Marcus
Neiman & The Sounds of Sousa Band will appear in concert at Northwest
High School Puffenberger Hall, 8580 Erie Avenue NW, Canal Fulton 44614 on Sunday, May 5th, 3p.
Parking is available throughout the area at no charge and there is no
admission charge for this concert.
Marcus
Neiman
will bring his Sounds of Sousa Band
to Northwest High School in their second
performance of the 2013 season. The
ensemble was created by Neiman in 1994 in an attempt to recreate concerts in
the style of the great band director John Philip Sousa, who started his first
professional concert band in 1894.
Neiman’s current edition of The Sounds of Sousa Band is composed of 60
of the finest professional wind and percussion players in Northeastern
Ohio. The ensemble has performed for
over 500,000 since it’s first concert and has been featured throughout Ohio in
halls large and small. Neiman has
performed throughout the United States and traveled to Russian in 2004 to
lecture on American bands and John Philip Sousa at the University of Moscow and
conduct the Volga Concert Band in Saratov, Russia in October of 2004.
Sharing the conductorial duties for the band
will be Lake Local Schools band director Mark
Tryon who serves Sounds of Sousa Band as associate conductor of Sounds of
Sousa Band; Michael Willard, featured
cornet soloist; and, guest conductor Northwest High School band director Kim Good.
Featured Soloists
Michael Willard (at left) hails from Alliance, Ohio. In
2005, he received his bachelor of science degree in music education from
Malone University where he studied trumpet with Chris Hall, and in 2009 his master
of music degree in trumpet performance from The University of Akron where he
studied with Scott Johnston. Over the years, Michael's freelance career
and has given him the opportunity to perform with many ensembles in
Northeast Ohio including the Cleveland Winds, the Players Guild Theater Pit
Orchestra, the Mansfield Symphony, the Chagrin Falls Studio Orchestra, the
Ashland Symphony, the Tuscarawas Philharmonic, the Canton Concert Band, the
Canton Cabaret, the Top Notes Big Band, Jimmie and the Soul Blazers, The Sounds
of Sousa Band, and much more.
Michael teaches all brass instruments
privately, and is currently the instructor of Trumpet and director of the brass
ensemble at Malone University. He also works full-time nights at
Mercy Medical Center's Radiology Department in Canton as
administrative/clerical support staff, and enjoys learning about and
experimenting with information technologies.
Conductors
Kim
Good (guest conductor and pictured at right) is a band director in the Northwest
Local School system. She directs the sixth grade band, seventh grade band, High
School Concert Band, and High School Jazz Ensemble. She is assistant director
for the marching band and also teaches small group lessons to students in
grades 5-12.
Kim holds a bachelor of music education
degree from the University of Akron and a master’s in music education from Ohio
University.
Kim is a freelance saxophonist and has
performed with the John Trapani Big Band, Swing Machine, the Bob Hill
Orchestra, The Tuscarawas Philharmonic, Canton Concert Band, The Sounds of
Sousa Band, Bethel Temple Praise Band, and with the Motown sensations, The
Temptations. She also has performed in many pit orchestras for local high
schools, the Players Guild, Kent State Stark Theatre, and Goodyear Theatre.
Kim resides in Zoar, Ohio with her husband
Darin, a percussionist, and their son Helber.
Mark Tryon, associate conductor
of the Sounds of Sousa Band, (left), is
also a band director in the Lake Local Schools. He directs the Lake High
School Marching Band, Symphonic Band, and teaches small group lessons
in grades five through eight. He is a graduate of the University of
Akron, where he earned degrees in music education and clarinet
performance. He also served as a graduate assistant in bands at The Ohio
State University where he earned a master’s degree in instrumental
conducting. In addition to his conducting and teaching responsibilities,
he is active as a freelance clarinetist, pianist, and organist, having
performed with the Sounds of Sousa Band, Blossom Festival Band, Lakewood
Hometown Band, Canton Concert Band, and Silver and Strings Trio. He is a
member of the Ohio Music Education Association. He resides in North
Canton with his wife, Colleen, a clarinetist, and their son, Calvin.
Marcus
L. Neiman,
(pictured at right) artistic director and conductor, retired from posts held
with the Medina County Schools Educational Service Center in 2010 (1980 through
2000 as fine arts consultant and 2000 through 2010 as director of fine arts
tours and festivals). He was formerly director of bands at Medina High School
(1972 through 1980).
He
attended the Akron Public Schools, received his bachelor of science in music
education degree from The University of Akron, master of music in music
education degree from The University of Michigan, postgraduate hours at The
Kent State University, and The University of Akron.
He was
appointed as the interim assistant director of bands and administrator for the
division of bands at the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music at Kent State
University in May of 2010 for the academic year 2010-11. In addition to his
duties with the division of bands, he also teaches their “Music Teaching as a
Profession,” “Instrumental Methods for Choral-General Music Majors,” courses
and supervises music education student teachers. His duties as include program
development and outreach. Prior to that, Neiman was appointed to the position
of part-time lecturer in January of 2004 for the music department at Case
Western Reserve University with major responsibilities of teaching their
“Foundations of Music Education” course and supervising music education student
teachers and reserved in that post until the Spring of 2010.
