Medina Community Band

Cleveland State University

Program – Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

Suite, Pineapple Poll (1951)........................................................Arthur Sullivan/Charles Mackerras

Ragtime, Some Band Rag (1915)...........................................................................................Fred Jewell

Vocal Duet, Flower Song from ‘Lakmé’ (1882)................................Léo Delibes/James Curnow

Denise Milner Howell, mezzo-soprano, and Emily Stauch, soprano, soloists

March, Rolling Thunder (1916)..........................................................................................Henry Fillmore

Clarinet Quartet, Bugatti Step (1933)..........................................Jaroslav Jezek/Karel Belohoubek

Amy Dragga, Mary Ann Grof-Neiman, Edward Lichtenberg, and Vicki Smith

National March, The Stars and Stripes Forever (1897)..................................John Philip Sousa

Cleveland State University – Medina Community Band Concert – Wednesday, November 17th, 2010

Medina: The Medina Community Band, under the baton of Marcus Neiman, will appear special guest ensemble in a joint concert with The Cleveland State University Concert Band, under the baton of Howard Meeker, on Wednesday, November 17th, 2010, at 8:00 p.m., in Waetjen Auditorium, on the campus of Cleveland State University (corner of Euclid Avenue and East 21st Street, Cleveland). The concert is free and open to the public.

The Cleveland State University Concert Band will perform works by Johan de Meij, Wagner, and Walton. The Medina Community Band will perform works by Sullivan, Jewell, Delibes, Fillmore, Jezek, and Sousa.

Featured soloists for the Medina Community Band will be: Denise Milner Howell (mezzo-soprano); Emily Stauch (soprano); and Amy Dragga, Mary Ann Grof-Neiman, Edward Lichtenberg, and Vicki Smith (clarinet quartet).

Medina Community Band is sponsored by the Medina Community Band Association composed of members of The Medina Kiwanis Breakfast Club proudly supports the community band. The board of the association consists of Tom Borror, president; Karin Blazer, secretary; Jan and John Oberholtzer, treasurers; and directors Charles Freeman, Cathy King, Don Moore, and Ray Lehman.

Membership is open and there are no dues or auditions; however, members are expected to maintain a regular attendance. The band rehearses on Wednesday evening from 7p through 9p in the band room of the Highland High School (4150 Ridge Road, Medina) September through the end of July; providing three to four concerts during the fall, winter, and spring months both at home and on the road.  The band also presents their popular summer series every Friday, June through July, in Medina's Uptown Park Gazebo. Each year the band presents at a holiday season concert, annual "Sousa Style Concert," and the popular "Sousa Concert" at EHOVE Career Center (Milan, OH).

For additional information on the 2010-11 concert season or Medina Community Band, contact Neiman at 330.725.8198 or MarcusNeiman@medinacommunityband.org.

Conductor and Soloist Bio Material

Featured Vocal Soloists

Denise Milner Howell, mezzo-soprano, is equally at home on the opera, musical theatre or concert stage. Her solo engagements include performances with Opera Cleveland, Chautauqua Opera, Red {an orchestra}, Akron Lyric Opera Theatre, Tanglewood Festival, Akron Symphony Orchestra, Carousel Dinner Theatre, Sounds of Sousa Band, and Buffalo Philharmonic. Additionally, Ms. Howell is a founding member of the vocal chamber music ensemble “Red Campion”, performing concerts throughout Ohio and offering outreach into area schools. She can be heard in a CD release on the North/South recording label singing “Sappho Songs”, composed by Ira-Paul Schwarz.
 
In addition to performing, Ms. Howell is an active voice teacher. She currently teaches at Ashland University, and has served on the voice faculties of the University of Akron School of Music, and the State University of New York College at Fredonia. Ms. Howell earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in music education from Long Island University/CW Post College, and a Master of Music degree in vocal performance from New England Conservatory of Music. She lives in Sharon Township, Ohio with her husband, Gregg, and their two sons, Miles and Wesley.

Emily Stauch, soprano, has performed and studied in the U.S. and in Europe, and has been a featured soloist with Virginia Opera, Virginia Opera Education Program, Virginia Symphony, Virginia Symphony Chorus, TodiMusicFest (VA), Norfolk Chamber Consort (VA), Schola Cantorum (VA), Touring Concert Opera Company of NY, and Virginia Beach Symphony Orchestra.  She has performed with Opera Cleveland, Medina Community Band, the Virginia Chorale and Virginia Musical Theatre. Some of Ms. Stauch’s orchestral credits include the Brahms Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 2, “Lobgesang”, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9,  Beethoven’s Egmont, and Poulenc’s Gloria. Her operatic roles include Frasquita and Micaëla in Carmen, the First Lady in Die Zauberflöte, Musetta in La Bohème, and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni. She is a frequent concert and recital artist.

