Concert Program
Ensemble Recital Series
NIU Wind Ensemble
Music of Black Composers Showcase
Dr. Thomas Bough, conductor
Leif Albertson, Graduate Assistant
Dr. Lia Snead, Guest Conductor
Brandon Estes, Guest Conductor
Tuesday, January 28, 2025
7:00 pm
Boutell Memorial Concert Hall
Concert Program
Program
Los Bailes Caliente - William Owens (b. 1963)
Program Notes:
As I’ve often said, composing music to honor the memory of a loved one is never an easy task. And to the family and friends of Mr. Jim Melhart, this piece comes with sincere condolences and a heavy heart.
As music written for a departed loved one is generally solemn and introspective, I was quite elated to be afforded the opportunity to compose a work of a festive nature. While being granted complete artistic freedom, my one caveat was for the piece to be quite reflective of the gentleman it honors. As Jim was a man who truly embodied vitality, generosity and joy, the idea of latin dances immediately came to mind; the ultimate result being Los Bailes Calientes (The Sultry Dances). The work consists of three distinct sections/dances:
From the outset, the Flemenco Salvaje (wild flamenco) exudes high spirit and a wonderful exuberance. Driving rhythms and a mariachi-style trumpet duet are at the forefront of this rather spicy phase.
Slow and introspective in nature, the Rumba Lenta (slow rumba) portrays the profound void felt by family and friends. While the music is a celebration of life, the anguish that comes with the loss of a loved one simply cannot be dismissed.
By way of the melancholy oboe melody, the music transitions into a beautiful haunting melody by way of the saxophone, gradually blossoming into a song of “gleeful lament” by the full ensemble.
Offering a vivid depiction of a carefree spirit, the upbeat Samba Divertida (fun samba) is quite literally a celebratory “happy dance”! While the man himself is no longer among us, the beautiful memories and strong legacy he leaves will most certainly endure. Driving rhythms and memorable melodic statements, including that of an intrepid trombone duet, quite aptly define this riveting final statement.
Los Bailes Calientes was commissioned by the Band Directors of the Rio Grande Valley (Texas), and lovingly dedicated to the memory, family, and friends of Jim Melhart.
Castles in Europe - James Reese Europe (1881-1919), arr. Chandler Wilson
Guest Conductor, Brandon Estes
Program Notes:
Composer James Reece Europe, one of the most famous African-American musicians of his day, was called the “Martin Luther King of music” by pianist Eubie Blake. He became the first African-American bandmaster in the U.S. Army. Europe was born in Alabama in 1881. When he was ten years old, his family moved to Washington D.C. and he began to study violin. Later in life, he served as the bandmaster for the dance duo of Vernon and Irene Castle, the inventors of the foxtrot. He joined the U.S. Army and was eventually made a lieutenant whereupon he was ordered by his commanding officer to form a military band. He enlisted people from a variety of places, some as far away as Puerto Rico to join his band. This band became known as the 369th U.S. Infantry “Hell Fighters” band. Europe’s legacy includes bringing ragtime into mainstream society and elevating African-American music into an accepted art form.
-Program notes taken from the Arranger, Chandler L. Wilson (ASCAP)
Wishes and Wantings - Kelijah Dunton (b. 1999)
Co-commissioned by Northern Illinois University
Leif Albertson, Conductor
Program Notes:
In my high school days, I spent a lot of my time consuming and learning about Japanese culture and its fascinating history. I’ve always had the desire to listen to and emulate modern Japanese music from J-Pop to movie scoring giants such as Joe Hisaishi and the like. I have a great appreciation for the culture because it has probably influenced me the most in my musical writing and has opened my eyes to different forms a musical thought can take.
Now here we are with my new piece, Wishes & Wantings, a modern Japanese-inspired piece that speaks to my own personal experience being surrounded by Japanese culture growing up and what it also means to so many other people that I know and relate to from all walks of life.
