RUBEN STUDDARD Ruben Studdard is an R&B, Pop, and Gospel singer. As a chiled, he sang Gospel in his local church. Though he won a football scholarship to Alabama A&M University, he decided to major in Music instead. After graduating, he auditioned on a whim for Americal Idol, Fox’s hit television talent search show in 2002. He not only earned a spot, but won the whole competition, earning him a subsequent Grammy nomination in 2003. After winning the competition he went on a 39-city tour with his Idol competitors, then completed his first album, Soulful. Advanced orders for the album topped the 1 million mark before it was even released in December of 2003. For his second album, I Need and Angel (2004), Studdard decided to make a contemporary Gospel recording. He put his own spin on such classics as “Shout to the Lord” and “Amazing Grace.” In the fall of 2006, Studdard contributed to seveal tracks on his latest effort, The Return. Ruben Studdard Pledged Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia at Alabama A&M University (Omicron Delta). He is pictured, third from the right, above at his Alma Mater, Alabama A&Ms, Initiation with Epsilon Nu Brothers from left to right Cary Poarch, Ethan Paulin, Eric Crook, Matt Lester, and Chris Hall. GEORGE EASTMAN George Eastman (July 12, 1854 – March 14, 1932) was an American innovator and entrepreneur who founded the Eastman Kodak Company and invented roll film. This incredibly vital technology we take for granted today helped bring photography to the masses. Roll film was also the pivotal basis for the invention of motion picture film in 1888. So if you’ve ever taken a photograph, or gone to the movies in your life, you have Mr. Eastman to thank. He was also a major philanthropist. He founded the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, along with dentistry and medical schools at the University of Rochester, along with contributed to the construction of MIT’s second campus on the Charles River. He paid for clinics in London and other European cities to serve low-income residents. The George Eastman House is now operated as the International Museum of Photography and Film, and has been designated a National Historic Landmark. He was initiated as an Honorary Sinfonian by the Alpha Nu Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia in 1941. FRANK TICHELI Frank Ticheli was born on January 21, 1958 in Monroe Louisiana. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California and is a professor of music composition at the University of Southern California. Ticheli is responsible for such works as “Angels in the Architecture”, “An American Elegy”, and “Blue Shades”, two of which have been played by the Chamber Winds ensemble here at Jacksonville State University. Ticheli has been inducted as an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and is a very well known composer; lending his works to everyone from The Cadets to orchestras in Australia, and in this essay I would like to analyze three of his more well known works. Angels in the Architecture made its debut in the Sydney Opera House in Sydney Australia and was performed on July, 6th 2008. Angels is described by Ticheli in his conductor’s notes a five part rondo round. The way he uses this is the idea of light against dark. Angels in the Architecture begins with a vocal introduction describing an angel of light, and how this angel is always comforting, and immediately the vocal intro is countered with a very fast, turbulent syncopated riff to illustrate the struggle with darkness. This 15 minute piece flips between light and darkness five times, but each time the light comes back and ultimately prevails in the end. Angels in the Architecture is a very interesting piece with very interesting ideas that transcends the limitations of simple religion or cultural aspects and illustrates that good is always there, and always shines through. An American Elegy is a piece that was written in honor of the tragedy at Columbine. This piece was commissioned to Ticheli by one of the students who was actually spared in the shootings because her boyfriend took a bullet for her. Ticheli was moved by this story and composed An American Elegy to honor this young man’s memory and was written to where the Columbine High School band could perform this piece. One of the coolest aspects of this piece, which is mostly a very chorale style piece, is near the end when Ticheli brings in a very loud fanfare which is Columbine’s Alma Mater. This fanfare fades out as quickly as it fades in and ends the piece in a chorale style just like it started. An American Elegy is a beautiful piece and is one of Ticheli’s masterpieces. The final piece I would like to analyze is Blue Shades. This piece is very different from the previous two pieces that Ticheli composed; Blue Shades is a jazz piece. Now even in his jazz, Ticheli draws influence from the likes of Stravinsky. In listening to the piece, it is incredibly jazzy, but still has a very orchestral sound to it, featuring very impressive forte