Symphony Band’s CBDNA Tour Program Designed by David Saner

TROY UNIVERSITY

SYMPHONY BAND

Dr. Mark J. Walker, conductor

Southeastern Division Conference

College Band Directors National Association

PROGRAM

Dear Colleagues:

The College of Communication & Fine Arts at Troy University is privileged to participate in this year’s CBDNA/NBA Southern Division Conference. As home to the NBA’s Hall of Fame of Distinguished Conductors, we have enjoyed a long and fruitful partnership with these important organizations. Today, we continue our deep commitment to advancing the cause of music education across the nation.

The Troy University Symphony Band has long established itself as one of the premier ensembles of its kind. Through the dedicated work of our faculty, staff and students, today’s Symphony Band builds on a legacy of more than six decades of excellence. We are delighted to welcome you to this evening’s performance, and look forward to renewing old acquaintances and making new connections.

Respectfully,

Michael Thrasher, D.M.A. Dean

Music Program

Dancing Fire (2016) ................................................................................................................................. Kevin Day

Finding Rothko (2006 / 2017) ..................................................................... Adam Schoenberg/trans: Lance Sample

Orange

Yellow

Red

Wine (movements played without pause)

Indigo (2023)

Michael Olson

Ode For Trumpet (1956) ................................................................................................ Alfred Reed

Dr. Michael Huff, soloist

Blue Cathedral (1999) ............................................................

Jennifer Higdon/trans: Ryan Nowlan

DANCING FIRE

Kevin Day

When I was writing Dancing Fire, I wanted to write a piece for my high school band program and its directors for the great pieces we played, the fun times we had, and the excitement our bands created at our concerts. The picture I had in my head before I began writing was a group of people surrounding a large bonfire during the night. These people began dancing around the fire, having fun, singing songs, and ultimately, celebrating life.

Once I had that picture in my head, along with the constant repeating motif that eventually became the melody for the entire piece, the rest of the work fit together nicely, and in two weeks it was done. The composition brings this mental picture I had to life in a fun and energetic way with dance-like percussion and a constant groove, as well as its contagious melody, a mysterious soprano sax solo, and a climactic ending.

This was written in dedication to the Arlington High School Band Program in Arlington, Texas, and to my former band directors, Michael Hejny, Nathan Burum, and Nathan Hervey.

FINDING ROTHKO

Adam Schoenberg

Finding Rothko is Schoenberg’s first real professional commission, arranged by Michael Stern for the IRIS Chamber Orchestra, and was written in 2006 while he was just beginning doctoral studies at Juilliard.

After experiencing a “visceral reaction” to a group of paintings at MOMA by the abstract expressionist artist Mark Rothko, Schoenberg decided to make Rothko’s art the “muse” for this piece. Although played without a break, it is in four distinct movements, each devoted to a specific Rothko painting and named after the principal color used in the painting. (Coincidentally, the order of the four movements turned out to be exactly the same as the order in which Rothko completed the paintings.) These four movements are delineated and linked by a gentle three-chord motif the composer has labeled “Rothko’s theme.”

Finding Rothko doesn’t try to portray Rothko’s use of color and shape, or attempt to “set” the paintings to music. The artworks are simply a pretext, an inspiration. Yet the choice of paintings and the color connections between them formed a narrative in the composer’s imagination that is expressed clearly in the music. Orange opens with “Rothko’s theme” and is somewhat atmospheric -- a Copland-esque dawn, perhaps. The composer describes it as “a reflective moment yet to be fully realized.” Yellow, on the other hand, “is the realization of that moment,” and is the most upbeat of the four movements, beginning with a rocking minimalist accompaniment that gradually expands into a broad, bright landscape.

The painting on which Yellow was based included a streak of red, providing an immediate narrative connection to the third movement. Red is intense, drawing on the saturated colors of the painting -- the composer interprets that intensity in the movement’s jagged, irregular rhythms and mercurial personality. The final movement, Wine, is based on the last of the four paintings Schoenberg saw in person. It was the most difficult to locate and gain access to, and the journey to find it inspired the spirit of the piece and is the source of its title. Wine repeats “Rothko’s theme” and develops it gradually through slow, haunting phrases toward a shining final apotheosis.

INDIGO

Michael Olson

I’ve always wanted to write a piece with the title Indigo.” The color itself is one of the most beautifully lush colors in the world partly due to the color’s rareness in nature.

Though the color is unique, this piece is not about the color itself, but the feelings and emotions that the color represents. Indigo represents reflection, cohesiveness, and metacognition. “Indigo” is a story of two individuals under the moonlight reflecting on the past and looking into the future.

