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Coda Connections
Columbia Band Fans' Newsletter
Summer 2006
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Greetings!
Welcome to Coda Connections, a quarterly
newsletter for you, the fans and supporters of the
Columbia Concert Band & Jazz Band. Our main goals
are to bring you band news and to improve
communication between the performers and the
audience. We look forward to your feedback and
ideas regarding present and future performances, as
well as your thoughts on this newsletter. Thanks and
enjoy!
- Len Morse, Editor
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Summer
News
Recap of last quarter:
We had a great Spring concert at River Hill, and our
Mayfest performance also went well, despite powerful
wind gusts.
What's coming up?
We will play for Maryland Community Band Day in
White Marsh this year, then after a July break, we
return to three of our traditional late summer venues.
Summer
Calendar - Concert Band
June:
Sunday, 6/11, 1:00P.M., The
Avenue @ White Marsh
August:
Sunday, 8/13, 6:30P.M.,
Columbia Lakefront
Sunday, 8/27, 6:00P.M.,
Lurman Amphitheater, Catonsville
September:
Saturday, 9/16, 11:00A.M.,
Lake Elkhorn, Owen Brown
Summer
Calendar - Jazz Band
July:
Saturday, 7/15, 6:30P.M., Woodlawn
August:
Sunday, 8/6, 6:30P.M.,
Columbia Lakefront
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Proper Care & Feeding of Compact Discs
The compact disc (CD) represents a great
breakthrough in data storage technology. A music CD
lasts much longer than a vinyl record or a cassette
tape, there are no mechanical parts that wear down
or break, and the sound quality is much better. It
is a hardy-looking creature, yes, but it is not
indestructible. Too often have I seen misuse or
evidence of misuse that will inevitably shorten the
life of a disc. So, here are a few tips on CD handling:
1. Only handle the CD by the edge or center
hole. Natural oils from the skin are left behind
when you touch the play side or label side, and to a
degree, this is pretty much the same as pouring
molasses on a vinyl album. Your player can not read
the data as well and the more this happens, the more
likely you'll arrive in "Skip City". The only upside
is if you hold the disc so that it reflects the
light, you can actually see the fingerprints
of the perpetrator who mishandled it!
2. Keep an unused CD in its case. One of the
most dangerous things you can do is leave a CD out
of its case, alone and vulnerable. The disc will
live in mortal fear of its life until someone
unwittingly puts something on top of it, or even
worse, sits on it. (Yes, this does happen!) A
dusty CD is bad enough, but a cracked CD is dead.
Please be kind.
3. Do not leave a CD in the heat. Exposing a
disc to extreme heat or humidity for an extended
period (i.e. in your car during summer, near a hot
lamp, or at most Columbia Lakefront summer concerts)
can damage the
reflective layer and physically warp the disc. I'm
not sure what that would sound like, but it can't be
good.
4. Clean your CD only with a non-abrasive
cloth. A soft cotton cloth works well, and be
sure to clean both sides of the CD. Any material
that leaves lint or pieces of fabric is bad, even a
tissue. Also, be gentle and wipe from the center
towards the edge. If you don't, you'll be composing
the "Sandpaper Sonata". Be careful.
Neglecting CDs is not a crime, but those in the
music world (especially musicians) should know
better anyway. Take care of your CDs and you'll be
listening to your Mozart or Mancini for years to
come. For more on proper CD handling and tips, go to
Ebay.
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The Great Outdoors
Those of you who know me know that the Columbia
Concert Band is a very important part of my life. I
have a special place in my heart for this fine group
of (mostly) amateur musicians who come together to
make beautiful music and to contribute a little
something to the community. It is, therefore, a
great pleasure to share with you a bit about what's
happening from the director's perspective.
If you attended our formal Spring Concert on May
7th, you heard some GREAT band literature, and I
hope you'll agree that it was played pretty well! I
was quite pleased with our performances of
Revolution, Hounds of Spring, Hobbits and
Armenian Folk Song and Dance, all of which
are very difficult works to learn.
We'll be hanging on to a bit of our Spring
repertoire as we begin our Summer concert season,
not only because it is such fine music, but also to
give us a head start on preparing enough material
for our extended outdoor performances! We've had
some wonderful outdoor concerts in recent years and
we are truly looking forward to playing at the
Columbia Lakefront, at Catonsville's beautiful
Lurman Woodland Amphitheatre, and at the Lake
Elkorn
Festival. We'll definitely be playing something for
everyone, including movie music, orchestral
transcriptions, marches, and my favorite -
contemporary wind band literature.
As we look ahead to the Fall and Winter, I am
planning a Children's Concert with an "outer space"
theme, and I'm looking forward to some magnificent
music by Frank Ticheli, Eric Whitacre, and Sean
O'Loughlin on our formal Winter Concert.
Please join us at an upcoming performance if you
can, and always feel free to bring young folks - we
want them to grow up to be arts supporters just like
you! Thanks for your interest in the Columbia
Concert Band.
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Quarterly Word: "Glissando" - A sliding
scale, most easily played on piano (in the key of C
only), harp, trombone and most bowed instruments.
Quarterly Quote: "Anybody can write music of
a sort. But touching the public heart is quite
another thing." - John Philip Sousa
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Elected Executive
Board
Director - Mike Blackman
President - Jodi Shochet
Vice President - Len Morse
Secretary - Suzanne Hassell
Treasurer - Beth Jubinski
Publicity Chair - Riley McDonald
Equipment Manager - Scott Lipcon
Members-at-Large - Jenn Ambrosiano,
Jeanette
Donald, Tanya Hoegh-Allan
Appointees and
Volunteers
Librarian - Marilyn Kelsey
Curator - Fred Shermer
Historian - Melinda Frisch
Uniforms - Bill DeVuono
Webmaster - Suzanne Hassell
Columbia Jazz Band Director - Pete
Barenbregge
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