Christopher Tucker: Journal & News

The Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic this year in Chicago was inspiring, exciting and fun. A chance during the year to see good friends, an opportunity to meet other music professionals and hear new music. I have been to every Midwest Clinic since 1997 and have experienced a great deal. This clinic included a performance of my work, Gabrieli's Trumpet by the Dobyns-Bennett High School Symphonic Band directed by Lafe Cook. "Gabs" has seen a number of high exposure performances of which I'm honored, including Texas Bandmasters Association (TBA), American Bandmasters Association (ABA), World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) and now, Midwest (all that is left is for a group to perform the piece at a CBDNA convention...anyone?).

Kim and I flew up on Thursday morning, which is a first in a long time (we usually fly up on Tuesday a part of Southern Music Company, setting up the booth, etc.), but because of a shift in the company's focus, we came in later and represented Shattinger Music Company as they were selling Gabrieli's Trumpet. Thanks, Jim.

The Doybns-Bennett Symphonic Band consists of great kids and marvelous performers. Along with my friends and colleagues, Andrew Tucker, Bruce Moss, Sam Hazo and Timothy Mahr, we were able to attend the dress rehearsal.



They were primed with "Gabs" energy and all set to storm the Midwest Clinic stage.



The concert was Friday at 10 AM and was even broadcasted on Chicago's classical radio station, WFMT. Along with Gabrieli's Trumpet, the concert included Timothy Mahr's concert opener Blue Sky Day, Sam Hazo's exotic Arabesque and Alfred Reed's Russian Christmas Music. I've been to the Midwest Clinic a number of years and I gotta tell you, this concert was one of the best - well-programmed and well-performed.


(Me, Lafe Cook, Timothy Loest, Sam Hazo)

After the concert, I met my gender opposite - Chris Tucker, a wind conductor from Nebraska. I have run into her from time to time on my google searches, so it was pleasure to meet her in person. I look forward to the "All-Tucker" program with works by Tucker, conducted by Tucker!!!



A shout out to friend and fellow composer, John Mackey, for taking home the NBA Revelli award and ABA Ostwald award for his work, "Aurora Awakes." I am quite taken with the work along with his "Kingfishers Catch Fire" and the awards are well-deserved. Congratulations, John!

Note: The Lone Star Wind Orchestra plans to perform "Aurora Awakes" this April and again in July at the TBA convention in San Antonio. Check the group out and hopefully we'll see you at a LSWO concert.

What a wonderful trip to the New England area. Actually, I embraced New Hampshire for the first time. I was told back home in Texas that New Hampshire was like the Texas of the north. I didn't understand the significance of that comparison until I met some of its people. Well, my friends back home were right. Minus, the cold temperatures, I felt an "air" of Texas-sized hospitality - so welcoming and helpful. The hotel I stayed in was more of an old-style, outdoor inn, a part of the Common Man Inns of NH.





Dr. Gary Corcoran, the Director of Bands at Plymouth State University hosts the All New England Band Festival (of which he founded). The festival brings some of the best high school student musicians from all the original New England states. The musicians are placed into two equally matched ensembles, the Symphonic Band and Concert Band; the only difference the ensembles have are the size and that's based on the room they rehearse in.

I was invited to conduct the Concert Band and Robert Sheldon was brought in to conduct the Symphonic Band. Robert Sheldon and I have a past as my high school band director and him were good friends in college. I remember we used to mess around with Finale 2.0 on one of the earliest versions of the Macintosh. Here's a partial shot of the Concert Band.



PSU flew us up on Sunday and the festival was a one day event two days ago (Monday, November 23, 2009). We had seven hours to rehearse 20 minutes worth of music, and then perform a concert that night for a packed house of parents, band directors and college students. We also each conducted a piece with the Plymouth State University Symphonic Band. I choose my "Earth, the Gentlest Mother" for mezzo-soprano and symphonic band. The soloist, Alexa Beal, was phenomenal.



