| "We
rendered By Love Compelled... with my freshman
band at last week’s winter concert. I cannot begin to
describe to you what a success it was! The group played more
musically and more in tune than I’d ever heard them
play. They understood how important it was to make the music
and not just play – the results were amazing - the crowd
went wild afterward! The comments I received from parents
and students were nothing but shock and awe. Comments such
as:
“That piece didn’t sound like BAND music!”
“They were only ninth graders playing that music?!?”,
and
“That was the best piece of the night”
These were the most common – I lost track of how many
times I heard these things (and variations of them). The students
would like me to share the recording with you (I’ve
never seen a group more proud of their work) and if you don’t
mind, I’ll send it along as soon as I process it. I
can’t thank you enough for all you do for music education.
You’ve helped me to motivate and inspire a whole new
class of kids. Sincerely,"
Aaron Datsko, PA.
"As
an introduction to your truly unique writing for wind groups,
I used Truefire! on
our Holiday Concert a couple of weeks ago. It was the hit
of the concert. The audience response was tremendous and the
aftermath was incredible. Since we live in a small community,
I often see parents at the store, etc. Without exception,
they all made a point of telling me how much the loved
Truefire!" Scott Humphries, Covington,
VA
"Mel, I'm listening to the Stormquest CD, and felt compelled to write of the incredible first steps
in what is no doubt an amazing journey. If only there were
words, my friend, to describe how each segment, each moment,
each note is presented with amazing care and attention. Musical
shadings, emotional phrase shaping, nuance, dissonance with
a purpose, intensity, love. Every sense is jolted. And this
is just the beginning! Can't begin to imagine where it will
lead, but have a sense that the ride will be amazing. Your
intro to directors is SOOO on point. If only. . . If only
they will be musicians, educators and leaders of quality music
education. Yes, bands can play this music. If only . . .Thank
you for sharing the journey. Godspeed, my friend."
Don Jemella
"O
Steve,there were really funny and great things with your pieces:
I did "Time in the Balance!" with
my youth-band, the kids are about 12 and 13 years old. I wrote
a 20/8 measure on the board and explained the rhythm "ta-mh-mh-ta-mh-mh"
and so on.... and the kids could play the piece!! That was
unbelieveble for me!! The next concert of this band is at
the end of November, but "Time in the Balance!"
is for the concert in January. But the kids don´t want
to play the pieces for November-concert - they want only play
this "cool new piece"!! Thank you!" Andreas
Grandl, Germany
"I
just wanted to tell you that a group of Norwegian band children
under my baton performed nine movements from Stormquest on
Aug. 3. The performance found place in Bø in Telemark.
They had been on a band camp from Monday and had about 10
full band rehearsals to prepare. After some struggle to get
things going I was amazed at how well they were able to give
a moving performance of the selected movements. One of their
favourite movements was Time
in the Balance. This music really works! I hope to bring
some of your music to a bandcamp in Finnland next summer.
Thank for writing really good music for younger people!"
Hilsen Egil J. Lysebo, Norway
"Last
night, I rendered Search for Truefire and By Love
Compelled with this year's Symphony. I came away even
more awestruck and amazed than last year. Your music is such
an inspiration for the kids (and for me) At the end, I stood
on the podium with such respect for what the kids had accomplished.
I turned around to announce the next piece and suddenly realized
that I was unable to talk because of the lump in my throat.
The kids rendered the pieces with such intensity, love, and
total giving... I wish with all my heart that more orchestra
teachers discover your music and have the opportunity to experience
what I had the privilege of being a part of last night. Thank
you! Again!" Scott Hensil, Pennsylvania
"Steve:
Rehearsed "By Love Compelled..." This piece should be played
by EVERY junior high and high school band in the country.
It is one of the most *musical* pieces at that grade level
I've ever heard! I thought maybe the high school kids wouldn't
respond to the StormQuest stuff so well, thinking they were
beyond it. That has not been their reaction at all, as I'm
sure you know from other experiences with other bands! *I*
wasn't sure (I have to be pretty solidly convinced of things,
seeing and hearing on my own) until I started working on the
pieces. Your music doesn't *sound* like other music they've
played, from inside the ensemble as well as from the front.
It's making them listen to each other more already. We read
the last section of "Aurora" first, since that's what we had
duplicated first. It went very well at the first reading,
and is very accessible technically while requiring listening
and musicality. We'll read the rest on Monday. More and more,
other things in a school setting interfere with our teaching.
