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PRESS RELEASE: MCI @ MIDWEST CLINIC 2019

10/28/2019

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The Millennium Composers Initiative is excited to announce our return to The Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference in Chicago, Illinois this year! To learn more about our organization and all of our members, conference attendees can visit Booth #2008 at the conference's exhibition hall. Several scheduled events this year will feature the music of our MCI composers, 10 of which will be in attendance for the conference:

MCI COMPOSERS
Quinn Mason
Casey Thomas
JaRod Hall
Janay Maisano
Chris Evan Hass
Jeff Herwig
Kevin Day
Harrison J. Collins
Isaac Mayhew
Josh Trentadue


PERFORMANCES
JaRod Hall, "Lost Woods Fantasy" (2019) - Berker High School Symphonic Band I; 12/19/19, 3pm-4pm, Skyline Ballroom W375AB

Chris Evan Hass, "Volcanic Ash" (2017) - Donald Sinta Saxophone Quartet; 12/20/19, 12pm-1pm, Ballroom W190

Kevin Day, "Havana" (2018) - Clements High School Symphonic Band; 12/20/19, 6:15-7:15pm, Skyline Ballroom W375AB



NEW MUSIC READING SESSIONS
Josh Trentadue, "Nature's Light" (2018) - Full Orchestra; 12/19/19, 1pm-2:15pm, Meeting Room W184

Josh Trentadue, "The Dance That Never Was" (2019) - Jazz Ensemble
Kevin Day/arr. Josh Trentadue, "Windy City" (2019) - Jazz Ensemble
12/20/19, 10:30am-11:30am, Ballroom W196




​We will be featuring Composer Spotlights for each of these pieces in the coming weeks. We look forward to seeing everyone at this year's Midwest Clinic conference!
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MCI-HCJO COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: KEVIN DAY

10/19/2019

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The final Composer Spotlight of our collaboration with the Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra features a new combo chart written by MCI composer Kevin Day titled "Windy City." The composer writes the following about this work:

​"Windy City was a chart I wrote in 2017 after attending the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference in Chicago for the very first time (the title is the nickname for the city). The chart was written for a jazz album I wanted to create that was eventually postponed, so when the opportunity of this collaborative concert came along, it gave me a chance to revisit and revise this material in a new light. When I initially wrote this tune, the biggest challenge that faced me was where it needed to be placed on the album in order to create a cohesive whole. In revisiting it, I wanted to go back and iron out some parts of the material in order to create a greater sense of flow and direction throughout the chart itself. In the end, it's a soaring tune that encapsulates the whirlwind experience of my first trip to Chicago."

TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/millennium-composers-initiative-concert-tickets-74454235623
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COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: SALVADOR ALAN JACOBO, "FANFARE FOR EARTHREALM" (2019)

10/15/2019

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On Tuesday, October 15th, MCI composer Salvador Alan Jacobo's "Fanfare for Earthrealm" will receive its world premiere by the Dallas Winds! Jacobo was one of seven chosen winners for this year's Dallas Winds Brass Fanfare Competition. From their website:

"In 2000 the Dallas Winds established a tradition of performing brass fanfares 15 minutes prior to curtain in the lobby of the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, Texas, for each of its subscription concerts. Our patrons eagerly gather in the lobby to hear these fanfares that have become an important part of the whole concert-going experience."

We had the opportunity to speak with the composer about his new fanfare. Read on to learn more about what inspired him to create this piece:
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MCI-HCJO COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: CHRIS EVAN HASS

10/13/2019

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One of the new works that will be premiered on our October 20th collaborative concert with the Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra features an eclectic balancing of various genres and styles. This is MCI composer Chris Evan Hass's "Scatterbrain."

Learn more about Hass's approach to his new composition below.

TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/millennium-composers-initiative-concert-tickets-74454235623
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MCI-HCJO COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: JOSH TRENTADUE

10/13/2019

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The next Composer Spotlight for our October 20th collaborative concert with the Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra features MCI composer Josh Trentadue and his new suite "Four Ethereal Planes." This piece will feature fellow MCI composer Kevin Day joining HCJO as guest artist on piano, keyboard synthesizer, and Hammond Organ.

