Concerto for Bass Trombone and Concert Band – Alex Freeman (1972 - )

Concerto for Bass Trombone and Concert Band as stated in the composer’s own words…"The West Point Military Band commissioned my concerto for bass trombone in late 2004. The piece is in one movement, but contains five sections. All the ideas are interrelated and evolve in such a way as to facilitate a kind of convergence at the work's jubilant ending. The lyrical capabilities of the bass trombone are largely overlooked, and its dexterity is a quality that is rarely heard outside of its rather small solo repertoire. But it can also play louder than a freight train and can bury almost any other instrumental combination with the exception of the piccolo, which has a prominent part as well. The discourse between extremely high and extremely low registers recurs throughout the work, as does the occasional freight train." We are grateful to Mr. Freeman for giving a voice to an instrument that is often overlooked and rarely heard as a solo performer so that you, our audience, and we can continue to expand our musical experiences together.

The Patriot – John Williams (1932 - )

The Patriot is the musical setting for the main theme of the film of the same name starring Mel Gibson as a retiring Colonial hero whose family gets reluctantly drawn into the American Revolution. The entire film score is typical of the vast Williams talent for reaching the story’s emotional underpinnings. The haunting main theme presented here stirs the heart and soul with its echo of heroic tradition.

Taps Eternal Father - Gen. Daniel Butterfield & John B. Dykes arr. Capt. Kenneth R. Force U.S.M.S.

The familiar melody of Taps is credited to Union General Daniel Butterfield during the Civil War. The melody was made the official Army bugle call after the war, but was not given the name "Taps" until 1874. The first time Taps was played at a military funeral may have been in Virginia, soon after Butterfield composed it. This has become a tradition that continues at military funerals in the present day. Eternal Father Strong to Save is known to United States Navy men and women as the Navy Hymn. It is a musical benediction that has had a long and special appeal to seafaring men. This arrangement of these two moving melodies places a lone bugler away from the band. The two echo each other back and forth, finally fading away into the night, just as Taps does each evening at sundown.

Interview with MSG Matthew Wozniak - Bass Trombone, West Point Band

RCB: The RCB is looking forward to your solo appearance on our November 4th concert. You will play a concerto written for you by Alex Freeman. What were the circumstances that led Mr. Freeman to write a concerto for you?

MW: Alex and I have been friends since our very first semester at Eastman. He was a composition major who played bass trombone and I was a music theory major and played piano. I did play trombone but it was not my primary focus at this time. We had a lot of the same classes since we were both pursuing academically focused courses of study. We had a pretty tight knit core group of friends and we still stay in touch to this day. In 2003, the Military Academy was just coming off of its bicentennial anniversary. The West Point Band, to honor this milestone, had commissioned many different composers for new pieces. Several of those compositions were concertos written for various members of our band. Once I was aware that there was potential to work through the West Point Band to commission a work, I submitted a proposal for a bass trombone concerto. As far as whom to approach regarding the composition, there really was no question. Alex’s music is nothing but heartfelt and sincere. That along with his first hand understanding on how to write for and play the bass trombone made him the obvious choice.

RCB: What was the "aha" moment when you knew that you were born to play the trombone?

MW: I’m not sure there was an “aha” moment. I had played piano since an early age and played trumpet in middle school band. Once I got braces I stopped playing the trumpet but my High School band director needed low brass (and bodies) for the marching band and convinced me to play the baritone. I switched over to trombone by the middle of 11th grade. That summer I went to Brevard (for piano) but was able to join the trombone choir and symphonic band. I had a lot of fun playing in those groups that summer and have remained dedicated to playing trombone ever since.

RCB: You joined the West Point Band in 1997. What are some of the most memorable moments of the past 14 years of playing with the band?

MW: A few key moments stick out in my mind. Of course all of the support we give to the Army and local sports teams. Playing the National Anthem for the New York Yankees World Series game 6 in 2003 was particularly memorable. That was probably the loudest I’ve ever heard a crowd cheer. The West Point Band’s 2002 concert in Carnegie Hall was pretty great too. Walter Cronkite was honored as a guest conductor and led the band in a performance of Sousa's "The Thunderer". Most recently I had the pleasure of performing with my wife (and RCB Principal Saxophonist) at the Eastern Trombone Workshop and North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) region 8 conferences as we premiered a work written for us by another friend of ours, Carter Pann.

RCB: Who are your trombone "heroes" and how have they influenced your approach to playing trombone?

MW: First and foremost I have to acknowledge my trombone teacher from Eastman, John Marcellus. I was always amazed at his trombone playing and thankful for his patience with me as a student. I consider him a teacher of music first who showed me how to use the trombone to make music. In recent years I have had the pleasure and honor of collaborating with Joe Alessi, principal trombonist of the NY Phil. He is arguably one of the greatest trombonists of our generation and is a nice guy as well. He also likes golf.

RCB: Do you like to practice?

MW: I like rehearsing. One of the many factors that led me to trombone (and consequently away from piano) was the interaction I get to have with others during a rehearsal. I put in personal practice time, of course, but I would much rather be around others than sequestered alone in a small room.

