AU Instrumental Ensembles Close Fall Music Events

The Department of Music at Ashland University concludes the fall semester featuring its instrumentalists with performances at the student chamber ensembles recital and the Winter Festival Band Concert. Both concerts are free and open to the public.

On Tuesday, December 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall, several student chamber ensembles perform including the saxophone ensemble under the direction of Dr. Thomas Reed, as well as brass, string and percussion ensembles instructed by Michael Metcalf, Jane Reed and Jeffrey Neitzke, respectively. Mr. Neitzke also leads a jazz combo which will perform.

On Saturday, December 12 at 7:30 p.m. in Hugo Young Theatre, the Winter Festival Band Concert will present the Ashland University Wind Ensemble directed by Gary Ciulla, Ashland University Director of Bands, and the Ashland Area Community Concert Band (AACCB) under the direction of Leonard Salvo.

The Ashland University Wind Ensemble is comprised of the outstanding wind and percussion players at the University and from the community.  The ensemble begins Saturday's concert with Ralph Vaughan Williams' English Folk Song Suite followed by Samuel Hazo's "Whisper to Their Souls" which is based on "Greensleeves," and Robert Sheldon's collection of Irish street ballads, "Longford Legend." The Wind Ensemble closes their portion of the program with "Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson.

After a brief intermission, the 65-member Ashland Area Community Concert Band takes the stage. Established in 1993, the ensemble is designed for both university students and members of the Ashland community to continue their musical study and creative activity. The Community Band's program begins with Clare Grundman's lovely and robust medley of sailing songs including "Hornet and Peacock," "Lowlands," "What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailer?" and "Rio Grande;" and is followed by Jan Van der Roost's "Rikudim" which includes four Israeli folk dances. Their program also includes Sousa's "Nobles of the Mystic Shrine," Holst's "In the Bleak Midwinter," and concludes with Sheldon's "A Most Wonderful Christmas."

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.

ASHLAND AREA CHORUS & COMMUNITY CONCERT BAND ANNOUNCE FALL SCHEDULES

Two community music ensembles at Ashland University [Ashland Area Chorus (AAC) and Ashland Area Community Concert Band (AACCB)] announce their fall schedules including rehearsals, concerts and membership requirements.  Beginning Monday, August 18, Ashland Area Chorus rehearsals are held on Monday evenings from 7-8:45 p.m. in Room 242 of the Center for the Arts. Initially meeting on Tuesday, September 2, the Community Band rehearses on Tuesday evenings from 7:30-9 p.m. in the Center for the Arts' Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall.
 
Entering its seventeenth season, the Ashland Area Chorus is a mixed choir of about 50 singers from Ashland and surrounding counties.  The fall semester’s repertoire will include pieces by Bernstein and Whitacre, several sixteenth-century madrigals, and arrangements of traditional carols.  The chorus will participate in the Ashland University Fall Concert, October 12, and the annual Festival of Lights on December 7. Though no formal audition is required for membership, AAC members must be pitch accurate (sing 'on key') and be able to learn and perform their parts successfully. Previous choral experience is helpful. 
 
The Ashland Area Community Concert Band begins its twenty-second season and 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 6. 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. 

Membership in AAC and 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. For further information, contact the Chorus’ director Libby Slade at eslade@ashland.edu or (419) 685-5460; or Community Band director Leonard Salvo at 419-289-5132 or lsalvo@ashland.edu.

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.

AU WIND ENSEMBLE & ASHLAND COMMUNITY BAND CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY SEASON & REFLECT ON DEC. 7

Under the direction of Leonard Salvo, Ashland University Director of Bands, the Ashland Area Community Concert Band (AACCB) and Ashland University Wind Ensemble present their annual Winter Festival Concert on Saturday, December 7, 7:30 p.m. at the University’s Hugo Young Theatre.  Featuring music celebrating the holiday season and reflecting on the events of December 7, the concert is free and open to the public.

The 40-piece Ashland University Wind Ensemble is comprised of the outstanding wind and percussion players at the University and from the community.  The ensemble begins Saturday's concert with Anthony Iannaccone's "Plymouth Trilogy" comprised of three contrasting movements including a saxophone solo, followed by Hymn of St. James by Reber Clark which is based on the hymn "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence." The Wind Ensemble concludes their portion of the program with Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride," one of the world's most popular pieces of Christmas music.

