In Concert:
Community Music Groups Working Together

A Newsletter of Southwestern Pennsylvania Band Partners

Winter 2007
Volume 3 Issue 1 
Printable Version in PDF Format

Inside This Issue: 
 Edgewood Symphony OrchestraBand Directory Additions | Band Birthdays | A Guide to Band Web Sites
 | Combined Concert Calendar  | Band Websites | Contact US

Edgewood Symphony Orchestra
By Matt Galando, Vice President
Provided by Corie Kraft

The Edgewood Symphony Orchestra is now in its second decade as one of Pittsburgh's leading community orchestras. Over 70 volunteer musicians with extensive backgrounds of musical training and experience dedicate their time and talents to bringing the classics to you.

With our talented musicians and our energetic volunteer Board of Directors working with Music Director Walter Morales, we will continue to move forward to achieve new levels of performance.

Mr. Morales, a native of Costa Rica, is in his second season as Music Director for the ESO.  A member of the faculty of Carnegie Mellon University, he is the Music Director and Conductor for the Carnegie Mellon Contemporary Ensemble, the Assistant Director of Orchestral Studies and also the Assistant Conductor for the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic. Walter has an extensive performance, coaching and conducting background. He has worked closely with the Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh as music director and conductor, coach, rehearsal pianist, and music coordinator. He has been a guest conductor, accompanist and soloist with symphonies both local and worldwide. In 2005, Walter was a finalist for the position of Assistant Conductor with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, chosen out of 180 applicants from around the world. Walter holds a degree from the College of Charleston and has completed a Master of Music degree from Rutgers University. Most recently, Walter earned an Artist Diploma and a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting at Carnegie Mellon where he was a student of Juan Pablo Izquierdo.

Under Walter's leadership, the Edgewood Symphony will feature three spring concerts:

March 3, 2007 at the First Presbyterian Church of Edgewood
March 17, 2007 at Rodef Shalom Levy Hall in Oakland
May 19, 2007 at East Allegheny High School in North Versailles

The ESO's May concert will feature a program of fun-filled, easily recognizable music, including themes from Pirates of the Caribbean, Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition and What's Up at the Symphony featuring popular symphonic themes from your favorite cartoons! This concert will be highlighted by a dramatic audiovisual presentation of drawings and sketches by the youth of East Allegheny set to live music!

Experience the powerful sound of the Edgewood Symphony Orchestra as we bring a wide range of musical favorites to the eastern suburbs. We hope to see you during this exciting season!


Southwestern PA Community Bands (As of September 26, 2006)
There are no updates from the last issue.  If you are aware of community bands in the region that are not yet in the online directory please let them know about us.  We currently have 22 groups listed in our directory from the Southwestern Pennsylvania region.

send email to  newsletter@swpabandpartners.pghfree.net

Band Birthdays in 2007
Community Band South ~ 20 years
North Suburban Symphonic Band ~ 15 years
West Hills Symphonic Band ~ 40 years

A Guide to Band Web Sites
By Sarah McElfresh
You've noticed that other bands have a web site and wonder if your band should too, or you have a web site and wonder if it has all the "right stuff."  As you think about either creating or upgrading your site, do some research on other groups' web sites to see how they present themselves online. You’ll probably notice some common themes.

The web site advantage
A web site gives an "electronic face" to the band and is a means of publicity and information:

Web Site Design
There are fancy sites and simple ones - which is best for your organization?  It should be east to:

What should be on the web site
What could be on the web site

* You may or may not want to consider listing concert programs.  Remember that you need to obtain performance rights to music you perform in concert . The Association of Concert Bands has a blanket licensing agreement that bands can purchase with membership.  See http://www.acbands.org for more information.
** You also need to obtain recording rights in order to record and distribute performances.

Privacy Concerns
The web page you create will be in the public domain, so there are some privacy issues to consider:

Creating a website

Going On-Line
Web page files are required to be on a server that is accessible to the internet.  Once you have created an account you need to transfer your files to the web server.  These sites have different ways to move your files to their server.  Some require a log-in, others use FTP which is a separate File Transfer software package.  There are "free hosting" sites available:

Domain Name
A Domain Name is your web address which is purchased initially and renewed annually.

Finding Your Web Site
When you want to find something online that you think might have a web site, you go to a search engine, right?    When you get there, you type in some key words.  These are words that are on the web pages that the search engine has found and then displays the results for you.  You need to figure out what types of things people would type into a search engine to find your site.  These need to be on your pages or  in the META tags.

Managing & Publicizing the Web Site

Resources:


Combined Calendar (As of October 15, 2006 for Winter 2006)
For the updates and the entire calendar visit the online calendar

January  2007:

Sat, 27
7:30pm
Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra Upper St Clair High School Theatre

March 2007:

Sat, 3
7:30pm
Edgewood Symphony Orchestra First Presbyterian Church of Edgewood
Sun, 11
3pm
North Suburban Symphonic Band The Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center
Sat, 17
8pm
Edgewood Symphony Orchestra Rodef Shalom Temple, Oakland
Sat, 17
8pm
Westmoreland Symphonic Winds Cecilian Hall,  Seton Hill University
Sat, 31
7:30pm
Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra Upper St Clair High School Theatre


Contacting Us:

Southwestern Pennsylvania Band Partners is dedicated to helping community music groups in the southwestern Pennsylvania Region. 
Please visit us online at the address below to learn more or become involved.
    http://swpabandpartners.pghfree.net

Regional Bands with websites (for updated list visit the links page)

Aeolian Winds http://www.aeolianwinds.com/
Allegheny Brass Band http://www.alleghenybrassband.com/
Armstrong Concert Band http://www.geocities.com/armconband
Blairsville Community Concert Band http://www.bccband.com/
Butler County Symphony
http://www.butlerarts.org/symphony/
Community Band South http://cbs.pghfree.net/
East Winds Symphonic Band http://www.ewsb.org/
Edgewood Symphony http://www.edgewoodsymphony.org
Harmony-Zelienople Community Band http://www.hzcb.org
Harrisville Community Band http://www.harrisvilleband.com/
Jeannette Community Band http://www.jcbweb.com/
Kiski Valley Community Band http://www.kvcb.net
Kittanning Firemen's Band http://www.kfband.com/
Musicians Concert Band http://www.tmcband.com/default.htm
North Pittsburgh Philharmonic http://www.northpghphilharmonic.org/
North Suburban Symphonic Band http://www.nssband.org/
Ohio Valley Community Band http://www.geocities.com/ovcband
Pine Creek Community Band http://www.pinecreekband.com/
Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra http://www.artsnet.org/pco/
Resurrection Band http://www.boro.zelienople.pa.us/band.htm
Scottdale Concert Band http://www.scottdaleband.com/
Somerset County Community Band
http://www.somersetcounty.com/band
Washington Symphonic Orchestra http://www.washsym.org/
West Hills Symphonic Band http://www.whsb.org/
Westmoreland Symphonic Winds http://www.wswinds.org/


Contributing to the newsletter
Everyone is welcome to contribute an article to the newsletter.  The topic is up to you—something you think your fellow musicians would be interested in. Just email your article to:
newsletter@swpabandpartners.pghfree.net

For additions to the website email:
info@swpabandpartners.pghfree.net

In the next newsletter
In our next newsletter due out in early April you will find:


Editors
Sarah McElfresh,  East Winds Symphonic Band
Scott McElfresh, East Winds Symphonic Band
Kathy Wikowski, Allegheny Brass Band,  North Suburban Symphonic Band

December 31, 2006