There is a severe lack of repertoire for student-musicians written by Black Americans. Together with 50 high schools and colleges from across Minnesota, the RAHS band program has commissioned 12 composers from around the United States to write music for high school aged bands. This commission project represents one step in the effort to lift the voices of artists who have too often been underrepresented in music education. It is essential that we include more Black voices in the curriculum so that we move closer to all of our students seeing themselves more fully represented in the art we make together.
The Composers
Jamail Chachere
Jamail Chachere (b. 1997) is a Texas based composer. He is a multi-instrumentalist musician with a bachelor’s degree in Music Composition from the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) where he studied privately with composers Ethan Wickman, James Syler, and James Balentine. He specializes in Jazz Fusion, video game music, classical/art music, orchestration, electronic music, and is an experienced audio engineer. He often creates large one-man-band Jazz Fusion arrangements of the video game music he loves on his Youtube channel. He was the 1st place winner of the "Soli Ensemble Composition Competition" of 2018 and a featured composer and composition teacher for the San Antonio, Texas Tricentennial celebration of 2018.
Christen Holmes
Christen Holmes is a composer, French Hornist, and music composition student at the University of Maryland-College Park.
Nicole Russell
Nicole Russell (b. 1997) is an African-American and Mexican-American composer, pianist, and vocalist born and raised in Austin, Texas. Her work includes art songs, choral music, chamber music, band music, and electro-acoustic music. Her work was featured on the Calliope’s Call “Sounds of Unity” program and the 2019 Women in Music Festival on the campus of the Mississippi University for Women. She was also a selected student composer for the 2019 CISUM Percussion Workshop in New York City, and will be a composer fellow at the upcoming 2021 Alba Music Composition Festival. Nicole is an active pianist and mezzo-soprano, performing as a soloist or accompanist in styles from classical to jazz. She has a background in teaching private lessons in piano and voice, and previously worked at Central Christian Church in San Antonio, Texas, singing alto in the Chancel Choir and also playing with the Handbell Choir. Nicole completed her bachelor’s degree in Music Composition at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She currently lives in Brooklyn, NY and is pursuing her master’s in Music Theory and Composition at New York University. Her past teachers include Ethan Wickman, James Syler, and Andrew Lloyd.
Adrian B. Sims
Adrian B. Sims (b. 2000), born in Seattle, Washington is an emerging composer, conductor, educator, and trombonist. Adrian graduated from Catonsville High School (class of 2018) located in Catonsville, Maryland. His music has been played at The Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic and selected for the Bandworld Top 100 List. Adrian has also been selected as a winner in multiple composition competitions including the Maryland Music Educators Association Young Composers Project and the Make Music Young Composers Contest. On many occasions, he has rehearsed and conducted his music in performances at schools across the state of Maryland. As a trombonist, Adrian has performed in a wide variety of musical ensembles including pit and symphony orchestras as well as jazz and concert bands. In high school, he was selected to participate in the Maryland All-State Band several times and has played side by side with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He currently plays in the top ensembles at The University of Maryland and studies with Matthew Guilford, solo bass trombonist with the National Symphony Orchestra. Adrian is grateful for the continued support from his band directors Christopher Gnagey and Cindy Stevenson, and is pursuing a dual degree in Music Education and Composition at The University of Maryland. He credits Dr. Robert Gibson, Professor of Composition at The University of Maryland, and world-renowned composer Brian Balmages for his development as a composer.
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Terrell Cordice
Terrell Cordice (b. 30 January 1998, Jacksonville, N.C.) is an American composer with French and Caribbean ethnic heritage. Cordice completed his Bachelor of Music degree in composition & theory at Appalachian State University in the mountains of Boone, N.C, in 2020. As a multi-instrumentalist, and having earned performances by university and all-state bands, Cordice enjoys writing for winds and intends to focus on writing music for band for the foreseeable future. As a self-published composer, he is also the owner and founder of the publishing organization, CORDICEMUSIC.
