Summer 2005
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19 SEPTEMBER 2005:
THE MCFARLAND FAMILY FESTIVAL WAS A HOOT
Becky and Quinn on the Big Top stage
at Family Festival 2005;
click image to see more band members
The McFarland Family Festival (MFF) once again asked the AITDJB to be the Saturday lunchtime entertainment under the Big Top; we were crowdwarmers for the Talent Showcase (TSC) Saturday night; and we fielded another jaw-dropping float in the Homecoming Parade. Zach took on all the vocal duties this weekend and stepped into the role with his own inimitable style. Brad, Autumn, Tonya, and Becky all came home from college to perform with the band, and that's spirit: giving up a weekend on campus to spend it playing old jazz in McFarland.
Scott 2005
The TSC was held in the comfortable old MHS Auditorium this year, and the AITDJB played from the pit. This was new for us - we're not usually so strung out. We played a half-hour set as people were being seated for the main show, and we seemed to have a mesmerizing effect on the crowd. (At least, nobody threw anything.)
Second String 2005
under the Big Top
Members of our extended musical family were well represented in the TSC proper. Autumn and Zach reprised their performance of Randy Newman's buddy tune You've Got a Friend in Me, and were if anything more lovably hammy than ever. At the audition they were accompanied by Sara, but she left for Massachussetts and Beth Anderson generously agreed to take over the piano chores. Isis and Nora performed Scott Joplin's Pine Apple Rag, arranged for bassoon duet by Daniel Kelley. They were excellent, both free in interpretation and accurate in rhythm. Surprisingly , it turns out that Ragtime and bassoons are a match made in Heaven, or at least St. Louis. Becky and Nora are members of a woodwind quartet; along with Michael Richardson and Lauren Campbell they are 80% of the winning quintet that used to include Danielle. They performed two movements of a piece by Mary Blackwell, and were well received, showing that there is an appetite for culture. Chelsea took the stage as part of Evan Riley's Middle School guitar band, which also included James Hickey, who is somehow related to Nora.
AITDJB "Under the Sea" float, 2005
Glenn Nielsen (the fish are on his hat, so he's Under the Sea - get it?)Further thanks to the Neumann and Ransley families for photos of our events, which they sent to me pretty much instantaneously. Thanks, too, to Pam Sam for photos of the Homecoming Parade, which were in my mailbox before the parade was over. In fact, this must be the best-documented weekend in the history of Dixie music in McFarland.
Frank Ransley as a surfer shark-attack victim
Tonya Neumann in what she calls "full Ariel mode"
Quinn Leonard as King Neptune (also accepting "Triton" and "Poseidon", as long as they're preceded by "King")
Autumn Leonard in a pinup pose, with a fish stuck in his skull
Zach Staszewski, who has so much spirit he can even sing through a snorkel
Becky Schultz, looking ready for a day above the sea, on the beach
Eric Adams, half-in his MHS Marching Spartans uniform, hoping sprint back to join the marching band and do the whole parade twice
12 SEPTEMBER 2005:
BRAD TAKES HIS LEAVE IN STYLE
Brad after his final US WYSO concert
We Dixie folk think of him as the consummate set player, and he is that. But there's much more to his music.
When the "Seasoned Seniors" group of Door Creek Church asked Brad to be the entertainment after their quarterly potluck dinner last Friday night, it amounted to a farewell recital, since he's off to Lawrence University any day now. He treated the attentive audience to a superb forty-minute display of the percussionist's art, performing mostly on marimba but giving us one piece on vibraphone and two on set, the latter including a tasty 5/4 encore number. Brad's handling of percussion is always marked by elegance, precision, and above all fine musicianship, and this recital was no exception.
Several of the marimba pieces were familiar to those of us who have followed Brad's progress at WSMA Solo and Ensemble contests over the years, and fans were glad of one more chance to hear his rendering of Bizet's Carmen Suite, arranged for marimba by Linda Maxey. On this and several other numbers Brad's mother Beth provided her usual sensitive and expressive piano accompaniment. Other marimba pieces included Galactica by Mitchell Peters, a movement from Bach's A Minor Concerto, Furioso and Valse in D minor by Earl Hatch, and Change My Heart, O God by Eddie Espinosa. A highlight of the program was the lovely, moving Deep River arrangement for marimba, performed with superb restraint and attention.
