John Mackey

[borchnork]

Well, I know Mackey isn't currently the most popular composer out in the lot, especially for large ensembles, but thankfully I see he's gaining out there, with Sachse Playing Turbine in their show, Poteet using Strange Humors in Honor Band recordings, and the All-State band performing Turbine last year.

 

I just wanted to draw a little more attention to this guy and get others opinions on him.

 

If you haven't heard it already, I suggest you check out his Soprano Sax concerto!! INSANE!!!

 

www.ostimusic.com

[takigan]

One of the reasons he's gotten so huge is BECAUSE of Turbine being performed by the All-State band. Not to mention it's a great piece, but when really good music gets exposure at TMEA, it almost guarantees said composer a catapault into notoriety.

 

I've known about Mackey for a few years now, but it wasn't until Turbine's performance at TMEA that I've started to hear lots of other people start talking about how great he is. Drum Corps and Marching Bands and major Wind Symphonies have started picking up his works and Mackey will continue to enjoy much success from it.

 

He's a great composer.

[borchnork]

I'm currently listening to Turbine.

 

it's amazing. again. Redline Tango is just as good.

 

And I found out that our Electric String Quartet is going to attempt his piece "Rush Hour"!!!!

[SerialSleeper90]

We have an electric string quartet?

[borchnork]

Actually, its a Sextet.

 

Dr. Holt bought 3 electric violins, an electric viola, an electric cello and bass. YAY!!!

[SerialSleeper90]

That's awesome. I love electric strings. I've seen people do so many diffirent things with them.

[borchnork]

seriously, if you like electric strings, go listen to Rush Hour. It's the coolest piece I've heard in quite a long time.

[b_sax_agent]

a cool thing about composers like Mackey is the fact that you can play any note at any given time in pieces like Turbine and it will sound correct.

 

And that's hard to do.

[BariBoyII]

I enjoy his music especially "turning" and the concerto for soprano sax. I also really enjoyed getting to use his music for my last years show.

[ndnorris7]

  b_sax_agent said:

a cool thing about composers like Mackey is the fact that you can play any note at any given time in pieces like Turbine and it will sound correct.

 

And that's hard to do.

 

 

That is co completely true. Hah. There's a lot of loud dissonance.

So, play a wrong note really loud, it sounds wonderful

 

We played an arrangement of "Turbine" in our marching show last year.

I've been completely fascinated in his style of composition since.

 

I love "Redline Tango". It's one of my favorites.

 

And I know that I've heard Kingfishers Catch Fire from at least two bands this year.

[takigan]

When I first read the title "Kingfishers Catch Fire" off the TMEA program I didn't know what a Kingfisher was and assumed that the title had to do with master fishermen who were able to ensnare fire with their fisherman's rods from the waters they fished from.....which sounds almost as cool imo.

Edited October 28, 2008 by takigan

[ndnorris7]

Yeah, he composes some of the strangest things. But they're usually really pretty interesting and powerful. A heck of a lot of dynamic contrast, for sure. He writes more ppppp and ffffff, and not much inbetween, I'd say lol. But every once in awhile I get on a Mackey hype. It's cool stuff.

[RoundRockBandSaxophone]

I go to Round Rock High School, in round rock, TX, its near the Austin area, and we played a John Mackey piece, Asphalt Cocktail, in our wind ensemble last year. It was such a great piece, it was loud, it was in your face, and it was very unique. And we actually got to meet him! He came to one of our rehearsals, hes very short, and has no experience playing a musical instrument. I think he mentioned he tried to learn piano but couldnt do it. he just knows a lot about composition (he went to juliard for composition) and just uses an arrangment software along with audio samples of notes of all of the instruments to compose his music. To me, this just makes his music even more amazing! i really hope we play something composed by him again this year. and on a side note, i play saxophone, and he really writes killer sax parts!

[drummerjoe]

  RoundRockBandSaxophone said:

I go to Round Rock High School, in round rock, TX, its near the Austin area, and we played a John Mackey piece, Asphalt Cocktail, in our wind ensemble last year. It was such a great piece, it was loud, it was in your face, and it was very unique. And we actually got to meet him! He came to one of our rehearsals, hes very short, and has no experience playing a musical instrument. I think he mentioned he tried to learn piano but couldnt do it. he just knows a lot about composition (he went to juliard for composition) and just uses an arrangment software along with audio samples of notes of all of the instruments to compose his music. To me, this just makes his music even more amazing! i really hope we play something composed by him again this year. and on a side note, i play saxophone, and he really writes killer sax parts!

 

We've played a piece by him every year since '08. '08 was Redline Tango, '09 was Sasparilla (not sure of this one), and '10 was Asphalt Cocktail.

 

Oh, and I'm from Round Rock too...

[TxRaider13]

I haven't played any music by Mackey, but we have disected redline tango and that was so freak'n hard to do.

[Kankooku]

We also get to play one of Mackey's musics

- Asphalt Cocktail

Mansfield High School

[drummerjoe]

  Kankooku said:

We also get to play one of Mackey's musics

- Asphalt Cocktail

Mansfield High School

 

Look at that Tambourine part, haha. And the 5:4 thing that the tom player has.

[bluebellbrass07]

Check out his trombone concerto he recently posted on his site, awesome stuff

 

http://www.ostimusic.com/TbnCto.html

[Baritone4]

Hymn to a blue hour is great

[nalyd8991]

I think a sort of industrial show centered around "Foundry" would be awesome. I played foundry at UIL in 8th grade.