Letter to Coordinator:

Flights in and out should be made as efficiently as all variables make possible.

Please have a whiteboard or blackboard available.

It is necessary to have 2 well-prepared keyboardists in the ensemble. One keyboardist will play the Harp on Synthesizer, the other will play PAD Bass. In the event of rendering a work like ESCAPE FROM PLATO's CAVE... THREE keyboard players are needed, the 3rd playing Acoustic Piano.

In recent events, the Acoustic Double Bass player also played keyboard and enjoyed a more intense experience by becoming our PAD Bassist.

Speakers should be positioned as illustrated within each of the "storm" scores, and the set-up should be made to approximate the given design, accommodating as best as possible the variance in numbers. The larger the group by example, the more the Tubas should be seated forward.

It is imperative that these parts be carefully planned for, the players carefully chosen, and the equipment properly set-up and positioned. If there are any questions, please call. In the photo above, you may conclude the set-up is in the extreme. But those who played in it, and those who attended this concert will tell you that the sound was glorious. Several parents called the sound, "studio-transparent."

A possible Logistics Problem will be in the usage of the HARP and PAD BASS Synthesizers. Please review my seating chart for the placement of the equipment. We need to troubleshoot the set-up before any rehearsals so that no time is spent on technical matters.

It is also important that there be a TIMPANIST. These parts must not be rotated. I would prefer an orchestral approach to the Timpanist.

I will often write for one oboe, and most often, one bassoon. I would suggest limiting these seats to solo players. I do not write Alto Clarinet as an integral part of all the compositions, but should these players be included, they will have to double parts. I would prefer that they read transposed 3rd Clarinet Parts.

Program Notes will be contained within the Tabloid sized scores. I will conduct from these scores when I arrive. If there is anything I need to know in addition to these important requests, please advise.

PROGRAM: Please call for most recent Program.

Please make the following information available to the personnel it has been written for.

For the SYNTH-HARPIST!

If you haven’t done something like this before, feel confident. It’s simple and you will make a significant contribution to the experience.

A word about the HARP notation. I literally write as if the part is for harp... (considering, of course, that the part is most likely to be played on a keyboard.) Therefore, the musician should be aware of how to respond to harp notation, though often written in one clef.

Here’s how. If you see a 7 note figure with a harp-like graphic notation... it represents a glissando across the whole keyboard. Limit yourself on the top however, by not going over C-5, or two octaves above middle C. The glissandi, when they occur by the way, only happen across the white keys. Convenient, huh?

Fast rhythmic figures are designed to work as a tremolo between the two hands. The fast rhythms, sextuplets or 32nd notes are not to be read exactly, but as splashes of colour and rendered in a harp-like manner.

You can practice at the piano, or better yet, at a synthesizer, being sure to make use of the sustain pedal, a proper stereo field in the mix and reverb as available on the keyboard.

If there are any questions, please call me. Godspeed! S

For the PERCUSSION ADVISOR!

Percussion of Choice: One 18” Medium-Thin and one 16” Paper-Thin Zildjian Suspended Cymbals, one 22” Medium-Heavy German Symphonic Zildjian Crash, one Tambourine with German Silver Jingles, one Piccolo Snare, tightly tuned with coated batter head, Deagan Silver Chimes, Large Orchestral Bass Drum, and of course, the highest possible quality of Timpani. The designation “Glockenspiel” always means “Orchestra Bells”.

Snare parts and conga parts are often “groove” oriented parts in “STORM” Music.

Percussion is an important aspect of the Music I compose. Please review the scores which were chosen for this event. Percussion is often written in a combined score. This is done to provide for a number of possible scenarios. Players should be distributed into their parts logically, based upon available Musicians.

If there are any questions, please call. Godspeed! S