While the school year kicks into overdrive with end-of-year activities, students in Susan Oakley’s band class will have a rare opportunity: they will perform the world-premiere performance of a new work by composer Tawnie Olson. The piece, Pop!, was commissioned by the American Composers Forum as part of their BandQuest® series. The series is designed to […]
Continue ReadingThis winter, BandQuest series editor and composer Thomas C. Duffy met with the 7-8th grade band and director Daniel Kinsman at Fair Haven Middle School in Connecticut to jump-start the creation of a brand-new work for the students. The piece is called Scalin’ and Wailin,’ and it’s unlike anything else the ensemble has ever performed. […]
Continue ReadingOur sincerest congratulations goes out to Joanna Cortright who is being inducted into the Minnesota Music Educators Association Hall of Fame for her significant career contributions to music education in Minnesota and beyond! Joanna is a founding consultant and curriculum writer for our BandQuest and ChoralQuest programs, and we’re incredibly grateful for her years […]
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ACF is thrilled to announce that composer Tawnie Olson has been selected as the 2018 BandQuest® composer. Olson will work with band director Susan Oakley at E.C. Adams Middle School in Guilford, CT to develop a brand-new work composed specifically for her ensemble. Adams was selected to host the residency due to its talented leadership […]
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BandQuest composer Jodie Blackshaw recently wrote about composing with music concepts during rehearsal using her piece Letter from Sado. As Jodie puts it, “Letter from Sado was commissioned as part of the BandQuest series in 2014. Since then it has received hundreds of unique performance around the world – but many Directors are still frightened to […]
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Last month, Laura Krider, Director of Education, and Patrick Marschke, Memberships Manager, attended the Midwest Clinic in Chicago, IL to connect with educators, conductors, and performers about BandQuest, our band series for middle-level learners. The Midwest Clinic International Band, Orchestra and Music Conference is an annual four-day music band and orchestra conference. For over 70 years, musicians, educators […]
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We are thrilled to announce our newest addition to BandQuest®, our music series for middle-level band: Steps Ahead by Michael Gandolfi. “Steps Ahead is a delightful piece with something interesting for every instrument in the ensemble. Each of its three sections addresses a kind of compositional technique – transposition, tutti (a 2-part homophonic section) and developing tutti (parts […]
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ACF is excited to announce that a new BandQuest® commission and partnership is beginning this month. Supported by a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, composer Michael Gandolfi will be 2017 BandQuest composer, creating the 24th work in the series. Michael will partner with director Laura Bouix, of the Roland Hayes School […]
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