The “Band Members’ Favorites” concerts are quickly approaching, and I am looking forward to taking the podium as Principal Conductor of the Melbourne Municipal Band.  I’ve enjoyed working with the members of this band for almost ten years now in my roles as player, board member, officer and Associate Conductor.  It is my honor and pleasure to be asked to lead the Melbourne Municipal band, and I am looking ahead to a very exciting season of music.

When I began planning the August concerts, I took a survey of the band members, asking them to share with me the pieces they would most like to play on a concert.  I was inundated with so many suggestions that I decided to dedicate the entire concert to their requests.  There will certainly be a little something for everyone on this concert.  From the music of the movie King Kong to classical favorites like Debussy’s Clair de Lune and Copeland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, this will be an evening of variety and entertainment.  Before the main event even begins, my good friends Gosia and Ali will be providing pre-concert music.  They are popular musicians in Gainesville, Florida, and their services are always in high demand.  They play an amazing variety of music from pop to jazz.  We are so lucky to have them playing for us two nights in a row!

I hope to see you all there with a table of your friends, enjoying the food and the music.  Where else in Brevard County can you get such an incredible evening of fun for FREE?  The MMB has been providing that to the citizens of Brevard for almost 45 years now.  Come join us.

ANYTHING GOES!

Hello all!  I am extremely excited and honored to be participating in the Melbourne Municipal Band’s Conductor Search.  When asked if I would conduct a program with the ensemble, I immediately jumped at the bit.  I have had a chance to work with the gifted musicians of the MMB over the last month and it has been an absolute pleasure putting this exciting program together with them.

So, why a Sousa Style Concert?  When I was asked to select a theme for this program, I thought this particular style of concert would showcase the musicians of the band.  In addition, it gives both myself and the band a chance to perform a variety of works that include light classics, solo pieces, important 20th Century works, contemporary pieces being written today, and of course, marches.

The music for this program is quite challenging!  The MMB will perform Dmitri Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, Jacques Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld, William Schuman’s New England Triptych, Leondard Bernstein’s Candide, music from Fiddler on the Roof, and music from one of my favorite wind band composers, Frank Ticheli.  In addition, the concert will feature two extremely talented soloists, Philip Vu and David Ewing.  David Ewing has been a great friend of mine for many years and it’s a great honor to share the stage with him.  Lastly, each work will be followed with an encore taken from Sousa’s march catalog.
 
I know you will enjoy the band’s performances on April 21st and 22nd!  Every rehearsal is a treat and the musicality of this ensemble is at such a high level.  I would like to thank all of the members of the band who embraced me with open arms, the Board of Directors, and the hard working volunteers.  Melbourne is lucky to have a cultural gem like the Melbourne Municipal Band.
 
I look forward to seeing you all,
Aaron Collins

To view the flyer for the April Concert with guest conductor Aaron Collins, click on the link below.

A Sousa Style Concert Flyer

Thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy the Celtic Concerts last week.  We had a great audience both nights, and I enjoyed meeting many of you.  Those of you who came to the Tuesday show will be interested to know that I managed to keep my shoes on for the entire concert on Wednesday night, but it wasn’t easy.  I think hitting my 40th birthday has done something strange to my feet.  They are no longer cooperating with my desire to wear beautiful heels!   But the music was fun, and the band really enjoyed presenting these concerts for the community. 

Thanks again to “Kindred Spirits” for their performance, and also to David Spurlock, our guest performer on bagpipes.  And thank you once again to all the musicians and volunteers who contribute their time and effort to make these concerts happen.  It couldn’t be done without all of you.  As usual, it was my pleasure to have the opportunity to make music with the MMB.

Keep an eye on our calendar page (http://melbournemunicipalband.org/category/events/) for upcoming events.