The concert went well (even though I caught a bug from a kid earlier in the day. There was a point during the concert, where I almost passed out. Good thing there was a conductor bar on the back of the podium). I was very proud of my Concert Band. We performed Alfred Reed's Crowning Glory, John Gibson's Sonora, my Cool Beans in Little Mexico and Twilight in the Wilderness. I'll be sure to post "Cool Beans" and "Earth" on YouTube, once I get the video from the performance.



After a long night of battling the flu bug, I made my way back to airport to go home the next day. I had just enough time to swing by Lake Winnipesaukee and enjoy the view.

rows="10">A year ago, I had the honor of receiving an invitation from the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League (DSOL) to be one of a few guest speakers at a "DSOL Innovators" function. Among their guest speaker lineup for the 2009-2010 season included Jaap van Zweden, conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The event took place yesterday in the gorgeous home of one of the DSOL Innovator's members. I knew it was a huge honor. My liaison to the "DSOL Innovators" was a charming and pleasant women, Aida Cortes. Here's a picture of Kim and I with Aida after the event:



Taken from their website (www.dsolinnovators.com), the Innovators, founded in 1973, is a volunteer auxiliary organization of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League. Fundraising efforts support the Young Strings, an educational program of the Dallas Symphony that provides music lessons, instruments and mentoring to minority children.



I spoke to them about life as a composer and WRR radio announcer. I spent some time discussing my musical studies and we heard a couple recordings of my chamber pieces. They asked additional questions about how I came about radio broadcasting in 2002.

To cap things off, the LSWO Tuba-Euphonium Quartet premiered a couple of new movements of my in-progress work, Chester Variants. They were a hit! It was a wonderful evening of great company, food and wine as well as well-performed music.

New recordings of recently premiered young band pieces have been uploaded to the website. Many thanks to Benny Davis and the Rockwall-Heath High School Wind Ensemble for recording Vinyl Grooves and to Todd Toney and the North Garland High School Wind Symphony for recording Cool Beans in Little Mexico. I am so fortunate to have colleagues who take the time out of busy school schedules to put together these read-through recordings, so others have an opportunity to hear them and program them on upcoming concerts.

Please check out the Music Gallery page under the section "ink still wet" to hear these new pieces:
Vinyl Grooves (grade 2) for young band
Cool Beans in Little Mexico (grade 3) for symphonic band

To all the middle school band directors out there, I am proud to announce the release of my newest middle school band publication with Southern Music Company, Serenade at Prospect Point! The work is ready for purchase from your local music retailer.


Serenade at Prospect Point is my second middle school composition inspired by my journeys to Niagara Falls. The first, Journey down Niagara, was inspired by my trip with my wife Kimberly to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, celebrating our one-year wedding anniversary. I found myself in the Niagara Falls area about a year later. This time my wife and I visited the American side of the falls taking in the sights at the beautiful Prospect Point. The place evokes a spirit of romance and frivolity. These impressions became the basis for Serenade at Prospect Point. The work, based on the theme of Journey down Niagara, is broken up into two sections surrounded by introductory and concluding material – morning, serenade, waltz and evening.

Check out the Music Gallery page for a newly made recording of the piece by the Rockwall-Heath High School Symphonic Band under the director of Chris Kosterman.

Composing a new work on commission is always a wonderful experience. But, when the commissioning party involves a dear friend, the process is more special. This was the case with a commission made by the Smith Middle School band program out of Cleburne, TX. The director of bands, Matthew Hiller, and I go way back to our undergraduate days at UNT. We performed in the North Texas Wind Symphony together and enjoyed many college experiences.


I titled the commissioned work Vinyl Grooves inspired by my fascination with vinyl records. I used to be an amateur collector and always found myself drawn to the sound of a LP. Matt wanted two works, one for his beginners and the other for his top band, that shared similar thematic material. So, when both pieces are performed on the same concert, the audience will be able to recognize the similarities thus enhancing the experience and enjoyment of two bands playing at different performance levels. I chose dance movements - the first titled "Slow Tango" and the second titled "Quickstep." (Future Note: On my next middle school band, I intend on composing two more pieces for this collection...possibly a jazz ballad and a rock song)

The premiere was superb, even under the circumstances of lack of rehearsal time due to swine flu school closings. The assistant director of bands Brock Feller programmed Journey down Niagara, so it truly became a Tucker experience. I was fortunate to have so many of my family in attendance for this concert.

