Meet the Trombone Section

From a rehearsal in 2002, left to right: Glenn Garvey, Mark Vincenzes, Peter Norton, David Tweed, Sam Reynolds and Andy Nichols.

The Concord Band recently presented an award to the longest-tenured member of the Band, trombonist Andy Nichols. Andy has played with the Concord Band for a full, and is retiring from the Band this season. Until we have a solo feature for Andy, here's a reprise of the article featuring the trombone section. Amazingly, ten years since this article was published in Notes from the Concord Band, at Andy's retirement the section was still 100% intact!—ed. 

When it comes to proficiency, many would agree that among all instrument sections of the Concord Band, our Trombone section ranks very high—right at the top, in your editor's opinion. What makes this so impressive is that, while players of all wind instruments must form a proper embouchure (position of the mouth—lips, tongue and teeth) to play each note, instrumentalists other than trombonists need merely depress the proper key or keys on his or her instrument to do so. Trombonists, on the other hand, must position their slides (which can travel almost two feet) to an accuracy of 1/8 of an inch! Perhaps you're not as impressed with this as is your editor (who plays only non-melodic percussion instruments, which need merely to be struck—some would say banged—at the right moment), but if you've managed to get this far, please read on.

The Concord Band's six trombonists have been with the Band an average of more than 16 years [in 2002—ed]. Four have been with the Band for fifteen years or more; a fifth, nine years. All but one were born in the Northeast (Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania); the sixth hails from Arkansas. All began their trombone studies as children and played in school ensembles at every stage of their education. Today, four play in more than one musical group. A few play more than one instrument; one even admitted to having played the accordion!

Ten Years Ago—My Online Cousin

Another in our occasional series looking back ten years....  Band member Dave Southard created the Concord Band web site in 1995 when the web was still in its infancy. For all we know, it is the first community band web site in the history of the universe! Fundraising chair Dan Diamond, never at a loss for a new angle, ran this article in the Winter 2002 issue of our traditional newsletter, Notes from the Concord Band.

As publications go, both my online cousin, www.concordband.org (or concordband.org as he is known to the family), and I are relatively young. I'm a teenager, having been born in the autumn of 1989. Concordband.org is six years younger, first appearing on the scene in 1995. I am an example of what marketing gurus might call a semi-intrusive medium. That is, I show up in the mail to make my presence known, but you still have to take the trouble to read me. Concordband.org is strictly non-intrusive: You have to decide to read him. But he can do things I can only dream about!

While I am mailed twice a year to about 3,200 homes and businesses, he can be looked at any hour of the day or night by hundreds of millions of people anywhere on the earth, and (for all I know) other planets as well. And while my content must be finalized, and made as close to error-free as possible no later than seven to ten business days before mailing (for which we must allow a month prior to each major concert), his content can be changed on a moment's notice. Which, dear reader, brings me to my purpose here: The Concord Band expends a lot of energy making useful information available to you through our website. Please take advantage of it.

2013 Spring Pops

The Concord Band

James O’Dell, Music Director 

Amanda Carr, Guest Vocalist 

William McManus, Guest Saxophonist 

April 12 & 13, 2013

Program
Title	Composer/arranger
Proud Heritage	William Latham
Welsh Variants	James Curnow
Concord Band Commission
"Schottische" and "Western One-Step" from Suite of Old American Dances	Robert Russell Bennett
Clear Track Polka (Bahn Frei)	Eduard Strauss; arr. Alfred Reed
Dave Brubeck: A Portrait in Time	arr. Robert Smith
Maybe Amanda Carr/Bevan Manson; arr. William G. McManus Something Wonderful Happens in Summer J. Deuvries/J. Bushkin; arr. William G. McManus They Can’t Take That Away from Me George and Ira Gershwin; arr. Warren Barker
Amanda Carr, Vocalist
Hooray for Hollywood	arr. Warren Barker
Original Dixieland Concerto	arr. John Warrington
Blue Sterling: Theme for Jerry	William G. McManus
Commissioned for the Concord Band by the family of Dr. Gerald Kriedberg World Premiere
William McManus, Alto Saxophone
Night and Day	Cole Porter; arr. William G. McManus
Amanda Carr, Vocalist William McManus, Alto Saxophone
Americans We	Henry Fillmore; ed. Frederick Fennell
The Stars and Stripes Forever	John Philip Sousa, ed. William Revelli