This has been a very busy writing time here in Normal, Illinois. Several commissions have kept me occupied with lots of joyful music creation, and I am so incredibly grateful to those who have asked me to write music for their ensembles! Recently completed commissions include:

Like a River - Pontiac Municipal Band, Scot Schickel, Director, Pontiac, IL

Trip the Light Fantastic! - Tipton High School Band. Matthew Skiba, Director,
Tipton, Indiana

The Lakes - New Horizons Band of the Lakes Region, Debbi Gibson, Director, Belmont, New Hampshire

Laude! - DeMatha Catholic High School Instrumental Music Program, Carlos Castrillon, Director, Hyattsville, Maryland

The Trace - Delta Chapter of Phi Beta Mu (Mississippi)

A Hollingsworth Celebration - Hollingsworth Winds of Polk County, Ivan Wansley, Artistic Director/Conductor, Lakeland, FL

True Blue - Commissioned by the Wheaton Municipal Band, Bruce Moss, Conductor, Wheaton, IL

Allegheny Footprints - Commissioned by the Allegheny Valley Band Association, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

On to Excellence! - Commissioned by the Webber Academy Bands, Jeff Bryant and Kevin Willms, Directors, Calgary, Alberta

The Wolves of Nashoba - Commissioned by the Nashoba Symphonic Band, David Bailey & Joe McCarthy, Directors, Bolton, MA

Sinfonia #3 for Trombone and Concert Band - Commissioned by Carl Anderson, Peoria, IL

South Fork Legacy - Commissioned by the North Carolina Northwest District Bandmasters Association

Convergences - Commissioned by the Cincinnati Wind Band, Jim Daughters, Conductor, Cincinnati, OH

I have been extremely fortunate to have had many pieces designated as a JW Pepper "Editor's Choice" over the years. This year, nine of my ten new releases have been listed as Editor's Choice. 

These are my new publications (the title is the link to the catalog page):

ALFRED MUSIC 

- Pacific Crest - Commissioned by the Northwest Bandmasters Association 

- The Parting Glass - For the United States Army Ceremonial Band, Washington, D.C. 

- Voyages

- Whispers in the Wind

- Mountainview Overture

MAKE MUSIC PUBLICATIONS

- Cherished - Commissioned by Jim Hill, Monroe, NC

- Sentinel - Commissioned by the Jupiter High School Band, Jupiter, Florida, Ryan Ross, Director

EXCELSIA MUSIC 

- Incandescent Sky - Commissioned by the First Coast Wind Symphony, Jacksonville, Florida, Artie Cliftin, Conductor 

- Commonwealth - Commissioned by the Katherine Johnson Middle School Band, Fairfax, Virginia, Charlie Burts, Director

RANDALL STANDRIDGE MUSIC 

- River of Grass - Commissioned by the South Florida Pride Wind Ensemble
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Dan Bassett, Conductor

My sincerest thanks to all of these wonderful band directors for asking me to write for their bands.  It was not only an honor and a privilege, but it was also GREAT FUN!  I truly appreciate their support in allowing me to continue to create music.  I am so thankful to all of them as well as the publishers who are producing and distributing the music!

Upcoming commissions include:

St. Clair High School Band, Tim Karth, Director, St. Clair, MO

The Fogelberg Foundation, Eric Mills, President, Peoria, IL

Hillcrest Wind Ensemble, Christian Tordahl, Artistic Director, San Diego, CA

Western Wisconsin Music Conference High School Honor Band, Westby, WI

Southwest Symphony Orchestra, Palos Heights, IL

Lisle High School Bands, Lisle, Illinois, James Stellmacher, Fine Arts Department Chair, Scott Gumina, Phillip Meyer, and Dan Schraub Band Directors

All-Japan Band Association, Tokyo, Japan

Chatham Concert Band, Vaugn Pugh, Chatham, Ontario, Canada

Suncoast Concert Band, Robert Stoll, Music Director, Sarasota, Florida

Birmingham Concert Band, Patrick Jensen, Conductor, Birmingham, MI

Another project for which I was so proud to be a participant was the American Bandmasters Association "Reflections" Project. Several of the ABA composers have contributed a musical underlay that accompanies a wonderful narration which can be read over the music, or played from a recording, available by a number of speakers in several languages. This brief piece is meant to provide an inspiring message of unity and peace prior to the performance of our national anthem, or another piece such as Amazing Grace or America the Beautiful at the beginning of a concert program. These pieces are made available free of charge for download on the ABA website for all bands worldwide, and will be available at all grade levels. You can find all of the Reflections Pieces HERE. You can hear my offering by searching the title, One World, Many Voices which was recorded recently by the United States Air Force Band.

And finally... During some of my clinic appearances discussing unique ways to engage your students and community, I have told the story about my "Birthday Band" I formed with some talented and enthusiastic senior band members during my teaching career. They would run out to surprise faculty members at unexpected times on their birthdays to play a quirky arrangement of Happy Birthday to You that also included snippets of the William Tell Overture, Hallelujah Chorus, Ode to Joy and Stars and Stripes Forever. Inevitably I would be asked if I still had the arrangement and if they could get a copy for their own band to play, but unfortunately, I did not keep a copy of that when I left that school 20+ years ago. HOWEVER, due to numerous requests, I have resurrected this bit of musical insanity and scored it for flexible instrumentation, playable by nearly any combination of winds, strings and percussion, and it is now available on my website entitled, Birthday Band-O-Rama.