Esau Jones
Esau Jones is a classically trained flutist and multi-instrumentalist from New Orleans, LA. He recently completed a Bachelor's of Arts degree from Loyola University New Orleans with a double major in Music Education and Composition. From 2016-2020 he studied classical flute under Patti Adams, classical and jazz saxophone under Wessel Anderson, and composition under Dr. James Walsh. During his undergraduate studies he acquired valuable teaching and performance experience as a woodwind doubler on the clarinet, oboe, and alto saxophone in a variety of classical, jazz, gospel, and contemporary ensembles. While at Loyola University, Esau premiered numerous pieces for various ensemble mediums including chamber orchestra, string quartet, and music for film as a member of The Student Composer's Forum and for self organized composition recitals. Additionally he was named the 2019 Winner of Loyola's Composition Competition for his work "Earth Enamored" for orchestra. Esau began to teach private instrumental and composition lessons to students of all ages and backgrounds during his sophomore year at Loyola. His philosophy as a music educator/private lesson instructor is to cultivate an environment for an appreciation and joy of music, while teaching students the mechanics and techniques of music-making, encourages collaboration, self-expression, and personal development. Esau believes in allowing students to grow in their musical passions and artistic goals. He firmly believes that it is an educator's job to serve as a resource for their students by helping them realize their highest personal potential. Esau is passionate about the advocating for the educational and personal needs of black youths in classical music, and hopes to help them achieve their own musical goals by becoming the best artist they can be.
Brendon Sapp
Born in Okinawa, Japan, Brendon Sapp currently resides in Dayton, Ohio, where he serves as a band director for the Dayton Public School District at Belmont High School and Edwin Joel Brown Middle School. In addition to his current teaching position, he has worked as a low brass and visual technician with the Wilmington High School, Fairborn High School, Sycamore High School, Worthington-Kilbourne High School, Northmont High School marching bands. Sapp graduated from Wright State University in 2018 with a Bachelor's degree in Music Education and is currently pursuing a Master of Music Education degree from Vandercook College of Music in Chicago Illinois. As a trombonist, he has performed with many local ensembles in the Dayton and Cincinnati areas, and spent a season marching with the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps in 2017. Sapp has written and arranged music for concert band, marching band, steel pan ensemble, brass ensemble, and trombone ensemble.
Christian Thomas
Maryland-native C. L. Thomas is an emerging band composer and conductor. Heavily inspired by personal experiences, his music brings life to memories and emotion to his audience through sound. His philosophy of music depends on breaking the fourth wall and immersing the audience and musicians in vivid soundscapes depicting moments like the first budding flower of Spring, the emotional trauma of cognitive dissonance, haunting nightmares, and more. As a euphoniumist and trombonist, Thomas enjoys performing and making music in a diverse setting. From participating in the music ministry with Crossroads Apostolic Church, where he found his passion, Thomas also delved into performing with community ensembles such as the Greater Huntington Symphonic Band and the Southern Maryland Concert Band. Thomas also had the pleasure of performing academically with the George Mason University Wind Symphony and professionally with the Chamber Orchestra of Southern Maryland in Concert as well as various workshops with the Capital Wind Symphony.
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Kelijah Dunton
Kelijah Dunton (b. 1999) is a New York-based composer who has enjoyed a short but prolific musical background starting in his high school years. He studied alto saxophone through school and continues to be an active performer with NYC’s own Metropolitan Music Community. Without formal composition training, Kelijah has only recently embarked on his composition career, persevering as he learns from his musical peers and experiences. A native of Brooklyn, New York, Kelijah has called the neighborhoods of Williamsburg, Bushwick, and Crown Heights home. Moving from place to place has helped him learn what it means to be around people of all backgrounds, ages, and walks of life, as well as exposed him to many genres of music in different communities. Kelijah’s significant musical moments include performing in NYC honor bands, competitive NYSSMA festivals, traveling to prestigious music colleges, sitting in with various award-winning jazz bands, and most recently, performing with an MMC community band for all ages and music education levels.
