June 25th – “Spotlight on Youth,”
Dr. Roby George, Guest Conductor - Director of Bands, Indiana State University
Roby G. George is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Bands at Indiana State University where he conducts the Wind Symphony, teaches conducting and coordinates all facets of the University band program. Prior positions include Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Illinois and Director of Bands at Fisk University, the University of Dayton, New World School of the Arts, and Florida International University. A native of Miami, Florida, George earne
elors and masters degrees in music education from Florida State Unid bach
versity and a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music.
High school, youth orchestra, university and professional ensembles under George’s direction have given performances for numerous prestigious state and national conferences for music educators. As a guest conductor and clinician, George has worked with a myriad of high school honor bands, numerous college and university bands, All-State bands, and has given workshops on various subjects ranging from rehearsal techniques and conducting pedagogy to Jazz and Stravinsky. During his tenure at Florida International University based in Miami, he created a conducting symposium that attracted participants from all over the Americas and established a connection between the professional military
conductors and the college wind conductors through his association with the United States Marine Corp. George has estab-lished a reputation as a fine communicator from the podium. He is a member of numerous professional organizations including the Music Educators National Conference, the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, and the College Band Directors National Association. He served 9 years as the Florida collegiate liaison to the CBDNA.
“Spotlight on Youth Program”
Youth Rhythm Workshop Participants 7:15 PM
in cooperation with the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library
Kokomo Park Band 8PM
High Hopes Fanfare..........................Bowles/arr Steve Rhodes
American Legion March……..........……………Charles Parker
Children’s March -
Over the Hills and Far Away……............…......Percy Grainger
First Suite in E Flat for Military Band……..........Gustav Holst
1. Chaconne 2.Intermezzo 3. March
Lucy Long…...........................................................Fred Godfrey
Heather Wright, Bassoon
Student Soloist Competition Winner - H.S. Division
Suite of Old American Dances...........Robert Russell Bennett
I. Cake Walk III. Western One-Step V. Rag
The Genius of Ray Charles..........................arr Michael Brown
"Under the Sea" from
"The Little Mermaid".......………Alan Menken / arr. Nowack
featuring the Multicultural Youth Rhythm Ensemble
Art Reiner - Director
A Bernstein Tribute..…....................................Clare Grundman
Star Spangled Banner...................................Sousa / Damrosch
Dr. Roby George, Conductor
Curt Alexander, Announcer
Bassoonist Heather Wright is the daughter of Raymond and Rachel Wright and is a 2014 graduate of Eastern High School. She has played bassoon for seven years and is a student of Jennifer Kirkman. Heather earned Gold ratings as a soloist over the last four years at State ISSMA contest. She was also first chair in the New World Youth Orchestra in Indianapolis and a winner of Kokomo Morning Musical Scholarships in 2012 and 2014. At school, she was class president for four years, National Honor Society vice-president and she graduated in the top five of her class. She has been awarded the Presidential Academic and Arthur Jordan Music scholarships from Butler University where she will be majoring in bassoon performance and pre-dental studies. After college she hopes to become an oral surgeon and teach bassoon privately. Having won the KPB’s Student Solo Competition, Heather will perform “Lucy Long” by Fred Godfrey.
Art Reiner is a native of Kitchener, Ontario and has lived in the United States since 1969 when he came to Indianapolis to attend Butler University. A former student of Charles Henzie and Paul Berns at Butler, he has also studied jazz drumming privately with John von Ohlen and Jim Chapin. Over the years, Mr. Reiner has been a percussion instructor in various Indianapolis schools and has been percussion instructor at the University of Indianapolis. He was a percussion clinician with Young Audiences of Indiana for over twenty years. In addition, Mr. Reiner has served as an instructor for youth in the Young Audiences Summer Arts for Youth Program and with the Indianapolis Parks and YMCA summer camps. Mr. Reiner’s recording experience includes being Staff Percussionist for Hal Leonard Publishing, Airborn Group, and the Ripple FX studio in Indianapolis..
Mr. Reiner’s performance experience includes the Indianapolis Brass Choir, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra, the Kokomo Park Band, the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, the Indianapolis Ballet Theater, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and he has recently performed on the University of Indianapolis Chamber Music series.
As a commercial performer, Mr. Reiner has played for The Diamonds, the Jim Edison Orchestra, the George Freije All-Stars, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Starlight Musicials, Holiday on Ice, Tony Bennett, Bob Hope, George Burns, Red Skelton, Myron Florin and the Stars of Lawrence Welk, Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormet, the Temptations, Claude Bolling and the Moody Blues among others.