Performing Choral Transcriptions: What Every Instrumental Conductor Needs to Know
Clinic Synopsis:
In this session we will demonstrate how phrasing, articulation, tone quality, timbre, and intonation can be informed through an understanding of the stress patterns of word and sentence structures, shapes and sounds of vowels and consonants and the meaning of the text. These concepts will be directly applied to O Magnum Mysterium, by Morten Lauridsen; Ave Maria, by Franz Biebl; and Blessed are They, from the Brahms Requiem (transcribed by Barbara Buehlman).
Donald McKinney
- Biographical Information
Donald J. McKinney is Director of Bands and Associate Professor at the University of Colorado Boulder. He conducts the CU Wind Symphony, guides the graduate wind-conducting program, and oversees the university band program. Prior to his appointment at CU Boulder, Dr. McKinney was the Director of Wind Ensembles and Associate Professor at Louisiana State University.
He has held faculty positions at Interlochen Arts Academy and Duquesne University Mary Pappert School of Music. He continues to conduct at Interlochen as the Coordinator of Bands for Interlochen Arts Camp. In this capacity, he conducts the World Youth Wind Symphony and administrates the summer band program. His recording credits include projects with the Dallas Wind Symphony, University of Michigan Symphony Band, University of Texas Wind Ensemble, University of North Texas Wind Symphony, Keystone Wind Ensemble, and the Duquesne University Wind Symphony.
Leila Heil - Biographical Information
Dr. Leila Heil was appointed in 2011 as Assistant Professor of Music Education at University of Colorado. Prior to this appointment, she served on the music education faculty at The Ohio State University and Colorado State University. Her professional experience includes twenty-one years of public school teaching at the secondary level. Dr. Heil has been active in state music organizations for many years having served on the Arizona Music Educators executive board, as festival chair for the Arizona All-State Jazz and Show choirs, and Jazz Repertoire and Standards chair for the Colorado and Ohio ACDA chapters. Dr. Heil has presented interest sessions at the National American Choral Directors Association Conference, the Ohio Music Educators Association Conference, the Colorado Music Educators Association Conference and the National Association for Music Education Conference.
Jack Yonce - Biographical Information
Jack Yonce has been the Director of Bands at Cheyenne Mountain High School for nineteen years, and also serves as District Band Department Chairman. Groups under Mr. Yonce’s direction have been selected to perform at the Colorado Music Educator’s Association Annual Convention twelve times, to the Bands of America National Concert Band Festival three times, and have performed three times in Carnegie Hall. The Cheyenne Mountain High School Symphonic Band has received only Superior with Distinction Ratings at the CBA State Concert Band Festival.
Jack is a past president of the Colorado chapter of Phi Beta Mu and the Colorado Bandmasters Association, and has also served as Chief Marching Band Judge. Jack has been named a Cheyenne Mountain High School Teacher of the Year, a Gateway High School “Unique Teacher of the Year”, a University of Colorado-Boulder College of Music Outstanding Alumnus, and is an elected member of the American Bandmasters Association. He received a National Band Association “Citation of Excellence” in 2001 and has twice appeared in School Band and Orchestra Magazine as the Colorado nominee of the “50 Directors Who Make a Difference”.
Jack graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from the University of Northern Colorado in 1989 and a Masters of Music in Wind Conducting from The University of Colorado-Boulder in 2004. Jack resides in Black Forest, Colorado, with his wife Donna and their two children.
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