section in which the entire band shares one riff and soaring overtones which give an incredible orchestral brass sound to a jazz piece. Ticheli included a very interesting clarinet solo which is really some of the most impressive soloing on a clarinet I’ve ever heard. Its best to imagine this piece as an orchestral jazz piece, as most people when they think jazz they think 40s night club. But that is just not the case with Blue Shades. Ticheli is a phenomenal composer, and it is truly an honor to call him a brother in Phi Mu Alpha. His work has touched many, many lives and he is constantly advancing music. Whether it is by teaching composition, composing himself, or by conducting his works, Ticheli does what is expected of all Brothers, make music better, make it help someone, and create harmony in the world. MAURICE ANDRE Marice André is a quintessential virtuoso trumpeter that is in any trumpet player’s personal media library. Born in Alés, France to an amateur musician father and a mining family. He studied trumpet with a friend of his father’s, who suggested he be sent to the Paris Conservatory. He joined a military band to gain free admission into the Conservatory, winning his first prize after only six months of study. André won the Geneva International Music Competition in 1955 and the ARD International Music Competition in Munich in 1963. He was made an Honorary Brother of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia in 1970 at the Delta Chapter at Ithaca College in New York. He gained extreme prominence in the 1960’s and 1970’s with a series of Baroque recordings on piccolo trumpet for Erato and other labels. Not to limit himself, style-wise, he also performed a plethora of other works from other instruments such as oboe and flute that he transcribed for piccolo trumpet. He has two children that are musicians as well. Nicolas, a trumpeter and Beatrice, who plays oboe. Both perform with their father in various concerts and capacities. One of Andre’s students, Guy Touvron wrote a biography on him entitled, Maurice André: Une Trompette Pour la Renommée, published in 2003. DUKE ELLINGTON Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington was born in 1889 in Washington, D.C. He gained the “Duke” nickname from his childhood friend that noticed he liked the finer things and carried himself with a sophisticated air at all times. He came from a musical family with both parents playing the piano. He began piano lessons at the age of 7. The humorous part is that at that time in his life, his talent for drawing and painting was stronger than his musical ability, so he went to the Armstrong Manual Training School where he studied commercial art. During some time in Philadelphia he looked up Harvey Brooks, a long time friend, from whom he learned some piano tricks earlier in life. The two did some small café gigs and this prompted his love of music once again. Three months later he dropped out of art school to concentrate on Music full time. He married Edna Thompson, his childhood sweetheart, in 1918 and his son, Mercer was born a year later. Mercer would later join his band as a trumpeter and road manager. Duke is incredibly known not only for his playing but more so for his amazing talents as a composer. He left his Cotton Club as a well-known celebrity and continued recording for different record companies and touring with his band in the USA and in Europe.Count Basie Everett Firth ANDY GRIFFITH Andy Griffith is best known for his starring roles in two very popular TV series, “The Andy Griffith Show” (1960) and “Matlock” (1986). Griffith earned a degree in music from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In the 1950s he became a regular on the Ed Sullivan Show and the Steve Allen Show. He was featured in the Broadway play No Time for Sergeants (1955) for which he received a Tony nomination, and he later appeared in the film version. His film debut was in the provocative and prophetic A Face in the Crowd(1957), in which Griffith gave a performance that has been described as stunning. On The Andy Griffith Show (1960), Griffith portrayed a folksy small-town sheriff who shared simple heartfelt wisdom. The show was one of the most popular TV series in history. It generated some successful spin-offs, and the original is still seen in re-runs to this day. Griffith created his own production company in 1972, which produced several movies and TV series. In 1981, he was nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal in Murder in Texas (1981) (TV). In 1983 Griffith was stricken with Guillain-Barre syndrome, but he recovered after rehabilitation. In 1986 he produced and starred in the very successful TV series Matlock (1986). The show spawned numerous TV movies as well. When he accepted the Peoples Choice Award for this show, he said this was his favorite role. He became a Sinfonian in 1946 at the Alpha Rho Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha.
Posted on: Thu, 19 Jun 2014 20:14:02 +0000
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