ASMAC Woodwind Quintet Reading Session

ASMAC WOODWIND QUINTET READING SESSION
August 22, 2015 Valley College Band Room

Part Two in a series of three sessions on Writing for Woodwind Quintet took place on August 22 with 10 composers and 10 new works with about 40 people in attendance. This was a follow-up to the June ASMAC Master Class on basic principles, techniques, and the study of examples from the standard woodwind quintet literature, moderated by Charles Fernandez. Each instrument was discussed in detail by the performer of that instrument, who in some cases demonstrated certain techniques or challenges. A booklet of scores and notes on each instrument was distributed to the participants. The masterclass materials along with the DVD of the three-hour session edited and produced by Larry G. Goldman (of LakeBalboaStudios.net), are available for purchase from ASMAC (see the ASMAC store at ASMAC.org).

At that original masterclass participants were invited to compose new pieces for consideration for a follow-up reading session, with a submission date of August 1. All ten works submitted were included in the reading.

The musicians for the reading session included Karin Hoesli, flute; Dave Kossoff, oboe; Helen Goode-Castro, clarinet; Melissa Hendrickson, French horn; and Charles Fernandez, bassoon. They proved themselves to be tenacious and tireless sight readers. They were helpful, kind, and generous to the composers. [The June 20 master class also included Lisa Febre on oboe and Dylan Skye Hart on French horn, both who were not available for the reading session.]

The composers included (in alphabetical order) Andrew Goodloe (A Mouse Party, Cattus Interruptus), Glenn A. Jordan (Loudonfast), Igor Kogan (Four Miniatures), Daniel Levin (The Quest), Milton Nelson (A Tisket A Tasket Tribute to Van Alexander), Karin Okada (1. Ichi; 2. Ni), Deon Nielsen Price (Angel Quintet: Vision of Sandalphon), Jeannie Gayle Pool (I’m Troubled in Mind, dedicated to the Nine Shot in South Carolina), Paul Witt (Suite for Woodwind Quintet: 1. A-tude; Iv. D-light; VII. G-sus), and Carol Worthey (Journey: Home). A wide variety of musical styles and techniques were heard in the ten compositions (jazz, atonal, traditional, and experimental), written by both seasoned and beginning composer members of ASMAC. Performers made comments, ask questions of the composers, and made recommendations about how to improve the music and/or its notation. Berkeley Price conducted the works of Deon Nielsen Price and Carol Worthey and some of the composers conducted their own works; others felt a conductor was not needed.

The entire series, a part of ASMAC’s on-going effort to support the activities and aspirations of its members, was organized and chaired by composer Charles Fernandez. Please watch this website for details of an ASMAC house concert including some of these pieces to take place in October.

Many thanks to the composers, Charles Fernandez, all of the musicians, Sylvester Rivers (Chair of the ASMAC Masterclasses), Larry Goldman (videographer), Milton Nelson (hospitality), Scherr Lillico (Executive Director) and Mike Julian, music faculty at Los Angeles Valley College and his student assistants.