Brass Band of Battle Creek E-News
It's coming....and it's going to be GIANT!! Join the BBBC June 1st for a concert you won't forget!
It's coming.......and it's going to be GIANT! The Brass Band of Battle Creek presents the hottest concert this summer on Saturday, June 1st at 7:30 p.m. in W.K. Kellogg Auditorium. Travel through time as the BBBC, led by conductor Major Dwayne Milburn, traces the history of brass music in America by paying tribute to all the GIANTS of the past. Get "In the Mood" to "Steal Away" with your favorite tunes made popular by artists such as Louis Armstrong, Glen Miller and Chicago!
Musical ambassador and interpreter of America’s music, Wycliffe Gordon experiences an impressive career touring the world performing hard-swinging, straight-ahead jazz receiving great acclaim from audiences and critics alike. His unmatched modern mastery of the plunger mute and his exceptional technique and signature sound, has solidified Gordon a place in musical history known as one of the top trombonists of his generation. The Critics seem to agree. Wycliffe has been named “Best in Trombone” by the Downbeat Critics Poll for 2012 and Jazz Journalists Association named him “Trombonist of the Year” again this year in 2012 as well as previous years 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2011. He is a past recipient of the ASCAP Foundation Vanguard Award, among others. In addition to an extremely successful solo career, Gordon tours regularly leading the Wycliffe Gordon Quartet, headlining at legendary jazz venues and performing arts centers throughout the world. Gordon is a former veteran member of the Wynton Marsalis Septet, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and has been a featured guest artist on Billy Taylor's "Jazz at the Kennedy Center" Series. Gordonʼs extensive performance experience includes work with many of the most renowned jazz performers of the past and present. His “Jazz a la Carte” show, which debuted at the Apollo Theater last year, was named one of the “top five best moments in jazz” for the year 2011 by The Wall Street Journal. Gordonʼs recordings are a model of consistency and inspiration, and his musical expertise has been captured on numerous recordings, including fourteen solo CDs and seven co-leader CDs. His most recent independent release, “Hello Pops, A Tribute to Louis Armstrong” continues to receive rave reviews and pays homage to Wycliffe’s musical hero. Wycliffe Gordon is also a gifted composer and arranger. He is commissioned frequently by renowned jazz groups and organizations and has an extensive songbook of original compositions that span the various timbres of jazz music. His music is performed throughout the world by musicians and ensembles of every caliber including Wynton Marsalis’ latest Christmas CD “Christmas Jazz Jam” and NPR’s jazz arrangement of “All Things Considered,” just to name a few. Gordon is one of Americaʼs most persuasive and committed music educators, and currently serves on the faculty of the Jazz Arts Program at Manhattan School of Music. Kendor Publishing recently released “Sing It First”—Wycliffe’s own unique approach to playing the instrument. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2006 from the University of Scranton, for his tireless dedication to the field. His work with young musicians and audiences from elementary schools to universities all over the world is extensive, and includes master classes, clinics, workshops, childrenʼs concerts and lectures — powerful evidence of his unique ability to relate musically to people of all ages.
Scott Hartman is one of the preeminent trombonists of today, performing throughout the United States, Europe and Asia as a guest artist with ensembles and in recital. His soulful performances range from opera arias by Puccini to the pyrotechnical showpieces of Arthur Pryor. Recordings and concerts feature music from the 13th to the 21st century - from Praetorius to polyphonics, from Puccini arias to the pyrotechnical showpieces of Arthur Pryor – Scott brings great music from all ages to his audience’s ears. As a solo recitalist he performs frequently throughout the United States, Europe and Japan. Mr. Hartman's solo engagements with orchestra include concerts with the Boston Esplanade Pops, the National Symphony of Taiwan, the El Paso Symphony, the Spartanburg Symphony, the New Japan Philharmonic and the Daejeon Philharmonic of South Korea. Mr. Hartman grew up in Elmira, New York and studied trombone with Douglas Durnin. Scott attended the Eastman School of Music where he received both his Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees. He studied there with David Ritchie (1977 – 1978) Alan Ostander (1978) and John Marcellus (1978 – 1983). Scott began his chamber music career as a member of the Empire Brass. With the Empire Brass from 1984 – to 1993, Scott played concerts in all fifty United States and throughout Europe and Japan and recorded televised concerts in Russia, Iceland, Japan, Venezuela, and Ireland. The Empire Brass was featured in the PBS documentary Sounding Brass and was even visited by Fred Rodgers in an episode of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood! Today, Scott travels the world with the ensembles Proteus7, Millennium Brass, the Brass Band of Battle Creek, the Yale Brass Trio and the trombone quartet Four of a Kind. Previously a member of the faculties of Boston University, Indiana University and the New England Conservatory, Scott now heads the trombone department at Yale University.
Don't miss out on your chance to hear the GIANTS of today pay tribute to the GIANTS of the past! Tickets start at just $15 and are available at the Battle Creek Calhoun County Visitors Bureau, Piper Instrument Repair, Quality Engraving and online at www.bbbc.net. Don't wait! You won't want to miss the hottest concert of the summer!
Dont miss the BBBC on June 1, 2013 BBBC Summer Concert June 1, 2013 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are still available for the BBBC Summer Concert Saturday, June 1, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. in W.K. Kellogg Auditorium.
Tickets are available at the following retail locations:
Battle Creek Calhoun County Visitors Bureau
77 E. Michigan Ave. in Battle Creek
Commerce Point Building (old post office)
Corner of Division and Michigan Ave.
Piper Instrument Repair
119 West Territorial Road in Battle Creek
(next to the old Mastellar Music Store location)
Quality Engraving
221 W. Michigan Ave. in Marshall
You can also tickets securely online at www.bbbc.net
All tickets ordered online can be picked up at Will Call in the lobby of the auditorium the night of the concert.
Don't miss your chance to see the BBBC heat up the stage this summer! The Christmas concert sold out so don't wait! Get your tickets today to the hottest concert this summer!
BBBC Youth Brass Band First time ever! 100 youth join the BBBC for a once in a lifetime experience!
In June 2013, the BBBC will debut the BBBC Youth Brass Band. This band is an inclusive group and did require an audition to participate. This ensemble will give youth in ninth through twelfth grade an opportunity to study with world class conductors, leadership clinicians and play beside world-class brass and percussion musicians. A committee of community stakeholders, music educators from all over the state of Michigan and several BBBC musicians are worked on this initiative. The BBBC’s hope is that this initiative will instill passion, empower youth, and promote leadership through the power of music.
This is currently designed to be a one day experience. The students will begin their day rehearsing with the guest conductor, attending leadership work sessions and master classes with BBBC musicians. The leadership sessions will be lead by Fran Kick (www.kickitin.com) , one of the premier student leadership clinicians in the United States. The students will then rehearse the musical pieces they will perform with the BBBC. The guest conductor for the June concert will be Major Dwayne Milburn, conductor of the U.S. Army Field Band in Washington, D.C. The evening concert will consist of a piece performed by the BBBC Youth Brass Band, a combined work with the BBBC Youth Brass Band and the BBBC playing side by side, and then the remainder of the concert being pieces performed by the BBBC featuring soloists and newly commissioned works.
We currently have 100 youth signed up for this program! We are so pleased with the response from the community for this project and hope you will enjoy hearing our "wall of sound"!