After a brief intermission, the 55-member Ashland Area Community Concert Band takes the stage. Established in 1993, the ensemble is designed for both university students and members of the Ashland community to continue their musical study and creative activity.  In 1995, it was recognized by Cleveland's WCLV FM as "one of Ohio's finest Community Concert Bands."  The Band begins their program with "Midway March" by John Williams followed by Claude T. Smith's arrangement of "God of Our Fathers."  The third piece of the program includes selections from Lionel Bart's delightful musicalOliver! including Consider Yourself, Where Is Love, I'd Do Anything and Who Will Buy. The Band will then perform Robert Palmer's "Overture on a Southern Hymn" which is based on one of the most popular Southern folk hymn tunes "Wondrous Love."  The concert concludes with Robert Sheldon's arrangement A Most Wonderful Christmas which includes Winter Wonderland, I'll Be Home for Christmas, Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, and It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. 

SALVO AWARDED HONORARY TITLE OF KENTUCKY COLONEL

AU Director of Bands Leonard Salvo was presented the honorary title of Kentucky Colonel by the State of Kentucky at the band reception/reunion at homecoming on October 12. Former band members Jay & Kim Hartz presented the award 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.  

To obtain a Kentucky Colonel Commission, an applicant must be recommended by an individual who holds a Colonel Commission. AU Graduate and Band Alumnus Jay Hartz who serves as deputy chief of staff for Senate Republicans for the State of Kentucky nominated Mr. Salvo.  

Among the ranks of the Kentucky Colonels are distinguished leaders such as Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Ronald Reagan and English Prime Minister Winston Churchill, volunteer firemen and teachers - people from all walks of life who have performed in an extraordinary manner. 

The Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels does not appoint or commission Kentucky Colonels. That can only be done by the sitting Governor of the Commonwealth. Only the Governor knows the reason for bestowing the honor of a Colonel’s Commission on any particular individual. One recent Governor made this comment about the qualities he considered, “Each time I have the pleasure of bestowing a membership to this exceptional organization on an individual, the great tradition established by Kentucky’s first governor, Isaac Shelby, lives on. The name Kentucky Colonel has become synonymous with strength of character, leadership and dedication to the welfare of others. Just as Isaac Shelby declared his trusted militia members to be his Kentucky Colonels, I see in you those things that place others above self."

FALL CONCERTS BEGIN WITH AU MARCHING BAND AND IRON TOYS

The Department of Music at Ashland University begins its fall semester concerts at the Ashland County Fair with the University Marching Band leading the Parade of Bands at the grandstand on Sunday, September 15 at 2:00 p.m. under the baton of Leonard Salvo, Director of Bands.

Also in September, the Department of Music is pleased to present a guest artist recital with the Iron Toys saxophone and woodwind quartet on Monday, September 23, 7:30 p.m. in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall.  Founded in 2004 by Tom Reed, Rich Shanklin, George Shernit and Howie Smith, the quartet performs a diverse repertoire blending classical, jazz and avant-garde styles. Because of the doubling skills of its members, the group has over twenty instruments available for any given performance. This concert is free and open to the public.

 

For more information about the music department and its performances, visit the Web site at www.ashland.edu/music or contact Tricia Applegate, coordinator of performing arts publicity and events, at 419-289-5950 or tapplega@ashland.edu. Also available is the College of Arts & Sciences 2013-2014 ARTS GUIDE offering a comprehensive listing of the year's music, theatre, Spectrum and Coburn Gallery events.

ASHLAND AREA CHORUS AND COMMUNITY CONCERT BAND ANNOUNCE FALL SCHEDULES

Two community music ensembles at Ashland University, Ashland Area Chorus (AAC) and Ashland Area Community Concert Band (AACCB) announce their fall schedules including rehearsals, concerts and membership requirements.  Beginning August 19, Ashland Area Chorus rehearsals are held on Monday evenings from 7-8:45 p.m. in Room 242 of the Center for the Arts (formerly the Arts and Humanities building). Initially meeting on Tuesday, September 3, the Community Band rehearses on Tuesday evenings from 7:30-9 p.m. in the Center for the Arts' Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall.

Entering its sixteenth season, the Ashland Area Chorus is a non-auditioned mixed choir of about 65 singers from Ashland, Richland, Medina, Wayne, Holmes and Crawford Counties.  The fall semester’s repertoire will include pieces by Duruflé, Rachmaninoff and Rutter as well as a new arrangement of a traditional American hymn commissioned for the Chorus.  The Chorus will participate in the Ashland University fall concert, October 13, and the annual Festival of Lights on December 8. For membership, previous choral experience is helpful and encouraged. 