A native of Washington, D.C., Ms. Stauch graduated cum laude from The Catholic University of America. Her formal music training began at age nine with the study of the piano and her choral experience began at age sixteen when she was an exchange student in Stockholm, Sweden.  She continued singing under the direction of Dr. Michael Cordovana while at Catholic University.  Ms. Stauch has since studied with Harold Evans (NY), Howard Bender (VA), Dr. Lydia Buschmann (Munich, Germany), Michael Paul (NY), and Robynne Redmon (VA).  Ms. Stauch has sung under the direction of truly great conductors such as Robert Shaw and James Conlon, and has performed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., and at Carnegie Hall.

A voice and language instructor for many years, Ms. Stauch speaks French, German and Swedish, and has served on the voice faculty at Virginia Wesleyan College. She currently teaches privately in Medina and at Strongsville Academy of Music.  She is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.

Featured Instrumental Soloists

Amy Dragga, clarinetist, A graduate of Highland High School and student of Vicki Smith, Amy studied music education at The Ohio State University.  She graduated from the University of Akron with a B.A. in English and achieved a Master of Library Science from Kent State University.  Although music was always her first love, her career took a much different path. A fundraiser by trade, Amy has helped raise money for many critical projects in Northeastern Ohio such as the renovation and expansion of Severance Hall, construction of the Lerner Research Institute, Cole Eye Institute and Taussig Cancer Center buildings at the Cleveland Clinic, and the Ann and David Brennan Critical Care Center at Summa Health System in Akron.  She currently serves as Director of Development for Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.  Amy has performed with MCB since 1988 and has appeared as a soloist.  She is also a member of the Sounds of Sousa Band.  She studied with James Pyne at OSU and Mary Ann Grof-Neiman and has performed with conductor Frederick Fennell, composer Gunther Schuller, and clarinetist Richard Stoltzman.

Mary Ann Grof-Neiman is currently the Program Administrator of the Cleveland Institute of Music’s Preparatory and Continuing Education Division. She received her bachelor of science in music education degree from the Bowling Green State University. Ms. Grof-Neiman has served as clarinetist for the Blossom Festival Band, Lakeland Civic Band, Lakeside Symphony Orchestra, Youngstown Symphony, Erie Philharmonic, and currently performs with the Cleveland Philharmonic Orchestra, Lakewood "Home Town" Band, Medina Community Band, the Cleveland Winds, and is principal clarinetist with the Sounds of Sousa Band and the Chagrin Falls Studio Orchestra.  She maintains private studios at Baldwin Wallace College through their Conservatory Outreach Program as well as her home in Medina.  She has served the Ohio Music Education Association as a Woodwind Adjudicator for the last 18 years and is a member of AFM Local 24. She resides in Medina with her husband Marcus and their cats Dmitri and Sasha.

Edward Lichtenberg, clarinetist, retired in 1998 as Assistant Superintendent for Midview Schools (Lorain County) after 32 years in education. Before becoming Assistant Superintendent, he was a middle school administrator and director of bands at Midview, where his concert bands consistently earned superior ratings in class A. Active as an Ohio Music Education Association adjudicator, Ed is a member of the Medina Community Band and serves as a guest conductor and clinician. He is a staff member for the Ashland University Adult Music Camp. He and his wife Judy reside in Medina and are the parents of Medina Community Band members Rob and Beth (Burdick) and father-in-law to Christopher (Burdick).

Vicki Smith, clarinetist is a band director in the Copley-Fairlawn City Schools, prior to her appointment for that position; she was director of bands at Highland High School.  She is a graduate (both bachelors and masters degree) from The Bowling Green State University.  Vicki was named “2007-8 Educator of the Year” by the Copley High School.She is an adjudicator and in constant demand as a woodwind specialist and clinician.  She also was the guest conductor for the 2006 Medina County Schools Junior High/Middle School All-Star Band.

Medina Community Band

Banding together to celebrate a new land.  The Medina Community Band traces its beginnings back to 1859, when a group of local people got together (some with formal training - others without) to perform music for the community.  That first "community band" was called The Medina Silver Cornet Band, probably since the instruments the musicians used were primarily "silver" cornets or percussion. Then, as now, the band performed on the public square.  Medina's uptown park was set aside in 1817 and cleared in 1819.  During the next two decades, the park was used as a parade ground for local militia and for town celebrations.  In the 1840s, the square was enclosed with a white picket fence to keep cattle being driven to market off the square.

During the 136-years that the band has been in existence there have been 20 directors.  The band probably existed at the pleasure of the square's business community, who often funded the season and encouraged patrons to attend the concerts.  The performance night has changed over the years, in most cases at the urging of the business community, and season concerts have been given on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.
 
It should be stated that the Medina Community Band was only one of many bands in Medina Community.  Almost every town had its own band, and a just a few to mention were the Litchfield, Lodi, Seville, Spencer, and Wadsworth bands.  There were also school bands (from both the city and county districts) and even a boy scout band (in Westfield Center).  The Medina Community Band has been known as the Medina Silver Cornet Band, Medina Band, Grand Army of the Republic Band, Knights of Pythias Band, and now the Medina Community Band.

