ALCATRAZ @ Warren Mott HS

Yesterday the Warren Mott HS Wind Ensemble held an all day rehearsal in preparation for their upcoming performance at the Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids in January. Erik Miller invited me to come by and give my insights and performance notes for ALCATRAZ, and it was an absolute blast to work with this very fine ensemble. When I arrived, Doug Bianchi was rehearsing John Mackey's "This Cruel Moon" with the group, and wow did they sound just fantastic (the piece is rad too). I can't overstate how incredibly well this group plays together, how developed their ensemble sound is, and several soloists were particularly impressive as well. Erik's group is certainly an exemplar of the kind of sophisticated music making that happens in our public schools, and they're going to kill at the MMC. Also, these kids are funny and cool, and spent their entire Saturday working to get better at the thing they love. My kind of people. Thanks again Erik & Co., and I can't wait for the January gig!!!