The two pieces for set and piano showcased Brad's technique and his total mastery of the instruments. Jesus Loves Me, by W. B. Bradbury and heard here in an arrangement by Craig Curry, was particularly rich in the expression possible with brushes. Two movements from Tim Huesgen's Trilogy for vibraphone closed the main portion of the concert.
The music performance facilities at Door Creek Church are very fine, especially the excellent sound system. Beth's piano was well-tuned and clean-timbred. In all, the venue was excellent for what we hope will not be Brad's last musical appearance in the Madison area.
5 SEPTEMBER 2005:
RARE SIGHTING OF ELUSIVE BANDERVLOEMEN CREATURE
The gentle creature
in the wild
Stories whispered late at night tell of a mysterious creature haunting the lonely reaches of band rooms. Known to various subcultures as the Abominable Bandervloemen (A. B.), Big Hand, or the Single-Reed Yeti, its existence is still unproven. Accounts of alleged sightings are plentiful but incoherent - a quick blur on the concert stage, or a glimpse of dark hair among a herd of young saxophones. Reliable witnesses are scarce, and photographic evidence almost impossible to obtain. The best available image, reproduced at left, was taken in the wild on 27 May 2005 by a cultural anthropologist hoping to document a rare event known to specialists as a "Pep Band Concert". Frightened by weird pounding noises emanating from a dark gymnasium, the noble scientist nevertheless crept close enough to capture a few grainy frames before fleeing.
The image purportedly shows the A. B. beast engaged in some sort of rhythmic ceremonial activity. If this claim can be verified, it would indicate that the animal has somehow obtained a rudimentary level of cultural development. Indeed, many natives believe the A. B. to be reclusive, gentle, and musical in nature. Certainly none of the legends tell of its ever harming anyone, and it is often described as a kind of guiding spirit, stepping in (for example) to prop up a weak woodwind section at a crucial moment, and then vanishing once more into its labyrinth of practice rooms and debris-crammed offices. Beyond such stories, nothing is really known of its habits.
But now we come to perhaps the strangest part of the A. B. story. On the evening of Thursday 25 August 2005, a pack of young Dixie musicians was gathering in a local gazebo. Under the genial guidance of several elders of their tribe, they were preparing for a traditional summer performance of their lovely, natural songs. Suddenly, a figure later described as "Bandervloemenesque" appeared in their midst, wielding a blunt instrument (probably a saxophone). But rather than causing the mayhem which seemed sure to follow, the creature - whatever it was - appeared to be of benefit to the Dixie pack. Its voice blended sweetly with those of its new fellows, even occasionally rising in a lonely, poignant solo. At first it sported a huge and rather revolting pink bowtie, possibly believing this would provide camouflage by blending in with the protective coloration of the Dixie pack. But soon the pack appeared to accept the creature as one of its own, even sharing with it one of the much more dignified, smaller bright red bowties that are the known markings of this group.
After the performance, the creature disappeared as abruptly as it had come: when it was time to load the piano into the pickup truck, the Bandervloemen was nowhere to be found. Unfortunately, it seems that none of the stunned onlookers had the wits to take any photos, nor were any sound recordings made. But we should all be grateful that our lives have been touched by mystery, and we will never forget him, this Bandervloemen in our midst.
Click the image to
download a PDF
'Greensleeves' score
29 AUGUST 2005:
BRIA PREMIERS QUINN'S "GREENSLEEVES"
The piece was well received at its world premiere, held in July at the justly-renowned Camp Miniwanca Talent Show.I constructed the arrangement, which is subtitled "For Two Unaccompanied Female Voices in Awfully Close Harmony", with Bria's crystalline timbre specifically in mind. There seemed little hope that the work would ever be performed, partly because of difficulties intrinsic to the arrangement, and partly because the piece has two vocal parts but there is only one Bria.
Soft-focus Bria,
2004
On a personal note: I am honored that a musician of Bria's calibre would take enough interest in my concoction to perform it almost-publicly. And as always, it is a pleasure to hear her sing.
27 AUGUST 2005:
CONGRATULATIONS
to Lavonne Breunig and Timothy Smith on their nuptials.
