Episode 208 - Adrian Gordon
Everything Band Podcast
Adrian Gordon is an internationally performed composer and seasoned music educator and currently serves as the director of orchestras at Providence Day School in Charlotte, NC. In addition to teaching, Adrian is the founder of Leap Year Music Publishing, which publishes string music for elementary, middle, and high school ensembles. His compositions appear on the Florida, Texas, Maryland, and Georgia Orchestra Association Music Performance Assessment Lists. His compositions are distributed through J.W. Pepper and have been performed throughout the world. Learn more at .
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Episode 207 - Sixto Montesinos
Everything Band Podcast
Dr. Sixto F. Montesinos Jr. is assistant professor of music and head of instrumental studies at Saint Mary’s College of California in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is an active Mexican-American conductor, flutist, music educator, and scholar researching new and effective ways to strengthen Mexican-American relations through the study and performance of music. These include overcoming stereotypes as well as Mexican, LGBTQ+, and LatinX representation in the field of music education, repertoire, and performance He is the artistic director of the Saint Mary's College Jazz Band as well as its...
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Episode 206 - Vu Nguyen
Everything Band Podcast
Vu Nguyen is the Director of Wind Ensembles and Conducting at the University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA. Prior to his appointment at the University of Connecticut, he served as the Director of Bands at the University of Indianapolis, was a conductor of the Wind Ensemble at Washington University in St. Louis, and was a visiting conductor of the Indiana University Concert Band. He began his career teaching in the public schools of San Ramon, CA. Dr. Nguyen has conducted throughout the western United States and in Japan. He maintains an active schedule as a clinician and has served as guest...
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Episode 205 - John Wojciechowski
Everything Band Podcast
Saxophonist John Wojciechowski is originally from Detroit and has spent the last 18 years performing and teaching in Chicago. In addition to leading his own groups, he has performed or recorded with The Chicago Jazz Orchestra, The Chicago Jazz Ensemble, The Woody Herman Orchestra, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Clark Terry, Charlie Haden, and Kurt Elling among many others. John was also a third place finalist in the 1996 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. John has appeared on dozens of recordings as a sideman, and has two recordings as a...
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Episode 204 - Josh Johnson (w/ host Jake Walker)
Everything Band Podcast
Joshua Johnson currently serves as the Associate Director of Bands at Traughber Junior High in Oswego, Illinois. Prior to coming to Oswego, Josh served as Director of Bands at North Kirkwood Middle School and Associate Director of Bands in Kirkwood, Missouri. Joshua attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he received his Bachelor of Music Education Degree with Honors. During his time at Illinois, he was a member of the Illinois Wind Symphony, the Marching Illini, the University of Illinois Black Chorus, and many other university ensembles. Josh studied Oboe with Professor...
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Episode 203 - Karen Fannin
Everything Band Podcast
Karen Fannin is Professor, Director of Bands, and Interim Director of the School of Music at the University of Nebraska at Omaha where she conducts the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, teaches undergraduate and graduate conducting, instructs courses in music education, and provides leadership for all aspects of the UNO band program. Previously, Dr. Fannin served as Director of Bands and Department Chair at Hendrix College. While in Arkansas, Dr. Fannin also held the position of Music Director and Conductor of the Little Rock Wind Symphony. A native of Iowa, Dr. Fannin began her teaching career...
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Episode 202 - Mary Cogswell
Everything Band Podcast
Mary Cogswell is the current president of the South Dakota Bandmasters Association, the editor of the Beginning Band Adaptable series, and a long time beginning band teacher. If you teach beginners, this is the episode for you!
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Episode 201 - Kenneth Collins
Everything Band Podcast
Biography Capt. Kenneth C. Collins, a native of Reno, Nevada, entered the Navy in 1989 and attended recruit training in San Diego, California. Upon completion of Musician "A" school, he served as a percussionist in fleet bands in Guam and Newport, Rhode Island. His first assignment upon receiving a commission as a limited duty officer bandmaster in 1998 was as the ceremonial band leader and associate conductor of the U.S. Navy Band in Washington, D.C., and shortly thereafter an assignment as the assistant director of the U.S. Naval Academy Band in Annapolis, Maryland. Collins served as the...