Marissa Rene
Marissa Rene creates experimental music for film and other media. She likes to employ electronics, found sounds, and happy accidents into her work. Marissa holds a bachelor’s degree in music composition and minor in music technology from Rutgers University. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in screen scoring at Columbia College Chicago. She has been a fellow of the Alba Music Festival, the Delian Academy for New Music, and the Brandeis ElectroAcoustic Music Festival. She was also accepted into the NYU programs for film, television, and video game scoring during the summer of 2018. Her piece, Hallucinations, was published in the online magazine Ink & Coda in 2017. In 2019, professional bass clarinet/marimba duo Transient Canvas, toured with her piece, Anatomy of the Infinite Machine, as part of their national Wired 2.0 program. The pair also performed this piece at the Charlotte New Music Festival in 2020. Marissa’s music is inspired by a variety of styles including classical, electronic, jazz, avant-garde, and even lo-fi pop! She is currently working on a release of her debut EP which will showcase this admiration for non-cinematic genres.
She loves to challenge traditional approaches to composition in all of her pieces. Following her curiosity, she once recorded herself pulling up wet grass and, on another occasion, preparing a hammered dulcimer with paper to produce a delightfully ‘buzzy’ timbre! Marissa hopes to continue creating custom sounds, and using an out-of-the-box approach to film music. Ayatey Shabazz
Ayatey Shabazz, a native of Biloxi, MS is an accomplished composer, arranger, educator, and clinician. He received his formal training from the University of Southern Mississippi. He studied composition and arranging under Dr. Albert Gower, who inspired him to make composing his life work. Mr. Shabazz is very active as an arranger/ composer for many high school and college programs as well as other idioms of music such as drum corps, jazz, film and television projects. He also travels extensively conducting clinics, adjudicating concert festivals and marching band contests, and is a Pro-Mark educator endorser. Shabazz has taught beginning through high school band.
Lawren Brianna Ware
Lawren Brianna Ware, an Alabama native, is a doctoral student who is pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Music Composition at UW-Madison. She is also minoring in historical musicology. Ms. Ware is a Mead-Witter School of Music teaching assistant and also owns her own private Madison-based piano studio, B. Ware Works Piano Studio. She holds degrees in piano performance from Samford University and The University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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Participating Schools and Directors
Roseville Area High School - Matt Dehnel and Ian McKnight
Academy of Holy Angels - Peter Dysart
Albany Area High School - John Kleppe
Alexandria Area High School - Casey Skalbeck
Anoka High School - Tim Hauser
Apple Valley High School - Corey Desens and David Scalise
Austin High School - Christoph Dundas
Big Lake High School - Heidi Olson
Brooklyn Center High School - Miles Uhrich
Buffalo High School - Scott Rabehl and Michael Knutson
Capitol Hill Gifted and Talented Magnet - Jeff Fulton
Centennial High School - Carvel Kuehn and Becky Weiland
Cook County Schools - Mikkel Haas
Dover-Eyota Schools - Ryan Anderson
Eagan High School - Brett Benson, Doug Hart, and Michael Pearson
East Ridge High School - Brent Comeau
Edina High School - Paul Kile, Andy Richter, and Geneva Fitzsimonds
Farmington High School - Erin Holmes
Fridley High School - Becca Shuman
Gustavus Adolphus College (The Douglas Nimmo Band Endowment) - Dr. James Patrick Miller and Heidi Johanna Miller
Grand Rapids High School - Dale Gunderson and Sander Grotjohn
