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This edition of Brass, Reeds, and Percussion opens with a march that I recently heard played for the Arcadia, California, Band Review. Apparently, as part of the requirements for participating in this parade marching contest, traditional marches must be performed. So this edition opens with one of the great American marches: "Emblem of Unity" by John Joseph Richards, a Welsh born composer who grew up in Kansas. He started playing alto horn and cornet at age 10, but was the director of a circus band by age 19. In addition to conducting the Norton-Jones Circus Band, he also conducted t...

Continuing the exploration of how popular music is often wind-band music, this edition of Brass, Reeds, and Percussion features music of a big band called \“a thundering herd\” instead of an orchestra. Before being a musician or bandleader, Woody Herman was a vaudeville performer billed as \“The Boy Wonder.\” He began playing his clarinet in a band at age 13 and doubled on saxophones. In 1934, he joined the Isham Jones Orchestra and added singing to his musical activities. In 1936, he formed his first band called the Band That Plays the Blues. Probably because of the rhythmic drive of ...

As I prepare for Brass, Reeds, and Percusion, I audition many band works. From time to time, I come across a march that I haven’t encountered before, but that really excites me. It immediately becomes my new favorite march. And today’s edition of Brass, Reeds, and Percussion opens with one of those: \“The March of the Olympians,\” written for the opening of the 1960 Olympics. There are two composers: Tommy Walker and Robert Linn. I haven’t been able to locate any information about Tommy Walker, but Robert Linn was the head of the Composition Department at the University of Southern C...

Robert W. Smith was a prolific wind-band composer with over 600 publications in print. He was born in 1958 in Daleville, Alabama, and unfortunately died in September in Montgomery from complications of heart surgery. He graduated from Daleville High School and then went to Troy State University, where he played lead trumpet in the Sound of the South Marching band. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music education and then received a master’s degree from the University of Miami. Eventually, he returned to Troy State University and served as band director and as an instructor in its m...