SERTEC Thank You
Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 2:36 am
My great thanks to the almost 200 who were able to attend and participate at SERTEC this past weekend. We had an amazing line-up of performers, ensembles, and clinicians. It was terrific seeing so many past friends and meeting new ones before, during, and after the events (at our favorite meeting spot).
The Marine Band Quartet was tremendous! They started off the conference early (and I mean early!) on Friday with a TV appearance on the morning show on the local Fox affiliate, WGHP. They performed a fantastic recital that night on the opening concert. John Cradler (though some refer to him as John Cramer) and Tom Holtz each performed solos and Ryan McGeorge and Mark Jenkins performed a duet with the UNCSA Wind Ensemble on Saturday night with a quartet encore. And finally, they all judged the Euphonium and Tuba Mock Band Auditions on Sunday morning. Mark even performed a duet with Adam Frey on Sunday. Their talent and energy truly drove this conference and we all benefited from their efforts. Kudos to you all!
Adam Frey was not to be outdone...he judged the Euphonium Solo Competition of Friday, presented a master class and performed a solo with the UNCSA Wind Ensemble on Saturday, and performed a wonderful series of collabortive pieces with Mark Jenkins, Tom McCaslin, and Judy Saxton (UNCSA trumpet professor) on Sunday. Oh...and he brought some music for the exhibits! Fantastic job on all accounts!
We were extemely fortunate to have the Kevin Stees and the James Madison University Brass Band perform at SERTEC. They gave a one of a kind performance in what can be described as a "lively" hall on Saturday. Chris Quade was a fantastic soloist (simply effortless!) and the band was astounding! When I walked into the hall on Sunday afternoon, the final bars of Elsa's were still ringing in the rafters.
Brent Harvey would have to be the MVP of the weekend. Not only was he the conference co-host, soloist, and adjudicator of both the tuba and euphonium solo competitions....he also brought the entire 440th Army Band and had four rehearsals with two performances! The performing was impressive, but when you consider the administrative work...wow! One of my favorite pieces involving tuba is Verne Reynold's Signals for Solo Tuba, Solo Trumpet, and Brass Ensemble. It is also one of the hardest tuba solos I know! I asked Brent and Judy Saxton to perform this with the UNCSA Brass Ensemble and they absolutely nailed it (despite the stubborness of Brent's music stand)! Simply, without Brent SERTEC 2009 doesn't happen.
Matt Ransom, conference co-host, you could say was pretty busy. He had to juggle the orchestra mock auditions, a performance of the first movement of the Vaughan Williams with the UNCSA Wind Ensemble, and the UNCSA tuba ensemble concert all while having to perform Brahms #2 with the Winston-Salem Symphony that weekend TWICE! Thanks Matt for all you do at UNCSA.
Others responsible for the success of the conference were:
Finally, I want to thank all of those who worked so hard behind the scenes. Dick Lockwood really stepped up to help out with registration. Chris Smith came back to NC from Pittsburgh and assisted for several of the events. The 440th Army Band moved lots of equipment! And John Beck, UNCSA Percussion Professor and former "President's Own" Bandsmen, was a miracle worker with percussion equipment all weekend!
But my wife Amanda takes the cake. She put in countless hours starting months ago in keeping the books straight and the data clutterless. She knew EVERYONE's name at the conference and was happy to see faces that matched those names as they arrived. I am nothing without her and I am amazed she contributes so much. I know she never thought she would be at a tuba conference much less running one!
I hope I haven't missed anyone and please accept my apologies if I did. But thanks to all for bringing together such a rewarding weekend to UNCSA.
Mark
Mark Norman
SERTEC 2009 Host
Music Director and Conductor
Wind Ensemble and Chamber Winds
UNC School of the Arts
The Marine Band Quartet was tremendous! They started off the conference early (and I mean early!) on Friday with a TV appearance on the morning show on the local Fox affiliate, WGHP. They performed a fantastic recital that night on the opening concert. John Cradler (though some refer to him as John Cramer) and Tom Holtz each performed solos and Ryan McGeorge and Mark Jenkins performed a duet with the UNCSA Wind Ensemble on Saturday night with a quartet encore. And finally, they all judged the Euphonium and Tuba Mock Band Auditions on Sunday morning. Mark even performed a duet with Adam Frey on Sunday. Their talent and energy truly drove this conference and we all benefited from their efforts. Kudos to you all!
Adam Frey was not to be outdone...he judged the Euphonium Solo Competition of Friday, presented a master class and performed a solo with the UNCSA Wind Ensemble on Saturday, and performed a wonderful series of collabortive pieces with Mark Jenkins, Tom McCaslin, and Judy Saxton (UNCSA trumpet professor) on Sunday. Oh...and he brought some music for the exhibits! Fantastic job on all accounts!
