schools
ABOUT HEB ISD
Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District is located just west of Dallas/ Fort Worth Airport where it serves nearly 23,000 students who attend elementary (K-6,) junior high (grades 7-9,) and high school (grades 10-12.) It has been named a Best Communities for Music Education by the NAMM Foundation for more than 12 years. In addition, the district has a 99.5% graduation rate, and has been called the “best kept secret” in Dallas-Fort Worth.
HEB ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Matt Romero - President
Julie Cole - Vice President
Chris Brown - Secretary
Dawn Jordan-Wells - Member
Becky Ewart - Member
Andy Cargile - Member
Fred Campos - Member
Joe Harrington, Ed.D. - Superintendent
Brandon Johnson - Deputy Superintendent of Educational Operations
Katina Rhodes - Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Administration
Darla Clark - Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Administration
Dobie Williams - Deputy Superintendent of Business Operations
Cicely Tuttle - Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources
Deanne Hullender - Chief Public Relations & Marketing Officer
Christine Cumberledge - Director of Visual & Performing Arts
Selane Bollinger - Visual & Performing Arts Secretary
TRINITY HIGH SCHOOL
Wind Ensemble
FAIREST OF TH E FAIR
JOHN PHILIP SOUSA
AN AMERICAN ELEGY
FRANK TICHELI
SYMPHONIC MOVEMENT
VACLAV NELHYBEL
MESA DANCES
GAVIN LENDT
CONCERT FOR CLARINET
ARTIE SHAW, ARR. TED PARSON
DAVID SUAREZ, SOLOIST
About Program
Program Notes
TheFairest of the Fair is generally regarded as one of Sousa’s finest and most melodic marches. It stands out as one of the finest examples of the application of pleasing melodies to the restrictive framework of a military march.
The Boston Food Fair was an annual exposition and music jubilee held by the Boston Retail Grocers’ Association. The Sousa Band was the main musical attraction for several seasons, so the creation of a new march honoring the sponsors of the 1908 Boston Food Fair was the natural outgrowth of a pleasant business relationship.
In fairs before 1908, Sousa had been impressed by the beauty and charm of one particular young lady who was the center of attention of the displays in which she was employed. He made a mental note that he would someday transfer his impressions of her into music. When the invitation came for the Sousa Band to play a twenty-day engagement in 1908, he wrote this march. Remembering the comely girl, he entitled the new march “The Fairest of the Fair.”
An American Elegy is, above all, an expression of hope. It was composed in memory of those who lost their lives at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, and to honor the survivors. It is offered as a tribute to their great strength and courage in the face of a terrible tragedy. The work can also serve as a reminder of how fragile and precious life is and how intimately connected we all are as human beings.
Mr. Ticheli writes “I was moved and honored by this commission invitation, and deeply inspired by the circumstances surrounding it. Rarely has a work revealed itself to me with such powerful speed and clarity. The first eight bars of the main melody came to me fully formed in a dream. Virtually every element of the work was discovered within the span of about two weeks.”
The work received its premiere performance by the Columbine High School Band on April 23, 2000. Its premiere served as the centerpiece of a special commemorative concert given by the Columbine High School Band in conjunction with the University of Colorado Wind Symphony.
Symphonic Movement by Vaclav Nelhybel is a landmark composition for wind band, dedicated to John Paynter and the Northwestern University Band. The piece unfolds in five continuous sections—Adagio, Allegro, Poco meno mosso, Allegro, and Adagio—and is based on an eight-tone series, with the remaining chromatic tones used sparingly. Nelhybel described it as his first band composition written entirely “on a symphonic level.” Opening with a suspenseful introduction, the work develops its thematic material with percussive intensity and unique writing for each instrument family, creating a textural and dynamic tour de force. Its symmetrical, arch-like structure revolves around a tonal center of C, briefly shifting to Bb. With biting brass, swift woodwinds, and dramatic contrasts, Symphonic Movement achieves a powerful culmination, cementing its place as a cornerstone of the wind band repertoire.
