75th Anniversary of Jazz at University of North Texas- And We Were There

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Being with my kids at jazz festivals is nothing new for the Chidester family. All three of our children have been involved with jazz their whole lives. Each has competed in high school as well as college and most of my life has been spent directing ensembles on stage and in contests as well. Some programs are more remembered than others as the photo above illustrates. Not only was our oldest son Scott, performing on the same stage as his old man but was representing the rhythm section on drums with a different band than I was in. As you…

Another Great American Shoot Out- Vocal Ensemble vs. Trumpet Choir and Bass

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This was a very challenging project for most of the charm in the vocal score hinges on the text rather than the rhythms and pitches. I do feel that we were able to come close to the original even facing this obvious advantage for the singers.   Now check it out as a vocal number at…..

The Great American Shoot Out- String Quartet vs. Brass Quartet

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This is not the first time that the two ensembles have been compared, but it might be the first time that the characteristics of the two have been discussed in full. I expect a large amount of input on this subject so read carefully with an open mind and feel free to share your opinion with your humble servant. For subject material I chose the first movement of the very popular String Quartet No. 8 by Dimitri Shostakovich. My choice of the first movement was decided in order to put the Brass Quartet at a disadvantage because of the extremely…