Week in Review

March 3, 2009

Finally, the month of February has come to an end. When I was a work study in college for Instructional Media Services, I recall my boss calling February "the monday's of the year, nothing really happens...". This February wasn't very quiet at all, especially this past week.

This past week geared up for two major concerts, one with the university jazz band, the other for the university wind ensemble along with a clinic with the Saint Joseph's High School band in South Bend, Indiana. The jazz band has been working very hard in preparation for their first performance of the year at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's Centennial Era Gala on Friday, February 27, 2009. This event kicks off a three year celebration of centennial of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500 race. We were very fortunate to be invited back to perform for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and perform for their Centennial Era Gala. The event included many notable celebrities and drivers and included The Gordon Pipers, the Marian College "Orchestra" and "Mr. Las Vegas" himself, Wayne Newton. I wish I had pictuers to share, but was quite an event, filled with great entertainment and company and I am very honored to have been part of this historic event of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Following that incredible evening was a performance of the university wind ensemble at the Indianapolis Artsgarden in downtown Indianapolis, entitled "Big Music Downtown".

The program:

• Festive Overture-Dmitri Shostakovich
• Irish Tune from County Derry-Percy Grainger
• Overture to The Impresario-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• The Klaxon-Henry Fillmore
• Pictures at an Exhibition-Modest Mussorgsky

I also had the pleasure to chat with John Strauss, host of WIBC's (93.1 FM) First Day, about the concert and the great opportunities in the arts in Indianapolis before the performance this past Sunday. If you get the chance, check him out on www.wibc.com/weekend/firstday.