Mesa Dances originated as the final movement of a large-scale band work titled, “Long May We Reign” commissioned by the Denison High School Band to celebrate 100 years of bands in Denison, Iowa. This lively work pays homage to the spirit of the southwestern United States. Wild wind flourishes, punctuated brass, and driving percussion capture the culture of the Southwestern United States. Interspersed throughout the piece are quotes from the Denison High School Alma Mater that comes to full fruition during the exhilarating ending.
Concerto for Clarinet by Artie Shaw is a celebrated composition for clarinet and jazz orchestra. Originally developed in 1940, the piece evolved from Shaw’s Swing Concerto, extracted from the soundtrack of the Fred Astaire film Second Chorus. While the movie was a failure, the concerto became a standout work, blending boogie-woogie blues, clarinet-over-tom-tom interludes, and riff-filled build-ups, framed by virtuosic cadenzas. Though unconventional in form, the piece takes cues from classical concertos, featuring three movements built around the 12-bar blues structure with brief interludes. The piece ends with a legendary altissimo C.
Program Notes
FLUTE
Greyson Gann
Ava Gravette
Marissa Harris Nealy Jenkins
Jonah Marquez
Kyle Moffatt
Jayden Nguyen
Kiersten Ridings
David Suarez
Katherine Wallace
BASS CLARINET Helena Thomas
ALTO
Joel Medina
Arush
Hudda Serena Leffel Jacob Moffatt
Chase Bullard
Kaden Bullard
Marlen Hernandez
Bryce Hunt
Raphael Lefebvre
Fabian Mallory
Matthew Perez
EUPHONIUM
Carmah Hayes
Sierra Ray
Bryson
Rodenburgh
TUBA
Dayvion Crockett
Victor Garcia
Brett Todd
PERCUSSION
Caleb Adom
Dylan Barker
Jacob Horak
Josef Navales
John Neal
Matthew Payne
Danielle Pluenneke
Emely Salinas
Ricky Torres
Sosaia Vakauta
Joel Zavala
Sections
Program Notes Program About
Chris Kanicki DIRECTOR OF BANDS
Cris Garcia ASSISTANT BAND DIRECTOR
Sections Wind Ensemble
Directors
Chris Kanicki is in his third year as Director of Bands at Trinity High School. Previously, he served as Director of Bands at Summit High School for seven years and as Assistant Director for four years. Before his time at Summit, Mr. Kanicki worked as an Assistant Director at Alice High School and William Adams Middle School in Alice ISD. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from the University of Miami, where he studied saxophone under Dale Underwood, and a Master of Education from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Cris Garcia is in his third year as an Assistant Band Director at Trinity High School. His primary responsibilities include directing the Symphonic Band, Marching Band, and assisting with the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band and Jazz Band.
Mr. Kanicki’s concert ensembles have consistently earned top honors, achieving consecutive ‘Sweepstakes’ awards for the past 18 years in the UIL Concert & SightReading Evaluations. Most recently, the Trinity Wind Ensemble was invited to perform at the prestigious 2025 Music for All National Festival in Indianapolis. While at Summit High School, the Wind Symphony earned ‘Best in Class’ accolades at numerous state festivals and was recognized as a ‘National Winner’ in the National Wind Band Mark of Excellence in 2021, 2019, and 2017. The ensemble also received ‘Commended Winner’ honors in 2018 and 2016, performed at the Midwest International Band Clinic in 2017, and was awarded the Sudler Flag of Honor in 2022.
