World-class music faculty via Zoom

PAXTON — They'll be striking up the band at Anna Maria College next month — virtually speaking.

The first Anna Maria College Summer Band Institute Aug. 10-14 will feature a faculty of renowned musicians and educators who will provide a week of masterclasses, fundamentals classes, leadership clinics and mini-recitals for high school music students via Zoom. It comes at a time when bands have been striking up very little music in the way of live appearances.

The program has been put together by institute artistic director Jeff Conner, trumpet player with the acclaimed Boston Brass and the only original member of the brass quintet he co-founded in 1986 with some fellow Boston musicians while a student at Boston University.

"I wanted to do something for Central Massachusetts students that would be unique and incredibly special," said Conner, who lives in Northboro and will be joining the Anna Maria music faculty in the fall. "These are all friends of mine and all world-class musicians," he said of the faculty. In this instance, Zoom has become an advantage since it would be impossible to bring all the faculty members together otherwise, Conner said. Most would be at summer institutes such as Tanglewood.

Among the faculty members are Capt. Winston E. Scott, the first African-American Naval Astronaut and also a trumpet player with a lifelong passion for music. His favorite tune is "Fly Me to the Moon," Conner said.

Also on board are over a dozen more brass, woodwind and percussion musicians that include other members of Boston Brass (Jose Sibaja, trumpet; Chris Castellanos, horn; Domingo Pagliuca, trombone; and William Russell, tuba); Joey Tartell, trumpet player with the Maynard Ferguson and Woody Herman Orchestras; Harry Watters, trombone, international jazz artist; Ryan Middagh, saxophone and director of Jazz Studies at Blair School of Music, Vanderbilt University; Christina Castellanos, flute, principal flute Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra and Utah Symphony Orchestra; Gregory Oakes, clarinet, professor of clarinet at Iowa State University; and Vadim Karpinos, assistant principal timpani, Chicago Symphony Orchestra. 

Other faculty include Frank Ticheli, composer and professor at University of Southern California; Tim Lautzenheiser, nationally recognized advocate for arts education; Scott Lang, nationally known leadership speaker and trainer; and Chris Chapman, director of bands Central Michigan University.

"The students will have the opportunity to work and meet with the faculty," Conner said. At a regular in-person music camp, students "may meet one person like that at this level, so this is real special and may be life-changing for some of the kids," Conner said.

There aren't likely to be many in-person summer music camps this year because of COVID-19.

"All the students are unfortunately used to it," Conner said of practices and rehearsals by Zoom. "They're used to the virtual world, as are the faculty."

Boston Brass has performed across America and around the world and often combines entertaining with education as it participates in school residencies in many of the communities it visits. 

In 2018 the quintet put on a full concert in Mechanics Hall presented by Music Worcester (the South High Community School Band played in the first half of the program), gave two free “Concerts for Kids” at Mechanics Hall, and visited South High, Southbridge High School and Burncoat Senior High School to coach and mentor its orchestra and band programs. Conner also teaches at Burncoat.

Conner said he was on a plane to Chicago March 11 to give a concert. As he got off the plane he received a text message saying the concert had been canceled. There haven't been any concerts since.

"We're trying to keep the wheel turning," Conner said. "We've been doing a lot of virtual master classes and helping high school bands. We're looking forward to getting back on the road."

That probably won't happen until at least the spring, he acknowledged. But band members will come together to perform in one space in October for a live-streamed fundraiser titled "Arts Across America."

High school music programs had been doing very well prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Conner said.

"It's taken a toll on music education worldwide. Many band directors are trying to save their programs," he said.

"But the great thing about music educators — they're the most creative people in the world and they want to keep giving students the gift of music. In the fall they'll probably break out in smaller groups, but they'll figure it out. That's what they do. They'll find a way to keep their students engaged with music."

Conner has cited his experiences as a trumpet player at Holliston Middle and High School as being inspirational and formative. "I wouldn't be talking to you if it wasn't for my middle school and high school band director," he said. The love of music has been passed on as his son, Jack Conner, has been a trumpet player for the Worcester Youth Symphony Orchestra.

The Anna Maria College Summer Band Institute is open to any high school music student, but is intended primarily for youths in Central Massachusetts, Conner said. He's hoping for "well over 100" students. It's a new venture, and Conner has been working with Melissa Martiros, director of music at Anna Maria College. "The music department at Anna Maria has just been wonderful," Conner said.

The ground covered by the institute will be "pretty diverse," and includes fundamentals, breathing exercises, sight reading, how to practice, leadership, masterclasses, and faculty performances. Band directors will be given access to every session. 

"Winston Scott is going to speak to all of the kids," Conner said.

"We'll teach them some new things so that whatever situation they walk into in the fall they're ready for it."

For more information, visit www.annamaria.edu/summermusic