RCB: What are you listening to on your favorite music player?

MW: I listen to a lot of 70s and 80s rock/pop music – especially for working out.

RCB: In your bio you mention that you like nachos. I also have seen pictures of the incredible cakes that your wife (Lois Wozniak-Hicks, Principal Saxophone, RCB) bakes. How do you stay in shape?

MW: Exercise. Everything (eating) in moderation as well of course, but Lois, apart from being a great musician, saxophonist, and mom, is also an avid runner and more recently a fitness instructor. Her dedication to staying fit is an inspiration to me to do the same.

Lt. Col. Jim Keene

In July of 2010, Lt. Col. Jim Keene assumed command as the 23rd Leader of the United States Military Academy Band, West Point, New York, where the band has been in continuous residence since 1817. A Native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Lt. Col. Keene previously served as Commandant of the Army School of Music at Norfolk, Virginia. Lt. Col. Keene’s military service has also included duties at The United States Army Band "Pershing's Own", Washington, DC.; the U.S. Army Europe Band and Chorus, Heidelberg, Germany; and the Army Ground Forces Band, Atlanta, Georgia.

As music director of The U.S. Army Strings and the U.S. Army Chorus in Washington, DC., Lt. Col. Keene arranged and produced performances for international military and civilian leaders, dignitaries, and heads of state. He led The U.S. Army Chorus in performances at the interments of former Presidents Ronald Reagan in Simi Valley, California, and Gerald R. Ford in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In the Army, he has conducted the Dallas Wind Symphony and the Cincinnati Pops orchestra. Other highlights include performances for six U.S. presidents and music planning for the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, the dedication of the National WWII Memorial, the one year anniversary of 9/11, the "Kennedy Center Honors", "Spirit of America", and the Memorial Day "Times of Remembrance".

Prior to joining the Army, Lt. Col. Keene served as assistant conductor of the Southern Methodist University (SMU) Symphony and was orchestra conductor on staff of the SMU International Conservatory Summer Festival in Taos, New Mexico. A multi-faceted musician, Lt. Col. Keene worked as a violinist, pianist, and music director of the Albuquerque Civic Light Opera. He has worked as an audition accompanist at the Eastman School of Music, the Juilliard School, and at the Manhattan School of Music. Lt. Col. Keene holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the University of New Mexico and a Master of Music with highest honors in Orchestral Conducting from the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas.

Master Sergeant Matthew Wozniak

Master Sergeant Matthew Wozniak, from Toledo, Ohio, has served as the bass trombonist of the West Point Band since November of 1997. He attended the Eastman School of Music, earning a Bachelor of Music in music theory, a Master of Music in performance and literature, a Master of Arts in music theory pedagogy and was awarded the Performer's Certificate for trombone performance. He has performed as a soloist at the 2003 Eastern Trombone Workshop, the North American Saxophone Aliance’s region 8 conference in 2009, and at the Joe Alessi trombone seminar in 1999, 2001 and 2003. Additionally, he was a two time runner-up at the Eastern Trombone Workshop's International Solo Competition. He has presented recitals and masterclasses at several colleges across the United States, to include an artist in residency at Delta State University in the fall of 2009. Most recently MSG Wozniak performed as a guest artist at the 2011 Eastern Trombone Workshop and North American Saxophone Alliance’s region 8 conference where he and his wife, concert saxophonist Lois Hicks-Wozniak premiered the work Duo for Alto Saxophone and Bass Trombone by Carter Pann. MSG Wozniak has also served as an adjunct professor of music at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY since 2004. He is an avid golfer and likes to eat nachos in his free time

Alex Freeman - Composer

ALEX FREEMAN (b. 1972, Raleigh, NC) composes in a wide range of styles and media. He holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music, Boston University's School of Fine Arts, and the Juilliard School, where he completed his doctoral studies in 2004. His doctoral research led him to Finland, via Fulbright Fellowship, where he lived for six years, studying at The Sibelius Academy and freelancing, before he assumed his current position of Assistant Professor of Music in Composition at Carleton College in Northfield, MN. Freeman has won awards from ASCAP, The American Academy of Arts and Letters, The American-Scandinavian Foundation, American Composers Forum, and The Fulbright Foundation, among others. For more information, please visit: www.alexfreemanmusic.com.

Thoughts on Concerto For Bass Trombone by Alex Freeman, Composer

The West Point Military Band commissioned my concerto for bass trombone in late 2004. The piece is in one movement, but contains five sections. All the ideas are interrelated and evolve in such a way as to facilitate a kind of convergence at the work's jubilant ending. The lyrical capabilities of the bass trombone are largely overlooked, and its dexterity is a quality that is rarely heard outside of its rather small solo repertoire. But it can also play louder than a freight train and can bury almost any other instrumental combination with the exception of the piccolo, which has a prominent part as well. The discourse between extremely high and extremely low registers recurs throughout the work, as does the occasional freight train.