25 AUGUST 2005:
YOU HEARD IT ON BASSOON IN MCFARLAND FIRST!
Bassoons, trying
to look natural
Isis and Nora, already infamous as the Second String Violin Duo, gave what was almost certainly the premier McFarland performance of Scott Joplin's Pine Apple Rag as arranged for bassoon duet by Daniel Kelley. When the unfamiliar instruments took the stage at the Gazebo, an awed hush fell over the ice-cream-slurping crowd. But the performers' fine sense of timing, balance and humor soon won the listeners over, even those who may have thought a bassoon looks more like a weapon than like a musical instrument.
We were unusually blessed by between-sets talent tonight, as Autumn and Zach gave a rendition of a tune first made famous by that beloved vocal duo, Buzz Lightyear and Woodie. Randy Newman's You've Got a Friend In Me was a good fit for these two spirited hams, and Sara's sensitive accompaniment, as always, gave the performers help when they most needed it.
As promised, the Up A Fifth barbershop quintet closed out the entre'acte with three splendidly rendered songs: The Star Spangled Banner, Amazing Grace, and the sprightly Tee Idle Dum. Their start was delayed a bit by a train - about B flat two octaves below middle C - but I am happy to say they sounded even better in front of audience than they did in rehearsal.
22 AUGUST 2005:
BUFFALO NOT EXTINCT IN MCFARLAND
Clidk the buffalo
to get the music
The piece was directed by Bill Garvey, and features solos by Autumn Leonard, Lauren Campbell, Andrew Gilbertson, Chris DuCharme, and Casey Stern.
Click on the Buffalo to open a window that will let you play the music. The file is about 4.2 megabytes, and runs 4:30.
21 AUGUST 2005:
Members of the band extend their condolences to the family of Cliff Munch.
15 AUGUST 2005:
AITDJB TAKES THE FIFTH
Up A Fifth at Cabaret 2005
Members of Up A Fifth are Kristofer Buhalog, Stefan Buhalog, Chris DuCharme, Zach Staszewski, and J. T. Stocks. Barbershop sevenths can be awful when poorly rendered, but these guys make them clean and tangy. The group sings music in the Silver Threads Among the Gold and Auld Lang Syne vein, so they're a great fit for an AITDJB concert. We look forward to resting our chops while they do some work.Thanks to Ken's Automotive for advertising our concerts! Due partly to the perfect weather and partly to the kind folks who helped get the word out, our July concert at the Gazebo drew a fantastic crowd and raised lots of money for Habitat for Humanity.
10 AUGUST 2005:
WHY NOT PLAY VIOLA, TOO?
Nora and Isis both play violin and bassoon (although neither girl frequently plays both at once) as well as having a longish list of instruments on which they can noodle. Now both musicians are learning the fundamentals of viola, too. They are taking a short series of lessons aimed at developing viola-clef reading skills and acquiring other mysterious tricks for handling the nasal instrument. Their instructor is Marie Pauls, a member of the dynasty of string-teaching Stenborg women.
8 AUGUST 2005:
"INCREDIBLES" AUDIO FILE AVAILABLE
The jazz band's performance of The Incredibles sound track medley at the Pep Band concert was hot. Click on Edna Mode (TM) from the movie, at right, to open a window in which you can play a recording of it. The MP3 file is 3.8 MB; the track is about 4 minutes long not counting applause.Stephen Bulla arranged this version for jazz ensemble; Hal Leonard (no relation) publishes it. Michael Giacchino wrote the original film score.
Click the image
to download a
PDF score.
2 AUGUST 2005:
ISIS' "SCHERZO" DEBUTS AT SUZUKI INSTITUTE
Shortly before leaving to attend the American Suzuki Institute's 2005 session at the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, Isis finished a draft of a new violin duet. She and her roomate gave the work its debut performance at an Institute recital, where it was well recieved by staff and students. The revised score is available here: just click on the image to get a PDF version suitable for playing at home!
1 AUGUST 2005:
MCFARLAND MUSICIANS ON EUROPEAN TOUR
Prague: they were here. But did any of the
little blighters remember to take photos?
