RUNNING HEAD: A Brief Description and Review

ABriefDescriptionandReviewof:
CanadianBandMusic:
AQualitativeGuidetoCanadianComposerandTheirWorksforBand

ChloPlamondon
NorthernStateUniversity

A Brief Description and Review

ABriefDescriptionandReviewof:
CanadianBandMusic:
AQualitativeGuidetoCanadianComposerandTheirWorksforBand
CanadianBandMusic:AQualitativeGuidetoCanadianComposersandTheir
WorksforBandbyMichaelBurchPessesisoneoftheonlybooksinexistencethat
focusesexclusivelyonthefinedetailsofCanadianBandRepertoire.PublishedinMarch
2008thisextensiveindexofqualityCanadianBandMusicwouldbeanassettoany
musiceducatorsbookshelf.Canadianbanddirectorslookingtolearnmoreabouttheir
owncountriesmusicalhistoryandcontributiontobandliteratureordirectorsfromother
countrieslookingtolearnmoreaboutthesignificantcontributionsmadebyCanadian
composerswouldgreatlybenefitfromtheinformationavailableinthisbook.
Interestinglyenough,theauthorofthisbook,MichaelBurchPesses,isan
Americanman.AsaninternationaladjudicatortravellingintoCanadaoften,Burch
PesseshashadmanyinspiringexperiencesasaresultofhistimespentinCanada.Long
beforehewasanadjudicatoratCanadianBandFestivals,hespenttimeasabandmaster
intheUSNavywherehewitnessedfirsthandthekindnessandgenerosityofCanadian
CitizensduringtheIranianhostagecrisisof1979.Sincethen,hehascontinuedtobean
advocateinallwaystowardshisneighboursinthenorth.Heiscurrentlythedirectorof
bandsatPacificUniversitywhereheconductstheWindEnsembleandJazzBand,and
teachescoursesinconducting,musiceducation,andmusichistory.

A Brief Description and Review

ThisbookwasinspiredbyanadjudicationexperienceattheAlbertaBand
Festival,wherebandsaretoplayapieceofmusicwrittenbyaCanadianComposer.At
thetime,BurchPessesfelthewaswellversedinbandrepertoire,buttohissurpriseand
pleasuretherewasawholenewworldofmusicthathedidnotknowof.Hehadentered
intoanewandexcitingworldwherebandliteraturefeltfreshandoriginalonceagain!
UponhisreturnhometotheUnitedStates,BurchPessesfeltthatbecausehedidnot
knowthisliterature,hiscolleaguesmustnotknowiteither.Onaoneyearsabbatical,he
doveheadfirstintotheworldofCanadianBandLiteratureandthisbookistheresultsof
thatextensiveresearch.
Thebookisadetailedindexofgradesonetosixbandpieces,allwrittenby
CanadianComposers.Itisagreatresourceforteacherswhohaveneverprogrammeda
Canadianbandpiece.Theorganizationofthebookgivesreaderstheabilitytodetermine
whetherornotapieceofmusicwouldbesuitablefortheirband.Thebookincludes
biographiesofsixtythreedifferentCanadiancomposersanddetailsover200piecesof
musicfromgradesonetosix.Thereisanincredibleamountofvaluableinformation
regardingeachpieceofmusic.Informationincludesprogramnotes,composition
description,gradelevel,duration,yearwritten,publisher,andwheretoobtainthepiece
ofmusicfromtoperform.
ManypiecesofmusicareavailableforfreethroughtheCanadianMusicCentre.
TheCanadianMusicCentreisanonprofitorganization,foundedinJanuary1959,
dedicatedtosupportingandpromotingCanadianmusicofalltypes(BurchPesses,x).
TheCanadianMusicCentreisaprivatebody,withoutprofitmakingends,fundedbythe

A Brief Description and Review

publicandprivatesectors.UnpublishedCanadianmusicisavailableatnocostforanyone
whowishestoobtainandperformit.TheCanadianMusicCentrethrivesbyundertaking
theimportantchallengeofmakingCanadianmusicaccessibleandavailabletoanyone
aroundtheworld.Thehowtoguideonpagesxivandxvgivesreadersmore
informationonhowtobecomeapartoforusetheservicesoftheCanadianMusicCentre.
Followingthechaptersorganizedbycomposerarethreeadditionalsections.First
isanindexbycomposer,followsbyanindexbygrade.Theverylastgempresentinthe
bookisafouryearperformancesequenceforeachgradelevel.Ifadirectorfrom
anywhereintheworlddecidestoincorporateCanadianbandmusicasapartoftheir
curriculum,thisparticularresourceaidsinplanningforfouryearsofconsecutive
Canadianbandeducationforstudents.
OthersimilarworkstothisbookareCanadianMusic:ASelectiveGuidelistfor
Teacher(1978)andGuidelistofUnpublishedCanadianBandMusic(1987).Theseare
alsoindexesofmusictohelpguidedirectorstowardschoosingqualityCanadianBand
Literaturetostudy.Bothresourcesarefairlyoutdatedanddonotcontainnearlythe
amountofdetailpresentintheBurchPessesbook.Reviewsofthebookspeakvery
highlyofthequalityofthisresource.Dr.FraserLinklater,DirectorofBandsatthe
UniversityofManitobainWinnipegwritethatthebook,shouldbeofgreatinterestto
directorsofcollegeanduniversitybands,aswellasstrongcommunityandexceptional
highschoolbands.(Nicholson)TomDvorak,authorofBestMusicforYoungBand,and
BestMusicforHighSchoolBandandRayCramer,publishedintenvolumesofthe
TeachingMusicthroughPerformanceinMusicSerieswerebothextremelysupportiveof

A Brief Description and Review

thisbookasaqualityresourceforbanddirectorsaccordingtoChadNicholsononhis
blogWindBandsofEveryFlavour.
CanadianBandMusic:AQualitativeGuidetoCanadianComposersandTheir
WorksforBandshouldbeofgreatinteresttoanybanddirectorpassionateabout
discoveringnewrepertoireandexcitedbythechallengeandopportunitytolearnabout
Canadascontributiontowindbandliterature.Thisisaoneofakindbookthatwouldfit
nicelyontoabanddirectorsbookshelfandlookedatoftenasavaluablereference.

A Brief Description and Review

References
Nicholson,Chad.'OCanada!YouLikeTheTop100Book!'.WindBandsofEvery
Flavor2010.Web.6June2015.
Hand,M.,&KeiserK.(1987).TheCanadianmusiccentre:Ahistory.FontesArtis
Musicae.34,4.216223.
BurchPesses,Michael.(2008).Canadianbandmusic:AqualitativeguidetoCanadian
composersandtheirworksforband.Galesville,MB.MeredithMusicPublications.