22.03.05 Blue2 Showcase Concert Program

2021-2022 Concert Season

Blue2 Showcase Blue2 Winds Blue2 Percussion

Greenwald Foundation PAC Saturday | March 5 | 7:00pm

Lobby Music The King’s Parade (2016)

David Marlatt b. 1973

Taiko á la Tom-Tom (2018)

Steven Wulff b. 1984

Fortune Favors the Bold (2020) Lil’ Pan Melodies (2022)

Cotton Candy (2009)

Matthew R. Putnum Adam Brostowitz b. 1989

Program

David Marlatt b. 1973

The Abandoned Funhouse (2016/2020)

Brian Balmages b. 1975

Les Toréadors from Carmen (1875/2020)

Georges Bizet (1838-1875) arr. Tyler Arcari b. 1989

Andrew Blum, euphonium Log Cabin Blues (1924/1990)

George Hamilton Green (1893-1970) Kendal Schreiber, xylophone arr. Bob Becker

Shimmer (2011)

Ryan Meeboer b. 1978

Due to copyright and privacy laws: You may not publicly display or post recordings (YouTube, Facebook, etc.) of any part of this program.

Program (Continued) Glimmer (2012) with Alexa Zakutansky, cello Noble Gases (2017/2020) 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Ivan Trevino b. 1983 Andrew David Perkins b. 1978

Helium Neon Argon Krypton Xenon Radon

Deceptively Warm Coats (2022)

Jahi Moore & Wes Zepecki-Davison b. 1992 / b.1989

—Intermission— Circuit Breaker (2021)

Randall D. Standridge b. 1976

Release the Kraken (2016)

John Willmarth b. 1974

Loch Lomond (2009)

Traditional arr. Mike Forbes b. 1973

Kaleidoscopic Dances (2020/2021)

John Trentadue b. 1994

In the Sky (2020) Mary Shelley Meets Frankenstein (2014/2020) Vector (2020)

Patrick Speranza b. 1994 Erika Svanoe b. 1976 Matt Moore b. 1985

Program Notes Cotton Candy (2009)

David Marlatt b. 1973

Cotton Candy is a quick, light and fun tune intended as a closer or encore on a concert. It is musically simple and the harmonies are typical of cartoon or circus music. The title suggests the gaiety that one would encounter at a town fair or circus, eating food that is nothing but sugar! (program notes by the composer) The Abandoned Funhouse (2017/2020)

Brian Balmages b. 1975

The Abandoned Funhouse takes the listener on an eerie tour that can best be described as an unsettling experience with a touch of curiosity and anxiousness.

My intent was to compose a piece that was extremely playable, yet I wanted it to sound like a legitimate film score that did not sound watered down. The piano part serves as an integral voice in the composition as well as the orchestration.

An optional celesta part is included as well – this can easily be played on a keyboard and adds a great deal to the mildly disturbing mood of the piece. (program notes by the composer) Les Toréadors from Carmen (1875/2020)

Georges Bizet (1838-1875) arr. Tyler Arcari b. 1989

Carmen is widely regarded as the most popular opera ever written. Probably no other opera contains so many melodies which are familiar to the layman. In Les Toréadors Bizet captures the excitement, the romance, and the Spanish color which makes the opera so universally appealing. (program notes by the Manchester College Symphony Orchestra)

Log Cabin Blues (1924/1990)

George Hamilton Green (1893-1970) arr. Bob Becker

American jazz of the 1920s and 1930s achieved a “Golden Age” of popularity and development. This time period showcased everything from vaudeville acts to jazz groups in tucked away towns to high profile jazz orchestras playing in the big cities. It was a genre marked by performers who wanted to not only show their talent, but to add their ideas of how American music should look, sound, and feel. Jazz’s growing popularity helped celebrate the “Roaring Twenties,” but was equally important in helping a beleaguered populace forget the trials of the Great Depression. George Hamilton Green was one of these early jazz musicians and remains one of the most important performers and composers for the xylophone. His recordings highlighted the xylophone in a wide variety of novelty ensembles as they performed his original works in addition to the popular tunes, waltzes, and salon dances of that era. (program notes by the United States Marine Band) Shimmer (2011)

Ryan Meeboer b. 1978

Shimmer is a calm, reflective piece that is reflected by the meaning of the word itself; to shine with a subdued flickering light, as in a reflection on water. The main melody is simple and repeated several times throughout, each time mixed with various harmonies, contrapuntal techniques, rhythmical figures, or counter melodies, to keep the music interesting for performers and listeners. (program notes by the composer) Glimmer (2012)

Ivan Trevino b. 1983

Sometimes, life gets crazy, especially as a full time musician. In between the hustle and bustle of touring, teaching, and bigger life events like getting married and buying a home, I needed an outlet to take a breath and relax.