After the end of the regular WYSO season in May, the Youth Orchestra rehearsed intensively before leaving for Europe on July 20th. The tour featured six concert performances, in Prague, Brno, Vienna, and Budapest, including appearances in the Budapest Castle Summer Festival and in Prague's Tabor Cultural Summer Festival. The orchestra's ambitious program included Leonard Bernstein's "Candide", music from Copland's "Billy the Kid" ballet, Dvorak's 6th symphony, Hansel and Gretel, and The Three-Cornered Hat.
WYSO is Wisconsin's flagship musical organization for students in grades 6 through 12, and consists of three full orchestras, a string orchestra, and several ensembles. Membership is by audition only; to earn a chair in a WYSO group even once, a student musician must be of the very highest caliber. Anderson and Hickey have each auditioned into WYSO several times.
Brad has been a percussionist in WYSO for 5 years, and is also a member of the WYSO percussion ensemble. He is an veteran of many MHS jazz ensembles, dozens of State champion percussion competition groups and many local musical theater pit orchestras. He has also been active in music ministries, and is a founding member of the Almost In Time Dixieland Jazz Band. He graduated from MHS in 2005.
Nora is an avid bassoonist and violinist, and has earned WYSO chairs for both instruments. She is becoming a fixture at State Solo and Ensemble contests.
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28 JULY 2005:
AITDJB CONCERT WIPES OUT UCC ICE CREAM SUPPLY!
More than 150 people came to Larson Park on Thursday evening to buy ice cream sundaes from the United Church of Christ in support of Habitat for Humanity. Many people brought chairs or blankets, or just sat on the ground, and stayed to listen to the AITDJB on purpose. Audience members, many of whom were not related to anyone in the band, bought all the ice cream UCC had to offer. There is as yet no exact tally on the volume of ice cream sold, but a UCC spokesman, speaking off the record, said final figures would probably show that is was "a whole bunch". 
Three new members joined the band for this concert: Zach Staszewski (top left) on vocals; Andrea Bakunowicz (right) on tenor sax, and Eric Adams (lower left) on set. All three were delighted (or at least glumly resigned) to the hazing ritual of wearing the giant pink bowtie marking their first performance. We were also lucky enough to benefit from the talents of MHS's own Anne Nichols. She joined the band for several numbers and also gave wonderful solo renditions of It's Only a Paper Moon and Stormy Weather, accompanied by Sara Siegmann. 
The image at right (click it for a larger version) shows all the band members who performed at the concert and who stayed around for the group photo. They are:
Back row, left to right: Zach, Eric, Frank, Glenn, Sara, and Autumn
Front row, left to right: Amanda, becky, Quinn, and Andrea
Check out a slideshow of photos from the concert.
1 JULY 2005:
MHS MUSIC DEPARTMENT'S RESIDENT GODDESS UNACCOUNTABLY WILLING TO PERFORM WITH AITDJB
Anne Nichols, widely regarded as an authority on the end products of cocoa, has generously agreed to perform several numbers with Almost In Time this summer. Intensive research indicates that Ms. Nichols may have played some role in the musical training of other AITDJB vocalists, including Amanda DeBoer, Zach Staszewski, Bria Mason, Tonya Neumann, and even the often-overlooked Autumn Leonard. Ms. Nichols herself is also rumored to have performed once or twice, so we all look - or rather, listen - forward to her efforts. 
Why is Anne's photo here so large, anyway? It throws off the balance of the page, don't you think?
21 JUNE 2005:
TWO MCFARLAND STUDENTS MAKE THE WYSO CUT
Isis and Nora have both earned positions in the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras WYSO), Wisconsin's flagship musical organization for students in grades 6 through 12. WYSO consists of three full orchestras, a string orchestra, and several ensembles. Membership is by audition only; to earn a chair in a WYSO group even once, a student musician must be of the very highest caliber. Both Isis and Nora have acheived this honor before. Nora will play bassoon in the Youth Orchestra, WYSO's top group. She has been in WYSO for several years, working her way up through each of the groups. Since she was in Youth during the 2004-2005 season, she will be a performer in that group's grand European tour. Nora also plays violin.
Isis will play bassoon in the Concert Orchestra. Last year, she was a violinist in all-strings the Sinfonietta, and she had the option of staying with that group for the new season. But when her bassoon audition earned her the right to move up to the higher group, she felt is was time to play the Big Pipe.
Isis and Nora are founders of the United Bassoons of Madison; check out their web site.