Salvo to Conduct His Final Community Band Concert

On Sunday evening, Leonard Salvo will take the baton for the final time, leading the Ashland Area Community Concert Band that he formed 26 years ago for the annual Father’s Day show at the Guy C. Myers Band Shell.

Signifying the end of an era, the band’s new leaders — Joseph Lewis, the director of bands at Ashland University, and Dave Wolbert, who teaches music at Ashland High School — also will conduct a couple of numbers on Sunday.

The Father’s Day concert will open the Band Shell’s Summer Concert Series. The show will start at 6 p.m. with family-friendly favorite, the Magic of Eli, followed by the Ashland Area Community Concert Band at 8 p.m.

“The thing I’m going to miss most is the interaction I have with folks in the group,” Salvo said. “Some people have been in the group 26 years. So they’re friends, basically.”

Sunday’s band concert will include lighter pieces, such as selections from “West Side Story” and “Mary Poppins Returns,” along with a personal piece for Salvo, called “Pride of the Peninsula.”

The march was written by Salvo’s college professor, Thomas Tyra, at Eastern Michigan University, where Salvo earned his bachelor’s degree in music education.

“I just want to have something in the last concert that was personal to me,” Salvo said. “He was one of my mentors. He recommended me for all the jobs I got.” 

--Times-Gazette

AU Faculty & Students Honored at OPCICA

Several AU students and faculty were honored this weekend at the annual Ohio Private College Instrumental Conductor's Association (OPCICA) honor bands concert. In addition to Ashland's Joseph Lewis and Dr. Scott Garlock serving as conductors, the following students represented Ashland University:

OPCICA Honors Concert Band
Erica Wheaton bass clarinet
Eric Watts bass trombone
Ariane Hill, flute
Stefan Jonsson, percussion
Jennifer Wigton, trumpet
Brandi Wells, tuba

OPCICA Honors Jazz Ensemble
Derek Rangel, lead tenor saxophone
Jason Wolf, baritone saxophone
Nik Psota, lead trumpet
Frank Stanek, bass trombone

AU Music Boasts Large Presence at OPCICA

On the weekend of Jan. 20, 21 at The College of Wooster, the annual Ohio Private College Instrumental Conductor's Association (OPCICA) honor bands will rehearse and perform. AU Music once again finds a great number of its students represented in this consortium including:

OPCICA Honors Concert Band
Erica Wheaton bass clarinet
Eric Watts bass trombone
Ariane Hill, flute
Stefan Jonsson, percussion
Jennifer Wigton, trumpet
Brandi Wells, tuba

OPCICA Honors Jazz Ensemble
Derek Rangel, lead tenor saxophone
Jason Wolf, baritone saxophone
Nik Psota, lead trumpet
Frank Stanek, bass trombone

Additionally, Ashland's Joseph Lewis will conduct a selection with the Honors Concert Band, and Dr. Scott Garlock will be one of the conductors of the Honors Jazz Ensemble. The Honors Jazz Ensemble will also be performing one of Dr. Garlock's works "Second in line for Pumpernickel."

Spring Band Concert Celebrates Senior AU Band Members

Ashland University Department of Music presents its final band concert of the 2016-2017 academic year on Saturday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre with the annual Spring Band Concert. The Ashland Area Community Concert Band under the direction of Leonard Salvo, and the Ashland University Concert Band directed by Gary Ciulla will perform and senior Concert Band members will be recognized for their dedication and contribution to the AU Band program. Admission to the concert is complimentary, open to the public 

The Ashland Area Community Concert Band (AACCB) will open the concert with Prelude on an Old English Hymn op. 67 by Robert Sheldon which is based on the famous hymn All Creatures of Our God and King; followed by Vincent Persichetti's Pageant, a commissioned piece for the American Bandmaster's Association. The Community Band will then be joined by guest clarinetist Dr. Thomas Reed to perform Ernesto Cavallini's Adagio and Tarantella Solo for Clarinet and Band. AACCB will close their portion of the concert with the Nathan Hale Trilogy by James Curnow which was inspired by three significant points in the life of this legendary American hero from the Revolutionary War. 

After a brief intermission, the University Concert Band will perform a program beginning with the very popular and traditional march The Boys of the Old Brigade by American composer W. Paris Chambers, followed by David Holsinger's Nilesdance which is built on the expected ostinato and variations on a whimsical 13 1/2 beat melodic dance song. The band will then travel to Austria with Franz von Suppé’s Light Cavalry Overture from his operetta Light Cavalry. The concert will conclude with the simple charm of traditional Irish music with Jay Bocook's Kirkpatrick's Muse.  