ODE FOR TRUMPET

Alfred Reed

In 1955, Alfred Reed was commissioned by the C.G. Conn Band Instrument Company to write this selection for their premiere trumpet artist of the day, Don Jacoby. Jacoby recorded this selection on his Have Conns Will Travel album and later premiered the work with the 1956 Texas All-State Band conducted by Clarence Sawhill.

BLUE CATHEDRAL

Jennifer Higdon

Blue … like the sky. Where all possibilities soar. Cathedrals … a place of thought, growth, spiritual expression…serving as a symbolic doorway in to and out of this world. Blue represents all potential and the progression of journeys. Cathedrals represent a place of beginnings, endings, solitude, fellowship, contemplation, knowledge and growth.

As I was writing this piece, I found myself imagining a journey through a glass cathedral in the sky. Because the walls would be transparent, I saw the image of clouds and blueness permeating from the outside of this church. In my mind’s eye the listener would enter from the back of the sanctuary, floating along the corridor amongst giant crystal pillars, moving in a contemplative stance. The stained glass windows’ figures would start moving with song, singing a heavenly music. The listener would float down the aisle, slowly moving upward at first and then progressing at a quicker pace, rising towards an immense

ceiling which would open to the sky … as this journey progressed, the speed of the traveler would increase, rushing forward and upward. I wanted to create the sensation of contemplation and quiet peace at the beginning, moving towards the feeling of celebration and ecstatic expansion of the soul, all the while singing along with that heavenly music.

These were my thoughts when The Curtis Institute of Music commissioned me to write a work to commemorate its 75th anniversary. Curtis is a house of knowledge -- a place to reach towards that beautiful expression of the soul which comes through music. I began writing this piece at a unique juncture in my life and found myself pondering the question of what makes a life. The recent loss of my younger brother, Andrew Blue, made me reflect on the amazing journeys that we all make in our lives, crossing paths with so many individuals singularly and collectively, learning and growing each step of the way. This piece represents the expression of the individual and the group … our inner travels and the places our souls carry us, the lessons we learn, and the growth we experience. In tribute to my brother, I feature solos for the clarinet (the instrument he played) and the flute (the instrument I play). Because I am the older sibling, it is the flute that appears first in this dialog. At the end of the work, the two instruments continue their dialogue, but it is the flute that drops out and the clarinet that continues on in the upward progressing journey. This is a story that commemorates living and passing

through places of knowledge and of sharing and of that song called life.

This work was commissioned and premiered in 2000 by the Curtis Institute of Music.

Dr. Mark J. Walker

Dr. Mark J. Walker serves as Director of Bands and Professor of Music at Troy University where he conducts the Troy University Symphony Band, the nationally renowned “Sound of the South” Marching Band, teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in conducting, marching band techniques, measurement and evaluation, and wind literature.

In addition to his teaching duties, Dr. Walker serves as Chairman of the Southeastern United States Clinic and Honor Bands, Executive Director of the Middle School Southeastern United States Band Clinic and Honor Bands and is the Director of the “Sound of the South” Summer Music Camp and Director’s Clinic. He also serves as Co-Chair of the National Band Association’s Hall of Fame of Distinguished Band Directors. Dr. Walker is a published author, whose articles appears various music education publications and is the editor of the book The Art of Interpretation of Band Music published by GIA. He is a contributor to The Euphonium Source Book, published by Indiana University Press. Additionally, Dr. Walker is the Associate Editor of the Journal of Band Research.

Bands and students under Dr. Walker’s direction have received many honors at the regional and state level in Texas, where he taught middle school and high school band. In addition, Dr. Walker keeps an active guest

conducting and clinic schedule, and has appeared as conductor, clinician, and adjudicator in Canada and throughout the United States. Recently, Dr. Walker was a guest conductor with the United States Air Force Band and the United States Navy Band. He conducted the Troy University Symphony Band in the opening concert of the 80th Annual Convention of the American Bandmasters Association. Dr. Walker received the honor of conducting both the Royal Hawaiian Band and the Marine Forces Pacific Band, located in Honolulu, Hawaii. Dr. Walker conducted the Desert Winds at the 2016 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Conference. In addition to these guest appearances, Dr. Walker has conducted the Troy University Symphony at the 2011 and 2020 AMEA Conference, the 2017 Alabama Bandmasters Association Conference, and the 2018 CBDNA Southern Division Conference in Tampa, Florida.

Dr. Walker is an elected member of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association. His past and present professional affiliations include Phi Beta Mu, CBDNA, National Band Association, NAfME, Alabama Music Education Association, Alabama Bandmasters Association, Kappa Kappa Psi, Phi Mu Alpha, Kappa Delta Pi, Phi Delta Kappa, Tau Beta Sigma, Sigma Alpha Iota, Texas Bandmasters Association, and World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles.