– Program Note by composer
Meditation - Dwayne S. Milburn (b. 1963)
Program Notes:
From the composer of the best-seller American Hymnsong Suite comes Meditation. By combining two tunes, the Lutheran hymn If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee and the American folk song Poor Wayfarin’ Stranger, the composer expertly crafts a moving tribute to the memory of those who have passed.
– Program Note from publisher
In early 2004, I was contacted by Mr. Jeff Looman, director of instrumental music for the Calvin Christian Schools in Michigan. Looman entrusted me to create a special composition in memory of a former student, Nick Stegeman, who had lost his life several years earlier. Meditation combines two tunes, the Lutheran hymn If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee and the American folk song Poor Wayfarin’ Stranger. It is actually the second of three movements that comprise a suite entitled Music for Bright Youth. The title refers not only to Nick, but all the young musicians with whom it has been my pleasure to work over the years as well. In February of 2005, the combined bands of the Calvin Christian Schools, under the direction of Mr. Looman, premiered the entire suite as a part of their annual winter concert.
– Program Note by composer
The Old Boatman - Florence Price (1887-1953), arr. Dana Paul Perna (b. 1958)
uest Conductor, Dr. Lia Snead
Program Notes:
Originally for piano, The Old Boatman is a shining presentation of Price’s signature style, reminiscent of Grieg and Dvorak. Veteran arranger Dana Paul Perna expertly brings to life the lyricism and harmonic creativity of Price’s original composition in his arrangement for concert band. Florence Price was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. She began learning music from her mother at an early age and gave her first piano performance at age four, reportedly publishing a composition at age eleven. She graduate high school at the age of sixteen and in that same year was accepted into the New England Conservatory. Though a large part of her compositional output were works for piano and songs, Price is noted as the first African-American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer, as well as the first to have a composition played by a major orchestra. This took place in 1933, when Price’s Symphony No 1 in E minor was performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Frederick Stock, as part of the Century of Progress World’s Fair. Price left behind a handful of published works and hundreds of unpublished ones that are only recently beginning to become known. In 2009, a substantial collection of her works and papers was found in an abandoned dilapidated house on the outskirts of St. Anne, Illinois, which Price had used as a summer home.
At Evening - Quinn Mason (b. 1996)
Guest Conductor, Dr. Lia Snead
Program Notes:
Soul to Soul - Quinn Mason (b. 1996)
Program Notes:
A multiple prize winner in composition, Quinn Mason has received numerous awards and honors from such organizations as the American Composers Forum, Voices of Change, Texas A&M University, The Diversity Initiative, the Dallas Foundation, Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble, the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York, the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, the Heartland Symphony Orchestra and the Arizona State University Symphony Orchestra. In 2020, Quinn was named by the Dallas Morning News as a finalist for ‘Texan of the Year’.
Quinn’s mission is to compose music for various mediums “Based in traditional western art music and reflecting the times in which we currently live”. Quinn has studied with Dr. Lane Harder at the SMU Meadows School of the Arts, Dr. Winston Stone at University of Texas at Dallas and has also worked with renowned composers David Maslanka, Jake Heggie, Libby Larsen, David Dzubay and Robert X. Rodriguez.
The composer writes: Soul to Soul is an elegy for wind ensemble written in the memory of David Maslanka (1943-2017), who I had the pleasure of working closely with for a brief period in February 2017. The work is a tribute to Dr. Maslanka and his unique style of writing for wind ensemble, complete with chorales and hopeful trumpet fanfares. In addition to the chorales, this piece also contains a quote from his 8th symphony.