Ashland Co. Middle School Instrumentalists Recognized

In Celebration of Music in Our Schools Month, Ashland University Department of Music will host the annual Ashland County Middle School Honors Band on Sunday, March 19 at 4:00 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre. The Ashland University Concert Band will be the featured guest ensemble conducted by Gary Ciulla, Ashland University Director of Bands. Lori Ciulla, former director of bands at Copley-Fairlawn Middle School, will conduct the middle school honors band.

Consisting of 75 members, the Ashland County Middle School Honors Band includes seventh and eighth grade students from Ashland, Crestview, Hillsdale, Loudonville-Perrysville and Mapleton Schools.  Members of the Ashland County Band Directors Association meet with Gary Ciulla and Ashland's Martin Kral, this year’s chairman, to plan the program. The committee of band directors selects the honors band members based on merit and instrumentation needs of the band. Students meet at Ashland University on Thursday, March 16 and Sunday, March 19 to rehearse and present this program with music ranging from classical selections to traditional marches.

The 65-member Ashland University Concert Band will open the concert with a cameo program of wonderful but unusual music chosen especially to highlight the day including Keith Brion's arrangement of John Philip Sousa's The Pathfinder of Panama, Prelude of Band by Claude T. Smith, The Ascension by Robert W. Smith, and Movement IV of Divertimento for Winds and Percussion by Roger Cichy. 

The combination of these two bands make for a rewarding, exciting and satisfying musical experience for both the performers and the audience. Admission is free and open to the public.

Eleven AU Students Selected for OPCICA

Five Ashland University Jazz Orchestra students (Alex Sandwisch, Jaylynn Buchmelter, Derek Rangel, Jason Wolf, Cody Henderson) and six Ashland University Concert Band students (Emily Minns, Emily Dine, Chanel Bluntschly, Nikolaus Psota, Jessica Shrider and Stefan Jonsson) have been selected to perform in the Ohio Private College Instrumental Conductor's Association concert this weekend, January 28 and 29) at Marietta College. More information here.

Community Band Rehearsals Begin 9/13

The Ashland Area Community Concert Band under the direction of Leonard Salvo begins its twenty-fourth season with rehearsals on Tuesday, Sept. 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the Center for the Arts' Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall.  AACCB is for those that loved playing in band in high school or college and want the opportunity to play again. Performances for the ensemble this fall include a performance at the University with the Ashland University Concert Band on Saturday, December 12.

Requirements for membership are the ability to play a wind or percussion instrument (no need to be a virtuoso); an interest in playing for enjoyment; desire to play a wide variety of music for the public; an interest in meeting new people who share a common interest and availability for rehearsals on Tuesday evenings from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. AACCB is open to all adults. Students still in high school may also participate with the permission of the ensemble's director.

A nominal membership fee of $25 is requested and payable by the fourth week of rehearsals to continue participation in either ensemble for the semester. The membership fee is payable at the Ashland University Box Office via phone at 419.289.5125 or online at www.ashland.edu/tickets.

Concert Band Tours to Area High Schools

The Ashland University Band is the only campus group that arrives early to campus in the fall and stays after finals in the spring to perform at graduation and on tour. Under the direction of Gary Ciulla, the Ashland University Concert Band will perform at three area high schools for their 2016 Spring Tour as follows:

• Thursday, May 12 at 9:30 a.m.: Williard High School
• Thursday, May 12 at 2 p.m.: New London High School
• Friday, May 13 at 11 a.m.: Bellevue High School

Spring Band Concert to Honor Senior Graduates

Ashland University Department of Music concludes an eventful 2015-2016 academic year on Sunday, May 8 at 4:00 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre with the annual Spring Band Concert. The Ashland Area Community Concert Band under the direction of Leonard Salvo, and the Ashland University Concert Band directed by Gary Ciulla will perform and senior Concert Band members will be recognized for their dedication and contribution to the AU Band program. Admission to the concert is complimentary, and open to the public.

The Ashland Area Community Concert Band will open the concert with selections including Alfred Reed's A Jubilant Overture which is written in the natural exuberance of young spirits in springtime; Frank Ticheli's An American Elegy which was composed in memory of those who lost their lives at Columbine High School and to honor the survivors; along with a medley of songs from the awarding winning musical Fiddler on the Roof. The Community Band will close their portion of the concert with Castle Gap by Clifton Williams, a march depicting the strength and vigor of the pioneers in dealing with a rugged terrain and climate.