The size of the band varied from 15 to 20 musicians through the end of last century, into the 50 and 60s through the 1940-1960s, and now boasts almost 100 members on its personnel roster.  It should be understood that the "band" did not always perform in the Gazebo.  During those early years, the band played on various corners of the square.  There was for a few years a band stand, which was destroyed by fire.  The "bandstand" on the north side of the square was large enough to seat a 100 piece band (somewhat tightly, but would accommodate that size group), which the current Gazebo will only allow 40 to 45 players.  The band itself determines "who will play" based on attendance at practice or business and vacation schedules.

It is interesting to note that members of the band travel from all parts of Northeastern Ohio to play with the group.  Entire families (from grandparents to grandchildren are members of the band and it is most common to find husbands and wives, or parents and children playing in the group.  The Medina Community Band's membership is open and there are no dues or auditions; however, members are expected to maintain a regular attendance.  The band rehearses on Wednesday evenings September through July, providing three to four concerts during the fall, winter, and spring months both at home and on the road.  The band also presents an 8 to 10 concert summer season in Medina's Uptown Park Gazebo.

Medina Community Band is sponsored by the Medina Community Band Association composed of members of The Medina Kiwanis Breakfast Club proudly supports the community band.  Membership in Medina Community Band is open and there are no dues or auditions; however, members are expected to maintain a regular attendance.  The band rehearses on Wednesday evening from 6:15p until 8p in the band room of the Highland High School (4150 Ridge Road, Medina) during the summer (June through July) and from 7p until 9p (same site) September through the end of May; providing three to four concerts during the fall, winter, and spring months both at home and on the road.  The band also presents their popular summer series every Friday, June through July, in Medina's Uptown Park Gazebo.  Each year the band presents at a holiday season concert, annual "Sousa Style Concert," and the popular "Sousa Concert" at EHOVE Career Center (Milan, OH).

For additional information on the 2010 concert season or Medina Community Band, contact Neiman at 330.725.8198 or MarcusNeiman@medinacommunityband.org.

Marcus L. Neiman, conductor, retired from posts held with the Medina County Schools Educational Service Center in 2010 (1980 through 2000 as fine arts consultant and 2000 through 2010 as director of fine arts tours and festivals). He was formerly director of bands at Medina High School (1972 through 1980).

He attended the Akron Public Schools, received his bachelor of science in music education degree from The University of Akron, master of music in music education degree from The University of Michigan, postgraduate hours at The Kent State University, and The University of Akron.

He was appointed as the interim assistant director of bands and administrator for the division of bands at the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music at Kent State University in May of 2010. In addition to his duties with the division of bands, he also teaches their “Music Teaching as a Profession” course and supervises music education student teachers. Neiman was appointed to the position of part-time lecturer in January of 2004 for the music department at Case Western Reserve University with major responsibilities of teaching their “Foundations of Music Education” course and supervising music education student teachers.

Neiman has served The Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) as a member of the governmental relations and adjudicated events committees, district president, vice-president, state chair for Music In Our Schools and public relations, state editor of their professional journal TRIAD, and state chair for their council of supervisors.  He was elected by OMEAs membership to serve as state president from July 1, 1998 through July 1, 2000, and is currently OMEAs state historian.  He was awarded OMEAs highest honor, the “Distinguished Service Award” on January 29th, 2010 at the Professional Development Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Neiman has been published in Music Educators National Conference journal MEJ, The Instrumentalist, The School Musician, The Music Educator, OMEAs TRIAD, FANFARE magazine, and Bands of America Newsletter.  His first book, edited for MENC, entitled Life in the Music Classroom, was published by MENC in April 1992.  He is listed in Marquis “Who’s Who in America (58th Edition).

Neiman has appeared with junior high/middle and high school, college and university, community bands, and American Federation of Musicians union professional bands as a guest conductor and in his characterization of famed bandmaster John Philip Sousa in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, (state of) Washington, and Wisconsin.  On October 15, 2004, Neiman conducted the Volga Concert Band in Saratov, Russia in a Sousa-style concert following a week’s residence in Moscow and Saratov.  In addition to conducting the Medina Community Band (since 1973), he formed his own professional touring band -- The Sounds of Sousa Band -- (in 1992) to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the formation of Sousa's first non-military band.  To this date he has performed for over 200,000 people in the role of Sousa.  Neiman is a member Local 24 (Akron), American Federation of Musicians.

Neiman continues to conduct Medina Community Band, having served as the conductor longer than any other of the organization’s conductors (since the 1973 season), his goal has always been to preserve the presence and character of the traditional “town-band.”  There are no auditions, membership dues or fees, or chair placements in the ensemble.  Membership is open to adults who desire to continue their growth as instrumentalists.  In addition, Neiman has encouraged composers to write for the band.  Over the years the band has commissioned works by Douglas Court, Robert Feldbush, Stuart Ling, Edmund J. Siennicki, Tadd Russo, and David Shaffer.

He and his wife Mary Ann, who is a professional clarinetist and program administrator - preparatory and continuing education department for the Cleveland Institute of Music, reside in Medina with their two cats Sasha and Dmitri.  Marcus has two daughters (Nancy and Jennifer) from a previous marriage, three granddaughters, one grandson, and a godson.