American Bandmasters Association
Encyclopedia
The American Bandmasters Association (ABA) was formed in 1929 by Edwin Franko Goldman
to promote concert band
music. Goldman sought to raise esteem for concert bands among musicians and audiences. The reputations of concert bands suffered in comparison to symphony orchestras due to factors including "the concert band’s concert venue, often out-of-doors, the difficulty of conductors to obtain a quality music education, a limited repertoire that with the exception of marches was largely borrowed from the libraries of the orchestra, and a lack of camaraderie among the leading bandmasters/conductors of the period."
The ABA's current Constitution states that the organization shall:
Membership is extended to the leaders of the wind band movement and is considered to be the highest honor given within the wind studies realm. The current president is Scott Taylor. Previous presidents include Goldman, Karl King
, Charles O'Neill
, Herbert L. Clarke
, Henry Fillmore
, and William D. Revelli. John Philip Sousa
was the first honorary life president. Membership is extended through invitation to conductors/teachers/directors considered to be exemplary professionals within the field. Associate Membership is available through invitation to "firms, organizations, and individuals engaged in the music industry or related field" who are closely affiliated with the ABA.
The association has contributed to the wind and percussion band community through the spheres of literature, performance, and pedagogy. The ABA is responsible for the commissioning of many of the wind band's most revered works, including Lincolnshire Posy
by Percy Grainger
, Pageant by Vincent Persichetti
, Strange Humors by John Mackey
, and Endurance by Timothy Mahr
.
A list of the current and historical officers and membership can be found in the publication Lest We Forget, which is updated regularly.
Edwin Franko Goldman
Edwin Franko Goldman is one of America's prominent band composers of the early 20th century. He composed over 150 works, more notably his marches. He is known for founding the renowned Goldman Band of New York City and the American Bandmasters Association...
to promote concert band
Concert band
A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...
music. Goldman sought to raise esteem for concert bands among musicians and audiences. The reputations of concert bands suffered in comparison to symphony orchestras due to factors including "the concert band’s concert venue, often out-of-doors, the difficulty of conductors to obtain a quality music education, a limited repertoire that with the exception of marches was largely borrowed from the libraries of the orchestra, and a lack of camaraderie among the leading bandmasters/conductors of the period."
The ABA's current Constitution states that the organization shall:
- honor outstanding achievement by invitation to membership;
- encourage prominent composers of all countries to write for the concert band;
- by example and leadership further enhance the concert band and its music within our cultural heritage.
Membership is extended to the leaders of the wind band movement and is considered to be the highest honor given within the wind studies realm. The current president is Scott Taylor. Previous presidents include Goldman, Karl King
Karl King
Karl L. King was a United States march music bandmaster and composer. He is best known as the composer of Barnum and Bailey's Favorite.-Biography:...
, Charles O'Neill
Charles O'Neill (musician)
Charles O'Neill was a Canadian bandmaster, composer, organist, cornetist, and music educator of Irish birth. Although he wrote many symphonic and choral works, the majority of his compositional output was devoted to band music.-Education and early career:Born in Duntocher to Irish parents, O'Neill...
, Herbert L. Clarke
Herbert L. Clarke
Herbert Lincoln Clarke was a well-known American cornet player, feature soloist, bandmaster, and composer....
, Henry Fillmore
Henry Fillmore
Henry Fillmore was an American musician, composer, publisher, and bandleader, best-known for his many marches and screamers.-Biography:James Henry Fillmore Jr. was born in Cincinnati, Ohio as the eldest of five children...
, and William D. Revelli. John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known particularly for American military and patriotic marches. Because of his mastery of march composition, he is known as "The March King" or the "American March King" due to his British counterpart Kenneth J....
was the first honorary life president. Membership is extended through invitation to conductors/teachers/directors considered to be exemplary professionals within the field. Associate Membership is available through invitation to "firms, organizations, and individuals engaged in the music industry or related field" who are closely affiliated with the ABA.
The association has contributed to the wind and percussion band community through the spheres of literature, performance, and pedagogy. The ABA is responsible for the commissioning of many of the wind band's most revered works, including Lincolnshire Posy
Lincolnshire Posy
Lincolnshire Posy is a piece by Percy Grainger for concert band composed in 1937 for the American Bandmasters Association. Considered Grainger's masterpiece, the work is composed of six movements, each adapted from folk songs that Grainger had collected on a 1905–1906 trip to Lincolnshire,...
by Percy Grainger
Percy Grainger
George Percy Aldridge Grainger , known as Percy Grainger, was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist. In the course of a long and innovative career he played a prominent role in the revival of interest in British folk music in the early years of the 20th century. He also made many...
, Pageant by Vincent Persichetti
Vincent Persichetti
Vincent Ludwig Persichetti was an American composer, teacher, and pianist. An important musical educator and writer, Persichetti was a native of Philadelphia...
, Strange Humors by John Mackey
John Mackey (composer)
John Mackey is an American composer of classical music, with an emphasis on music for wind band, as well as orchestra. For several years, he focused on music for modern dance and ballet.-Background:...
, and Endurance by Timothy Mahr
Timothy Mahr
Timothy Mahr , is a professor of music at St. Olaf College, an American composer and conductor. He is married to Jill Mahr, music performer and educator, and they have two daughters, Jenna and Hannah.-Education:...
.
A list of the current and historical officers and membership can be found in the publication Lest We Forget, which is updated regularly.