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Episode 200 - Matthew Maslanka
Everything Band Podcast
Matthew Maslanka is David Maslanka’s second son and the primary caretaker of David’s music. Born in New York City in 1982, he grew up listening to his father composing at the piano. From the age of 10, Matthew started helping out by making photocopies of scores and dubbing cassette tapes for David to send to conductors interested in the music. At 12, Matthew discovered the delights of engraving music with a computer. By 14, he was skilled enough to handle the preparation of his father’s music and proceeded to engrave virtually every work from that point forward. In this way, he...
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Episode 199 - Gary Green
Everything Band Podcast
Gary Green is Director of Bands Emeritus at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, Florida. Prior to joining the faculty at UM, Gary served for ten years as Director of Bands at the University of Connecticut. Gary joins the show today to discuss the important life lessons that music teachers need to know to build a culture of excellence. Gary Green and was influential in commissioning and recording new works for winds and percussion which included Symphony No. 3 by David Maslanka and A Cornfield in July and The River by William Penn. Urban Requiem by Michael Colgrass was...
info_outlineOscar Dames is a music educator in Nassau, Bahamas where he serves as a lecturer at the University of the Bahamas after recently retiring as the band director of C.R. Walker Senior High School. He has a fascinating story and is also the author of book titled Oscar's A+ Band Director Guide: A Veteran Band Teacher's Guide to Teaching Music.
Topics:
- The unique logistical challenges of living and teaching in the Bahamas and the nature of the school situation in the islands.
- Oscar’s background growing up and how he started on percussion, switched to clarinet, joined the Defense Force band, and eventually got his degree in music and began teaching.
- The story of how Oscar built a terrific music program at C.R. Walker Senior High School, including the a marching band to serve the Bahamian culture.
- Oscar has done it all as a band director, arranger, performer, instrument repairman, etc. and he’s written a book about it!
Links:
- Oscar Dames
- Oscar's A+ Band Director Guide: A Veteran Band Teacher's Guide to Teaching Music
- Junkanoo Music
- Alford: The Standard of St. George
- Goldman: On the Mall March
Biography:
Oscar Dames is a certified teacher and is now the Dean of Scholars at Akhepran International School in Nassau NP, Bahamas. He also is a part-time music lecturer at the University of the Bahamas in the School of Communication and Creative Arts. He holds an AA (Music) and a Bachelor of Education degree from the College of the Bahamas, and a Masters in Music Education from Vander Cook College of Music in Chicago.
Oscar was C.R. Walker Senior High School’s Teacher of the Year 2010-2012. He was the school’s band director and coordinator for the School’s Junior Junkanoo program, setting a new record when the school became the only high school to win first place in three consecutive Junior Junkanoo parades.
A big believer in culture and community building, Oscar spends much of his time teaching community bands, as he is the band director for the Nassau Village Urban Renewal Band, Assistant Director of the Royal Ambassadors Band, and the leader and founder of the Fiesta Fun Junkanoo Group.
Oscar was a member of the Saxons Superstars Junkanoo Group, beating the tom-tom and bass drum before taking over the “Brass Section,” and setting a new record winning five consecutive best music awards, which remains today. Oscar also plays solo clarinet and bassoon with the Bahamas Symphony Orchestra.
Oscar Dames graduated in 1988 from R.M. Bailey Senior High School with the Most Outstanding Music Award. Upon graduating, he joined the Royal Bahamas Defence Force in 1989. Oscar served for 14 years in the Defence Force where he was a member of the Hull Engineering Department, and he also played with and served as a training officer for the Defence Force Band. Upon transferring from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force to the Ministry of Education, Oscar enlisted in the Royal Bahamas Police Force Reserve on 17 May 2005. He is a member of the Royal Bahamas Police Force Band and serves as education instructor for the Police Reserve Band section.
Oscar is also a Journeyman plumber registered with the Ministry of Works, Nassau Bahamas. He holds a second degree black belt in Judo; and he enjoys teaching, swimming, and playing music in various ensembles.
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