We were extemely fortunate to have the Kevin Stees and the James Madison University Brass Band perform at SERTEC. They gave a one of a kind performance in what can be described as a "lively" hall on Saturday. Chris Quade was a fantastic soloist (simply effortless!) and the band was astounding! When I walked into the hall on Sunday afternoon, the final bars of Elsa's were still ringing in the rafters.
Brent Harvey would have to be the MVP of the weekend. Not only was he the conference co-host, soloist, and adjudicator of both the tuba and euphonium solo competitions....he also brought the entire 440th Army Band and had four rehearsals with two performances! The performing was impressive, but when you consider the administrative work...wow! One of my favorite pieces involving tuba is Verne Reynold's Signals for Solo Tuba, Solo Trumpet, and Brass Ensemble. It is also one of the hardest tuba solos I know! I asked Brent and Judy Saxton to perform this with the UNCSA Brass Ensemble and they absolutely nailed it (despite the stubborness of Brent's music stand)! Simply, without Brent SERTEC 2009 doesn't happen.
Matt Ransom, conference co-host, you could say was pretty busy. He had to juggle the orchestra mock auditions, a performance of the first movement of the Vaughan Williams with the UNCSA Wind Ensemble, and the UNCSA tuba ensemble concert all while having to perform Brahms #2 with the Winston-Salem Symphony that weekend TWICE! Thanks Matt for all you do at UNCSA.
Others responsible for the success of the conference were:
- Tom McCaslin who gave an amazing solo recital, conducted a terrfic concert by the ECU ensemble, and adjudicated the Mock Orchestra audition.
Joanna Hersey performed terrifically on one of the recitals and adjudicated the tuba solo and tuba and euphonium mock band competitions.
Andrew Hitz gave an insightful brass quintet clinic and adjudicated on the tuba solo competition.
Kevin Stees not only conducted the JMU Brass Band but also sounded great on the Gregson with the UNCSA Wind Ensemble on Saturday night.
David Zerkel opened the conference with a fantastic performance by the Univ. of Georgia Tuba ensemble on Friday night, then adjuciated the mock orchestra auditions and performed an amazing recital on Saturday.
Chris Quade followed up his tremendous performance at the US Army Conference with his appearance with the JMU Brass Band and he judged both the tuba and euphonium mock band auditions.
David Lewis with the NC Symphony adjudicated the mock orchestra audition and provided some great insight on what a committee is listening for based on the hundreds of auditions he has witnessed as both an adjudicator and as the personal manager.
Jaime Lipton judged the Euphonium solo competition of Friday and performed a great recital on Saturday.
Ron Davis and Sean Greene performed several new works terrifically on Saturday morning and were great to speak with all weekend long! They added lots to the Sunday morning clinic.
All of the students involved with the performing ensembles: University of Georgia, East Carolina, Western Carolina, UNCSA Quartet/Quintet, UNCG TubaBand, James Madison Brass Band, and the UNCSA Wind Ensemble. They really made things happen at SERTEC. I appreciate all of the hard work you put into providing such high quality performances. I also appreciate your attendance to all of the events.
The 440th Army Band and Brass were fantastic all weekend. They performed great on Sunday and the antiphonal brass added so much to Festive Overture on the UNCSA Wind Ensemble Concert on Saturday night. What a way to kickoff a concert!
All of the sponsors of the competitions: Custom Music, Dillon Music, Mike Finn Mouthpieces, and the International Euphonium Institute. I greatly appreciate your support.
I want to extend my since gratitude to Jeff Rideout and Custom Music for bringing 19 horns from Michigan to exhibit at SERTEC. I know all of the attendees were very happy to see such high quality instruments on display all weekend. I appreciate your committment and involvement.
Finally, I want to thank all of those who worked so hard behind the scenes. Dick Lockwood really stepped up to help out with registration. Chris Smith came back to NC from Pittsburgh and assisted for several of the events. The 440th Army Band moved lots of equipment! And John Beck, UNCSA Percussion Professor and former "President's Own" Bandsmen, was a miracle worker with percussion equipment all weekend!
But my wife Amanda takes the cake. She put in countless hours starting months ago in keeping the books straight and the data clutterless. She knew EVERYONE's name at the conference and was happy to see faces that matched those names as they arrived. I am nothing without her and I am amazed she contributes so much. I know she never thought she would be at a tuba conference much less running one!
I hope I haven't missed anyone and please accept my apologies if I did. But thanks to all for bringing together such a rewarding weekend to UNCSA.
Mark
Mark Norman
SERTEC 2009 Host
Music Director and Conductor
Wind Ensemble and Chamber Winds
UNC School of the Arts