After a brief intermission, the University Concert Band will perform a program of different cultures with Santiago Lope's Gallito, a paso-doble in the Flamenco style; Franz Joseph Haydn's Armida Overture from his three act opera set in Jerusalem and First Suite in E-flat by British composer Gustav Holst. Trumpet soloists Alexandria Sandwisch (Elmore), Nikolaus Psota (Hinckley) and Hannah Phillips (Plymouth) will be featured in Leroy Anderson's Bugler's Holiday. The concert will conclude with Brant Karrick's Bayou Breakdown, a fun and whimsical fugue with a Cajun twist.

Band Concert Honors Area Middle Schools' Instrumentalists

In celebration of Music in Our Schools Month, Ashland University Department of Music will host the annual Ashland County Middle School Honors Band on Sunday, March 20 at 4:00 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre with the Ashland University Concert Band as the featured guest ensemble. Gary Ciulla, Ashland University Director of Bands, will conduct both bands.

Consisting of 85 members, the Ashland County Middle School Honors Band includes seventh and eighth grade students from Ashland, Crestview, Hillsdale, Loudonville-Perrysville and Mapleton Schools. 


Members of the Ashland County Band Directors Association meet with Gary Ciulla and Crestview's Christopher Thompson, this year’s chairman, to plan the program.  The committee of band directors selects the honors band members based on merit and instrumentation needs of the band. Students meet at Ashland University on Thursday, March 17 and Sunday, March 20 to rehearse and present this program with music ranging from classical selections to traditional marches. 

The 65-member Ashland University Concert Band will open the concert with a cameo program of wonderful but unusual music chosen especially to highlight the day including Clifton Williams' Caccia and Chorale, Frederick Fennell's arrangement of Florentiner, three movements of Claude T. Smith's Incidental Suite, and Yo Goto's arrangement of Funiculi - Funicula.

The combination of these two bands make for a rewarding, exciting and satisfying musical experience for both the performers and the audience. Admission is free and open to the public.

AU Concert Band and Jazz Orchestra Musicians Selected for OPCICA Honors

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Four members of the Ashland University Concert Band and five members of the Ashland University Jazz Orchestra were selected to be members of the 2016 Ohio Private College Instrumental Conductors Association All Ohio Collegiate Honors Concert Band and Honors Jazz Ensemble. The 29th Annual OPCICA Honors Festival was hosted on Jan. 23 and 24 by Muskingum University and the concert was held at the Pritchard Laughlin Civic Center in Cambridge, Ohio.

Those selected for the Honors Concert Band were music education majors Rachel Crow of Reynoldsburg and Jessica Barnhouse of Norwich, criminal justice major Nik Psota of Hinckley and accounting major Brett Stecker of Mansfield. Those selected for the Honors Jazz Ensemble were music education major Jaylynn Buchmelter of Wintersville, music and business administration major Cody Henderson of Bellevue, mathematics and language arts education major Alexandria Sandwisch of Elmore, psychology major Derek Rangel of Vermillion and Frank Stanek of Mansfield.

Nominations for the Honors Band and Jazz Ensemble were submitted by conductors at each of the member institutions. These students were selected from over 150 nominees. Both ensembles rehearsed for two days and then presented a gala concert.

The Ohio Private College Instrumental Conductors Association, founded in 1987, held its first collegiate honors band festival on Jan. 24, 1988. Currently comprised of 20 member colleges and universities, the primary purpose of the organization is to develop a closer network of communication and resource sharing among the instrumental departments, divisions, or conservatories of the various privately funded institutions of higher education within the state of Ohio.

An additional purpose is to sponsor an annual honors festival featuring an Honors Concert Band and an Honors Jazz Ensemble comprised of instrumental students from the participating schools. These festivals have enriched the lives of thousands of college instrumentalists as well as the conductors from the member institutions. The students are together for two days, and prepare the concert in three rehearsal.

Variable Winds Band Concert, Sunday, May 3

Ashland University Department of Music concludes an eventful 2014-2015 academic year on Sunday, May 3, 4:00 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre with the annual Variable Winds Band Concert. The Ashland Area Community Concert Band under the direction of Leonard Salvo, and the Ashland University Concert Band directed by Kenneth Will will perform and senior Concert Band members will be recognized for their dedication and contribution to the AU Band program. Admission to the concert is complimentary and open to the public.