Here's a couple of rehearsal shots:



The world premiere of Vinyl Grooves took place on Thursday, May 21, 2009 at the Cleburne High School Performance Hall.

For a sneak peek behind the scenes, take a look at Dallas-based LONE STAR WIND ORCHESTRA’s short documentary film “Sharing Our Love Of Music.” Produced by LSWO and PHPR and filmed and edited by Riley Morris of Black Tie Films, the movie follows the audience and musicians before and during performances, capturing what is at the heart of the organization—creating community through music.

Lone Star Wind Orchestra Dallas, Texas from Riley Morris on Vimeo.

A long day indeed - finished the majority of my taxes around 3 a.m. this morning, woke up early to scan more receipts and made the final push to e-file by the afternoon. Refund, baby!

I am also excited about starting a "twitter" account today. It's been hard finding time to keep up this journal (I am absolutely awful at blogging), but with twitter, it takes 2 seconds to type a short 160 word update.

Check me out at http://twitter.com/tuckerland. Become a follower and I will follow you!

Tweet you around!

All new look, slick website design for you to enjoy and utilize. I hope you like it! Happy New Year!

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
A major announcement came to my inbox today and I wanted to share it with all of my colleagues. I am very proud to inform you that the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) has accepted my new CD "Spirit Legends" for an appearance on the entry list, for a Grammy Nomination!!!

This is the second step in the four-tiered Grammy process. The first was submission, this second step is the acceptance and eligibility to be voted on for a Grammy Nomination. The official nomination is third step and the fourth is the winning. From the Grammy Entry List, the voting members vote on their favorites. The top 5 vote-getters are then called "Nominees".

I am so excited to hear that "Spirit Legends" has garnered a Grammy Entry List Appearance under Category 99: Best Orchestral Performance of Field 30 - Classical.

If you are a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), vote #043 under Category 99!

Let's put a wind ensemble CD on the Grammy Nomination list!

To purchase a copy of "Spirit Legends", go to http://cdbaby.com/cd/ctucker2.

Check out these YouTube videos covering the world premiere of Gabrieli's Trumpet on July 28, 2008. Enjoy!

Gabrieli’s Trumpet opening:

Gabrieli’s Trumpet middle section through recap:

I have attended the Texas Bandmasters Association (TBA) convention every July for the past twelve years as an exhibitor, participant or college student. I have learned so much from TBA's concerts and clinics. This was my summer to give back after taking in so much.

TBA counted me in this summer as exhibitor, performer, composer and clinician. I had a few weeks of activities compressed into three days. I gave a clinic on the commission process and I represented the Lone Star Wind Orchestra and Southern Music Company.

The highlight of the convention was the performance given by the Lone Star Wind Orchestra under the direction of Eugene Corporon and the world premiere of my new work for winds titled Gabrieli's Trumpet.


Gabrieli's Trumpet was commissioned by Texas Bandmasters Association, in tribute to Al Sturchio, retiring Executive Director of the organization.


In composing Gabrieli’s Trumpet, I wanted to personalize the work with elements close to the dedicatee, Al Sturchio. Speaking to his friends and colleagues, I learned he was a proud Italian-American, played trumpet, loved jazz music and as Executive Director of TBA was driven to make the organization the best it could be. The work is jazz-inspired and is laced with motives and musical figurations from Italian composer Giovanni Gabrieli’s Canzon Sonare No. 4.


The world premiere was conducted by Frank Troyka (seen left on the photo above; Al Sturcho is on the right). The Lone Star Wind Orchestra played the snot out of the piece. The performance was electric and was well-received by the 1000+ in attendance. Many thanks to TBA for allowing me to compose a work for such a great man!