We need music that will involve the student and help them
push the distractions out of their minds. I always tell student
teachers that their most challenging task as educators is
to choose appropriate literature for their bands. Your music
is doing all of that. Keep up the good work! " Jeff Waggoner,
Music Department Chair. Hinsdale Central High School
"As
you know, at the middle school level, it is often hard to
get the students to enjoy slower music. We rehearsed Truefire!
about three days. Amazingly, the last two rehearsals, several
kids have been requesting it! A true compliment to you and
your music. Besides sensitivity and truly playing with heart,
we have learned some valuable technical aspects. Most of my
flutes, heck all of them, have never played those upper register
notes in a piece. Also, the band now understands music in
threes spread over not only quarter notes but half notes and
eighth notes. Concepts through Music!!!! Amazing!!!!! It's
much better than saying "Line 83, and lets be excited about
it." Eric Wells, Kansas City, Missouri
"Stephen,
Yesterday we played Forbidden Fortress at junior high band
contest. Parents told me afterwards that the judges were standing
up, trying to figure out what various sounds coming from the
percussion section were. When the piece was over, the audience
went totally crazy, applauding and shouting. I have been to
numerous contests over the past eleven years of teaching and
have never had a response like this to a band, or to a piece
of music. Both the judges and other band directors who heard
our performance were asking, "where did you find that piece?"
Our students were very excited about both their performance
of the piece and the reaction that they received. Thank you
again, for writing music like this that takes away any stigma
from the phrase,'junior high band music' ". George Caton,
Havana Junior High School, Havana, Illinois
"Stephen,
For our third concert in a row our bands (Middle School) played
some of your music from STORMQuest. Not only did I get a lot
of music for my money, but the kids love it. They keep asking
for more! You got their attention last year when they played
Under Cover of Night & Into the Light of Day, then they sat
up straight when the STORMQuest came. You won their respect
with Defenders of Truefire, but tonight you won their HEARTS
when they performed TRUEFIRE! The soloists were wonderful.
Steve, these kids were so inspired with what you wrote. They
have grown from section members into soloists right in front
of our eyes. Again, I thank you for your spirit, your focus,
and your insight. Our students are changed forever. Thanks."
Steve Dingledine, Muncie Indiana
"My
experience in adjudicating and listening to young bands today
is that most are attempting literature which is beyond their
grasp, or they are playing watered down arrangements of some
kind. Steve's STORMQUEST collection is the perfect answer.
The Music is challenging, but very playable. It invites, no,
INSISTS on emotional/musical expression. It is original and
makes young bands sound great. Steve... I really love your
new STORMQUEST collection. I recommended it to at least a
dozen bands at the last concert festival I judged in Massachusetts.
Godspeed." Larry Lang, Commander/Conductor US Air Force
Heritage of America Band
"The
chance for my students to work on your music has turned them
from note players to young musicians. They must play with
the heart if their music, your music, is to be understood.
Because of your music we now have three French horn players
and two keyboard players that we didn't have at the beginning
of the year. I am very proud of them and grateful to you for
this life changing opportunity. Thanks again." Richard
H. Lewis, Hoover Middle School Band
"We
also listened to, and then read through TRUEFIRE! in 8th grade
band. In my career, as short as it may be, I have never had
a group of students so excited about playing a piece of music.
They did not have the music in front of them as they listened,
and, as you may have guessed, they said "We won't be able
to play this." But then, I put it in front of them, and barring
all of the sight-reading jitters that we are still working
on, they really could! After the cut off, they were silent...
then they looked around at each other and broke out into a
thunderous "YEAH!". I can hardly wait!" Susann Hubbell
Blair, Ohio
"I need
to tell you that you have a new fan club at Central Cambria
High School. In one short day, my band program was rejuvenated
by your music!! I passed out "Courage... at the Wall of Fire"
and "Revenge of the Darkseekers" and minutes later the band
was on fire! The sounds that they were getting, not only excited
me, but more importantly, excited them. A student raised a
hand and proclaimed "Let's scrap the rest of the folder and
do all 15 movements of STORMQUEST"! Of course, as much as
I would have liked to do the same, it was not educationally
sound! We performed those two movements at our Winter Concert,
to great acclaim from parents and community members." Tom
Nagy, Edensburg, Pennsylvania
"Your
music has made a profound effect on my middle school students.
Playing the STORMQuest selections has brought out musical
expression that didn't exist before. Just got home from our
middle school concert. We did STORMQuest with our 8th grade
band. The audience went nuts! On the same program we did C,
H, S and S. The audience was polite. When we played your Music
they felt the energy. The kids feel it too. Way to go! You
have done it again! We all can't wait to explore the rest
of STORMQuest!" Steve Dingledine, Muncie Indiana
"Great
musical works that must be performed with true passion. I
really like that challenge!" Shirley M. Robertson, Oxford,
IN
"Steve,
Your deal for STORMQuest sounds like a deal that is hard to
refuse. What band director of any sensibility can refuse great
music which is connected to a clear pedagogical vision? What
school administrator, holding the purse-strings can refuse
the logic of thinking large-scale and long-term? Fascinated
by the CD/CD-ROM idea. How does it work? The idea of customizing
music for young bands in order to give them the best possible
musical experience, is something that many of us who write
have always tried to find the time to do. Making this kind
of thing accessible to ALL band directors is a great mission."
