Sunday, October 24, 2021, 4:00 p.m. Program begins on

Emory Wind Ensemble Tis of Thee II

Sunday, October 24, 2021, 4:00 p.m.

Resonances I (1990)

Esprit de Corps (1984)

California (2015)

Blue Shades (1997)

A Mother of A Revolution! (2019) Ron Nelson (b. 1929)

Robert Jager (b. 1985)

David Maslanka (1943–2017)

Frank Ticheli (b. 1958)

Omar Thomas (b. 1984)

To encourage physical distancing and avoid crowding in the lobbies and restrooms, you may exit the concert hall as needed after intermission. An usher will assist in returning you to your seat at an appropriate time.

Program Notes

Resonances I (1990)

American composer Ron Nelson received a bachelor of music degree in 1952, a master’s degree in 1953, and a doctor of musical arts degree in 1956, all from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester. Nelson joined the Brown University faculty the following year and taught there until his retirement in 1993. His compositional output includes two operas, a mass, music for films and television, 90 choral works, and more than 40 instrumental works. Composing for band has become a major focus of his library, and he is best known for his works for winds.

Resonances I is one of his less commonly performed works. The piece features non-traditional performance techniques–the most common one being his use of free time between individual players and sections. Singing and humming are also employed by the ensemble.

The work is structured in six units. Each unit contains boxed musical notation (unlike typical bars and beats), and contains instructions on what to play, and when. The performer is free to interpret each box’s instructions, selecting a speed (tempo), choosing when to speed up (accelerando) or slow down (ritardando), and adding accents at their own discretion.

Esprit de Corps (1984)

Robert Jager studied at the University of Michigan with William Revelli and Elizabeth Green before joining the United States Navy, where for four years he served as the staff arranger at the Armed Forces School of Music. Jager taught at Old Dominion University and Tennessee Tech University, where he was a professor of music and director of theory and composition. He retired from Tennessee Tech in May 2001 as professor emeritus. Jager has more than 150 published compositions for band, orchestra, and various chamber groupings, with more than 35 commissions including the United States Marine Band and the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra.

Based on The Marines' Hymn, Esprit de Corps is a kind of fantasymarch, as well as a tribute to the United States Marine Band, which had commissioned the work. Full of energy and drama, the composition has its solemn moments and its lighter moments (for example, the quasiwaltz in the middle of the piece). The composer intends that this work should display the fervor and virtuosity of the Marine Band and the musical spirit and integrity of its conductor, Colonel John R. Bourgeois, for whom the initial tempo marking, "Tempo di Bourzeois," is named.

Colonel John Bourgeois is a dramatic, spirited conductor who reflects the excitement of the music being played.

California (2015)

David Maslanka was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, in 1943. He attended the Oberlin College Conservatory where he studied composition with Joseph Wood. He spent a year at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, and did masters and doctoral studies in composition at Michigan State University where his principal teacher was H. Owen Reed.

Maslanka’s music for winds has become especially well known. Among his more than 150 works are 50+ pieces for wind ensemble, including eight symphonies, 17 concertos, a Mass, and many concert pieces. His chamber music includes four wind quintets, five saxophone quartets, and many works for solo instruments and piano.

About California, Maslanka writes:

“Music is wonderful. It lets us tell ourselves things we can’t speak out in words. It opens the dream space and lets us dream together. It lets us imagine the world as it really is, a place of vitality, power, and possibility.

“We live in fear of destruction, from climate change, nuclear bombs, increasing population, vanishing resources, continuous war. When the troubles are listed like this it is hard to know what we think we are doing with our seemingly simple and innocent music-making.

“California has always been a place of big dreams. The music of California celebrates the California dream space. There is tremendous beauty here—the forests, deserts, mountains, and valleys, the ocean—and also the strength within the people and in the earth to meet the times that are upon us. Music lets us dream, and in that dream is the possibility of a new world, one in which humans live in harmony, within themselves, with all other people, with all other species, with the planet. Is this dream impossible? Are circumstances too complex? Will human nature never change? My answer to these questions is no. The dream starts somewhere. Let our music-making be one such place.”

Blue Shades (1997)

Educated at the University of Michigan, composer Frank Ticheli is one of the biggest names in wind band repertoire. Since 1991 he has been a professor of composition USC–Thornton and, until 1998, composer in residence of the Pacific Symphony. He is the recipient of many awards, including the 2006 NBA/William D. Revelli Memorial Band Composition Contest for his Symphony No. 2. Blue Shades is one of his most commonly performed works. The work will celebrate its 25-year anniversary in 2022.

About Blue Shades, Frank Ticheli writes:

“Four years, and several compositions later, I finally took the opportunity to realize that need by composing Blue Shades. As its title suggests, the work alludes to the blues, and a jazz feeling is prevalent–however, it is not literally a blues piece. There is not a single 12-bar blues progression to be found, and except for a few isolated sections, the eighthnote is not swung.