(Photo - me, Kim and Mark)

The North Texas Wind Symphony performed and recorded two of my symphonic band works for the new GIA Teaching Music through Performance in Band Series - Americans Lost and Animal Krackers.


Much appreciation to Eugene Corporon, the Collegium conductors and the NTWS for preparing my pieces for performance and the recording session. I'm looking forward to hearing the final master recording in December.

This trip was something special - a commission from a dear friend, Kevin Jedele. I met Kevin when he was an assistant director of bands under Cheryl Floyd during the writing of my Twilight in the Wilderness. After getting to know him, it was apparent that a collaboration would occur soon. Then, last year he helped me out of a jam by giving the world premiere of my Journey down Niagara, a piece which is now fast becoming one of the most played new young band works in the market. It was only fitting that when he commissioned me for a new young band work that I try to fit it with the premiere he gave last year.

So, I decided to compose a companion work to Journey down Niagara titled Serenade at Prospect Point.

His Lake Travis Middle School Band played the work admirably and remarked enjoying the process. I noticed it took a while for some of the students to grasp the idea of the waltz (the form of the work is a serenade and waltz) since they do not hear waltzes (in their iPods!). Many of the parents/grandparents related much to the music providing nostalgia from their courting days.

I was also pleased to hear an additional collaboration occured between the band and literary program; the English teacher and two of her students recited a poem before the premiere, which her students co-wrote about the majesty of Niagara Falls. I was quite moved.


Until the next collaboration, thanks Kevin for all your support.

Check out the above picture - the passion in this man's conducting!!! Who is he? ...I'm proud to say a Tucker! Now, he's of no relation on paper; but behind-the-scenes, he is much the family relative I look forward to visiting and hanging out with. Andrew, or to his students known simply as 'Tucker', is the Assitant Director of Bands at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. The success he is earning and deserves befits a head director and displays the professionalism and respect that I enjoy when visiting a school on a residency.

The trip included working with his band as a composer and conductor. He also involved the local high school with members of the high school band and its director performing on the concert.


The program included Mark Camphouse's Whatsoever Things, my Twilight in the Wilderness and my Americans Lost (which I conducted and Andrew narrated). The group did an absolutely phenominal job; I would welcome the group and its musicians into my home as friends any day of the week and twice on Sundays.


So many memorable stories to tell from this adventure - some to hot to tell here. See me at the Midwest Clinic this December if you want to hear all the dirt! :)

I love it when a residency involves a short car ride of about 3-1/2 hours. No joke! 3-1/2 hours is considered short for us Texans. And I made two trips, one for a rehearsal, the other was the performance. I drove down from Rockwall to Huntsville for a performance of my Legends by the Sam Houston State Symphonic Band under the direction of my dear friend and colleague Alfredo "Fred" Velez. I stayed with my old college roommate, now the famed composer and professor, Dr. Kyle Kindred!


The band was playing at a high level for a 'second' ensemble. The program included other mature wind works like Yagisawa's Machu Picchu.


I was very proud of them. The hall suited the group's performance and the audience enjoyed the concert. I look forward to collaborating again with the bands at Sam Houston State...hopefully in the near future!

A trip to Chicago, IL occurs every December and has for at least ten years for me (this year the convention celebrates 60 years). It is always a memorable experience filled with friends, fun and great music.

My first piece for wind band was published in 1999 and since then, a Midwest Clinic performance has eluded me. The rules always keep me in close, but discard me in the end. Directors are surprised when I tell them that I have not had a Midwest performance of one of my pieces yet, even the award-winning ones like Americans Lost and Twilight in the Wilderness.

Well, this year was different. My dear friends from Austin, Cheryl Floyd and the Hill Country Middle School Symphonic Band took up my young band piece Journey down Niagara and played it with compassion and excitement. The work was coupled with a number of great works including Jodie Blackshaw's Whirlwind. Mr. Richard Floyd directed my work and the kids played it admirably. I was honored by the performance.