Neiman
has served The Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) as a member of the
governmental relations and adjudicated events committees, district president,
vice-president, state chair for Music In Our Schools and public
relations, state editor of their professional journal TRIAD, and state chair
for their council of supervisors. He was
elected by OMEAs membership to serve as state president from July 1, 1998
through July 1, 2000, and is currently OMEAs state historian. He was awarded OMEAs highest honor, the “Distinguished Service Award” on
January 29th, 2010 at the Professional Development Conference in
Cincinnati, Ohio. Neiman has been
published in Music Educators National Conference journal MEJ, The Instrumentalist, The School
Musician, The Music Educator, OMEAs TRIAD, FANFARE magazine,
and Bands of America Newsletter. His first book, edited for MENC, entitled Life
in the Music Classroom, was published by MENC in April 1992. He is listed in Marquis “Who’s Who in America
(58th Edition).
Neiman
has appeared with junior high/middle and high school, college and university,
community bands, and American Federation of Musicians union professional bands
as a guest conductor and in his characterization of famed bandmaster John
Philip Sousa in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, New York, North
Carolina, Pennsylvania, (state of) Washington, and Wisconsin. On October 15, 2004, Neiman conducted the
Volga Concert Band in Saratov, Russia in a Sousa-style concert following a
week’s residence in Moscow and Saratov.
In addition to conducting the Medina Community Band (since 1973), he
formed his own professional touring band -- The Sounds of Sousa Band
-- (in 1992) to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the formation of Sousa's
first non-military band. To this date he
has performed for over 200,000 people in the role of Sousa. Neiman is a member Local 24 (Akron), American
Federation of Musicians.
Neiman
continues to conduct Medina Community Band, having served as the conductor
longer than any other of the organization’s conductors (since the 1973 season),
his goal has always been to preserve the presence and character of the
traditional “town-band.” Over the years
the band has commissioned works by Douglas Court, Robert Feldbush, Stuart Ling,
Edmund J. Siennicki, Tadd Russo, and David Shaffer.
The Sounds of Sousa Band
Sunday, May 5th,
2013 – 3p
Emil Puffenberger Arts Hall
Northwest High School
8580
Erie Avenue NW, Canal Fulton 44614
Marcus Neiman, artistic
director-conductor
Mark Tryon, associate conductor
Kim Good, guest
conductor
Michael Willard, cornet soloist
Program – subject to change
Overture, Festive Overture (1954)................................................... Shostakovich/Hunsberger
ENCORE – Hail to the Spirit of Liberty (march)
(1900) .................................................... Sousa
Cornet Solo, Carnival of Venice (1864).............................................................. Arban/Leidzen
Michael Willard, soloist
ENCORE, Pie in the Face Polka (from The Great Race) (1965).......................... Mancini/Vincent
Featuring the clarinet section
March, Washington Post (1889).................................................................................... Sousa
Kim Good, guest conductor
Popular, Benny Goodman ‘King of Swing’ (2009)........................................ Goodman/Murtha
ENCORE, Footlifter (march) (1935)..................................................................... Fillmore/Blatti
Characteristic, Bones Trombone (1922)....................................................................... Fillmore
Dance, Wedding Dance ................................................................................. Press/Johnson
March, The Stars and Stripes Forever (1896).................................................. John
Philip Sousa
When John Philip Sousa played
his final concert with The United States Marine Band in the late 1890s, one
newspaper reporter commented that “the skies opened up and cried as our
little band director played his final concert on the White House lawn for a
huge crowd of well-wishers. Their umbrellas sprung up like black
mushrooms as the rain continued and the band played.” They
certainly don't write like that anymore, do they?
Sousa took a huge chance leaving
the security of his military commission and directorship of the United States
Marine Band. Yet, David Blakely, manager for such great ensembles as the
Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, (Patrick) Gilmore Band, and others, encouraged
Sousa that he would become a wealthy man. Blakely was right, but it took
at least one name change (from The New Marine Band, which the U.S.
Congress didn't appreciate), to the final and more lasting name of simply, The
Sousa Band, to get the entire process in motion.
To celebrate the 100th
anniversary of Mr. Sousa's starting his first professional band in 1892,
Marcus L. Neiman decided to organize a professional level concert band in
Northeastern Ohio capable of performing throughout the state and nation.
His goal, simply stated, was to produce a band capable of bringing the sights
and sounds of John Philip Sousa to a new generation of listeners.
Thus was born Marcus Neiman
& The Sounds of Sousa Band. The ensemble, called the great band
from Ohio's Western Reserve, is the only professional touring concert band in
Northeastern Ohio. Encouraged by life-long friends Mike Hadgis and
Richard Keel, then both officers of the Akron (Ohio) American Federation of Musicians
Local 24. With the help of his wife, Mary Ann, the two began recruiting
members for the ensemble. The criteria was simplistic: (1) the
finest wind and percussion players in the area; (2) a dedication to reproducing
the music of the Sousa era; and, (3) the ability to be a team player and work
for the general good of the band. In 2009, due in part to the changing
economic times, the ensemble moved from an all-union ensemble to a non-union
ensemble. The ensemble is currently in a reorganization process and
rehearsing monthly.
Concertizing in the Cincinnati
area encouraged the Neiman's to use the same formula “down south” to recruit
another roster of superior players. To date, the entire Sousa Band roster
boasts a membership of well over 125 musicians from across the state of
Ohio. The majority of the members of the ensemble are professional
musicians, orchestra players, school instrumental music directors, or studio
musicians. Almost all are capable of, or have performed as a soloist with
Sounds of Sousa.
“Our goal has been, and will
continue to be to entertain our audience,” Neiman commented. We
have expanded our operation from simply playing summer venue concerts to a full
year season of engagements, educational concerts, as well as guest appearances.
The band has performed in 33 of the 88 counties in Ohio, and in Indiana,
Kentucky, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, (state of) Washington,
and Wisconsin. The ensemble has performed engagements for an estimated
500,000 people.
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