By: Ashley Noble
The C.W. Post Symphonic Band made a spectacular debut at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday, April 26th, in a benefit concert for victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The performance benefitted ShelterBox, an international disaster relief charity assisting earthquake and tsunami victims.
Originally scheduled as part of the New York International Music Festival, an educational performance of high school, college, and community instrumental groups from the United States and beyond, the concert was converted to a benefit performance after the March 11th earthquake and tsunami. World Projects Corp., the organizer of the festival, and Carnegie Hall, agreed to allow all ticket proceeds from “Songs for Japan: Concert Benefitting Earthquake and Tsunami Victims” to be donated to ShelterBox.
“We were extremely proud and excited to be invited to perform at the New York International Music Festival,” said Dr. James W. McRoy, Chairperson of the Department of Music, Director of Bands, Professor of Music, and conductor of the Symphonic Band. “We were even more proud to be part of an event that will help the people of Japan begin to rebuild from these devastating events.”
With more than 50 years of history, the C.W. Post Band Program provides university students with performance and educational opportunities, featuring on-campus performances at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts and off-campus performances at local venues, as well as regional, state and national conferences. University band ensembles include a Wind Ensemble with flexible instrumentation, a large Symphonic Band, Vocal Jazz Band/Jazz Band and a Pep Band. “I love being a part of the music program here” said Joel Lewis, a junior Music Education major. “I am part of a few of the campus bands and I think the experience I get here is like no other. In the Symphonic Band I play the euphonium and being able to perform at Carnegie Hall was a breathtaking, indescribable feeling. I could not believe that I was actually on the same stage that has been graced by so many of the great musicians of the world.”
Since 2000, our school bands have produced 20 compact disc recordings, sponsored seven regional band festivals (the eighth scheduled for March 2012), hosted multiple performance workshops, commissioned and premiered six original works for concert band, and been chosen to perform in two state music conferences. Annual band festival appearances have included week-long residencies with composers such as David Gillingham, Mark Camphouse, Frank Ticheli, Timothy Mahr, Roger Cichy, and Philip Sparke. In 2012, the band ensembles will travel to Australia and New Zealand for two weeks of touring and performances. Since 1998, the bands at C.W. Post have amassed a performance repertoire of over 300 different works by classic to contemporary composers.
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