I spend most of my time with my publisher Southern Music Company meeting directors, musicians and fellow composers. I enjoy listen to stories and at the SMC booth, there is always a great story to be told.


I cannot wait until next year!!!

Boy, over the last few years, I have waited anxiously and patiently for a performance at the Midwest Clinic. Each year up until now, I've seen my compositions reserved by various bands in the beginning of their selection process only to be cut in the end.

After all that, I feel it fitting and appropriate that my first Midwest Clinic performance in Chicago be fulfilled by a dear friend, Cheryl Floyd, director of the Hill Country Middle School Band Program. And her husband, Richard Floyd, director of UIL Music here in Texas, will conduct the work (Dick has been a champion for my music. I am deeply grateful to both of them for what they have done to help spread the word about my band compositions).

The piece she will take with her to the Midwest Clinic is my already successful young band piece Journey down Niagara. After having an unfortunate beginning with a botched commission agreement, the work has taken on a life that is seeing numerous performances and awards (Interesting enough, the piece has not been published yet).

The kids played quite well (I call them superhuman kids). As expected, they played the entire program as well as I remembered the band when the Hill Country Middle School Symphonic Band commissioned and premiered my award-winning Twilight in the Wilderness back in 2003. They are awesome!!!

I'm looking forward to the new experience. Again, thank you to Richard and Cheryl Floyd for allowing me the opportunity.

This was the first time I had ever been to San Jose or even this region as a visiting composer. With that, the majority of the day was spent sight-seeing with Diana, learning about the area and walking around San Jose State University. The most memorable moment was a drive out to Santa Cruz, which is just 20 minutes southwest of San Jose. Diana and I walked along the beach, ate at a restaurant on the pier and watched the sea lions frolic in the water. For lunch, I tried shrimp & crabcrake enchiladas - they were quite horrible; I don't recommend them if you visit Santa Cruz.


The concert was a success with a fair number of concert-goers and wonderful performances by both San Jose State University bands. As mentioned before, Diana Hollinger conducts the Symphonic Band - a relatively new group, only 2 years in existence, with a lot of potential as non-majors who played in their high school band gets wind that there is an opportunity to play again. Edward Harris is the Chairperson of the music school and Director of Bands conducting the wind ensemble. Their program was well-rounded, enlightening & fun as they performed among others Richard Strauss' Serenade and Adam Gorb's jazzy Awayday.


The after party included a late dinner with Ed and his wife Kathy, Diana & Tony, Victoria and myslef. Drinks were a plenty and the food was amazing. I also realized if Ed Harris wasn't a band director, he would have made a HANDSOME living as a stand-up comic (that guy is funny!!!).


Tomorrow, Diana, Tony and I head to the computer-side of Silicon Valley to visit Microsoft, Google, Yahoo and the newly constructed Computer Museum. I'm looking forward to it before I have to say goodbye and head back to Dallas.

I almost didn't make it! I flew in to San Jose, CA right before an arctic blast roared through Dallas/Fort Worth. If I was on a later flight, I would still be in Dallas. The American Airlines flight was still a bit delayed only due to de-icing the plane (which turned out to be quite festive as they sprayed a large amount of red and green liquid on the plane). It was a comfortable ride with only half of the plane filled - I had three seats to myself. Plus, I was able to relax in light of dealing with a terrible cold. I was just hoping that a little sickness would not come in the way of enjoying my time in beautilful California.

I made it just in time for lunch and the San Jose State University Symphonic Band's final rehearsal before the concert. Diana Hollinger, a fellow past student of the University of North Texas, is their conductor and as well as the Music Education coordinator for the SJSU School of Music. She picked me up from the airport and took me to Top Dogs for lunch (a hot dog place which I hear is one of the best in the country). It was quite good.


The rehearsal came later and the kids were quite excited to play for a living composer (still on medication battling a cold, so I'm not sure how 'living' I was). I was quite taken back how the low brass sound throughout the rehearsal - plus, they have an amazing principal clarinetist.

