Maplewood Community Music will present “Winds and Brass and Drums! Oh My!” a children’s concert that is a special collaboration between the Maplewood Community Concert Band, directed by Steve Kimmons and the Maplewood Middle School Wind Ensemble directed by Christopher Balas.
The concert will be held on Saturday, April 11 at 2 p.m. in the Maplewood Middle School Auditorium, 7 Burnet Street, Maplewood. Admission is free.
Read more about the concert here:
This performance will take its audience on a musical tour featuring virtually every section of the band. Part of the tour will be an encapsulated history of wind band music, from the very first piece written and published for concert band to the world premiere of a piece written by one of our members especially for this performance. This event is hosted by the Maplewood Middle School Wind Ensemble, who will open the concert and perform alongside the Maplewood Community Concert Band with a special surprise during the finale.
The MMS Wind Ensemble is made up of 38 eighth grade students. Its instrumentation consists of flutes, clarinets, bass clarinets, alto and tenor saxophones, trumpets, horns, trombones, euphonium, tuba, and percussion. In addition to this concert, the MMS Wind Ensemble will be presenting their spring concert with the MMS Concert Band, Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensemble on Wednesday, May 20th at 7 PM. Later in May, the Wind Ensemble will be taking part in the High Note Music Festival in Jackson, NJ along with the MMS 8th grade Orchestra and Select Chorus.
Jasmine Bloch is the 5th Grade Band Director for the South Orange-Maplewood School District and also plays alto sax with Maplewood Community Concert Band. “This is such a great opportunity for our MMS students!” Ms. Bloch explains. “I am looking forward to sharing the stage with my former students, which we haven’t done together since their concert at the end of 5th grade!”
Maplewood Community Music, a nonprofit organization founded in 2003, is dedicated to supporting hobbyist musicians and bringing free concerts to South Orange, Maplewood, and other area communities. Currently, the organization oversees the Maplewood Community Concert Band, its big band Swing Town, and a number of other chamber ensembles. Partnering with local organizations, schools, and area municipalities, MCM also provides and supports community and youth music enrichment programs.
All local musicians with at least high school level playing experience are invited to join the Maplewood Community Concert Band and continue their lifelong love of music in an engaging environment. Please visit www.maplewoodcommunitymusic.org for more information.
