Episode 9: Edwin Franko Goldman and Bruce Houseknecht

On this episode, we present a interview of Edwin Franko Goldman from the Goldman Band, and Bruce Houseknecht from the Joliet Township High School Band.  This interview is used with permission from WJOL Radio Station in Crest Hill/Joliet, Illinois.  

Edwin Franko Goldman was one of the prominent band composers of the early 20th century.  HIs credits include over 150 works for band and the founding of the Goldman Band of New York City and the American Bandmasters Association.

Bruce Houseknecht was the director of the Joliet Township High School band from 1945 to 1969, and a professor at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, until his death in 1974.  Mr. Houseknecht's ensembles received local and national acclaim, including five performances at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago, and a performance at the presidential inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953.

Featured music: On the Mall March, by Edwin Franko Goldman (US Army Band Performance), and Salvation is Created, Tschesnokoff, arr. by Bruce Houseknecht (conducted by the arranger).

Episode 008: Don Owens, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Dan Moore and I were lucky have Dan's mentor, Don Owens (D.O.) come out and work our band in rehearsal.  Of course, we couldn't let D.O. leave without sitting down and recording a podcast about his time in Texas and working at Evanston Township High School and Northwestern University in Illinois.  Enjoy listening to some great band history and teaching tips for band directors everywhere.

Don Owens, Coordinator Emeritus of the Jazz Studies and Pedagogy Program, Director Emeritus, Contemporary Music Ensemble, and the National High School Music Institute at Northwestern University, began his tenure at Beinen School of Music in 1979.  Before coming to Northwestern, he taught for twelve years at Evanston (Illinois) Township High School where his duties included directing band, brass ensembles, and jazz band, as well as teaching classes in music theory, popular music, free improvisation, and composition.  He created the Electronic Music Studio at ETHS in 1971.  

Owens received the Bachelor of Music Education degree from North Texas State University, where he studied Composition and Jazz.  His Master of Musical Arts degree is from the University of Illinois, where he majored in Composition.  He studied composition with Morgan Powell, Merrill Ellis, Samuel Adler, and Salvatore Martirano.  He has won several grants and awards, and is regularly commissioned for new works.

In his first few years at Northwestern, Mr. Owens conducted the nationally renowned Jazz Ensemble, directed the "Wildcat” Marching Band and Symphonic Band, and taught advanced Method classes for undergraduate Music Education Majors.  He eventually was appointed Coordinator of the Jazz Studies and Pedagogy Program, teaching courses in Jazz Writing, Seminar in Jazz Pedagogy, Jazz in the Public Schools, and conducted the Jazz Ensemble.  Under his leadership, the Northwestern Jazz Program grew to offer the B.M. in Jazz Studies and the M.M. in Jazz Pedagogy. 

In addition to Owens' responsibilities in the Jazz area, he served as Director and Primary Conductor of the internationally acclaimed Northwestern University Contemporary Music Ensemble for over 20 years.  This group performed over 200 world premiers, as well as the standard 20th century repertory.  In 1991, the Northwestern CME served as the primary chamber music ensemble for the John Cage Now World Festival.  In the spring of 1995, the CME served as one of two visiting Artist Ensembles for the National Meeting of the Society of Composers at the University of Iowa.  In 2002, the CME played a major role in the Stephan Wolpe Festival, sponsored by the School of Music.

During the summers, Owens served as Director of the National High School Music Institute, from 1991 to 2004.  Under his leadership, the enrollment increased by 100%.  With a curriculum that required the attending students to declare a Major - Classical Guitar, Composition, Jazz Studies, Music Education, Piano, Strings, Voice, or Winds and Percussion- NHSMI consistently attracted students from all 50 states, as well as many foreign countries.


