Northwinds Symphonic Band

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The Northwinds Symphonic Band is a large symphonic band composed of mostly current, semi-retired and retired music educators from the greater Kansas City area and beyond. They rehearse weekly and perform approximately every six weeks. This ensemble plays some of the finest symphonic band literature. John Bell, retired director of bands at Parkhill South High School and Danny Watring, director of bands at Grandview High School, have served as the band's co-conductor since 2004.
Organization
Northwinds is an all volunteer group and has no membership fees. They are financed by gifts, donations and advertising in their concert programs. The band typically performs four concerts a year from October through April, plus a special summer performance at Briarcliff Village and a Holiday concert at the Garden Village Retirement Community.

History
The Northwinds Symphonic Band originated during the spring of 2004, when a few Kansas City area band directores met to discuss the formation of a group that would first and foremost be a performing outlet for area music educators. The initial response was very positive, and after beginning rehearsals in September the first concert season opened with a performance at Oak Park High School on October 24, 2004.
From its inception Northwinds has welcomed music educators from the entire Kansas City metro area, extending north to St. Joseph, east to Warrensburg, south to Belton, and west to Lawrence, Kansas. Their membership includes current and retired music educators, excellent musical members of the community at large and current college/university students.
Concerts
Northwinds programs are ecletic in nature, combining recognized standars, marches and new works written for wind band. The fall of 2010 marked Northwinds' first direct collaboration with the St. Joseph Community Chorus in a presentation of patriotic selections for chorus and band including works by Aaron Copland, Randall Thompson, and Cecil Effinger. Northwinds has also been privileged to share concerts with the Fountain City Brass Band and the Missouri Western State University Symphonic Winds. Northwinds was honored with an invitation to perform at the Missouri Bandmasters Association Convention in June, 2006 and the Missouri Music Educators Association Conference in 2011.
Solo Competition
The Northwinds Symphonic Band hosts an annual solo competition for outstanding high school instrumentalists. The winner of this competition performs with the Northwinds on their annual Spring concert and also receive a $1,000 grant from the band. A runner-up receives a $250 grant.
This award is open to woodwind, brass, or percussion students enrolled in their school's band during the current school year. After a preliminary round of judging record submissions, finalists participate in a live audition and the winner is announced.
Membership
Members are selected at the discretion of the Board of Directors. The band conducts weekly rehearsals at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri. Many are music educators from the Kansas City area including the school districts of Excelsior Springs, MO; Grandview, MO; Independance, MO; Kansas City, MO; Kearney, MO; Olathe, KS; North Kansas City, MO; Park Hill, MO; Pleasant Hill, MO; Platte City, MO; and the colleges of Missouri Western, William Jewell College, Northwest Missouri State University and the University of Kansas.
Repertoire
The band performs contemporary and classical band compositions and arrangements. Some of the notable composers and arrangers include:
*Robert Russell Bennett
*Frederick Fennell
*Henry Fillmore
*Morton Gould
*Percy Grainger
*Gustav Holst
*W. Francis McBeth
*Ron Nelson
*Vincent Persichetti
*Alfred Reed
*John Phillip Sousa
*Frank Ticheli
*Ralph Vaughan Williams

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