Andrew Pease (b. 1979) got his start as a composer writing rock songs in high school, and he has written and arranged for wind bands and chamber groups ever since. In his day job, he serves as Associate Professor of Music and Director of Instrumental Music at Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY, where he leads the Wind Ensemble and Brass Ensemble. He is also co-conductor of the Catskill Valley Wind Ensemble, a community band also based in Oneonta. His guest conducting work has taken him to several states and the UK, and he has presented nationally and internationally on topics in the wind band field. He studied music and music education at Dartmouth College, Columbia University Teachers College, and Hofstra University. He completed doctoral studies in wind conducting at Arizona State University, studying with Gary Hill. His work there earned him the 2017 American Prize in Collegiate Wind Band Conducting. He started his career in New York City, where he was music director of the Columbia University Wind Ensemble and the community band Columbia Summer Winds (now Manhattan Summer Winds). Throughout his varied career, he has directed players of all ages and ability levels, from elementary beginning band to adult amateurs to professional ensembles. His latest compositions appear at his personal website, www.andypease.com. He also runs two websites dedicated to wind bands. Wind Band Literature (windliterature.org) is a repertoire resource for bands around the world. The Wind Band Symphony Archive (windsymphonies.org) is a dynamic archive of symphonies for wind band.
Yes, it really is still me. This time, we’re taking the wayback machine all the way to 2008, when I wrote a grade 1 tune for my fifth grade band! Here’s a clip from my program notes in the 2024 publication edition:
It was the summer of 2008, and I was teaching 4th and 5th grade band (and every other aspect of the music program) at Lakewood Elementary School in Congers, NY, part of the Clarkstown Central School District just outside New York City. I felt that the existing crop of beginning band music was not serving my students, so I finagled my way into composing a piece for my mandated summer project. All these years later, I stand by both its pedagogical grounding and its exciting tunefulness. My original 2008 program notes, including my justification for many of the decisions that informed the piece, are [included in the score]. Spoilers: the premiere in spring of 2009 with the Lakewood Fifth Grade Band was a smashing success, and those kids are now all in their mid 20s!
Andrew Pease
June 27, 2024
Here is a recording from when I took the piece on the road to the Caroline County (Maryland) Young Musicians Academy:
This is genuine grade 1, folks, informed by (at the time) 4 years of elementary band experience. I think it holds up all these years later. If you agree, check out my website!