Upcoming Events
This will be added by the Music Department.
School of Music
Ensemble(s)
present(s)
For tickets and further information, visit www.jmuforbescenter.com or call the
Forbes Center Box Office at (540) 568-7000. For more on the School of Music,
go to www.jmu.edu/music or call (540) 568-6714.
Concert Title
Featured Performers
Music and You
Director(s)/Conductor(s)
How you can make a difference!
Thank you for supporting music and the arts at JMU through your
attendance at the Forbes Center. We strive to provide musical experiences of the
highest caliber for our students and community. The passion and commitment we
see from our students, particularly as they have opportunities to perform in the
magnificent Forbes Center, is a pleasure to share with you.
Scholarship contributions help young musicians blossom into mature
musical artists. With your support, we will be able to offer our talented students
more financial help in pursuing their goals. If you appreciate the desire and
dedication of our students, please consider making a contribution to the music
scholarship fund at James Madison University.
Name: ________________________________________________________
Address: _______________ City: _________________State: __ Zip: _____
Amount: $ ____________________________________
I would like to support the following foundation account:
 Music General Scholarship Fund #15600
Make checks payable to JMU Foundation and send to:
Advancement Gifts and Records, James Madison University
220 University Boulevard, MSC 3603
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
www.jmu.edu/give
Day of Week, Month Date, Year
Time pm
Concert or Recital Hall
Length of Intermission.
(There will be one 15-minute intermission.)
If no intermission, state “There is no
intermission.”)
Director’s Notes
Program
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pharetra sit amet aliquam quis, tempus vel diam. Duis nec lorem ut neque convallis
volutpat. Donec ullamcorper tincidunt dolor, ac pharetra tortor vulputate in.
Quisque viverra rutrum viverra. Integer sollicitudin erat vel sapien tempus
sollicitudin. Ut ut felis nec odio sagittis consectetur vel non augue. Praesent a erat
sagittis lorem sodales pellentesque. Morbi ultrices accumsan massa, in faucibus urna
laoreet id. Praesent sodales condimentum lectus, ac ornare lacus dictum in.
Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia
Curae; Donec auctor pretium eleifend. Donec consequat, eros eu placerat gravida,
ligula nulla consequat libero, placerat elementum mi mi faucibus augue. Cras felis
odio, vehicula non gravida pharetra, consequat a mi.
Symphonic Band
Blink (2006)...............................................................................................Joel Puckett (b.1977)
Rosa Parks Boulevard (2001)..................................................Michael Daugherty (b.1954)
Andrew Lankford, trombone
Leland Matsumara, trombone
Joshua Cole, trombone
Aurora Awakes (2008)..........................................................................John Mackey (b.1973)
Vestibulum euismod adipiscing lorem, fermentum porta sapien egestas ac. Donec
non nisl purus. Nullam a condimentum urna. Phasellus in justo a nisl feugiat feugiat.
Donec ornare pharetra felis, eu egestas est cursus vel. Sed vehicula ante nisl. Integer
sem arcu, rhoncus eu vestibulum eu, scelerisque in nibh. Cum sociis natoque
penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Pellentesque vel
justo et enim pretium pulvinar. Suspendisse est orci, luctus pretium blandit eu,
suscipit in felis. In non metus dui, vel lobortis eros.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed velit massa, varius at
gravida id, pharetra id urna. Proin vel metus diam, eget imperdiet enim. Vivamus
vel justo massa. Nulla et neque sit amet orci consectetur pharetra. Fusce at
pellentesque nisl. Aenean nec ipsum lorem. Vivamus eget enim felis. Donec magna
urna, blandit sed viverra quis, malesuada auctor turpis. In ac neque eget magna
laoreet elementum. Ut laoreet tempus scelerisque. Vivamus cursus enim nec diam
venenatis pellentesque.
- Director
Patrons are reminded to turn off all pagers, cell phones,
personal computers, and any other electronic devices.
The unauthorized videotaping or any other recording
of this production is strictly prohibited
in adherence with Federal copyright laws.
15-Minute Intermission
Wind Symphony
The Shadow of Sirius (2010).................................................................Joel Puckett (b.1977)
Beth Chandler, flute
Bells for Stokowski (2002).......................................................Michael Daugherty (b.1954)
Asphalt Cocktail (2009)........................................................................John Mackey (b.1973)
Concerto for Soprano Saxophone (2008).........................................John Mackey (b.1973)
Program Notes
Program Notes (cont’d)
Blink
collection of Bukowski under one arm and a collection of Yeats under the other. I
have always enjoyed the rhythm of other people’s thoughts and feelings.