Glimmer speaks to the meditative part of life that we sometimes need to visit. (program notes by the composer)

Noble Gases (2017/2020)

Andrew David Perkins b. 1978

Noble Gases is a set of six short works for flexible quintet (originally saxophone choir), inspired by the six noble gases and their applications: Helium (He), Neon (Ne), Argon (Ar), Krypton (Kr), Xenon (Xe), and the radioactive Radon (Rn).

Discovered by Sir William Ramsay, these inert chemical elements are extremely rare in nature and have numerous, important applications in science and technology. These short works can be performed as a suite, individually, or in any combination. (program notes by the composer) Deceptively Warm Coats (2022)

Jahi Moore & Wes Zepecki-Davison b. 1992 / b.1989

When naming drumline warmups or cadences (such as this piece), it is not uncommon for the title to merely be a pun or an inside joke/reference to a shared experience had by the students or instructors that is seemingly unrelated to the musical content. In this instance, Deceptively Warm Coats is a reference to an inside joke between members of the Tundra Line, the drumline of the Green Bay Packers. Staying warm at games is always a challenge in January, and it became even more of an obstacle when the heavy, down-filled winter coats of previous seasons were replaced by what appeared to be fall jackets. Sensing that there was concern, the director sent out an email addressing the concern, stating that the new coats were “deceptively warm.”

Turns out, they weren’t - and the use of the phrase ‘deceptively’ in place of the word ‘not’ was born. We hope you enjoy this “deceptively quiet” performance by our Blue2 Drumline! (program notes by Rick Schadt)

Circuit Breaker (2021)

Randall D. Standridge b. 1976

I have written for young band for many years, and I’m always amazed at the perceived limits of what students and performers at this level can and cannot achieve. While their technical development should certainly be taken into consideration, I have also always felt that well written, well-planned music can set them up for success with concepts and skills that are considered “too advanced.” I set out to write a series of these pieces that began with Starfire Fanfare (6/8 Time), Fanfare for the 16th Empire (16th Notes), and Spero (7/8 Time).

Circuit Breaker is the latest in this intended series, and it is intended to expose young players to 5/4 Time (or 10/8 if you’re a theory purist, but why die on THAT hill?) and Cut Time. In consideration of this, the ranges have been kept extremely modest and in the lower registers of the instruments, and careful attention was paid to rhythmic repetition to make sure that the students could be successful without being overwhelmed. Doing all of this and creating an aesthetically interesting work was no small task and in this, I hope I have succeeded.

The work also contains the option to be performed with “fixed media” or a “backing track.” While this is not required for a successful performance, it will definitely add to the overall experience and help expose students to a developing and evolving aspect of the wind band repertoire. Plus…it’s just fun!

Programmatically, Circuit Breaker is intended to evoke the sounds of a video game soundtrack or digital movie score. The computers bleep and blip as our players and audience soar above a landscape of circuit boards and transistors.

The work should evoke feelings of energy, excitement, and innovation. (program notes by the composer)

Release the Kraken (2016)

John Willmarth b. 1974

Ancient tales of the Kraken go back as far the 13th century and commonly describe an octopus-like creature that was big enough to crush large ships.

Today the legend of the Kraken lives on in sea lore.

Release the Kraken is an action-packed, programmatic work that depicts an attack from the mythical sea creature. Dynamic swells at the beginning evoke the image of the giant monster stirring at the bottom of the ocean. As the piece develops, the Kraken emerges, wreaking havoc and destruction. Interplay between the players is meant to portray the creature’s tentacles as they flail wildly in a coordinated attack. At the conclusion, the Kraken descends back into the murky depths from whence it came. (program notes by the composer) Loch Lomond (2009)

Traditional arr. Mike Forbes b. 1973

At the time in Scottish history when Loch Lomond was a new song, the United Kingdom (which united Scotland, England, and Wales) had already been formed. But the Highland Scots wanted a Scottish, not an English King to rule.

Led by their Bonnie Prince Charlie they attempted unsuccessfully to depose Britain's King George II. An army of 7,000 Highlanders were defeated on April 16, 1746 at the famous Battle of Culloden Moor.

