Student musicians from Brixner Junior High School, Henley Middle School, and Mazama and Henley high schools will get a chance to perform Nov. 5 with a professional musical ensemble, the Dallas Brass, on stage at the Ross Ragland Theater.
Tickets for the November 5th, 2022, 7 p.m. public performance are $10 for adults and $5 for students (youth ages 12 and under are free), and are on sale now at the Ross Ragland ticket office. They also can be purchased the day of the performance. To buy tickets online: https://www.ragland.org/event/dallasbrass/
The Klamath County School District Music Department is bringing the Dallas Brass to Klamath Falls for the performance and to work with student musicians. Clinics and rehearsals will be the morning of Nov. 5 at the Ross Ragland Theater. Students will rehearse songs, which they will then perform at stage with the Dallas Brass musicians.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our young instrumentalists,” said Rob Izzett, band director at Mazama and Brixner. “This concert is open to parents and the general public and we hope to pack the house.”
Following the performance, Michael Levine, head of the Dallas Brass, will remain in town for a few days to work with Brixner and Mazama band students through the group’s Harmony Bridge program, culminate in an informal performance at a local retirement facility. Harmony Bridge is a community outreach program designed to teach kids how to organize and run a rehearsal, and set up a performance at a local retirement center or assisted living facility.
Founded in Dallas, Texas, in 1983 by Levine, the Dallas Brass represents a unique blend of traditional brass instruments with a full complement of drums and percussion. Their repertoire includes classical masterpieces, Dixieland, swing, Broadway, Hollywood and patriotic music, according to information provided by the group. In addition to solo engagements, the Dallas Brass appears with symphony orchestras nationwide.
The group has performed at Carnegie Hall, the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and has toured overseas to Europe and the Far East. They have shared the stage with the late Bob Hope, have performed for Presidents Gerald Ford and George H. W. Bush, have appeared on the CBS “Early Show,” and their music has been used numerous times on the television show, “The Young & The Restless.”
The ensemble has released seven recordings: Debut, Dallas Brass II, A Merry Christmas with Brass, Windborne, Nutcracker, American Songbook and American Musical Journey.
The Dallas Brass is dedicated to working with young musicians and has published two books of original small ensemble music for middle school and high students called Brass Grooves.
They also played a major role in launching Harmony Bridge, the community outreach program they are offering to Brixner and Mazama band students. Over the years, more than 250,000 students have performed with group.