Clintonville Community Band 8/23

We shared this date at the Park of Roses gazebo with the Clintonville Community Choir. It was nice to have them around as they added so much to the concert. No other group I've ever been with has had an affiliated group with it and they are a wonderful group to boot. We started the concert with a 40 or so minute set then yielded to the choir for theirs. After they were done we combined to perform an arrangement of "The Battle Hymn to the Republic". We had a guest conductor, Steve Kaufmann, in the absence of our regular conductor, Rick Burkart. Things went pretty well as a whole. A special mention goes to the woodwind section for their standout performance of Pierre LaPlante's "The High Barbaree", a selection of sailing songs.

I remember thinking during the performance how the band used to perform inside the gazebo. Now we'd have a hard time fitting even half of us in it. Usually, we put the percussion in it and the rest of us out in front. Yesterday, the choir used it. The horn section sat directly in front of it, and I noticed how much easier it was to hear us. I think it was because the sound echoing off the concrete steps.

Westerville Concert Band 8/23

We performed at the Coming Home Festival at Alum Creek Park in Westerville. It was a fairly routine concert except that we had James Swearingen with us to conduct his piece, "In the Presence of Heroes". It was more symbolic than anything else, since he wasn't at any of the rehearsals but it was a nice experience to play for the composer. After the gig, I had to quickly sprint out to my next gig with the Clintonville Community Band at the Park of Roses.

Clintonville Community Band 8/19

The band rehearsed for the next performance which is 7 pm 8/23 at the Park of Roses gazebo. We will be performing with our sister organization, the Clintonville Community Choir. We are looking forward to it. The choir will add much to our performance and they bring their audience with them as well. The combined performances always seem to have the best audiences.

Westerville Concert Band 8/17

We rehearsed for a concert to be performed Sun. Aug 23. Four horns were in the section instead of the usual six (and sometimes seven or eight). The section has always sounded better with four people. The intonation is much better and we are all "locked in". Yesterday was no exception. I've said many times that the section was too large.

Clintonville Community Band 8/12

We performed at Wesley Glen Retirement Community, just north of Graceland Shopping Center, Columbus. It went quite well. Dr. Paul Droste, a retired professor of music and marching band director at Ohio State, sat in with us taking the Euphonium solo in the Holst Second Suite for Military Band. He also took the baton and conducted two pieces. Needless to say, he is quite a musician whether playing or conducting and it was a wonderful experience to rehearse and perform with him. Dr. Richard Burkart, another retired OSU professor of music and the father of our regular conductor Rick, sat in with us as well on Trumpet. He has performed with us before, as conductor and as soloist, and it is always a pleasure. The Wesley Glen residents have always been good audiences and I look forward to performing here again.