From KAREN SMITH
Bowling Green Area Community Band
A Memorial Day Salute to America’s Finest is the season finale for the Bowling Green Area Community Band’s ninth season. Set in the style of a “Boston Pops” concert, with seating at tables complete with refreshments, the evening promises a great variety of patriotic, pop and traditional band music. The Thursday, May 26, 7:30 pm Americana salute also will feature the talents of two hometown musical success stories.
John Gruber, BGHS Class of 2006, is the featured trombone soloist. The son of John and Sue Gruber, John started playing trombone in the fifth grade at Kenwood Elementary. During high school, John earned many musical honors, including the OMEA All-State Concert Band, The Toledo Youth Orchestra and was a drum major at BGHS. In 2010, he earned a BME from Bowling Green State University and subsequently taught public school music.
John received his M.M. in Trombone Performance from the University of Michigan (2015) and is continuing his studies there as a doctoral student. In addition, he is active as a performer, educator and clinician, including holding the Principal Trombone chair of the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra. John teaches low brass at Siena Heights University, is the assistant director of the Trombone Ensemble at University of Michigan and has a private teaching studio in Southeast Michigan.
For the BGACB performance, John will be featured in the Norman Leyden Concerto for Trombones, joined by two of his former trombone teachers, Dan Saygers of the Tower Brass Quintet and Dr. William Mathis, interim dean of the College of Musical Arts, BGSU. A tour de force for three performers, the Concerto has classical, jazz and cinematic influences. It’s very fitting for the Concert Band to include this masterwork on the patriotic program, as the late Mr. Leyden was a WWII veteran, served as an Army Air Corps musician and was a contemporary of the famous Glenn Miller.
Among the patriotic selections chosen by director, Thomas R. Headley, the Concert Band is performing The Battle Cry For Freedom, Sousa’s The Stars and Stripes Forever March and The Armed Forces Salute. Bowling Green native, Elizabeth Dally Green, vocal soloist, and principal flutist, Kim Kucharski, will open Within These Hallowed Halls, a newer composition combining Amazing Grace and The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
BiG Band BG, the jazz ensemble led by Dr. William Lake, will spotlight Elizabeth’s vocal stylings on At Last, the Etta James classic. I’ll Take Les, a tribute to Navy vet Les McCann and Moment’s Notice, composed by John Coltrane, also a Navy vet, will complete the jazz portion of the evening.
This concert is held in the Bowling Green State University Lenhart Grand Ballroom, inside the Bowen-Thompson Student Union. Advanced sale tickets are available at Grounds for Thought Coffee Shop, 174 South Main St., Bowling Green, OH. Tickets, priced at $10.00 each, will be available until 3:00 pm on concert day, Thursday, May 26. No tickets will be available at the door. On the night of the concert, free parking will be available in the University Lots E and F, accessible from Thurstin Avenue. Starting at 6:30 pm, there will be shuttle busses available, courtesy of BGSU, from the parking lots to Bowen-Thompson Student Union.
The Bowling Green Area Community Band is a 501(c)3 non-profit, volunteer organization. Members include advanced high school musicians to retirees, meeting Monday evenings from September- May. More information can be obtained at the website www.bgacb.org, or follow us on Facebook.