In the winter of 2009, my wife and I experienced a heartbreak that left me unsure
of how to even breathe, let alone grieve. On March 1st, 2009, I found a copy of
W.S. Merwin’s, The Shadow of Sirius, and I began to feel myself heal. I have almost
no idea what most of this poetry means. But I know that it fills me with a profound
sadness that is, at the same time, brimming with hope.
A friend once said to me, “many concerti explore a virtuosity of technique but not
many explore a virtuosity of expression.” It was with that thought in mind that I
began work on my, The Shadow of Sirius, for solo flute and wind orchestra. Each
movement offers my reflection on a single Merwin poem from the collection.
Although the work is played without pause, the soloist plays unaccompanied solos
to separates the individual movements.
Grateful acknowledgment is made to the Copper Press, which has granted
permission to reprint W.S. Merwin’s poetry. All poems Copyright 2008 by W.S.
Merwin. More information about this poetry can be found at
www.coppercanyonpress.com.
(Program note by Joel Puckett)
Have you ever had a feeling something good was about to happen? Perhaps just
an inkling? Have you ever met someone and known instantly you were going to
become thick as thieves?
In the fall of 2005, I read Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Blink. Blink is about rapid
cognition. The following is from Gladwell’s website:
When you meet someone for the first time, or walk into a house you are thinking of
buying, or read the first few sentences of a book, your mind takes about two seconds
to jump to a series of conclusions. Well, Blink is a book about those two seconds,
because I think those instant conclusions that we reach are really powerful and really
important and, occasionally, really good.
I found this concept inspiring and led to the writing of my work for wind band by
the same name. My work features quick changes of both texture and tempo (blink!)
while systematically exploring a single motive (in both transparent and opaque
ways) and climaxes in giving way to a surprisingly quiet and ethereal ending.
Blink was completed in January of 2006 for the Wind Ensemble at
Abilene Christian University.
(Program note by Joel Puckett)
Rosa Parks Boulevard from Motor City Triptych
Bells for Stokowski
Rosa Parks Boulevard pays tribute to the woman who, in 1955, helped set in
motion the modern civil rights movement by her refusal to move to the back of the
bus in Montgomery, Alabama. In 1957, she moved to Detroit, Michigan, where she
has lived ever since. One of the many honors bestowed upon Rosa Parks is a
downtown Detroit boulevard bearing her name.
After the service, Parks told me her favorite piece of music was the traditional
African-American spiritual, Oh Freedom. Since her association with the Reverend
Martin Luther King Jr. in the fifties, Parks has viewed the words spoken by AfricanAmerican preachers as a source of strength. Preachers also inspired AfricanAmerican poet James Weldon Johnson. Johnson describes how the preacher “strode
the pulpit up and down in what was actually a very rhythmic dance, and he brought
into play the full gamut of his wonderful voice, a voice-what shall I say? Not of an
organ or a trumpet, but rather of a trombone, the instrument possessing above all
others the power to express the wide and varied range of emotions encompassed by
the human voice - and with greater amplitude. He intoned, he moaned, he pleaded,
he blared, he crashed, he thundered. I sat fascinated; and more, I was, perhaps
against my will, deeply moved; the emotional effect upon me was irresistible.”
(by Michael Daugherty)
Bells for Stokowski (2002) for symphonic band was commissioned by a
consortium including the University of Michigan (Michael Haithcock), Arizona
State University (Gary Hill), Baylor University (Kevin Sedatole), University of
Colorado (Allan McMurray), Ithaca College (Steve Peterson), Louisiana State
University (Frank Wickes), Michigan State University (John Whitwell), Riverside,
CA Community College (Kevin Mayse), University of Tennessee (Gary Sousa),
University of Texas (Jerry Junkin), and Texas Tech University (John Cody
irdwell). Its first performance was given by the University of Michigan Symphony
Band, conducted by Michael Haithcock, in the Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor,
Michigan, on October 2, 2002.
Bells for Stokowski is a tribute to one of the most influential and controversial
conductors of the 20th century. Born in London, Leopold Stokowski (1882-1977)
began his career as an organist. As maestro of the Philadelphia Orchestra (1912-36),
he became famous for interpreting classical music in brilliant new ways, and
expanding his audience’s expectations of what might they hear in the concert hall.
