Everything Nac

The School of Music at Stephen F. Austin State University will host its annual Brass Day on Sunday, Oct. 17, on the university campus.

Brass Day is devoted to high school students of all ages who play a brass instrument, including trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium and tuba, and who are interested in learning more about how to perform the prescribed audition etudes for all-region and all-state bands, according to Dr. Deb Scott, trombone professor at SFA one of the faculty organizers of Brass Day.

Information about the School of Music and its audition requirements for prospective music majors will also be presented. Music faculty will also discuss practice tips and audition preparation and strategy.

Brass Day features a 4 p.m. performance by the Pineywoods Brass Quintet and the SFA Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band in the Grand Ballroom of the Baker Pattillo Student Center.

For more information and to register, visit www.music.sfasu.edu/brassday, or contact Dr. J.D. Salas, tuba and euphonium associate professor, at salasjd@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-4107. Participation in Brass Day clinics and informational sessions is free of charge. The day’s events begin at 1 p.m. and end at the conclusion of the concert. Activities take place in the Wright Music Building and the student center.

The public is invited to join Stephen F. Austin State University’s College of Sciences and Mathematics and Bruce McCandless III for an evening of space stories about his father, astronaut Bruce McCandless II, at 6 p.m. Oct. 14, in the SFA planetarium.

The book, “Wonders All Around: The Incredible True story of Astronaut Bruce McCandless II and the First Untethered Flight in Space,” was written by McCandless III and details pivotal moments in his father’s career, which spanned the Apollo era and the Skylab and shuttle programs. An Amazon best seller, the book was recently listed by Men’s Journal as a Top 20 Book to Read in 2021.

“You’ve probably seen the photo — that all-but-ubiquitous snapshot of an astronaut with a jet-powered backpack gliding along in the vastness of the cosmos, untethered and unafraid,” McCandless III said. “Other than that fantastic image, though, you may know very little about the man in the jetpack: Captain Bruce McCandless II.”

Some of McCandless II’s accomplishments include serving as a capsule communicator for Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 moon walk, repairing the damaged Skylab orbital workshop, performing the first untethered flight in space, and designing and deploying the Hubble Space Telescope.

The presentation is free to the public.

Learn more about the SFA Planetarium at sfasu.edu/planetarium.

By Joanna Armstrong, marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University

The Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band at Stephen F. Austin State University will perform at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 17, in the Grand Ballroom of the Baker Pattillo Student Center on the SFA campus.

The student ensembles’ performances are part of Brass Day at SFA. Brass Day is devoted to high school students of all ages who play a brass instrument, including trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium and tuba, and who are interested in learning more about how to perform the prescribed audition etudes for all-region and all-state bands. The concert will open with a performance by the Faculty Brass Quintet.

Additionally, the concert will also feature works by composer Joel Love, who will collaborate with School of Music students in mid-October as part of the SFA bands’ annual composer residency. The Symphonic Band, directed by Assistant Director of Bands Dr. Chris Kaatz, will begin its performance with William Latham’s “Brighton Beach.” Kaatz describes this British-style march as a staple in the repertoire, “likely due to its ominous D minor opening and bold F major finale.” Dana Wilson’s “Sang!” follows and showcases the composer’s eclectic, yet rousing use of jazz harmony and popular music riffs in his writing. This groove-saturated soundscape is succeeded by the sneaky and somewhat sinister “Baron Piquant on Pointe.” Beginning quietly and featuring numerous soloists before employing the full ensemble, this piece was written by University of Texas at Austin Professor of Composition Donald Gratham. Symphonic Band concludes its performance with a work by Gratham’s student, Love. “‘A Cardinal’s Hymn’ embodies Love’s trademark lush, technical lyricism,” according to Kaatz. The work, whose title is a reference to Love’s undergraduate mascot, is an homage to Dr. Wayne Dyess, who was an influential mentor to Love during his studies at Lamar University.

The Wind Symphony, directed by Associate Director of Bands Dr. Dan Haddad, will open the second half with John Mackey’s bombastic tour de force, “Until the Scars.” The colorful orchestration of famed Italian composer Ottorini Respighi is featured next in his sole work for winds, “Huntingtower Ballad.” Love’s “Aurora Borealis” serves as the cornerstone for the Wind Symphony’s program. It is the composer’s first work for wind ensemble and was selected as a finalist in the 3rd International Frank Ticheli Composition Contest. Love’s grand evocation of the northern lights is complimented by Percy Grainger’s raucously energetic “The Gum-Suckers March,” which closes the concert.

Admission to the concert is free. The Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, Percussion Ensemble, Trombone Choir and the SFA Faculty Brass Quintet will collectively present the Kaleidoscope Concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16, in the Grand Ballroom. For additional information, contact the School of Music at (936) 468-4602.