It is this same battle that indirectly gives rise to this beautiful song. After the battle, many Scottish soldiers were imprisoned within England's Carlisle Castle, near the border of Scotland. Loch Lomond tells the story of two Scottish soldiers who were so imprisoned. One of them was to be executed, while the other was to be set free. According to Celtic legend, if someone dies in a foreign land, his spirit will travel to his homeland by "the low road" - the route for the souls of the dead. In the song, the spirit of the dead soldier shall arrive first, while the living soldier will take the "high road" over the mountains, to arrive afterwards. (program notes by Frank Ticheli)

Kaleidoscopic Dances (2020/2021)

John Trentadue b. 1994

As I was flying back home from a trip one bright afternoon, I was enamored by a particular phenomenon that made an appearance in the skyline for only a few minutes. As the plane was high above the clouds, the sunlight glared at such an angle and the passenger window reflected the sunlight at such a point that a perfect circle with all of the colors of the rainbow was formed in the clouds. This particular type of cloud iridescence was fascinating to witness, and it led me to imagine a fiery celebration of colors and sounds contained within this phenomenon.

Kaleidoscopic Dances is a light and joyous work in this regard, a fun and youthful celebration of life complimented with a constant sensation of motion. A kaleidoscope of shimmering melodic figures are infused with grooves inspired by heavy metal and progressive rock, creating a sound world both modern in nature and celebratory of some of this planet's most beautiful natural wonders. (program notes by the composer) In the Sky (2020)

Patrick Speranza b. 1994

The title for this piece comes from the lyrics to the children’s song Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. The musical themes and use of metallic percussion instruments are meant to portray the stars shining “like a diamond in the sky.” In The Sky is intended for developing percussion students. As such, the parts are written at varying levels of difficulty to accommodate students of all levels within a percussion section. (program notes by the composer)

Mary Shelley Meets Frankenstein (2014/2020)

Erika Svanoe b. 1976

Knowledge is knowing that Frankenstein is not the monster. Wisdom is knowing that the monster is Frankenstein.

Mary Shelley Meets Frankenstein imagines a scenario where the young author meets her own creation, the monster brought to life whom we colloquially refer to as “Frankenstein.” In her novel, the creature is quite sympathetic. He tries to learn from the world around him and find human connection. Victor Frankenstein, the creature’s creator, is horrified and disgusted by the creature and rejects him. Victor ultimately shuns his responsibility as the creature’s father and leaves him to fend for himself, with dire consequences. I imagine if Mary Shelley were to actually meet her monster, as the creature’s creator she would be quite conflicted. In the novel, the monster is sympathetic and craves human connection. As his creator, she is responsible for teaching the creature what it is to be human, but I imagine the horror in seeing her creation brought to life would overwhelm her sympathy. They meet, circling each other in a dance reflective of a tango.

Mary is initially curious and sympathetic, while the creature pleads for compassion. In the moment when the two come together, Mary’s sympathy is overwhelmed by horror and she begins to panic, while the creature becomes furious with her rejection. With the final notes, we are left asking ourselves—who is the real monster? (program notes by the composer) Vector (2020)

Matt Moore b. 1985

Vector is progressive metal masquerading as percussion ensemble, written for keyboard percussion and electronics. The piece aims to bring across the angular, mathematical, and technical aspects of the progressive metal genre while also developing traditional percussion ensemble techniques and listening responsibilities. Vector is performed on marimbas, vibes, xylo/bells, and a trio of MIDI controllers running through Apple’s MainStage software: Malletstation, SPD-SX multi-pad, and a keyboard controller. (program notes by the composer)

Winds Performers Due to the importance of every part, students are listed alphabetically.

Kayli Abbott Jacob Anderson Federico Bellini Andrew Blum Mailen Fingland Kaylyn Geuder Savanah Giebel Jessica Howell Ellie Huebner Madison Husted Charlie Jefferson Katelyn Kaczinski Michael Kaczinski

Natalie Kohlmann Samantha Kohlmann Elyse Lange Ben Lohman Callie Massa Michael Sadowski Gavin Schultz Zack Simonson Josh Stobbe Alaina Talaska Madison Weibel Katharine Wilhelm Claire Wright

Percussion Performers Due to the importance of every part, students are listed alphabetically.

Dominic Barry Logan Basterash Jeremy Boutin Andrew Brandt Sean Braun Willow Conner Jeremy Cotturone Alex DeLeon Anna DeLeon Charlie Essmann Alex Fritz Jack Gilbert Elijah Henken Matthew Jolliffe

Austin Kiselicka Emma Libecki Ilaria Nuccio Austin O'Connor David O'Connor Ryan O'Connor Claire Schiek Eli Schoof Kendal Schreiber Vito Schwartz Nathan Starr Eric Stephan Joshua Stobbe

Instructional Staff Emma Angoli Adam Brostowitz Jesse Clark Nyla Clements Jahi Moore Miko Roman Madeline Rydholm Rick Schadt Wesley Zepecki-Davison