In Philadelphia, Stokowski boldly conducted American music alongside European
traditional and new orchestral repertoire. Stokowski created a sensation by
conducting world premieres of avant-garde composers such as Igor Stravinsky and
Edgar Varese, and he enraged classical purists with his lavishly Romantic orchestral
transcriptions of Bach. Appearing as a conductor in various Hollywood films,
Stokowski’s 1940 collaboration with Walt Disney in Fantasia resulted in the first
stereophonic recording of an orchestral soundtrack.
(Program note by Joel Puckett)
The Shadow of Sirius
I have always found comfort in poetry. While in school, I was the guy with a
Biographies
Michael Overman was raised by his father,
Dr. Overman, and mother, Sue, to be a
thoughtful, considerate and well-reasoned
individual. Why he then chose to become a
percussionist is not clear. But after
finishing high school, he earned bachelor’s,
master’s and doctoral degrees from West
Virginia University, Ithaca College and
Northwestern University, respectively.
Now Overman teaches percussion,
percussion ensemble and directs the JMU
Steel Band. At his home in Bridgewater,
Overman drives his wife, Rebekah, three
daughters and one son bonkers by
practicing marimba in the living room and
by not doing his fair share of the dishes. He
does mow the lawn on occasion, but fully
supports his wife’s ambition of turning all
the grass on their property into fruit and
vegetable gardens. Overman has never
gone sniggling.
Lori Piitz enjoys a performance career that
includes solo, four-hand and chamber
music. She has performed in numerous
festivals and venues, including the Festival
of the Sound in Canada, the Schubert Club
in Minneapolis, Lincoln Center and
Steinway Hall in New York City, and the
Schleswig-Holstein Festival in Germany.
Piitz received her doctorate from Indiana
University where she studied with
Menahem Pressler.
Wanchi Huang began violin lessons with
her mother in her native country of Taiwan
at the age of six. Before the age of 13, she
had won numerous Taiwan-wide
competitions in both violin and piano,
including the Taiwan National Violin
Competition. At 13, she came to the U.S. to
study with Daniel Heifetz and Shirley
Givens at the Peabody Conservatory
Preparatory Division, and to attend the
Baltimore School for the Arts. At 15, she
made her solo debut with the Baltimore
Symphony Orchestra under the direction of
Catherine Comet. Huang received her
bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute
of Music, her master’s degree from The
Juilliard School and her Doctor of Music
from the Indiana University School of
Music. She taught at Tunghai University in
Taichung, Taiwan before coming to JMU
in 1998. Huang recently contracted with
Centaur Records to record all six of Eugene
Ysaÿe’s Violin Sonatas.
C. William Rice directs the Percussion
Studies and University Percussion
Ensemble programs. Rice is a clinician/
endorser for Vic Firth, Inc. and the Zildjian
Cymbal Company, and is a member of the
Board of Directors for the National
Conference on Percussion Pedagogy.
List of Ensemble Members
Flute
Melissa Ludwig
Anne Marie McNemar
Katie Rice
Rachel Siegfried
Kyle Symons*
Bass Clarinet
Audrey Hoodock
Oboe
Ben Elliott*
David Allen
Tenor Saxophone
Shawn Shou
English Horn
Blair Ashby
Bassoon
Whitney Miller
Cononr Murphy
Johanna Salas
Clarinet
Shandra Aber
Laura Bridges
CJ Canoles*
Melanie Flick
Zachary Martini
Kyle O’Connor
Nikolai Stem
Alto Saxophone
Andrea Kopstein*
Andrew Parker
Baritone Saxophone
Sarah Klinger
Piano
Jonathan Keener
Trumpet
James Ballard
Thomas Borgerding
Kevin Engdahl
Matt Godwin
John Mills
Frank Ringel*
Daniel Smith
Lauren Wines
List of Other Ensemble Members
Flute/Piccolo
Stephanie DiMauro
Jenna Elsberry*#
Tyler Osborne
Ashley Porter
Rebecca Springer
Oboe/English Horn
Katie Baroody
Kelsey Holland*
Shannon Fairbank
Clarinet
Jackie Bryant#
Siobhan Dowen
Trombone
John Geary
Andrew LaPrade*
Chad Reep#
* denotes principal/co-principal
# denotes graduate student