Hastings High School - Jim Jacobsen and Emily Chandler
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted High School - Stephanie Dailey
Jordan High School - Logan Burnside
Kasson-Mantorville High School - Anthony Boldt
Lakeville North High School - Matthew Wanken
Mankato West High School - Brady Krusemark
Mounds View High School - Phillip Richardson
North High School - Aaron Hammerman
Orono High School - Tim Arnold and Jennifer Runck
Osseo High School - Mary Hanson
Park High School - Tom Storm
Plainview-Elgin-Millville High School - Mike Walton
Pillager Public School - H. Robert Freelove II
Rosemount High School - Taylor Eliason, Bojan Hoover, Scott Palmer, and Leon Sieve
Shakopee High School - Eric Christenson and Ben Hoehn
Southwest High School - Reid Wixson
Spring Grove Public School - Willy Leafblad
Spring Lake Park High School - Nora R. Tycast and Ross Wolf
St. Anthony High School - Andy Erickson
St. Anthony Middle School - Chris Ravndal and Jill Westermeyer
St. Francis High School - Taylor Eichinger
St. Louis Park High School - Steve Schmitz
St. Mary's University - Janet Heukeshoven
St. Michael-Albertville High School - Adam Sroka and Michael Bartunek
St. Paul Central High School - Matt Oyen
St. Paul Harding High School - Jennifer Greupner
Waconia High School - John Pohland and Allison Wilmes
Washburn High School - Tim Martin
White Bear Lake High School - Shannon Anderson
Woodbury High School - Tark Katzenmeyer and Matt Shervey
Academy of Holy Angels - Peter Dysart
Albany Area High School - John Kleppe
Alexandria Area High School - Casey Skalbeck
Anoka High School - Tim Hauser
Apple Valley High School - Corey Desens and David Scalise
Austin High School - Christoph Dundas
Big Lake High School - Heidi Olson
Brooklyn Center High School - Miles Uhrich
Buffalo High School - Scott Rabehl and Michael Knutson
Capitol Hill Gifted and Talented Magnet - Jeff Fulton
Centennial High School - Carvel Kuehn and Becky Weiland
Cook County Schools - Mikkel Haas
Dover-Eyota Schools - Ryan Anderson
Eagan High School - Brett Benson, Doug Hart, and Michael Pearson
East Ridge High School - Brent Comeau
Edina High School - Paul Kile, Andy Richter, and Geneva Fitzsimonds
Farmington High School - Erin Holmes
Fridley High School - Becca Shuman
Gustavus Adolphus College (The Douglas Nimmo Band Endowment) - Dr. James Patrick Miller and Heidi Johanna Miller
Grand Rapids High School - Dale Gunderson and Sander Grotjohn
Hastings High School - Jim Jacobsen and Emily Chandler
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted High School - Stephanie Dailey
Jordan High School - Logan Burnside
Kasson-Mantorville High School - Anthony Boldt
Lakeville North High School - Matthew Wanken
Mankato West High School - Brady Krusemark
Mounds View High School - Phillip Richardson
North High School - Aaron Hammerman
Orono High School - Tim Arnold and Jennifer Runck
Osseo High School - Mary Hanson
Park High School - Tom Storm
Plainview-Elgin-Millville High School - Mike Walton
Pillager Public School - H. Robert Freelove II
Rosemount High School - Taylor Eliason, Bojan Hoover, Scott Palmer, and Leon Sieve
Shakopee High School - Eric Christenson and Ben Hoehn
Southwest High School - Reid Wixson
Spring Grove Public School - Willy Leafblad
Spring Lake Park High School - Nora R. Tycast and Ross Wolf
St. Anthony High School - Andy Erickson
St. Anthony Middle School - Chris Ravndal and Jill Westermeyer
St. Francis High School - Taylor Eichinger
St. Louis Park High School - Steve Schmitz
St. Mary's University - Janet Heukeshoven
St. Michael-Albertville High School - Adam Sroka and Michael Bartunek
St. Paul Central High School - Matt Oyen
St. Paul Harding High School - Jennifer Greupner
Waconia High School - John Pohland and Allison Wilmes
Washburn High School - Tim Martin
White Bear Lake High School - Shannon Anderson
Woodbury High School - Tark Katzenmeyer and Matt Shervey