Community Arts

The Plymouth Concert Band presented concerts on March 6, 2016 and May 14, 2016 as outlined in our grant proposal. The theme for the March 6th performance was Music From All Directions. The selections we performed included the following: Arabesque – Samuel R. Hazo (Middle East); First Suite in Eb for Military Band – Gustav Holst (Great Britain); Fiesta - Symphonic Dance No. 3 – Clifton Williams (Latin America); Overture on Canadian Folk Songs – Patrick J. Burns (Canada); Excerpts from Appalachian Spring – Aaron Copland (Eastern United States); The Cowboys – John Williams (Western United States). The May 14th concert, under the theme of "Imagine" included these selections: A Childhood Remembered – Rossano Galante; City Trees - Michael Markowski; Harry Potter Symphonic Themes – John Williams; Wicked - Stephen Schwartz; Shortcut Home - Diana Wilson. Our guest artist for the May concert was trombonist Dean Sorenson, Associate Professor and Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Minnesota. Mr. Sorenson performed with the band on "The Blue Bells of Scotland", two jazz pieces, "Reflective Mood" and "Keep the Stick." "Reflective Mood" and "Keep the Stick" showcased Mr. Sorenson's skill as an improviser. We also featured the winner of our Young Artist Competiion, bassoonist Briana McGrane. Brianna performed Rondo-Allegro by Carl Maria von Weber. At the time, Brianna was a senior and member of the Wayzata High School Wind Ensemble. She will be pursuing a degree in music education at Luther College in the fall. We were very pleased with the artistic quality of each concert. In keeping with our programming philosophy, we followed the format of theming each performance. The theming of concerts continues to give our programming cohesion for both the players and the audience. The addition of Brianna and Dean as guest artists for the May concert added greatly to that concert and helped the band play at its highest level. Subsequent to the submission of our Metropolitan Regional Arts Council grant application, some adjustments were made to repertoire. These adjustments included addition of "A Shortcut Home" and "City Trees" for the May concert. Both of these pieces we felt better fit the theme of "Imagine." Both are pieces of program music that are striking for the way they paint musical pictures for the audience. At the time of our application, we were in contact with a saxophone quartet, in keeping with our thought that the May concert would feature a woodwind group. Scheduling conflicts made it impossible to engage this saxophone quartet and they will be presented in 2017. For the future, we will make every effort to engage guest artists further in advance to reduce the possibility of scheduling conflicts with our selected guest artists. The audience we reached with the March and May concerts showed very little difference from past audiences. We were a bit disappointed in the attendance, which was approximately 120 people for each concert. While we received very positive feedback from the audience regarding the performances, the Board will be attempting to draw more people in 2016.17. Our efforts in this regard will begin with forming a standing Nominating Committee and more careful consideration of the following of guest artists we engage for the May concerts. It is clear that audience development remains one of our biggest challenges. By establishing a standing Nominating Committee, our intent is to be more proactive in seeking out Board members and volunteers with expertise in developing audiences. It is our hope that by having ongoing activity in recruiting volunteers, we can increase both the number of volunteers and those with talents in community outreach. Both the March and May concerts were free and open to the public. The Wayzata High School Auditorium is accessible to those with physical disabilities. Experience has shown that engaging guest artists with a strong local following has helped increase our audiences. As we plan for future seasons, guest artists' ability to bring their own fans to our concerts will be a larger factor in our decision-making. Both the March and May concerts were free and open to the public. Our concert venue, the Wayzata High School Auditorium is accessible to those with physical disabilities. The Board of Directors remains committed to presenting concerts free of charge and in accessible venues. Approximately 120 people attended each concert versus our goal of 150 per concert. We were pleased that we attracted more applicants to the Young Artist Competition than in years past. Our audience continues to be pleased with their concert experience and band members continue to provide us with positive feedback about their experiences with the band.