Under Mr. Kanicki’s leadership, the Trinity Trojan Band has earned titles such as ‘Best in Class,’ ‘Best in Contest,’ and multiple caption awards at competitions throughout the North Texas Area. This year, the band medaled for the first time at a Bands of America Regional. During his tenure at Summit High School, the marching band became a three-time Bands of America finalist, claimed a Regional Championship in class 3A in 2019, earned a Silver Medal in 2021, and was a seventime Area B finalist. The band also made its historic debut at the 5A State Marching Championship in 2021 for the first time in school history. Earlier in his career, the Alice High School Marching Band competed at the 4A State Marching Contest in 2007 and 2009.
Mr. Kanicki is an active member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and Texas Music Adjudicators Association. He resides in Mansfield, TX, where he enjoys scenic drives, traveling with friends and family, and exploring new destinations.
Prior to teaching at Trinity, Mr. Garcia was Associate Director of Bands at Summit High School in Mansfield, Director of Bands at Mineral Wells High School and Mineral Wells Middle School, Assistant Director at Alice High School and William Adams Middle School. He holds a Bachelors of Music Education degree from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. While at UNT, Mr. Garcia studied French horn under William Scharnberg and participated in the UNT Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Brass Band, Horn Choir, and the Green Brigade under the direction of Dennis Fisher, Nicholas Williams, Brian Bowman, and Eugene Corporon. He was also a two-year member of the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps from Toledo, Ohio.
Mr. Garcia’s concert ensembles have consistently earned superior division ratings at the University Interscholastic League Concert & Sight-reading contests. Marching bands under his supervision have earned both local and state recognition. The Trinity High School Band is a consistent finalist and has earned ‘Best in Class’, ‘Best in Contest’, and numerous caption awards at competitions throughout the North Texas area. The Summit and Alice High School Marching Bands have also competed at the State Marching Contest. His horn students have also earned AllDistrict, All-Region, All-Area, and All-State distinctions.
Mr. Garcia is an active marching band arranger and freelance composer. He is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association and Texas Bandmasters Association. He currently resides in Irving, Texas.
Sydney Ramos
ASSISTANT BAND DIRECTOR
Manny Flores
ASSISTANT BAND DIRECTOR DIRECTOR OF PERCUSSION
Sydney Ramos is in her second year as Assistant Band Director at Trinity High School. Prior to being at Trinity, she completed her student teaching in Frisco ISD at Emerson High School and Scoggins Middle School.
Ms. Ramos graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of North Texas with a Bachelors in Music Education. While at UNT, she studied clarinet under Deborah Fabian and was a member of the Wind Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Chamber Studies Ensembles, and the Green Brigade Marching Band.
Ms. Ramos holds professional affiliations with the Texas Music Educator Association and was a founding member of the Xi Beta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi at UNT. She was also named a 2019 Traditional Terry Scholar for the University of North Texas. She currently resides in Richardson, Texas where she enjoys cooking and traveling as much as possible!
Manny Flores is the Assistant Band Director and Director of Percussion at Trinity High School in Euless, TX, where he oversees the Trinity High School percussion studio and its three feeder junior highs (Euless, Central and Harwood JH). Under his leadership, the Trinity percussion program has earned national recognition, including performances at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention as 2022 International Percussion Ensemble Competition winners and the 2024 Mark of Excellence National Percussion Honors. His junior high ensembles have also been featured at events such as the Midwest Clinic and the Music for All National Percussion Festival.
Previously, Mr. Flores served as Director of Percussion at Southwest High School in Fort Worth, TX, where his students performed at the UIL Texas State Marching Contest, The Midwest Clinic, and the Texas Bandmasters Convention. In 2017, his percussion ensemble placed second in the Black Swamp Percussion Large Ensemble Showcase Contest.
Sections Wind Ensemble Program Notes Program
Mr. Flores holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Texas at Arlington, where he studied with Dr. Michael Varner, Dr. James Yakas, and Dr. Clifton Evans. He is an accomplished performer, having been a member of the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps, Surround Sound Percussion, and several professional sports drumlines.
Mr. Flores is an active member of the Percussive Arts Society, Texas Music Educators Association, and Texas Bandmasters Association, and serves as a Vic Firth education team artist.