MHS Band Director Percussion Instructor Brass Instructor Woodwind Instructor Percussion Instructor Woodwind Instructor Brass Instructor Percussion Instructor Percussion Instructor

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Upcoming Events Date

Time

Event

Location

Mar 11

7:00pm

Drumming for a Difference

MHS West Gym

Mar 12

All Day

Blue2 Perc & Winds Recording Session

MHS Band Room

Mar 15

7:00pm

MHS Bands “Earth & Sky” Concert

Greenwald PAC

Mar 16

7:00pm

PVMS Bands Spring Concert

Greenwald PAC

Mar 29

7:00pm

MHS Marching Band Info Night

MHS Band Room

Apr 21-24

MHS Musical “The Wizard of Oz”

Greenwald PAC

May 16

7:30pm

MHS Bands “One Life Beautiful” Concert

Greenwald PAC

May 17

7:00pm

PVMS Bands Final Concert

Greenwald PAC

May 20

7:00pm

MHS/PVMS Jazz “Jams & Snacks”

MHS Commons

May 30

7:00pm

Memorial Day Parade & Ceremony

Mukwonago Community Library

3rd Annual MASD Percussion Ensemble Benefit Concert

Drumming for A Difference Friday, March 11th @ 7:00pm MHS West Gym Performances by: • PVMS 7th & 8th Grade Percussion Ensembles • MHS Concert & Symphonic Percussion • Blue2 Percussion & Blue2 Winterguard $5 Suggested Donation All proceeds to benefit NAMI Southeast Wisconsin, a local affiliate of the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

Fine Arts Boosters

What We Do We support the arts in the Mukwonago Area School District through volunteerism, fundraising, and advocacy.

How Can You Join? https://www.mukwonagofineartsboosters.com/get-involved Want to Become More Involved?

Attend a meeting! Meetings are the second Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm in the PVMS Choir Room. The meeting info can be found at: https://www.mukwonagofineartsboosters.com/get-involved

MFAB Sulla Cima Members Chris & April Barron The Boerger Family Jim & Barb Brown Busse Penneau Family The Caryl Family Kyle & Kristin Christensen The Cotturone Family Czeshinski Family Dave and Marin Dobbs The Fleischer Family The Fingland Family The Gilbert Family

The Groser Family Colin and Marci Hughes The Jefferson Family Robert and Shannon Krause Family The Marrari Family The Mersfelder Family Chris and Katy O'Connor Panetta Family The Pilon Family Pete and Annette Piranio The Sherrod Family Mike and Michelle Simonson

The Turk Family Sheri and Derek Watkins and Family The Weibel Family The Wilhelm Family Grandma & Grandpa Wilhelm The Winiarski Family John Grundman John & Kelly Witte Rick & Laura Witte Jarret & Anne Church

MFAB Sulla Cima Business Members Accent On Dance Alliance Manufacturing Group Eaton Employee Engagement Committee Kay's Academy of Dance Mukwonago Animal Hospital Mukwonago Family Dental Mukwonago Kiwanis Club Schreiber Financial Services Wood'n It Be Nice End of the Leash

For more information on upcoming events, visit our website: www.mukwonagofineartsboosters.com

Special Thanks MASD Board of Education Shawn McNulty, MASD Superintendent Stephanie Blue, Director of Student Learning Tom Karthausser, Director of Business Affairs Ben Kossow, Coordinator of Student Assessment Data and Analysis Christine Bowden, Director of Pupil Services Dustin Lehman, Coordinator of College and Career Readiness Steven R. Williams, Ph.D., Director of Human Resources Andy Wegner, District Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds Zachary Ortiz, District & Community Programs Supervisor Jim Darin, MHS Principal Sarah Dianich, & Stephanie Krenz, MHS Associate Principals William Plant, MHS Dean of Students Andy Trudell, MHS Activities Director Dean Kovnesky, MHS Head Custodian MHS Custodial Staff Jenny Peterson, PVMS Band Director PJ Uhazie, MHS Choir Director Julie Hanisch, MHS Drama Director Dale Wimer and Alexa Zakutansky, MHS Orchestra Directors Lori Wildemann, PVMS Choir Director Sarah Oftedahl, PVMS Orchestra Director Amanda Caretta-Hull, Nyla Clements & Ben Warrichaiet, MES Band Directors Carolyn Atwell, Kathy Doty, Riley Roberson & Caryn Ruesch, MES Music Teachers Joseph Coldwell, PAC Technical Coordinator Carmen Scott, PAC House Manager & Technical Assistant PAC Usher Corps PAC Student Crew JoAnn Barkley, District Printing Mukwonago Fine Arts Boosters