DESCRIPTION:
Monroe Woodbury Wind Ensemble Under the direction of Bruce Kaplan
Pop Concert 1983

Special Thanks to Lisa Gray OBrien and her Mom for the original recordings
Audio Remastered by and Video presentation and concept by
Amy Steinmetz and Gary Ladka
Photos courtesy of Amy Steinmetz and the MW 1983 and 1984 Yearbook staff.
Video courtesy of various internet sources(no copyright infringement intended)

About the performance:
This offering is one that we had a lot of fun with both back then and now. It is "Serenade for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion" by PDQ Bach. It is a comical classical piece that features some unusual instruments, unique ways of playing the ones we played(a whole section is played only on the mouth pieces removed from the instruments), the entire percussion section being dumped in a bathtub, and a cue for the clarinets to gargle. A note on the recording - this pop concert took place in the cafeteria and it was recorded on a boom box by Lisa's Mom...and now with a little digital help of today - sounds pretty good - Don't cha tink?

About the Composer:
Peter Schickele (b. 1935) is a composer and pianist, perhaps best known for his satirical alter-ego P.D.Q. Bach. A musical contributor in the early seasons of Sesame Street, Schickele also scored several live action films produced by Mark Sadan and Kirk Smallwood, including three riddle films and "Where the Garbage Goes."
A classically trained musician, Schickele attended Juilliard with Philip Glass. As P.D.Q. Bach, an obscure and questionably talented son of Johann Sebastian Bach, Schickele has created a complex history of continually unearthed "lost" recordings and compositions. Notable works include "Grand Serenade for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion," "Classical Rap, S. 96th St," "Toot Suite," "Canine Cantata," and the operas The Stoned Guest and Oedipus Tex. He introduces his P.D.Q. Bach concerts as "Professor" Peter Schickele of the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople.

Two Like Minds:
Both our Beloved Bruce Kaplan and Peter Schickele are graduates of Juilliard...perhaps they knew each other?...They both had a great sense of wit combined with precision...carefree, fun and downright silly at moments, but exacting and complexly orchestrated at the same time. Whether they did know each other or not, these two brilliant artistic minds came together at this special time with and for us in 1983 and we thank them. Enjoy.

About the video:
The video contains some fun footage and memories of pop culture. We know you will enjoy it.