Dick,

I'm sorry I didn't get to greet you after the concert on Sunday [ed.: this refers to the preview concert on Dec. 16th]. There
were so many hands to shake, I guess you were gone before I got to you.
Anyway, I won't say, "Great concert," because that just wouldn't do it
justice. The truth is, y'all just about blew me out of my seat.

I can't believe how far ASB has come since that first trip to Midwest in
'89. I thought we were good then, although everyone knew we had some
"issues". But with performances like the one on Sunday, it's a whole new
ball game.

It was great fun just to sit in the auditorium and enjoy the show, even
though I will regret missing the trip. I know y'all are gonna knock 'em
dead in Chi-town, enjoying every minute of it. I predict a spate of rave
reviews, and believe me, they'll be well deserved.


Jim Crandall [ASB Trombonist]

*********

David,

Please convey my congratulations to all ASB’ers on a terrific performance and wonderful program. It was worth getting up early for the 8 AM performance this morning. Ya’ll represented the community bands very well.

Best regards,
Jan

Jan Turnage
Executive Director
San Jose Wind Symphony
408 927 7597
www.sjws.org

*********

Dear Richard and Cheryl,

Many thanks for the wonderful performance today of the Austin Symphonic Band!  I was delighted by the program, and am always thrilled when I hear a great community band.  We are big believers in the power of community arts at the American Composers Forum.  They are critical to long-term support of (and participation in) ALL the arts.  Thank you, too, for your much appreciated support of BandQuest.   Adolphus Halistork would have been very happy to hear his piece in the hands of such great players.

Richard, I also want you to know I haven't given up on Minnesota Public Radio.  I understand their need to evaluate Composers Datebook in the context of a larger strategic plan, but I fear they have also become quite bureaucratic as they have grown in recent years.  They used to be so quick and nimble with new opportunities.  Your offer to help with new shows in still at the top of my list - just waiting for the right moment.  I will keep pursuing it.

All best to you and your family for a wonderful holiday season, and a healthy and prosperous New Year!

John Nuechterlein
President
American Composers Forum

 

***********

Dick,

Congrats on the great performance at Midwest!  I hope you all had a safe and uneventful trip back to Austin.  I look forward to crossing paths with you again in the near future!

Holiday wishes from Verena and I to you and your family,

Steve Bryant

Composer, Conductor - Austin, Texas
www.stevenbryant.com
 

*************

Dear Dick,

I just wanted to personally congratulate on a fantastic Midwest performance!  It has been a pleasure working with you throughout the year and I wish you the best of luck in the future.

Happy holidays,

Jennifer Young – Midwest Clinic Office

************

Dear Dick,

Thank you!

The ASB performance of Blue Shades was wonderful...so energetic, fun,
powerful. I was so happy after your performance. The band was great.
And you, sir, are one of my heroes! You still love what you do, do it
so well, and do it with such joy. I can't tell you what an
inspiration that is to me. Until the next time...

Your faithful friend and fan,

Frank
[Frank Ticheli, Composer of "Blue Shades"]

**********

Dear Dick,
 
I was thrilled by The Austin Symphonic Band's performance on Saturday,
and I hope you enjoyed that wonderful feeling of satisfaction that
follows a great performance. I think everyone was knocked out with the
clarinet(s) solo in "Blue Shades," and the entire program was so well
performed and so very cohesive. I saw some of your clarinetists,
including Clif Jones, in the lobby bar having coffee after the
performance, and complimented them personally. They seemed to be in high
spirits themselves.

Thank you for your congratulations on the Sudler Silver Scroll. I was
invited to the announcement reception on Friday, and kept telling
everyone I'm not really this tall, I'm just floating on cloud nine...

Dick, please accept my very best wishes for every good thing in the New
Year.

Your admiring colleague,

Michael Birch-Pesses

Pacific University

****************

Hi Dick

Please give the band my warmest thanks.   They were a really fun bunch and their musical results were just terrific!   It was a great kick for me to work with them and also to hear your fine concert Saturday morning.

And thank you for your long and continued friendship and wonderful leadership.

With very best wishes and great memories,

Keith Brion

***********************

Hi Dick,

Great to meet you and your wife in Chicago! Congratulations on an incredible performance!
 
I saw the Video clip of Gentle River on the Midwest Clinic webpage! Cheryl really brought the "life" to Gentle River! Tell her Thanks!  
 
Take Care! and Happy Holidays!

Rob Grice [Composer of "Gentle River"]

 

******************

Dick...

I just wanted to drop you a note to tell you how much I enjoyed the Austin Symphonic Band concert at Midwest.  It was SUPERB!  Undoubtedly the finest community band concert I think I've ever heard.

Congratulations!

 Jeff Laird [Past President of TMEA]

****************

on 12/26/07 9:58 AM, Scott Boerma at sboerma AT umich.edu wrote:

Richard:

Thank you so much for your outstanding performance of "Cityscape" at Midwest!  It was a thrill to hear it played so well, and I enjoyed hearing your entire performance.  Please pass on my thanks to the wonderful musicians in your band.  They seem like tremendous, friendly people.

Have a wonderful holiday season.

Scott Boerma [Composer, Cityscape]

****************

MORE FROM KEITH BRION

Can't begin to tell you how much fun it was to work with you and the band, and how wonderfully well they played at the clinic.   Several people said they were dying to hear at least one of the marches straight through..and honestly if there had been time, they would have given a knock out performance!   Every section played really well, but the percussion playing was a special standout.

Warmest regards, Keith

****************

Dick-

I had a great time with the band and especially seeing you.  It was special to conduct on the program with Bill and Cheryl and thanks for your great kindness. 

Tom Lee [Director of Bands, UCLA, Guest Conductor, "Ricercar Brevis"]

****************

Dear Dick,
 
Many, many many thanks to you and the members of the Austin Symphonic Band for what was a great experience for all of us! I'm thrilled with the way the performance went of Awakenings and am so grateful for all the hard work you and the ensemble did to make it so. Please let everyone in the group know how satisfying it was to be on that stage and have something of my own creation played so well by them. Bravo!!!

On my home front, the holiday break was full of fun, especially with our two oldest boys home for several weeks from the Interlochen Arts Academy. And now we are in the final stretches of my wife's pregnancy and are not-so-patiently waiting for the birth of the fourth Shuhan child. We think there's a 50-50 chance it'll be a boy or a girl! Will let you know soon…

All the best to you and all the members of the band. I hope it won't be long until we see you again.

Happy New Year!

Alex  [Alex Shuhan – Ryhthm and Brass, Composer of "Awakenings"]

****************

Dick,

I'm sorry we missed each other in Chicago, but I know that you were busy with preparing for your performance. I was able to hear your concert up to the Brant Karrick piece [Songs of Old Kentucky] and had to leave then to get a flight home. What a great show, I thought the band sounded absolutely fantastic. Please pass along my congratulations and best wishes to the entire group.

I also see that you have joined the ACB - thanks - we need people like you in our organization. I think you'll find that we have and are moving forward in pronoting adult community bands.

My best regards to Cheryl,

Gerald Guilbeaux
Past President
Publications Coordinator
Association of Concert Bands
www.acbands.org
 

****************

We received a very nice (handwritten) letter from Travis Cross, composer of "Tribute." The letter has been scanned into a pdf file here.