Barrington Illinois Schools Premiere my “Broncos Ride Again” for Young Band
Earlier this year, the directors of the combined elementary and middle school bands of the Barrington School District (Illinois) commissioned me to write an original concert band work for their students during the COVID-19 pandemic. This work was prepared in hybrid learning with online and limited-size in-person teaching by the fine directors in this district. This is the world premiere of the work they gave on May 7th, 2021 in a live, outdoor performance.
The Grade 1.5 work, "Broncos Ride Again," is available for purchase at https://www.jwpepper.com/Bronco-Rides-Again/11342409.item thanks to my publisher DevMusic Company.
Silver Linings: What Do We Keep from our Pandemic Response?
The amazing COVID response, adaptation, and creative transition to distance learning by music educators has been a wonder to behold. And while we all can’t wait for a return to normalcy, that “normal” will look different than the pre-pandemic world. To that end, we must ask ourselves: “What do we keep?” What tools, procedures, technologies, philosophies and more in music that arose as part of the pandemic response do we keep and apply to the post-COVID world?
Check Out This Middle School Band’s Virtual Holiday Presentation
Like everyone across the country and the world, Mrs. Taylor Nails’ Fayette Middle School Band has had to respond and change in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The band program, usually consisting of an 8th grade ensemble and a 7th grade ensemble, has been split into four smaller ensembles that can safely rehearse in a socially-distanced manner. As they prepared for their annual holiday concert, the rapid increase in community rates of infection forced them to take a different route for performance: a virtual band.
