Introducing a New York Conference Virtual Band

I’m excited to be a part of the planning and announcement today of the New York State Field Band Conference Virtual Band. The New York State Field Band Conference (NYSFBC) is a competitive marching band circuit encompassing over 50 schools across upstate New York and Long Island. With the challenges created by COVID-19, the NYSFBC chose to suspend their fall 2020 competitive season to protect performers, staff, and spectators alike.

In order to provide a performance outlet that unites these excellent school band programs, I was honored to be asked to arrange a piece of music to be recorded by any and all band members in the schools that make up the NYSFBC. These recordings of Billy Joel’s jazz-rock classic New York State of Mind will be edited together into one season finale video, to be premiered on October 31st, 2020, the date that the NYSFBC would normally hold its championships in the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, NY.

The recording project is open to all students at high schools in the NYSFBC, and encompasses all woodwind, brass, percussion, rhythm section, and colorguard sections.

I am honored to have been asked to write the arrangements, and to build the site and system for registering virtual band members and gathering their recorded submissions. All students who qualify are invited to check out the Virtual Band site at drwardmiller.com/nysfbc-virtual-band and register for their section packet. The project is free to participants, and will not only provide students with a practice goal, but will also allow them to meet students from throughout the conference in private lesson videoconferences.

Thanks again to the New York State Field Band Conference for making me a part of this ambitious project that will help their students continue making music!