“The work, however, is heavily influenced by the blues: ‘Blue notes’ (flatted 3rds, 5ths, and 7ths) are used constantly; blues harmonies, rhythms, and melodic idioms pervade the work; and many ‘shades of blue’ are depicted, from bright blue to dark, to dirty, to hot blue.

“At times, Blue Shades burlesques some of the clichés from the Big Band era, not as a mockery of those conventions, but as a tribute. A slow and quiet middle section recalls the atmosphere of a dark, smoky blues haunt. An extended clarinet solo played near the end recalls Benny Goodman's hot playing style, and ushers in a series of ‘wailing’ brass chords recalling the train whistle effects commonly used during that era.”

A Mother of A Revolution! (2019)

Described as “elegant, beautiful, sophisticated, intense, and crystal clear in emotional intent,” the music of Omar Thomas continues to move listeners everywhere it is performed. Born to Guyanese parents in Brooklyn, New York, in 1984, Omar moved to Boston in 2006 to pursue a master of music degree in jazz composition at the New England Conservatory of Music after studying music education at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He is the protégé of lauded composers and educators Ken Schaphorst and Frank Carlberg, and has studied under multiple time Grammy-winner, composer, and bandleader Maria Schneider. Thomas currently serves on the composition faculty at the University of Texas at Austin.

A Mother of a Revolution! is a celebration of the bravery of trans women, and in particular, Marsha “Pay It No Mind” Johnson. Marsha is credited with being one of the instigators of the famous Stonewall uprising of June 28, 1969—one of the pivotal events of the LGBTQ liberation movement of the 20th century—which is commemorated annually during the worldwide Gay Pride celebrations. Existing as a trans woman, especially a trans woman of color, and daring to live authentically, creating space for oneself in a transphobic world is one of the bravest acts I can imagine. More than 20 trans women were murdered in the United States in 2018 alone. There is no demographic more deserving, and frankly, long overdue for highlighted heroism and bravery. The disco vibe in the latter half of the

piece is meant to honor club culture, a sacred space held among LGBTQ persons in which to love, live, mourn, heal, strategize, connect, disconnect, and dance in defiance of those outside forces who would seek to do LGBTQ persons harm simply for daring to exist and take up space.

We pump our fists to honor the life, heroism, activism, and bravery of Marsha P. Johnson, to honor the legacy of the Stonewall revolution, to honor the memory of the trans lives violently ended due to fear and hatred, and in honor of trans women worldwide who continue to exist unapologetically and who demand to be seen.

The Emory Wind Ensemble

The Emory Wind Ensemble (EWE) is dedicated to performing wind band and chamber literature of the highest caliber while nurturing individual artistic excellence within an ensemble setting.

Concert programming comprises a wide variety of styles, forms, and genres from several centuries of compositional practice, designed to provide a comprehensive exposure to the masterpieces for winds and percussion from the Renaissance period through the modern era. The Wind Ensemble performs two concerts each semester, regularly participates in world premieres of new music, tours the United States and abroad, and is a national leader in the commissioning of new music, including works by Warren Benson, Bruce Broughton, Jennifer Higdon, Libby Larsen, John Mackey, Jonathan Newman, Joseph Schwantner, and many others. The Emory Wind Ensemble's recent collaborations include performances with the Emory University Chorus, the Emory Dance

Company, Emory's Mary Emerson Professor of Piano William Ransom, Chris Martin, Principal Trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Stuart Stephenson, Principal Trumpet of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Joe Alessi, Principal Trombone of the New York Philharmonic, Adam Frey, international Euphonium solo artist, and Grammy Award-winning solo Clarinetist Richard Stoltzman, among many others.

The Emory Wind Ensemble has performed concert tours of Munich, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Lucerne, Graz, Prague, Vienna, and Greece. Additionally, the Wind Ensemble has performed at the Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) State Convention in Savannah, Georgia, the Southern Division College Band Directors National Association Conference (CBDNA), and for various events on the Emory campus, including the inauguration of James Wagner as President of Emory University. The EWE was recognized in 2017 as a “Top 10” program amongst its peers by CBDNA and featured at the 2017 CBDNA National Conference “Small Band Showcase.” The EWE is recorded on the NAXOS music label.

Tyler Ehrlich, conductor

Tyler Ehrlich (he/him) is an educator, musician, and conductor based in Atlanta, Georgia. Ehrlich serves as director of bands at Decatur High School, where he conducts three concert bands, directs the marching band, and teaches an International Baccalaureate music course. In addition to teaching at the secondary level, Ehrlich conducts the Emory University Wind Ensemble and serves as associate conductor of the Atlanta Wind Symphony. Prior to joining the faculty at Decatur High School, Ehrlich taught band and music technology, and served as the fine arts department chair at Centennial High School (Georgia). While teaching at Centennial, all three concert bands received superior ratings for the first time in the school’s 20-year history. Additionally, the program received its first national performance invitation as a guest ensemble for the 2020 Music For All National Chamber Music Festival. Ehrlich has received the National Band Association Citation of Excellence for his work with the Atlanta Wind Symphony. He has conducted the group at its performance at the 2020 Georgia Music Educators In-Service Conference, and he will serve as a conductor of

the ensemble at the 75th annual Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in December 2021.