The Ashland Area Community Concert Band begins its twenty-first season and 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 concert at the Ashland County Fair on Tuesday, September 17, and a performance at the University with the Ashland University Concert Band on Saturday, December 7. 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.

Membership to AAC and AACCB is open to anyone.  However, students still in high school must have permission by 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 through the Ashland University Box Office at 419.289.5125 or online at www.ashland.edu/music. 

 

For further information, contact the Chorus’ new conductor Libby Slade at eslade@ashland.edu or (419) 685-5460; or Leonard Salvo, Director of Bands, at 419-289-5132 or lsalvo@ashland.edu.  

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.

FALL SEMESTER CLOSES WITH HONORS RECITAL, WINTER FESTIVAL CONCERT & FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

The Ashland University Department of Music begins to wrap up the 2012 fall semester with three remaining performances including the Fall Honors Recital, Winter Festival Band Concert and the Festival of Lights which are all free and open to the public.

Fall Honors Recital: Tuesday, Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m., Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall
The Fall Honors Recital features performances from the department’s student instrumental and vocal musicians who accomplished exceptional work in the fall semester. 

Winter Festival Band Concert: Saturday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m., Hugo Young Theatre

Under the direction of Leonard Salvo, Ashland University Director of Bands, the Ashland Area Community Concert Band begins the concert with "Marche Lorraine" by French composer Louis Ganne followed by W. Francis McBeth's "Chant and Jubilo" which is a work in two contrasting movements including the melodic Chant and the explosive Jubilo featuring the lower brass and percussion sections.  Based on the well-known Shaker hymn "Simple Gifts",  the third piece of the program, "Chorale and Shaker Dance II" by American composer John Zdechlik, begins with the woodwinds introducing the theme followed by solos for flute, clarinet, saxophone and trumpet then ending with the brass sections playing the chorale while woodwinds perform the fiery obbligato.

AACCB then presents a special event featuring local storyteller Dave Kowalka reciting the story of "The Polar Express" as the ensemble performs the Concert Suite from the animated feature movie.  Written by Silvestri and Ballard and arranged by Jerry Brubaker, the featured songs include "Believe," "The Polar Express," "When Christmas Comes to Town" and "Spirit of the Season."  The Community Band concludes their portion of the concert with Warren Barker's "It's Christmas," a medley of holiday favorites including "Jingle Bells," O Come All Ye Faithful," "Joy to the World," "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," "Deck the Halls," "Silent Night" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."

The 60-piece Ashland University Wind Ensemble, also under the direction of Salvo, performs “A Festival Prelude” by Alfred Reed which is a single movement piece with four distinct sections. The opening “Carol” sets a restrained and gentle mood then the chant from the trombones and trumpets climaxes into the “Antiphonal Chant” carried by the woodwinds. The rhythm picks up for the “Village Song,” which is presented in two bar phrases that rise and fall with the liturgy. The church bells herald the final “Cathedral Chorus” that builds in a steady crescendo, pausing for a soft and sonorous chorale, before continuing with the introduction of additional instruments until all of the colors and intensity of the celebration fill the hall.

The concert concludes with selections from the Ashland University Jazz Orchestra directed by visiting professor Ashley L. Summers.  Members of the Jazz Orchestra include saxophonists Trent Kimball, Amanda Hall, Jessica Barnhouse,Shayne Smith and Stephen Matis; trombonists William McDonald, Dylan Pyanowski, Benjamin Marbut and Chris Prichard; along with Hannah Phillips, Eileen Navratil and Katie Metz on trumpet.  The rhythm section consists of Kyle Gould, piano; Benjamin Schnell, bass; and Aaron Hill, drums.

Festival of Lights: Sunday, Dec. 9 at 7:00 p.m., Jack and Deb Miller Chapel
This annual candlelight service symbolizes Christ coming into the world. The story is communicated in verse and song with Scripture readings, traditional carols and seasonal choral music by the Ashland University Choir and Ashland Area Chorus directed by Dr. Ron Blackley, and the Ashland Area Chorus directed by Dr. Marla Butke. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Canned food for needy families of Ashland County will be collected at the event and donated to Associated Charities of Ashland.

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.

