When I taught in Biddeford Terry gradually assumed the writing for the marching band . It was very helpful that , having been my predecessor , he had a good idea of the talent level . Later on we found the funds to commission one arrangement a year for our jazz ensemble . We could then tailor the piece to the soloist and the tessituras for the specific development level of the band .
When I moved to Cape Elizabeth , Terry was the middle school band director . Within a few years he was writing almost all the music the jazz ensembles play . This has allowed us to choose whatever literature we want and custom fit it for the groups . This has ben crucial to our success in adjudicated events .
Several of those pieces have gone on to be published nationally .
An example of how this can work occurred one year when we had an all-state level , lights out tenor player and a weak trumpet section . ( Terry used to refer to them as “ cardboard cutouts .”) That chart had a one-measure “ shout ” chorus , and no one was the wiser .
MMEA has made a wise choice in selecting Terry , Craig and John for its centennial commissioning project .
Decide on a time line . Local composers have a year or less turnaround time , but the more advance notice you can give a composer / arranger the better . For nationally known composers , the waiting line often starts at two years and some are longer .
Twice in the past five years Cape Elizabeth commissioned Andy Boysen of the University of New Hampshire . The agreed upon turnaround time was two years in both cases , although Andy got the music to us considerably ahead of schedule . We lucked out with out commission of “ Mainescapes ” by Jay Kennedy of Berklee College of Music , in that he was able to do it with about a year ’ s advance notice .
One excellent thing was that Jay came up to Portland Headlight for field research and met with the kids to see what they wanted in the piece . He incorporated those ideas in the piece , just as Tom did when Dave Graichen of Marshwood commissioned him .
Commissions for nationally published composers generally run $ 5,000- $ 10,000 . That seems steep , but the necessary turnaround time also means more time to raise funds . The quality you will get is worth it .
Find funding . We fundraise for many things , so why not for something that we know will have a positive , direct impact on students ? It ’ s much better to spend scarce resources on clinicians and composers than for hotels , food and buses . ( I fully realize that this is contrary to the thoughts of some .)
Where do you find this money ? Seek out grants , number one . In Cape we have the Cape Elizabeth Educational Foundation ( CEEF ), which has funded half of the Kennedy and