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March 31, 2008 More than 500 musicians of all ages from across eastern Iowa will perform at Coe College as part of spring Festival of Bands concerts. The Coe College Festival of Bands event is bigger than ever this year, and has grown to become one of the largest non-competitive events of its kind in the state. Featured ensembles performing during the four-day event include the Kirkwood Community College Concert Band, the Coe College Gold Jazz Ensemble, the Coe College Concert Band, the Eastern Iowa Brass Band, the Concordia University Wind Ensemble, the New Horizons Band, and honor bands featuring elementary, middle school and high school students. The specific events are as follows: Thursday, April 10 - Kirkwood Community College Concert Band, directed by Beth Zamzow, at 8 p.m. in Sinclair Auditorium. Admission is free. Friday, April 11 - Coe College Gold Jazz Ensemble directed by Steve Shanley, the Eastern Iowa Brass Band conducted by Casey Thomas, and the Concordia University Wind Ensemble under the direction of William Kuhn, at 8 p.m. in Sinclair Auditorium. Admission is free. Saturday, April 12 - Elementary School Honor Band Concert featuring guest conductor/composer Rob Grice and guest conductor Joanna Van De Berg, at 4 p.m. in Sinclair Auditorium. Tickets are $2 for adults and $1 for students and senior citizens. For tickets, call the Cedar Rapids Symphony Office at 1-800-369-TUNE or 366-8203, or purchase them at the door. This concert is supported by grants from Friends of Music at Coe, with additional support from Kjos Music, Barnhouse Music, Mu Phi Epsilon Music Fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, and Sigma Phi Mu Music Club. This marks the sixth time elementary honor band students have been selected to perform at Coe College, which makes it a unique event in the state. Students in grades four through six will be playing in two separate bands, which are designated as the Coe College Crimson Elementary Honor Band and the Coe College Gold Elementary Honor Band. Program Coe College Crimson Elementary Honor Band
Coe College Gold Elementary Honor Band
Saturday, April 12 - Festival of Bands Grand Finale Concert featuring the Coe College Concert Band directed by William Carson, with special guest conductor/composer Rob Grice, at 8 p.m. in Sinclair Auditorium. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens and are available by calling the Coe Box Office at 399-8600, Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., or at the door. This concert is supported by grants from Friends of Music at Coe, with additional support from Mu Phi Epsilon Music Fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Fraternity, and Sigma Phi Mu Music Club. At this concert, Grice will conduct two of his own compositions, "Tenderlands" and "Mystery of the Ancient World." As well, the band will perform "76 Trombones" by Meredith Willson in honor of the 50th anniversary of "The Music Man" winning the Tony Award for best musical. Program
Sunday, April 13 - Coe College Junior and Senior Honor Bands Concert, directed by David Law and William Carson, with special guest conductor Rob Grice, at 4 p.m. in Sinclair Auditorium, sponsored by the Cedar Rapids Symphony School. Additional support is provided by Barnhouse Music, Mu Phi Epsilon Music Fraternity, Phi Mu Sinfonia Music Franternity, and Sigma Phi Mu Music Club. In addition, the New Horizons Band, a community ensemble of musicians, under the direction of Alan Lawrence, will perform. For tickets, call the Cedar Rapids Symphony Office at 1-800-369-TUNE or 366-8203, or purchase them at the door. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students and seniors. The Junior and Senior Honor Bands program offers a supplemental band experience for select local young musicians from middle school through high school. Students audition for membership each fall and rehearse for several weeks before presenting winter and spring concerts. Program Coe College Junior Honor Band
Coe College Senior Honor Band
Additional information about the guest conductors is as follows: Rob Grice Grice's works have appeared on numerous state, national, and international contest music lists. A talented writer and musician, his young band compositions have gained much popularity among music educators and students alike. His ability to write pedagogically effective music for concert bands can be attributed to his experience as an educator at a variety of musical levels including elementary and secondary schools, as well as at the community college level. An outstanding educator, he was selected as the Secondary Teacher of the Year for the Enterprise City School System in Enterprise, Alabama and was the recipient of WDHN-TV18's Golden Apple Award for his achievements in the field of education. Grice is active as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator with concert bands and indoor percussion. In 2005, he was part of a clinic presented at the Midwest Band Clinic. Joanna Van De Berg |