Steven Bryant

Last night was the Arkansas Composers Forum concert featuring works by Charles Booker, Reber Clark, Philip Parker, Francis McBeth, and myself. Hal Cooper, director of bands at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville was our host. The band did a great job on all the works, and I was particularly happy with their performance of my First Light. This was only its second performance, and the...

I transcribed Dusk for symphony orchestra last weekend, and had the good fortune (thanks to the efforts of Donald Grantham) to have the University of Texas Symphony Orchestra read it yesterday. They did a fantastic job, and I'm happy to announce you can hear it on this page, or at MySpace (same recording in both places). The piece will be distributed by Hal Leonard (but still published by...

Last night I dreamt I heard the new piece I'm writing in its entirety in concert. Except that I was outside the hall. And the piece wasn't finished, so I'd stuck in a transcription of some of Pink Floyd's The Wall in the middle to fill up the unfinished, empty space. Amazingly, no one noticed, though I don't think I can get away with that in real life. Unfortunately, all I can remember from...

It's 91 degrees here at the moment. In February. I'm trying to avoid turning on the air conditioner, because that seems so decadent and un-Earth-friendly in the middle of WINTER. I'm loving this sunny warm winter, but sure am glad I won't be around for the summer...

Random miscellaneous:

Dusk scores are sold out at Hal Leonard for the moment, but Shattinger Music has some in stock if you need...

As promised, a few pics from Mackey's visit and TMEA:

John Mackey, Harvey Pittel, and AEJ, immediately after the fantastic UT concert with Mackey's Sax Concerto. Read more about it here. This man's circular breathing is indeed spectacular - I never could master that back in my saxamaphone-playin' days. And of course the ensemble was excellent as usual - they also played a well-done new "West...

V and I are at TMEA for a couple of days this week. Mackey (who was in Austin last weekend for a performance of the Sax Concerto with the UT Austin Wind Ensemble) has a couple of big performances with the All-State bands, and Eric will be giving a clinic on some of his choral music with the Texas Tech choir at 6:30 this evening.

Fun times! More later, perhaps with pictures!

Finally got around to posting some of the pictures from this past Midwest Clinic in Chicago. Check it out over on the BCM blog, if you're interested!

Verena and I put on our Austrian finest while we were there:

Back in November, I was at the Western International Band Clinic in Seattle with the fine Langley High School wind ensemble, and their director, Andrew Gekoskie. This is the group that commissioned and premered "Dusk" a few years ago, and they gave another fine performance of it at the conference. I never got around to posting pictures from the event because this is also where I dropped my...

It is my pleasure to announce that Radiant Joy has won the 2007 National Band Association / William D. Revelli Compostion Contest!!

The official award ceremony is tonight - have to work up my acceptance speech... ;)

Last night, I had the privilege to conduct the Bowie HS WInd Ensemble on my piece, "Dusk." They performed beautifully, especially considering the fact that we only had two rehearsals! It was wonderful to hear their entire concert - they play startlingly well, and I am honored that their director, Bruce Dinkins, invited me to be a part of their final concert of the Fall!

The horn section in...

I now have the recording from the First Light world premiere last weekend, and it's up for your listening pleasure (click "Listen" on the First Light page). It's very quiet at the beginning, so if you don't hear anything, turn your speakers up. Even better, use some good headphones.

An updated perusal score is also posted on that page - it much more accurately reflects the changes we made in...

Bruce Dinkins, director of bands at Bowie HS in Austin, has graciously invited me to conduct Dusk with his Wind Ensemble this Friday night, December 14th. I met the band last Thursday and we sight-read through the piece, and I have to say I was blown away. This band is good - they were making music from my first downbeat. I'll go over the piece again with them this Thursday morning, and...