Episode 007 (No, not THAT episode 7): James Lambrecht, Augustana College, Rock Island, IL/Musashino Academia Musicae Wind Ensemble, Tokyo, Japan

Let's be honest; this is the episode 7 that we've all been truly waiting for.  My guest co-host Daniel Moore and I sit down with Dr. James Lambrecht, director of bands and professor of trumpet at Augustana College in Rock Island.  James M. Lambrecht is the director of bands and professor of trumpet at Augustana College, where he conducts the Symphonic Band and teaches studio trumpet, wind conducting, brass methods and in the music theory program. He also has conducted the Opera@Augustana Orchestra, and served as the conductor and music director of the Quad City Youth Symphony Orchestra from 1994-1998. Before coming to Augustana in 1988, he was director of bands and assistant professor of music at Olivet College in Olivet, Michigan.  Dr. Lambrecht is one of our unofficial "international guests" as well, serving as guest conductor for the Musashino Academia Musicae Wind Ensemble in Tokyo Japan.  

Dr. Lambrecht talks about his journey through his career, his mentor Ray Cramer, and the similarities and differences of the US and Japanese performing ensembles. Featured music is Symphony No. 3, by James Barnes. 



Episode 006: Charles Menghini, VanderCook College of Music, Chicago, IL

Charles T. Menghini is President, Professor of Music and Director of Bands at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to his appointment as President in August of 2004, Charlie served as Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Director of Bands. He began his teaching at VanderCook College in 1994 and his teaching has included conducting, organization and administration, curriculum and supervision, brass methods and rehearsal techniques classes.

Dr. Menghini holds an impressive list of accomplishments and experiences, including 18 years of successful high school band experience, contributions to professional journals and magazines such as "The Instrumentalist," and co-author of Essential Elements 2000 Band Method, published by the Hal Leonard Corporation.  

We had a lot of fun sitting down with Dr. Menghini, and as usual, we learned something.  We know you'll all enjoy hearing Dr. Menghini talk about time management, his first years teaching, and his thoughts on education.  


Episode 005: Chip Staley, Neuqua Valley High School, IL

Under the leadership of Charles "Chip Staley, the Neuqua Valley High School music program has received seven Grammy Gold Awards for excellence in music, and is recognized as a 2013 and 2015 National Grammy Signature School, a Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts National School of Distinction, and a Sudler Flag of Honor Recipient.  

Chip Staley was a great guest, and talked to us about selecting great literature and planning for a wind ensemble as opposed to a symphonic band.  Chip is also an educational trailblazer, and tells us about the current and future state of education, and what we can all do to help.

We open and close the episode with excerpts from the Neuqua Valley Wind Ensemble performance of Selections from Turandot from their 2009 Midwest Clinic performance under the direction of Mr. Staley.

After the episode, check out artspeaks204.org.


Episode 004: Ken Snoeck, Lake Park High School

We interview Steve's high school band director and mentor, Mr. Ken Snoeck.  Ken is a member of the Music for All Hall of Fame.  Under his direction, the Lake Park Wind Ensemble appeared at the University of Illinois Superstate Concert Band Festival four times and traveled to Moscow Russia, and has toured France, including a joint concert with the French Navy Band in Toulon.  

Mr. Snoeck's time with the Lake Park Marching Band saw the group earning State of Illinois class champions twenty times, State Grand Champion thirteen times, BOA Grand Nationals finalist eighteen times, class AAA Champion twice and BOA Grand Champion in 1996.  

We open this episode with the fourth movement from Ken's composition "Scaramouch," which was voted Best Original Manuscript for Band for the biennium 1971-1973 by the membership of the College Band Directors National Association.  We close out with "Dribble Drabble," performed by trumpeter Dr. Mark Ponzo and the NIU Wind Symphony.

Episode 003: Ted Lega, Part 2

Part two of our interview with Ted Lega, which is actually part one!  We kick off with a sample of a track from the Teddy Lee Orchestra's album "Sentimental Journey," and then Ted goes into some great history of his time with the Joliet band.  Some fantastic history in this episode for not only people from the Joliet area, but for anyone interested in band history dating back to the early 1900s.