The Ashland Community Concert Band will open the concert with selections celebrating American tunes including the first three movements (Intrada, Chorale and March) of Clifton Williams' Symphonic Suite, Clare Grundman's American Folk Rhapsody No. 3, Samuel Hazo's Southern Hymn and Savannah River Rhapsody by Robert Sheldon.

After a brief intermission, the University Concert Band will perform a program of different cultures with a Amparito Roca, a Spanish pasodoble from  Jaime Texidor, Malcolm Arnold's Four Scottish Dances, Seal Lullaby by Eric Whitacre and conclude with Morton Gould's American Salute.

SALVO CELEBRATED AT FINAL UNIVERSITY BAND CONCERT AFTER 26 YEARS ON THE ASHLAND PODIUM

Ashland University Department of Music concludes an eventful 2013-2014 academic year and the 26-year tenure of Professor Leonard Salvo as Director of Bands on Sunday, May 4, 4:00 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre with the annual Variable Winds Band Concert. Under the direction of Salvo, the Ashland University Concert Band and Ashland Area Community Concert Band will perform a program including pieces of celebration and song along with an opportunity to recognize senior Concert Band members for their dedication and contribution to the AU Band program. Admission to the concert is complimentary, open to the public and is a wonderful opportunity to congratulate Mr. Salvo on his retirement. 

The concert begins with the Ashland Area Community Concert Band performing John Williams' Midway March which was composed for the classic World War II motion picture Midway, followed by James Curnow's Freedom Road which is a set of variations based on the spiritual "Follow the Drinkin' Gourd." The third piece, Shenandoah, is described by composer Frank Ticheli as the "mood ranges from quiet reflection, through growing optimism, to profound exaltation." The Community Band concludes its portion of the concert with Songs of Earth, Water, Fire and Sky by Robert W. Smith who drew upon authentic Native American dances and chants as inspiration. 

After a brief intermission, the Ashland University Concert Band begins their portion of the concert with James Curnow's Fanfare and Flourishes for a Festive Occasion which is based on Marc-Atoine Charpentier's "Te Deum."  The concert continues with Gustav Holst's Second Suite in F for Military Band performed in four movements.  The first movement is a march using several English folk tunes followed by the ballad Song Without Words for the second movement, and Song of the Blacksmith for the third.  The fourth and final movement, Fantasia on the Dargason, is based on an English country-dance tune with each section of the band exchanging the tune back and forth in variation.  The AU Concert Band will then perform Edwin Franko Goldman's The Chimes of Liberty, one of the great patriotic marches of our time; and conclude with Chorale and Shaker Dance including variations of the well known Shaker hymn, Simple Gifts.

Leonard Salvo has served as director of bands at Ashland University since 1988. During that time he grew the Eagle Marching Band from 17 members to 85, and founded the Ashland Area Community Concert Band. In addition to his work with the University concert band, wind ensemble, community concert band and marching band, he taught courses in conducting and music education.

Before coming to Ashland, he held positions at Indiana State University as assistant director of bands, and as assistant band director for the University of Toledo.  Mr. Salvo also spent 17 years in the public schools of Michigan. During that time, bands under his direction gained a national reputation through performances for the Mid-West International Band & Orchestra Clinic (Chicago), The Mid-East Conference on Instrumental Music (Pittsburgh), The Midwestern Conference on School Vocal and Instrumental Music (Ann Arbor) and the Eastern Michigan Contemporary Music Festival, Karel Husa composer/conductor (Ypsilanti, MI).  Ensembles under his direction have received critical acclaim from some of the nation’s most respected composers and conductors including Robert Page, Donald Erb, Anthony Iannaccone, Claude T. Smith, William D. Revelli, H. Robert Reynolds, John Whitwell, Harry Begian, Mark Kelly and Karel Husa.

With a Bachelor of Music Education from Eastern Michigan and a Master of Music degree from The University of Michigan, Mr. Salvo was also honored by The Music Department of Eastern Michigan University as an Outstanding Alumnus and was invited to serve as visiting lecturer and conductor. An active member several professional organizations he has twice been elected to serve as president of the Ohio Private College Instrumental Conductors Association. He takes an active role in campus life and has been recognized as the Outstanding Advisor for Student Organizations at Ashland University for his work with the Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity and university bands.  At the 2013 Ashland University Homecoming, Mr. Salvo was presented the honorary title of Kentucky Colonel by the State of Kentucky by former band members Jay & Kim Hartz as representatives of the State of Kentucky.  Commissions for Kentucky Colonels are given by the Kentucky Governor and the Secretary of State to individuals in recognition of noteworthy accomplishments and outstanding service to a community, state or the nation.