Program
Program Notes
Sections
Dirctors
Lesson Staff
Susan Coad
Abby Easterling OBOE
Susanna Hilliard
BASSOON
Tirzah Holland
CLARINET
Thomas Camilo
Nick Quattrocchi
SAXOPHONE
Preston Lewis
PERCUSSION
Simon Nguyen
TRUMPET
Miles Belvin
Grayson Gayle
FRENCH HORN
Jeanne Bryant
Trenton Carr
TROMBONE
Tyler Smolovik
EUPHONIUM
Patrick Geren
TUBA
Casey Stringer
Special Thanks
STUDENT MUSICIANS IN THE TRINITY WIND ENSEMBLE
TRINITY WIND ENSEMBLE CLASS OF 2024
TRINITY MARCHING BAND STAFF
Randy Dees
Camryn Hewelt
Chris Jones
Kaylee Knafelz
Simon Nguyen
Adam Patterson
Eli Watkins
TRINITY CLUSTER BAND DIRECORS
Christen Stout - Euless Junior High
Julie Fletcher - Euless Junior High
Doyle Bellville - Harwood Junior High
Juan Hernandez - Harwood Junior High
Jacob Groening - Central Junior High
Gbohunmi Fawehinmi - Central Junior High
STUDENT TEACHERS
Kevin Corpus
Rylee Grimes
Dorian Holley
Evan Pallanes
TRINITY BAND BOOSTER BOARD
Lisa Funari - President
Crystal Sadler - VP Communications
Karina Valdez - VP Committees
Carrie Buckley - Treasurer
Jennifer Cooper - Secretary
Emily Gunter - Hospitality
Crystal Holder - VP Fundraising
Sonia Bullard - VP Marketing
TRINITY FINE ARTS FACULTY
Lance Newman - Choir
Shannon Carnley - Choir
Callie Hodges - Theatre
Rian Slay - Theatre
Jennifer Wade - Art
Katherine Campbell - Art
Aaron Cottrell - Art
Madeline Quiroga - Dance
TRINITY HIGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION
Ronald Pugh - Principal
Kim McTee - Principal Secretary
Memphis Carter - Assistant Principal
Julie Darter - Assistant Principal
Dexter Lindsey - Assistant Principal Tanya McIntosh - Assistant Principal
Jedidiah Phillips - Assistant Principal Dr. Kara Prescott - Assistant Principal Mia Langi - Assistant Principal Intern
HEB ISD ADMINISTRATION
Dr. Joe Harrington - Superintendent of Schools
Katina Rhodes - Assistant Superintendent of Secondary
Administration
Brandon Johnson - Deputy Superintendent of Educational Operations
Darla Clark - Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Administration
Dobie Williams - Deputy Superintendent of Business Operations
Cicely Tuttle - Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources
Deanne Hullender - Chief Public Relations & Marketing Officer
HEB ISD SCHOOL BOARD
Matt Romero - President
Julie Cole - Vice President
Chris Brown - Secretary
Dawn Jordan - Wells- Member
Becky Ewart - Member
Andy Cargile - Member
Fred Campos - Member
Joe Harrington, Ed.D. - Superintendent
HEB ISD HIGH SCHOOL BAND DIRECTORS
Suzanne Dell - LD Bell High School
Chris Harmon - LD Bell High School
Molly Neal - LD Bell High School
Matt Kossick - LD Bell High School
HEB ISD FINE ARTS STAFF
Selane Bollinger - Visual & Performing Arts Secretary
MUSIC CONSULTANT
Brian Merrill
PROGRAM DESIGNER
Missy Saunders
PROGRAM PHOTOGRAPHER
Jeff Kuhn
RECORDING SPECIALIST
DBP Audio
ARLINGTON ISD CENTER FOR THE VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS STAFF
Christine Cumberledge - Director of Visual & Performing Arts