Learn more about Trentadue's new work in the video below. A full transcript for this Spotlight (and MCI composer Janay Maisano's Spotlight) will be published in the coming weeks.

TICKETS: ​https://www.eventbrite.com/e/millennium-composers-initiative-concert-tickets-74454235623
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MCI-HCJO COMPOSER SPOTLIGHT: JANAY MAISANO

10/13/2019

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---UPDATED DECEMBER 28, 2020 W/ VIDEO TRANSCRIPT---

We are excited to share with you the first Composer Spotlight for our October 20th collaborative concert with the Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra! Learn more about MCI composer Janay Maisano's work for this group entitled "Birdy Banter" in the video below. A full transcript for this Spotlight (and for MCI composer Josh Trentadue's Spotlight) will be published in the coming weeks.

TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/millennium-composers-initiative-concert-tickets-74454235623

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

​Hi! My name is Janay Maisano and I am the composer for the piece Birdy Banter, and I'll be answering a few questions about the piece!

I'm a composer who prefers to go more based off motives in my writing, and so the very first melody you hear in the piece (in the trumpets) - [sings the melody] - that's actually the fingering for it (at least, on the piano) is based off a nervous tick I have with my hands that goes "1, 4, 2, 5, 3," and it's something I do for fun, in a way, but also just to help relax myself, because if I do it well, I feel somewhat pleased. So, that's where the first initial melody came from, and the other major melody in the piece, which shows up about halfway through [sings the melody] - that's somewhat inspired by one of my favorite soundtracks, which is composed by a man named Grant Kirkhope. And it's for a video game series, actually, titled Banjo & Kazooie. And then, based off of those two simple ideas, the piece just grew and flourished and became something that I'm able to enjoy, and my mentality is that if I'm able to enjoy it, then everyone can find something to enjoy!

For me, my compositions tend to be a bit more abstract - at least, when they're in the making - but the title, Birdy Banter, was actually inspired by my three beloved birds who - when I was listening back to the piece - it sounded a lot like their varied squawking! It's kind of sometimes very pleasant and playful and interesting. Sometimes, it's a bit louder and a bit more obnoxious, and it's just inevitable. And, the conception for the piece - no matter how you think of it - it's just meant to be something enjoyable and fun and maybe make you just swing or sway a little.

As [an] undergrad composer who has been composing for just a little over four years now - I started back when I was 16, and I am now 20, so it's been a few years, but - this is the first time I've actually composed for such a large ensemble! So, that was already a bit daunting at first. And, I've never written a piece more than about 6 minutes, so the timeframe was also a bit terrifying and overwhelming. That already, in itself, was a huge challenge - just wrapping my mind around the whole concept of... it's just a lot. But, it was also just a challenge to make sure that I had enough, but it was still interesting and good and, ideally, fun to play. That's something I prioritize as a composer - that, if the performers don't enjoy themselves, then what's the point? So, I would say that was the biggest challenge.

I hope that [audiences] genuinely enjoy it! I hope they genuinely have fun, or feel some kind of pleasant emotion, and they finish listening to the piece and just smile and feel good, even if it's just for a brief moment, because we all need that sometimes in our life.

[Collaborating with the Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra] has been very beneficial in allowing me to expand my skills as a composer. The fact [that] I've just written the longest piece and largest piece I've ever had to write, and to have the opportunity to have it played, is wonderful. And, the rewarding part comes from the fact that this is such a highly qualified group who stands for wonderful things. So, to have them play something [of mine] and to do it well - it just means the world to me as a composer!
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The Millennium Composers Initiative represents composers from all around the world at the beginning of their professional careers, regardless of their aesthetic, style, or background. Creating fresh and engaging new music for all types of ensembles and mediums, we strive to push the limits of what defines music and art through experimental, conventional, and interdisciplinary means, providing new experiences for audiences and artists everywhere.

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