BAND CONCERT HONORS AREA JUNIOR HIGH INSTRUMENTALISTS

In Celebration of Music in Our Schools Month, Ashland University Department of Music will host the annual Ashland County Junior High School Honors Band on Sunday, March 23 at 4:00 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre with the Ashland University Concert Band as the featured guest ensemble.  Leonard Salvo, Ashland University Director of Bands, will conduct both bands.

Consisting of 85 members, the Ashland County Junior High Honors Band includes seventh and eighth grade students from Ashland, Crestview, Hillsdale, Loudonville-Perrysville and Mapleton Schools.  Members of the Ashland County Band Directors Association meet with Leonard Salvo and Crestview's Christopher Thompson, this year’s chairman, to plan the program.  The committee of band directors selects the honors band members based on merit and instrumentation needs of the band. Students meet at Ashland University on Thursday, March 20 and Sunday, March 23 to rehearse and present this program with music ranging from classical selections to traditional marches. 

The 65-member Ashland University Concert Band will open the concert with a cameo program of wonderful but unusual music chosen especially to highlight the day. The Junior High School Honors Band will perform following the University Concert Band’s program. The combination of these two bands make for a rewarding, exciting and satisfying musical experience for both the performers and the audience. Admission is complimentary and a recording can be ordered.

AU BAND MEMBERS AND DIRECTOR PERFORM AT SEVERANCE HALL

Six members of the Ashland University Concert Band and two members of the Ashland University Jazz Orchestra were selected to be members of the 2014 Ohio Private College Instrumental Conductors Association All Ohio Collegiate Honors Concert Band and Honors Jazz Ensemble.  In addition, Ashland University Director of Bands Leonard Salvo was selected as a conductor for this year's Honors Concert Band. The 26^th Annual OPCICA Honors Festival was hosted on February 1 and 2 by Case Western Reserve University and the concert was held in Severance Hall in Cleveland, Ohio.

Those selected for the Honors Concert Band were music education majors Paige Arthur (Danville), Hannah Phillips (Plymouth), Shayne Smith (Bellevue), and Alexandria VanScoy (Huron); music major Jake Lange (Dublin) and dietetics major Natalie Hritz (Seven Fields, Pennsylvania).  Those selected for the Honors Jazz Ensemble were music education majors Andrew Bartelheim (Wooster) and Jaylynn Buchmelter (Wintersville).

The Conductors selected for this years Honors Concert Band were Leonard Salvo, from Ashland University; Robert Gibson, from Ohio Dominican University; Barry Kopetz, from Capital University; Dwight Oltman, from Baldwin-Wallace University; and Marshall Kimball, from Marietta College. The Honors Jazz Ensemble directors this year were Jack Taylor, from the University of Findlay; and Paul Ferguson, from Case Western Reserve University.  

Nominations for the Honors Band and Jazz Ensemble were submitted by conductors at each of the member institutions.  These students were selected from over 150 nominees. Both ensembles rehearsed for two days and then presented a gala concert in one of the world’s finest concert venues Severance HalL.

The Ohio Private College Instrumental Conductors Association, founded in 1987, held its first collegiate honors band festival on January 24, 1988 at Capital University.  Currently comprised of 20 member colleges and universities, the primary purpose of the organization is to develop a closer network of communication and resource sharing among the instrumental departments, divisions, or conservatories of the various privately funded institutions of higher education within the state of Ohio.  An additional purpose is to sponsor an annual honors festival featuring an Honors Concert Band and an Honors Jazz Ensemble comprised of instrumental students from the participating schools.  These festivals have enriched the lives of thousands of college instrumentalists as well as the conductors from the member institutions.  The students are together for two days, and prepare the concert in three rehearsal.

SONGS & CELEBRATION THEME FOR VARIABLE WINDS

Ashland University Department of Music concludes a busy semester of live music with the annual Variable Winds band concert under the direction of Leonard Salvo and guest conductor Arie Lipsky on Sunday, May 5, 4:00 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre.  With performances by the Ashland University Concert Band and Ashland Area Community Concert Band, the program includes pieces of celebration and songs along with an opportunity to recognize senior Concert Band members for their dedication and contribution to the AU Band program. Admission to the concert is complimentary and open to the public.