Dr. Walker is married to Jessica Walker, who teaches sixth grade at Goshen Elementary.

Dr. Mike Huff

Dr. Huff has earned degrees from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, the Eastman School of Music and the Catholic University of America. He has studied trumpet with Charles Daval, Langston Fitzgerald, Barbara Butler, Charles Geyer and Walter Chesnut.

Prior to his appointment at Troy University, he taught in a similar capacity at Mississippi State University.

Dr. Huff performs as second trumpet with the Mobile Symphony and performs additionally with the Pensacola Symphony and the Meridian Symphony. He is a former member of the United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C. and has performed with the Mississippi Symphony, the Starkville Symphony, the Annapolis Symphony, the Maryland Symphony, the Virginia Symphony and the Rochester Philharmonic.

As a soloist, he has performed with the Troy University Symphony Band, East Hall (Georgia) and Enterprise (Alabama) High School Bands, Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra (Jackson, Mississippi), the Starkville Symphony, the Mississippi State University Wind Ensemble,

the Tidewater Winds (Norfolk, Virginia), the University of Northern Colorado Summer Wind Ensemble, the Bishop Ireton Wind Ensemble (Alexandria, Virginia) and the Franklin-Pierce Festival Orchestra.

Past performing projects have included collaborations with artists such as Renée Fleming, Mannheim Steamroller, Marcus Roberts, Olga Kern, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Allen Vizzutti, Chuck Mangione, the Eroica Trio, Wycliffe Gordon, Lari White, BeBe Winans, Michael McGuire and the New York Voices. Recording projects have included performances with various Air Force ensembles, the Golden Triangle Brass Quintet, the Massachusetts Wind Orchestra, the Tidewater Winds and the University of Massachusetts Wind Ensemble on Albany and Centaur labels.

Dr. Huff is an endorsing artist for Bach Stradivarius Trumpets.

BIOGRAPHIES

Michael Olson

Michael Olson grew up in Tarpon Springs (FL) and has been a dedicated musician since his early years. His interest in musical composition led him to develop a robust skill set. Both as a clarinetist and composer, he had his first work performed in high school by the Pinellas County All-County Symphonic Band. He thrives on innovation and various musical styles and uses those elements to bring success to his compositions.

Michael attends Troy University, where he continues to develop and grow his compositional skills while pursuing a Bachelor of Music Education degree. Michael currently studies with Dr. Traci Mendel (Composition), Dr. Tim Phillips (Clarinet), and Mrs. Susan Smith (Education). His student teaching experience has given him the opportunity to work extensively with the students and staff of Tarpon Springs High School, Troy University’s Clarinet Day, and various concert ensembles at Troy University.

Several of Michael’s works have been performed by the Troy University Symphony Band under the direction of Dr. Mark Walker. Michael has also had works performed by the Troy University Clarinet Choir, The Tarpon Springs

Wind Symphony, and The Tarpon Springs Outdoor Performance Ensemble.

Michael currently serves as the head Clarinet Section Leader and Woodwind Co-Caption Head for the Troy University “Sound of the South” Marching Band. He is the Assistant Principal Clarinetist for the Troy University Symphony Band, and an Instructor of Woodwinds for The Tarpon Springs Outdoor Performance Ensemble.