After the rehearsal, we had dinner at Taiwan (interesting enough, it's a Chinese restaurant) in the Willow Glen district of downtown San Jose. Williow Glen is the historic, elegant side of San Jose with small specialty shops and restaurants.

I am off to California at the end of this month for a performance by the San Jose State University Symphonic Band. Their conductor is Ms. Diana Hollinger - a friend and former classmate at the University of North Texas. As far as I know, her band will be giving the California premiere of two works Earth, the Gentlest Mother and Twilight in the Wilderness - which will soon comprise of the third and fourth parts to my Sinfonietta No. 1 "Of Nature". This will be the second performance of Earth... ever! And I am looking forward to hearing the work played by a wonderful college band. Plus, this will be my first trip to California as a composer-in-residence (I was last in the 2nd greatest state [1st place goes to Texas :) ] when the North Texas Wind Symphony played at the WASBE Convention in 1999). To my CA buds, I hope to see some of you there!

The Lone Star Wind Orchestra (www.lonestarwindorchestra.com) performs it's second concert of the season on Tuesday, November 7 at the Eisemann Center in Richardson. This is an all-Shostakovich concert with a historic performance of a transcription of the entire Symphony No. 5 (and in its original key of d minor). I play bass clarinet in the ensemble and my good friend from San Antonio, Mark Rogers, will conduct (many know him as a Grainger scholar and the publications director at Southern Music Company). Hope to see you there!

I had to announce this because as an Apple iTunes customer and fan, I just think this is so cool! My first commercial CD Twilight in the Wilderness is now available from iTunes! I have to admit that I was giddy for most of the day - visiting the iTunes Music Store over and over searching for the album and watching it pop up (like so many more popular CDs I buy from this store). If you are an iTunes connoisseur, please purchase a song or two of mine for 99 cents each.

Click the Logo to View in the iTunes Store

I am quite excited about this latest composition endeavor. I have just signed a consortium agreement with ten schools to compose a ten minute work, which already has a title and a program; I am calling it A Light in the Deep. The work will be a musical impression of the underwater photography by National Geographic's David Doubilet. Click on the photo above and check out his portfolio. His work is brilliant and I am focused on composing a work, which not only musical represents his artistry, but a work which truly leaves the listener with a sense of beauty for what life is like under the water. In the past two years, I have had the urge to compose a work which is inspired by water imagery; so cross your fingers. :) If all goes well, the piece will be finished by February with premieres by the ten groups in the Spring.

To the schools who believe in me to create this consortium, THANK YOU!
University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee (Milwaukee, WI)
Thomas Dvorak, Director of University Bands
Armstrong Atlantic State University (Savannah, GA)
Mark B. Johnson, Director of Wind Ensembles
Augustana College (Rock Island, IL)
Dr. James Lambrecht, Director of Bands
Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, OH)
Bruce Moss, Director of Bands
Butler University (Indianaopolis, IN)
Dr. Robert Grechesky, Director of Bands
Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, OH)
Gary Clepluch, Music Director
Illinois State University (Normal, IL)
Stephen K. Steele, Director of Bands
Nocross High School (Nocross, GA)
Rudy Gilbert, Director of Bands
Shaker-Heights High School (Shaker-Heights, OH)
Tom Deep, Director of Bands
University of North Dakota (Grand Forks, ND)
Dr. James Popejoy, Director of Bands

A new wind ensemble hits the streets of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex this year. They're called the Lone Star Wind Orchestra. The group was co-formed in April by myself with colleagues Barry Knezek and Robert Clark. The LSWO is a professional, all-voluntary wind ensemble and will perform in halls like the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas and the Eisemann Center in Richardson. The group has lots of potential and I would love for you to check us out at www.lonestarwindorchestra.com. Our first concert "ever" is on Wednesday, September 27th at the Meyerson Symphony Center. We're performing a concert titled FIESTA! as the program features Ginastera's Danza Final, Barnes' Danza Sinfonica and Reed's La Fiesta Mexicana. *I am totally psyched!*