Music Department Alums Meet at OMEA Conference

Julie Strebler-Renner, Val Alley, Ann Teschler, Geoff Zimmerly,

Sarah McGrady, Karen Mahoney, Len Salvo

The annual Ohio Music Education Association Conference was a busy time for Ashland music grads.  About 25 alums attended the weekend conference February 16-18 in Columbus, and many we able to join us for our alumni reception.  

Megan Routh

We were proud to see three of our graduates, Geoff Zimmerly, Megan Routh, and Trishah Snowden present clinics at OMEA. This is a significant honor for them, and shows the fine careers our graduates are developing.  Megan and Geoff teach in the Loudonville-Perrysville School District, and Trishah in the Nordonia Schools.

 Trishah Snowden's presentation was titled “Engaging Tweeners: Creative Projects and Activities for the General Music Classroom.”  Megan Routh and Geoff Zimmerly gave a joint presentation titled “From General Music to Ensembles: Molding the K-12 Musician,” and Routh also presented “ Creating a Seamless General Music Classroom: Tips and Techniques for New Teachers.”

Dennis Terlaak, Chris Simmons, Rachel Blenman,
Aly Horn, Jim Slike, Margo Trinter, Melanie Gardner,
Mandy Stahlecker, John Grimm

Karen Ebert, Neil Ebert, Dave Wolbert, Kim Wolbert

Music faculty members Ron Blackley, Marla Butke, Scott Garlock,  Tom Reed, and Len Salvo attended the conference as well.  We thank the A.U. Alumni Office and Jeff Alix, Director of Alumni and Parent Relations for assistance.

Josh Wortman, Cassie Bull, Beth Wortman,
Katy Klein, Marla Butke

Trishah Snowden

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.

COMMUNITY CONCERT BAND AND UNIVERSITY WIND ENSEMBLE PRESENT CONCERT WITH GUEST VOCALIST STEPHANIE SIKORA

The Ashland Area Community Concert Band (AACCB) and Ashland University Wind Ensemble present their annual Winter Festival Concert, under the direction Ashland University Director of Bands Leonard Salvo along with guest artist, soprano Stephanie Sikora, on Thursday, December 8, 7:30 p.m. at the University’s Hugo Young Theatre.  The concert is free and open to the public.

The 60-piece Wind Ensemble begins the concert with “A Festival Prelude” by Alfred Reed which opens with robust fanfares followed by a warm and melodic middle section then ending with a majestic processional march.  The ensemble continues with “Ghost Train” by Eric Whitacre, one of the most popular and performed composers of our generation.  This first movement of the three movement tone poem “Ghost Train Triptych” depicts a supernatural machine that roars out of the night through forgotten towns and empty canyons. The music’s eerie sounds and driving rhythms beautifully captures the supernatural spirit combined with the essence of a steaming locomotive.  The third piece of the program, “Perthshire Majesty” by Samuel Hazo, is a lush Scottish ballad which won the 2003 National Band Association’s Revelli Memorial Composition Contest.  Closing the first half of the concert, the Wind Ensemble performs Reber Clark’s “Hymn of St. James” which is a composition for band based on the hymn “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.”

After a brief intermission, the Ashland Area Community Concert Band begins their program with “Fanatic Winds,” a lively concert work with a youthful character by English composer Thomas Doss; followed by two movements of Clare Grundman’s exquisite symphonic settings of four beloved English folk tunes in “English Suite;”  and James Swearingen’s “The Light Eternal”, a dramatic and emotional work based on the hymn “God of Our Fathers” that tells the story of the S.S. Dorchester that sank off the coast of Greenland.  Soprano Stephanie Sikora then takes the stage with the Concert Band to perform Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim’s “Tonight” from the American musical “West Side Story.” The concert closes with Robert Sheldon’s “A Most Wonderful Christmas” which includes some of the most popular Christmas selections of all time such as “Winter Wonderland,” “I’ll be Home for Christmas,” and “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.”

Stephanie Sikora is currently in her nineteenth year as head of the voice area in the Department of Music at Ashland University. She has sung over 100 performances with Cleveland Opera on Tour, as well as appeared in main stage productions with Cleveland Opera, and as a guest soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom Festival. Additional credits include performances with the Reading Symphony, Canton Symphony, Mendelssohn of Pittsburgh, Ashland Symphony, Akron Lyric Opera Theatre, Firelands Symphony, The Singers’ Club, and fourteen years as a member and frequent soloist with the Robert Page Cleveland Singers.