Give Concert Band Some Love!

Give Concert Band Some Love!

            Marching Band is a wonderful thing!  It is big and loud and showy and does a great job of generating community support.  It also, in many ways, pays the bills!  People get more hyped up about a marching band performance than they do about a concert band performance.  Maybe if we served hotdogs and nachos at concerts while having color guard folks throw flags over the top of the band (or crowd) while we played we could generate a little more love for the concert bands.  As silly as it seems, in many respects the school year is backwards for band folks, especially new ones.  We get kids at the beginning of the year and immediately put them outside to move around while playing the horn or drum.  As soon as marching season ends, we get to sit them down and really teach how to play.  To that end, really quality band music is a must.

Where does good band music come from?  Who writes it?  How much does it cost?  Short answers:  The Music Store, Composers, too much!  As for a more illuminating discussion (leading to the point of this epistle) let me say this: There is not enough quality band music in the world.  The needs of both audiences and performers have changed over time.  I am only aware of a handful of composers who actually make their living solely as band music composers.  Many of them are also teachers.  Most of the music they write is done through commission.  In other words, an individual or a group of individuals or an organization must pay a composer to write a piece of music.  I am proposing that, in conjunction with the Band Booster group, we do just that - commission a new piece of band music!

I have contacted Dr. Brant Karrick about commissioning a new work for band. Dr. Karrick is one of the most respected band composers available.  He has written many works for band including “Bayou Breakdown” and “See Rock City” which have both been played by the Houston Band.  He is very good at taking a contemporary style of music (Cajun, Rock, Funk) and turning it into a work for concert band.  Mr. Taylor and I are working with him to accomplish the same thing for Blues music.  This is a long process so getting started soon is one way to make sure we get it done before I croak.

I would venture to say that most of the quality band music available today is done through commission.  Bayou Breakdown, Old Scottish Melody, Third Suite, Pastime, Hounds of Spring, Southern Hymn, American Overture, Esprit de Corp, and Kingfishers Catch Fire were all commissions – and most were commissioned by high school bands.  The thought of having a quality piece of music with “Commissioned by the Houston High School Band – Matt Taylor, Director” in band rooms all over the country is exciting!!!

I am going to need the help of everyone to make this happen. Not only do we need to pay for a commission, we need to reserve and rent a hall for the premier performance.  We are also hoping to fly Dr. Karrick in to work with the band in advance of that performance.  I need help with everything from putting a program together to picking up Dr. Karrick at the airport.  You see, I don’t have a band or parents at my beck and call to help get these things done – I only have folks who remember this activity as fondly as I do.  I will schedule a meeting of those interested in helping after I have a date for the performance.   I am expecting to have the premier in the Spring of 2020 (it takes a while to write the music and then teach it).  In advance of that date, please feel free to DONATE TO THE BAND FOUNDATION!!!  There is a PayPal button right here on this blog. I expect this venture to cost in excess of $8,000.  Helping the band world is an expensive thing!

In the meantime, here is a link to the 2015 Houston High School Wind Ensemble playing “Bayou Breakdown” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpRdzbGNOTw

If you want to watch the 2011 Houston Marching Band performing “See Rock City” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AInOfl_KLs