Gale and Zephyr - Shawn Okpebholo (b. 1981)
Commissioned by Northern Illinois University
Program Notes:
Shawn E. Okpebholo is a Grammy-nominated, critically acclaimed, and widely performed composer whose music has been praised by critics worldwide. The Washington Post describes his work as “fresh, new, and fearless,” as well as “devastatingly beautiful,” while The Guardian hails it as “lyrical, complex, and singular.” His artistry has garnered him many awards, including The Academy of Arts and Letters Walter Hinrichsen Award and the 2020 American Prize in Composition. Okpebholo has collaborated with some of today’s most renowned artists and ensembles, including Rhiannon Giddens, Lawrence Brownlee, J’Nai Bridges, Will Liverman, eighth blackbird, Copland House Ensemble, and the Cincinnati and Houston Symphony Orchestras. His music has been featured in prestigious performance venues, including Carnegie and Wigmore Halls, as well as the Lincoln, Kennedy, and Kimmel Centers, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Recently, Okpebholo completed a residency with the Chicago Opera Theater, culminating in the production of his opera “The Cook-Off,” in collaboration with acclaimed librettist Mark Campbell. He holds the position of Johnathan Blanchard Professor of Composition at Wheaton College-Conservatory of Music and also serves as the Saykaly Garbulinska Composer-in-Residence at the Lexington Philharmonic. For more information about Shawn E. Okpebholo and his work, please visit shawnokpebholo.com.
The composer writes: When I set out to create this work for wind ensemble, I decided to explore the idea of wind as a natural phenomenon, particularly its fluidity as both a dynamic and gentle force. The title of the piece, Gale and Zephyr, refers to this exploration and my ultimate artistic response to this duality: gale a strong wind, and zephyr, a gentle breeze. The composition begins with a powerful solo trumpet statement, embodying the forceful onset of a gale. I imagined this section as a musical squall that not only portrays a violent gust of wind but also expresses its command and beauty, realized with bold brass gestures, swirling winds, and vibrant percussion. As the piece progresses, it transitions into a slower, quasi-impressionistic middle section, reminiscent of a gentle breeze, or zephyr. Here, delicate melodies and soft harmonies take over. While I aimed to create a calmer and more tranquil soundscape, there are unexpected interruptions that calm winds can bring. The energetic return serves as a bold and exciting climax, featuring a fierce interplay of the full ensemble, exploring the wind ensemble’s versatility.
On Parade - Amanda C. E. Aldridge 1866-1956, arr. Kaitlin Bove
Conducted by Leif Albertson
Program Notes:
Leif Albertson is the current graduate assistant for the NIU Huskie Bands and studies wind band conducting with Dr. Thomas Bough. Leif grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Iowa State University. Leif has attended conducting symposiums at the University of Minnesota at Minneapolis, the University of Kansas City, Missouri, and Northern Illinois University, Leif has also participated at the Music For All Summer Symposium as a director in 2024. Leif taught 6th-8th grade middle school band in Elkhorn, Nebraska, for two years before coming to NIU to pursue a master’s degree.
A native of Queens, New York, Lia Snead has a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Georgia Southern University (formally Armstrong Atlantic State University). While pursuing her undergraduate degree, Snead was active within the community as a private trumpet instructor and as a brass instructor at Savannah State University. After graduation, she became the Director of Bands at Robert W. Groves High School where she revived the band program and led them to earn their first superior ratings at concert festival in over a decade. In 2014, Snead went on to study conducting at Northern Illinois University with Ronnie Wooten and Dr. Thomas Bough, where she was both the music education and conducting graduate assistant. After earning a Master of Music degree with an emphasis in Wind Conducting, she accepted a position as the Associate Director of Bands at Richmond Hill High School in Richmond Hill, GA. While there, the program consistently received straight superior ratings and won numerous awards at both concert and marching festivals. She also performed with the Savannah Wind Symphony where she served on the board of directors and frequently guest conducted. In 2023, she received a DMA from the University of South Carolina, where she studied with Cormac Cannon.
Snead is currently the Director of Bands at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. She is also active as a clinician, adjudicator, guest conductor, and performer. She is a member of the Iowa Music Educators Association (IMEA), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the Minority Band Directors National Association (MBDNA), and Tau Beta Sigma, National Honorary Band Sorority.
Lia is married to her college sweetheart, fellow musician, Director of Bands at Northern Iowa Area Community College, and PhD candidate at the University of South Carolina, Mr. Derrick Snead. Together, they have adopted an Old English Bulldog named Bruno.