Marine Band Concerto Competition

[Tom Holtz]

Some news from the United States Marine Band:

Who is Eligible?
The 2008 competition is open to high school musicians (grades 9-12) enrolled during the 2007-2008 academic year. Performers of woodwind, brass, or percussion instruments may apply.

Where Do I Get an Application?
Application packets can be obtained by clicking here or by calling (202) 433-5809.

Applications with recordings are due November 15. Do not send them to the band! Follow the directions in the packet. Finalists will be notified before January 1, 2008. Finals are on February 16, 2008 in Sousa Hall in D.C. Go to the USMB concerto competition page for more details, including these interesting nuggets:

The winner(s) will be invited to perform their solo selection in concert with the Marine Band at the MENC National Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Saturday, April 12, 2008 and will receive a cash prize of $2,500.

I cannot express in terms polite enough for this forum exactly how much I do not want to hear some clarinet player hacking through some C. M. von Weber concerto YET AGAIN in Milwaukee. Practice!

[Tom Holtz]

Joe Skillen recorded the Wilhem on his "Blue Plate Special" disc. You can sample the three movements on mp3.com here:

http://www.mp3.com/albums/579479/summary.html?tag=albums;img&om_act=convert&om_clk=artalb

The CD is available on Amazon.com here:

http://www.amazon.com/Plate-Special-always-something-great/dp/B0002W08JO/ref=sr_1_1/102-5307944-2939343?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1187403825&sr=8-1

[andrew the tuba player]

Ok. I'm gonna aply. But, i need to know, Do you send the application form and then they send you the music, or do you get the music and then send both? If so, where can i get the music? Any info would be appreaciated.

[Tom Holtz]

I'll look into it--I haven't come up with a quick source for either piece. More to follow.

[katfey]

sheetmusicservice.com has both pieces on their site. You will need to call them to confirm availability. They are very good about confirming if it is in stock and shipping it out right away.

Also you should just buy the version listed on the site with the same name but "with piano" unless your recording will be with band. The solo part is the same for both but you will need the piano part for your accompanist.

I have heard the Curnow and it is a really nice piece.

[andrew the tuba player]

Thank you. Thats good. I'll call them soon.

[Tom Holtz]

Nice hunting, guys. I found out that all of Curnow's library is distributed through Hal Leonard, so the Concertino should be order-able (is that a word??) just about anywhere. I don't know who publishes the Wilhelm.