The concert begins with the Ashland Area Community Concert Band under the direction of Mr. Salvo performing Vaclav Nelheybel's High Plains, a concert march in the European Style which was commissioned to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of the High Plains Band Camp and its founder/director H.G. Palmer.  The second piece, Jubilance, An Overture by Caesar Giovannini is a contemporary musical portrayal of exultation and of depression.  The music has an insistent drive, a restless energy that speaks especially of the hectic life of the modern world. The one exception to the general restlessness is the broad, singing melody in the middle of the piece with the flutes then the clarinets, horns and lastly saxophones while various percussion instruments are also prominent as a kinetic, rhythmic thrust to propel the listener through the piece. AACCB continues with Air for Band by Frank Erickson and concludes its portion of the concert with Sea Song Fantasy by John Wasson which was commissioned by Symphonicity (the Symphony Orchestra of Virginia Beach) and premiered for the opening of their new concert hall in November 2007. The work features a wide variety of sea shanties in various styles, ranging from well known melodies to more obscure songs of the sea. All are combined into an exciting work featuring virtually every instrument and family in the ensemble.

 

After a brief intermission, the Ashland University Concert Band begins their portion of the concert under the direction of Mr. Salvo with Donald Grantham's Exhilaration and Midnight Cry from Southern Harmony which has a somewhat exotic sound to modern audiences with harmonizations that are regarded as inventive, unique, and powerfully representative of the American character. The concert continues with Percy Grainger's Lincolnshire Posy, which has been recognized as a cornerstone of the wind band repertoire. Commissioned by the American Bandmasters Association and premiered at their convention with the composer conducting, "This bunch of 'musical wildflowers" is based on folksongs collected in Lincolnshire, England in six movements of which the Concert Band will present four including the first, second, fifth and sixth (Lisbon, Horkstow Grang, Lord Melbourne and Lost Lady Found, respectively).

Guest conductor Maestro Lipsky will then direct Procession of Nobles by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov which was transcribed for concert band by Erik Leidzen. With an opening brass fanfare announcing the entry of the nobility in this cortege from the opera "Mlada," woodwinds provide the regal flourishes that embellish the work. In his capacity as Artist in Residence for Ashland University, Lipsky's duties include working with students, performing groups and addressing classes in the Department of Music.  As guest conductor, the AU Concert Band looks forward to his expertise, energy and enthusiasm. This is a true benefit of our music students, music program and the entire community. Arie is a truly world-class musician, and it is a rare opportunity for our students and faculty to work closely with someone of his stature.

 

Mr. Salvo returns to the conductor's podium for Variations on a Korean Folk Song by John Barnes Chance. While stationed with the U.S. Army in Korea in the late 1950s, Chance became fascinated by the popular folk melody “Arirang,” using it as the basis for his Variations on a Korean Folk Song. “Arirang” is a traditional Korean song of love and heartbreak, possibly originating 1000 years ago. The pentatonic theme is heard at the outset of this composition and is contrasted with five variations. In 1966, this piece received the Ostwald Award from the American Bandmasters Association. To close the concert, the AU Concert Band will perform Esprit de Corps by Robert Jager. Based on The Marines' Hymn, this work is a fantasy-march, as well as a tribute to the United States Marine Band. Full of energy and drama, the composition has its solemn moments and its lighter moments.

ASHLAND UNIVERSITY PRESENTS CONCERT HONORING AREA JUNIOR HIGH INSTRUMENTALISTS

In Celebration of Music in Our Schools Month, Ashland University Department of Music will host the annual Ashland County Junior High School Honors Band on Sunday, March 24 at 4:00 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre with the Ashland University Concert Band as the featured guest ensemble. Leonard Salvo, Ashland University Director of Bands, will conduct both bands.

Consisting of 75 members, the Ashland County Junior High Honors Band includes seventh and eighth grade students from Ashland, Crestview, Hillsdale, Loudonville-Perrysville and Mapleton Middle Schools. Members of the Ashland County Band Directors Association meet with Leonard Salvo to plan the program. The committee of band directors selects the honors band members based on merit and instrumentation needs of the band. Students meet at Ashland University on Thursday, March 21 and Sunday, March 24 to rehearse and present this program with music ranging from classical selections to traditional marches. 