Scott Rogers, Norway
"First
I was just amazed at the synchronicity of arriving at work
today (11/3/97) to the amazing sounds of STORMQuest, then
I was blown away by the level of freakish focus and detailed
creative insanity within the package, and now I lay here rendered
useless by the overpowering amount of material and cutting
edge nature of the Web Page (the sauce is on the stove and
I'll take TWO of those cats!)." JP Kiernan, Bergenfield,
New Jersey
" I would
like to tell you how pleased we are with SCENES FROM STORMQUEST.
The writing, the pace, the many emotional levels, and the
textures all make up an exciting and educational score. It
truly is a "quest" as we discover the many messages brought
forth by the Music. After winning the state championship in
1996, I was concerned about how I could take my students to
a new level - have them reach for a more lofty and worthy
goal. You have made that possible. The kids at Mercer County
High School have been truly blessed with an unforgettable
experience." Rob Bryant, "newly converted STORMDirector
", Mercer County, Kentucky
"Dear
Steve, I just thought I would write and tell how much the
students are enjoying playing Integrity's First Stand. They
wanted something different and they got it. We will definitely
be using more of your music in the future. I really want to
get Stormquest for our middle school bands. Thanks for innovation."
Mark Vittetoe, Horton High School
"Dear
Steve, Last year my 7th grade band played STORMQUEST. We played
these at home concerts and city wide band festivals. The kids
were excited by the music, the parents were very impressed,
and everyone loved the music. I have found a large drawback
though -- my band members DON'T WANT TO PLAY ANY OF THE TRADITIONAL
BAND LITERATURE!! They could play STORMQUEST all class, all
week, all year! Thanks for the great music!" Walter Coker,
Gruening Middle School
"Steve,
There are several things that I'd like to say. First, after
months of having your "music" sit on the shelf, I finally
passed out several sections of STORMQUEST. Wow! Everything
that other directors have been saying is true. My kids love
your music. We are currently working on Time in the Balance,
and while challenging, it's been real fun to watch them work!
I was at the Naval School of Music last spring and caught
your SCALEWorks clinic. I use the knowledge that you gave
us to teach scales now, and it is highly successful. Thanks
for everything! Jim Paxton, Andrew Lewis M.S. Band, Salem,
Virginia.
SOME
COMMENTS FROM THE KIDS!
"Hi!
My name is Janice Makinen and I am in 8th grade. My Wind Ensemble
(Director; Jeff Fudale) is playing pieces from STORMQuest,
and we love it!! I am the first chair French horn and the
music is phenomenal! It gets our entire band excited and we
look forward to playing it everyday. We'll be playing it at
contest, and I know that the judges will be blown away. Your
music is kind of like an escape from the entire other music
world. Its like a whole different species of music, and I
like a change like that. I really appreciate all the hard
work that you put into these pieces. Please Write Back!" Janice
Makinen, 1st Chair French Horn, Roehm Wind Ensemble, Berea,
OH
"Everything
has its beauty, but not everyone sees it." Confucius "I know
that you are likely busy with more E-mails than one could
'Shake a stick at' so to speak, so I'll make it brief. I merely
wished to state that your pieces are a welcome refreshment
from the casual ones with predictable lines and unexciting
rhythm. So far we've played Stormquest, Revenge of the Darkseekers,
and The Search for Truefire. Being the only Baritone Saxophone
within the band... it is difficult to be excited with the
music, in that it is usually slow half note or quarter note
harmonies that have little power behind them, little purpose.
But I am happy to be able to say that I am proud to play a
series of music that has a homish welcoming feel to all instruments,
where each has an important message, and not just part of
the chord. And each day I've tried harder. There's a concert
Tuesday, I hope the audience enjoys The Search for Truefire
as much as we have, with a great Alto Saxophone solo and Flute
solo, I doubt they can do little less than sit at the edge
of their seat anticipating the next well crafted measure."
Stephen Morgan, 8th Grader, Berea, OH
"Hey
Steve... May I call you Steve? You're music brings meaning
into so many people's lives, including mine. Anyway, I just
thought that I'd tell you how much your job means to us "common
folk" Keep up the good work and like you've always said..."Godspeed"
Thank you for the awesome music. Sincerely," Natalie
Davis, 8th Grade, Roehm Middle School
HOW? "There's a composer who has created a state-of-the-art system
whereby Music is delivered in an extremely space-efficient
and cost-effective manner... the CD-ROM. I intend to take
some of the kids, turn them into computer librarians, have
them interact with the technology and produce the necessary
hard copy for the instrumental program. He's also got parts
for strings on the CD-ROM and the original MIDI files so that
the Music can be easily adapted to the specificity of the
group. Should the kids experience any snags, they're invited
to go up on the Internet and interact directly with the composer."
This paragraph as well as a representation of ALL the things
STORMQuest is, has gotten many directors the tools they needed!
Here now, are the words of our colleagues!
Return
to Catalog |
These works comprise the