Below: One of the first gatherings of ABA members.
AMERICAN BANDMASTERS ASSOCIATION
The American Bandmasters Association, founded in
1929, with John Philip Sousa as Honorary Life President, recognizes outstanding
achievement on the part of Concert Band conductors and composers. The
current membership (invitational) comprises approximately 300 band conductors
and composers in the USA and Canada, and 80 Associate Members (music businesses
and corporations that provide significant services to bands and to the
publication of band music.)
* the recognition of outstanding achievement in the field of
Concert Band and its music
* helpfulness and fellowship among members
* an increasingly higher standard of artistic excellence for
the Concert Band, its performers, conductors, and literature
* a constantly greater contribution through the Concert Band
to the musical life and culture of all peoples.
ABA ACTIVITY
RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP ON THE ABA WEBSITE
You can now conveniently renew your ABA membership with a credit card, debit card or PayPal account by clicking here.
SOUSA/OSTWALD COMPOSITION AWARD
The winning composition in 2013 was by Aaron Perrine for Pale Blue on Deep. It was performed at the 2014 annual American Bandmasters Association Convention in Montgomery, Alabama (Grade 4, available from aaron.perrine@gmail.com); in final consideration were the following: Moving Heaven and Earth by Philip Sparke, publisher-Anglo Music, and The Three Embraces by Carter Pann, publisher-Presser. Rules and Procedures for entering compositions for the 2014 Sousa/Ostwald Award may be found by clicking here.
ABA LEGACY CD
Harry Begian CD Released
The first ABA compact disc in the ABA Legacy Series, featuring the conducting of Harry Begian, was released at the Midwest Band & Orchestra Clinic this December.
Contents Include:
HINDEMITH: Symphony in B-flat (performed by the Cass Technical High School Symphony Band)
GRAINGER: Lincolnshire Posy
REED: Armenian Dances, Part I
WAGNER/BAINUM: Liebestod
SOUSA: The Free Lance March
HANSSEN: Valdres
STRAUSS/CAILLIET: Waltzes from "Der Rosenkavalier"
RESPIGHI/DUKER: The Pines of the Appian Way (performed by the University of Illinois Symphonic Band)
The cost of the CD is $15.95, and is available from Shattinger
Music, Naxos and
Klavier (#K 56001). Any profits from the recording will be deposited in the Harris
Fund to help defray costs of future ABA conventions.
ABA NEWSLETTER NEEDS YOU NOW!!
Dick Clardy requests your contribution to our ABA Newsletter:
"As we share stories, anecdotes, professional activities, and other
important happenings with others, we certainly help strengthen the ABA.
For those of you that are not able to attend this convention, it is a
great way for you to stay connected with your fellow members. For you
folks that are almost never able to attend, it is an even more compelling
reason to send a greeting to your fellow members for the Newsletter.
Please share this with your spouse if they are the one more likely to
respond.
ABA will post and send the Newsletter via email to the membership in
mid-October. If any individual wants the Newsletter to be sent to you via
US mail, please advise and I will gladly send. A second Newsletter will be
produced just prior to the convention.
Please also be aware that President Dennis Zeisler and the gracious hosts of
the ABA Convention in Reno for March of 2015 are urging you to mark your
calendar and plan to attend."
Send your updates for the next
ABA Newsletter here.
ABA WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS
It is a pleasure to announce that the American Bandmasters Association elected 17 new members at the annual convention in Montgomery, AL. Click here to see the newly elected members.
ABA POSITION PAPER AVAILABLE
School Band Directors may be interested in an ABA position paper that was generated by the ABA School Bands Task Force, Bill Gora — Chair, and adopted at the 2006 ABA convention. If so, click here.
NEW PUBLICATION Journal of Band Research: A Repertoire Anthology (1984-1989)
This is a must for the serious conductor of wind music. Author: Dr. Terry Austin, Editors: Dr. John Locke and Dr. William Moody.
For a half century, The Journal of Band Research has been at the forefront of our understanding of wind band repertoire, attracting some of the most important wind
band composers and conductors to write about the great works of the wind band canon. This book is a compilation of many of the great articles that have been published over the past 50 years.
From 1964, Herbert W. Fred discusses Percy Grainger s Music for Wind Band and Vincent Persichetti reflects on his own Symphony No. 6 for Band. From 1971, David Whitwell opens the door into "The Enigma of Copland s Emblems." And in 1973,
Karel Husa writes "Apotheosis of the Earth: Some Thoughts."
Other articles include "Thematic Derivations in the Holst First Suite in E-Flat" by Charles Gallagher (1965), "Hammersmith and the Two Worlds of Gustav Holst" by Robert Cantrick (1977), and "Analysis: Winds of Nagual by Michael Colgrass" by James Mathes (1987).
All told, the 29 articles in this anthology paint a remarkable picture of the wind band world at its best and provide remarkable insights into some of the timeless masterpieces of the wind band repertoire.
Harry Begian CD Released
Journal of Band Research: A Repertoire Anthology (1984-1989)