Ehrlich has presented on music technology and pedagogy at the Midwest Clinic, the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles International Conference, the College Band Directors National Association National Conference, and the Georgia Music Educators In-Service Conference. He has served as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator throughout the state of Georgia. Ehrlich has a master of music degree from the University of Georgia, and a bachelor of arts degree summa cum laude from Cornell University. His undergraduate thesis involved developing music software for Google Glass, the now defunct wearable technology.

Ehrlich lives with his partner, Brent Allman, a PhD student at Emory University, and their dog, Milo.

Emory Wind Ensemble

Flute/Piccolo

Sarah Abraham Palm Beach Gardens,FL Biology/Chemistry Hannah Huang Johns Creek, GA Biology Tabitha Watson Birmingham, AL International Studies Ava Lewandowski Little Rock, AR Chemistry/Philosophy Miyuka Yoshida Tokyo, Japan Biology/Music

Oboe

Sophia Seo Aldie, VA

Business Eric Xu Short Hills, NJ Chemistry/Biology Zachary Kant Kings Park, NY Undecided

Bassoon

Nathan Muz Cambridge, MA Mathematics Trisha Sengupta Saratoga, CA NBB/Human Health

Clarinet

Henry Mangalapalli Chicago, IL Biology/African American Studies Eli Parrish Bremen, GA Music Composition/ Environmental Sciences Isabelle Myers South Beloit, IL History/Art History Aaron Wei Johns Creek, GA Chemistry/Biology Deston Lian Johns Creek, GA Human Health Andrew Mijacika New York City, NY Biology Sophia Rice Fairfax, VA Biology Rodrigo Salinas Lakeland, FL Chemistry Kimmie Burlamaqui Powder Springs GA Biology

Saxophone

Rohan Ramdeholl Suwanee, GA NBB Rishie Srivastava Cary, NC Computer Science/Linguistics Alec Haulotte Austin, TX Environmental Sciences Wenhui Lu Shanghai, China NBB/English

Horn

Michael Bian Buffalo Grove, IL NBB Sophie Phillips Decatur, GA Decatur High School Sophie West Palm City, FL NBB/Chemistry

Trumpet

Austin Watkinson Great Falls, VA Music/Political Science/Business Joseph Rosenbaum Los Angeles, CA Political Science/Music Nolan Baxendell Norfolk, VA Undecided

Emory Wind Ensemble

Trombone

Graham Crain Maryville, TN Business Max Inman Cary, NC Quantitative Sciences/Music Beili Chou Brooklyn, NY Quantitative Sciences/Philosophy Josh Peacock South Bend, IN Physics/Computer Science

Euphonium

Christopher Labaza Cary, NC Kerry Zhu Omaha, NE Creative Writing Computer Science

Tuba

Kendall Hauerwas North Attleboro, MA Economics/Math/History Tyler Johnson Decatur, GA Decatur High School

Piano

Jisu Yang Wilmette, IL NBB/Piano Performance

Percussion

Jacob Gonzalez Decatur, GA Decatur High School Alexa Mohsenzadeh Barrington, IL NBB/Ethics Peter Rubin Highland Park, IL Biology/Environmental Sciences Zoe Zimmerman Ooltewah, TN Biology Emmy Shi Shanghai,China Psychology/Computer Science

String Bass

Hannah Perron Princeton Junction, NJ History

Emory String, Wind, and Percussion Faculty

Laura Ardan, clarinet • Emily Brebach, oboe • Jay Christy, violin • Jason Eklund, horn s Karen Freer, cello • Adam Frey, euphonium Anthony Georgeson, bassoon • Marci Gurnow, clarinet • Roee Harran, cello Yinzi Kong, viola u Michael Kurth, bass • Michael Moore, tuba • Ed Nicholson, trombone s Gary Paulo, saxophone Scott Pollard, percussion Jaclyn Rainey, horn • Elisabeth Remy-Johnson, harp • Sasha Shatalova Prior, oboe Christina Smith, flute • Stuart Stephenson, trumpet • Amy Trotz, horn H Shelly Unger, bassoon Guang Wang, cello u Jessica Shuang Wu, violin u Mark Yancich, percussion • Jim Zellers, flute s Nathan Zgonc, trombone •

• Atlanta Symphony Orchestra s Atlanta Opera Orchestra H Atlanta Ballet Orchestra u Vega String Quartet

Department of Music Administration

Stephen Crist, Chair Bradley Howard, Director of Undergraduate Studies Paul Bhasin, Director of Undergraduate Research Martha Shockey, Senior Secretary Kathy Summers, Academic Department Administrator Sasha Shatalova Prior, Program Coordinator Julia Hudgins, Academic Services Coordinator