The 65-member Ashland University Concert Band will open the concert with a cameo program of wonderful but unusual music chosen especially to highlight the day. The Junior High School Honors Band will perform following the University Concert Band’s program.

Guest artist Jeff Neitzke, xylophone, will be featured with the Concert Band in "Rainbow Ripples." Neitzke is the Adjunct Percussion Professor at Ashland University and at Mt. Union College, and is also coordinator of the Canton Symphony Steel Band and Percussion programs. As a performer, Jeff has been a member of such orchestras as the Champaign-Urbana Symphony, Sinfonia da Camera, the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, the Akron Symphony Orchestra, and is currently the principal timpanist of the Ashland Symphony Orchestra. Jeff received his Bachelor’s Degree in Percussion Performance from the University of Illinois under Tom Siwe and Bill Moersch, and his Masters Degree in Percussion Performance from the University of Akron under Dr. Larry Snider.

The combination of these two bands and guest percussionist make for a rewarding, exciting and satisfying musical experience for both the performers and the audience. Admission is complimentary and a recording can be ordered.

THOMAS REED FEATURED AS GUEST ARTIST FOR VARIABLE WINDS CONCERT

The Ashland Area Community Concert Band (AACCB) and Ashland University Concert Band, both under the direction of Ashland University Director of Bands Leonard Salvo, will perform a joint concert on Sunday, April 22 at 4:00 p.m. in the University's Hugo Young Theatre.  The concert is free and open to the public.

The concert will begin with the Community Band performing Howard Cable's arrangement of The Shield of Freedom March, the signature tune for the movie of the same name, followed by Gustav Holst’s Second Suite in F for Military Band.  This suite in four movements uses English folk songs and folk dance tunes throughout. Third Suite by Robert Jager includes three movements titled March, Waltz and Rondo. The final two pieces performed by AACCB are Arthur Benjamin's Jamaican Rumba, a light music piece full of attractive ideas and catchy rhythms; and his First String Quartet (Pastorale Fantasia) which was awarded a Carnegie Prize in 1924. 

After a brief intermission, the Ashland University Concert Band will take the stage with Gustav Holst's three-movement Suite No. 1 in E-Flat, and continue with Robert Russell Bennett's five-movement Suite of Old American Dances which opens with Cake Walk, then the Scotch round dance Schottische, the pre-cursor to the Fox Trot Western One-Step, then the Wallflower Waltz and ending with the bright, syncopated Rag.  Guest soprano saxophonist Thomas Reed will perform with the band on his composition Shades of Blue, which he wrote in 2000 for the Ashland University Concert Band.  The work is cast in a single movement but outlines four major sections: an introduction, a jazz waltz, a jazz ballad and a closing allegro.  Following the presentation of the outstanding band member scholarship, recognition of the senior members and the playing of the Ashland University Alma Mater, Remember, the band will conclude their program with W. Francis McBeth's The Sea Treaders (In Calm and Storm). Commissioned by the United States Naval Academy Band for its 150th anniversary celebration, the work portrays the sea in both calm and storm in two connected movements.

CONCERT HONORING AREA JUNIOR HIGH INSTRUMENTALISTS

In Celebration of Music in Our Schools Month, Ashland University Department of Music will host the annual Ashland County Junior High School Honors Band on Sunday, March 18 at 4:00 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre with the Ashland University Concert Band as the featured guest ensemble.  Leonard Salvo, Ashland University Director of Bands, will conduct both bands. The concert is free and open to the public.

Consisting of 80 members, the Ashland County Junior High Honors Band includes seventh and eighth grade students from Ashland, Crestview, Hillsdale, Mapleton and Perrysville Middle Schools (Loudonville).  Members of the Ashland County Band Directors Association met with Leonard Salvo and Joe Barone, this year’s chairman and Loudonville-Perrysville’s band director, to plan the program.  The committee of band directors selects the honors band members based on merit and instrumentation needs of the band. Students meet at Ashland University on Thursday, March 15 and Sunday, March 18 to rehearse and present this program with music ranging from classical selections to traditional marches. 

The 65-member Ashland University Concert Band will open the concert with a cameo program of wonderful but unusual music chosen especially to highlight the day. The Junior High School Honors Band will perform following the University Concert Band’s program.

The combination of these two bands make for a rewarding, exciting and satisfying musical experience for both the performers and the audience. Admission is complimentary and a recording can be ordered.