SYMPHONY BAND PERSONNEL

Piccolo

Fatima Touzani, Northport, AL Music

Flute

Kylie Jones*, Daleville, AL, Music Education

Kylah Walls, Bonaire, GA, Music Education

Laura Phelps, Marbury, AL, Graphic Design

Oboe

Tommy Nordquist*, Prattville, AL, Anthropology

Aubrey Morrow, Birmingham, AL, Interdisciplinary Studies

Grace Ledbetter, Jemison, AL, Biomedical Science

Bassoon

Laura Fell*, Alabaster, AL, Business

Cyrus Kelly, Panama City, FL, Music Industry

Eb Clarinet

Adrianna Gramelspacher, Thomasville, AL, Music

Bb Clarinet

Tyler Shumate*, Statesboro, GA, Music Education

Michael Olson, Tarpon Springs, FL, Music Education

Katarina Agnew, Huntsville, AL, Music Industry

Kayla Lemak+, Fort Walton Beach, FL, Music Education

Bryanna Eckel, Dadeville, AL, Music Industry

Morgan Mitchell, Huntsville, AL, Music

Brooklyn Willis, Bainbridge, GA, Music Education

Rebekah Moseley, Birmingham, AL, Biomedical Sciences

Bass Clarinet

Dallas Hammond*+, Eclectic, AL, Music Education

Nakieyah Robinson, Atmore, AL, Psychology

Contrabass Clarinet

Ashley Goodwin, Hayden, AL, Music Education

Jackson Penso, Montgomery, AL, Music Industry

Saxophone

Wyatt Anderson*+, Calera, AL, Music Education

Reagen Simmons, Jacksonville, AL, Music Industry

Zayne Maddox, Smiths Station, AL, Music Industry

Anna Kate Ivey, Americus, GA, Music Education

Trumpet

Theo Hornsby*, Montgomery, AL, Music Education

Hudson Winter, Vestavia Hills, AL, Music Education

Brandon Cobb, Wetumpka, AL, Music Education

Devin Shelton, Prattville, AL, Music Education

Jaylen Eason, Fort Walton Beach, FL, Music

De’Shun Iverson+, Americus, GA, Music Education

French Horn

Kevin Wright*, Smiths Station, AL, Music Education

Taylor Eadie, Lynn Haven, FL, Music

Alec Abney, Albertville, AL, Music Education

Natalie Lantz, Prattville, AL, Music Industry

Johnny Cannon, Tuscaloosa, AL, Music Education

Trombone

Hayley Groff*, Pensacola, FL, Music Industry

Trevor Balkcom, Chipley, FL, Music Education

Ryan Avery, Montgomery, AL, Music Industry

David Kintner, Tuscaloosa, AL, Music Industry

Bass Trombone

Caleb Huston, Niceville, FL, Music Education

Euphonium

Zharius Mayes*, Brantley, AL, Music Education

Seth Locke, Crestview, FL, Music Education

Tuba

Will Heeres*, Wicksburg, AL, Music Education

Seth Holloway, Smiths Station, AL, Music Education

String Bass

Tosh Teeter, Ozark, AL, Music Industry

Piano

Myles Thomas, Phenix City, AL, Music Industry

Robert Rader, Wicksburg, AL, Music Industry

Percussion

Jacob Ammons, Niceville, FL, Music

Alex Bennett, Elberton, GA, Music Education

Caitlin Chavers*, Brewton, AL, Music

Josh DeRouen, Geneva, AL, Music Industry

Kevin Robles, Baker, FL, Music Industry

Mia Sanchez, Panama City, FL, Music Education

Dominique Taylor, Douglas, GA, Music Education

Will Terrell, Brewton, AL, Music Industry

Max Wyble, Panama City, FL, Music Education

*Denotes principal chair

+ Denotes Graduate Student

SYMPHONY BAND PERSONNEL

CBDNA 2024

The Troy University Band Program

The Troy University Band Program is a comprehensive, student-oriented, multi-faceted organization that encourages participation from all disciplines and academic majors on the university campus, and as such it is the largest student organization on the Troy University campus with over 300 students participating in the “Sound of the South” Marching Band and concert ensembles each semester. In addition to performing in the renowned “Sound of the South” Marching Band, auditions are held each semester for the opportunity to perform in the Symphony Band, three Concert Bands, two jazz bands, jazz combos, the Basketball Pep Band, and various small ensem-bles. All students who participate in the Band Program receive a scholarship, regardless of major.

The Troy University Symphony Band

The Troy University Symphony Band, conducted by Dr. Mark J. Walker, is comprised of the top wind and percussion students in the John M. Long School of Music. The Symphony Band is dedicated to the performance of the finest of wind literature and to the promotion of new music for winds and percus-sion. This premier group completed its first international tour, performing for enthusiastic audiences in Vancouver and at the Con Brio Music Festival in Whistler, Canada, in 2011.

Since 2001, the Symphony Band has per-

formed under the baton of every living member and inductee of the National Band Association’s Hall of Fame of Distinguished Conductors. Over the years, the band has performed at the national conventions of the American Bandmaster’s Association, the College Band Directors National Association, the Music Educators National Conference, the Women Band Directors International Associa-tion, the Alabama Bandmasters Association, and most recently the Alabama Music Educators Association Convention. On March 5, 2014, the Symphony Band gave the opening concert of the 80th American Bandmaster’s Association Convention in the Montgomery Performing Arts Center. In April 2017, the Symphony Band performed for the Alabama Bandmaster’s Association All State Festival, and in February 2018, the band performed at the Southern Division Conference of CBDNA in Tampa, Florida as well as the 2020 Alabama Music Educators Association Convention.

SPECIAL THANKS

Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., Chancellor

Dr. Michael Thrasher, Dean, College of Communication and Fine Arts

Dr. Hui Ting Yang, Interim Director, John M. Long School of Music

Jennifer McLeod, Secretary,

John M. Long School of Music

Kenneth Beck, Music Technologist/Audio

Mr. Paul and Mrs. Cheley McNeeley

Dallas Hammond, Graduate Assistant

De’Shun Iverson, Graduate Assistant

Kayla Lemak, Graduate Assistant

Emily Cook, Secretary, University Bands

Program Design by: David Saner