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NIAGARA, Wis. -- When the 17th annual Menominee River Conference Honors Band weekend kicks off Friday, a major composer of band and jazz music will be welcomed to the area.
The local branch of the Wisconsin School Music Association, the Menominee River Conference, is an association of 11 Wisconsin and Upper Peninsula Michigan school districts that will have the finest musicians converge at Niagara High School on Friday and Saturday for two days of rehearsal under the baton of composer/conductor Michael Sweeney.
An all-conference caliber band of about 80 musicians will present a final concert at 4 p.m. Saturday. Among other selections of all styles featured at this year's program is Sweeney's 2010 composition "Earthdance." An admission donation of $2 per person will be taken at the door, and the public -- as well as parents, family and friends -- are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Sweeney is director of band publications for Hal Leonard Corporation in Milwaukee, one of the largest publishers of printed music in the world. He is directly responsible for the development, production, recording and marketing of new publications for school bands.
In addition, he contributes as a composer and arranger in all instrumental areas and is particularly known for his writing at the younger levels for concert band and jazz. Since joining the company in 1982, Hal Leonard has published more than 500 of his compositions and arrangements.
Sweeney is a 1977 graduate of Indiana University in Bloomington, where he earned a bachelor's degree in music education and studied composition with Bernard Heiden, John Eaton and Donald Erb. Before joining Hal Leonard, he was a band director in Ohio and Indiana, working with successful concert, jazz and marching programs at all levels, from elementary to high school.
A winner of multiple ASCAP awards, his "Ancient Voices" (1994) and" Imperium" (1992) are featured in the acclaimed Teaching Music Through Performance series by GIA Publications. Other works such as "Black Forest Overture" (1996), "The Forge of Vulcan" (1997), "Distant Thunder of the Sacred Forest" (2003) and "Celtic Air & Dance" (2007) have become staples in the repertoire for middle school bands.
He has received commissions ranging from middle school and high school bands to the Eastman Wind Ensemble and Canadian Brass. His works appear on numerous state contest lists and his music is regularly performed throughout the world. He is also in demand as a clinician and conductor for honor bands and festivals.
In celebration of mankind's connection to the planet, Sweeney created an extraordinary work for band using an intriguing array of compositional devices and captivating melodies.
Underwriting support from Jim's Music of Iron Mountain, Escanaba, Marquette and Green Bay, Wis., plays a major role in bringing Sweeney to this event.