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My 14yo daughter, Georgia, plays clarinet in the schools wind orchestra and this week they got a special guest conductor to work with (for 6 days).
Dr Mike Fansler is the head of music at the University Western Illinois and comes with a really big reputation for teaching youth bands and orchestras.
He's sure made a difference to the Chatswood High School Wind Orchestra!
We raise the money to get him here for a week or two every other year.
Really amazing what this guy can facilitate in just a few days.
With a lot of hard work and a little luck, Dr Mike may have helped the wind orchestra qualify for next year's high school band competition at Carnegie Hall.
Hopefully see you there in April ;-)
Here's a few seconds of Granger.
Cheers,
John K
Follow Ups:
That whole post is great. Good luck on the competition!
As a trumpet player since 5th grade, I've played a fair amount of Percy Grainger's music. "Lincolnshire Posy", "Ye Banks and Braes o' Bonnie Doon", "Children's March", "Sheperds Hey", and others, most recently just a few years ago before I left our area's well-regarded wind symphony (http://www.carrolltonwindsymphony.org). I did not know he was an Aussie, or I would have accented the notes a little differently. ;)
Anyway, there's always a teacher or two who have an important influence on their students. My high school band director (https://www.midwestclinic.org/Remembering-James-Croft.html) inspired me to become a band director. I didn't follow through on it, though. By my 3rd year in college, I was veering off into audio and acoustics, but I still enjoy playing my horn.
A couple of thoughts for your daughter's band:
1. Dynamics. Very very soft, to very very loud. This makes a huge difference in "wowing" an audience or a contest judge.
2. Listen across the band. Play as an ensemble, not as an individual. Blend.
Carry on!
:)
I played cornet for 5 years in high school, but never practiced enough or carried on with it, but it's given me a little insight into what you serious symphonic players get up to :-)
I never knew Granger was Aussie either, though my wife did. She's a clarinet player also.
Dr Mike Fansler was amazing. Look him up if you are ever Chicago way.
Some of the music choices are indeed interesting - pieces seem to be chosen more for dynamics and showing off all the various sections and their unusual pairing with other sections.
One they played was Symphonic Movement by Nelhybel. Wholly crap!
Cheers,
John K
Here, Dr Mike's own band going crazy! Such fun.
Cheers,
John K
Nice. They sound really good.
I played in my HS band (clarinet!). Although we were in a small west Texas town (Odessa), we were quite good - always won Sweepstakes awards, played/marched in a LA Rams game in my sophomore year, only HS band considered for Super Bowl I, etc.
Our band director from then died at age 90 just last week. He had a profound influence on 1000s of students.
I remember well a few "overnight on the bus" trips, learning the possibilities of life.
rlindsa
Wow!
We are hoping that Georgia's time in the wind orchestra will build similar life long memories! Particularly if they do get to play at Carnegie Hall.
I don't need her to get any bus memories though - or at least for her to keep them quiet :-)
The kids all loved Dr Mike - he absolutely opened them up using a football analogy of runners and blockers to show them that creating space for others to bloom within the performance is the next level after knowing the music and playing competently.
I can see how these Mr Holland's Opus type stories can happen.
Even a few of our mothers may even keep life long memories of Dr Mike ............
Cheers,
John K
Goodness, those were achievements worth talking about and the band sounds great!
Reminds me of Conductor Butler Eitel from Edina, Minn. who was in charge of the Bands at Interlochen in the Sixties. We were really, really good and when Frederick Fennell came to guest conduct for a week during that summer he was impressed with us.
Texas is certainly the center of the Wind Band universe in this country even today. When I look at the Trombone Forum the questions from teens and parents about instruments and methods are dominated by Texans.
Still, the BDBITL, is still, Ohio State. Go Buckeyes!
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