Keith Brion

Keith Brion occupies a most unique specific niche market in music: he’s a reincarnation (of kinds) of John Philip Sousa. Brion provides combined his currently significant musical prowess along with his understanding, devotion, and resemblance to (by using some accoutrements) the John Philip Sousa from the 1920s. Within this persona, Brion qualified prospects his New Sousa Music group within an uncanny re-creation of the Sousa music group concert from the period, with meticulous focus on the development, interpretation, as well as Sousa’s very own mannerisms. After research in music education at Western world Chester State College or university and piccolo research with John Krell, Brion trained in NJ schools while finding a master’s level at Rutgers College or university. During this time period, he performed piccolo in the brand new Shirt Symphony and discovered time to create the North Shirt Wind Symphony, aswell as playing in recreation area concerts and parades. Being a symphony conductor, Brion provides led the Philadelphia, Boston Pops, and Western european orchestras to mention a few, nonetheless it has been the wind music group that he’s most in the home. Being among the most observed ensembles over which he provides presided will be the Goldman Music group; the Allentown Band; and america Marine, Military, and Coast Safeguard rings. Brion, a previous director of rings at Yale, got that institution’s music group towards the Amsterdam Concertgebouw for any concert specialized in the functions of Yale alumnus Charles Ives, solidifying his qualifications like a fervent ambassador of American music. In 1978, Brion 1st made an appearance in the persona of John Philip Sousa using the Yale Music group. The following 12 months, he structured and debuted his New Sousa Music group. The ensemble is constantly on the flourish, the conductor himself moving in to the persona from the March Ruler. To total the visual impact, Brion dons the dark, gold-trimmed standard, medals, pince-nez, white gloves (celebrated for Sousa having by no means worn a set double), and sports activities a well-cropped white moustache, Sousa having eliminated his popular beard once and for all after World Battle I. That is only the beginning, for younger guy offers scrupulously studied video footage and created accounts to create the design and mannerisms from the renowned bandsman. Equally genuine is the development, featuring the countless arrangements of traditional fare by Sousa, period parts, potpourris, solos, as well as the encores by means of the well-known marches. Even today, the ensemble can be a crowd-pleaser. Sousa, who sensed that amusing the audience can be paramount, would approve. Brion prefers to make reference to his shows as “portrayal” instead of impersonation. Certainly, the thorough analysis, aswell as the high musical quality from the concerts, areas them on an increased airplane than mimicry. So that as rings have for many years now willing toward preparations of even more current well-known fare, it really is through music artists such as for example Brion, and a young generation of music group music artists, that this music of Sousa (and Goldman, Alford, Fillmore, etc.) will stay present and essential. Brion in addition has edited editions from the music group music of Sousa, Ives, Percy Grainger, and 19th hundred years bandsman D.W. Reeves. His later on recordings included Grainger: Transcriptions for Blowing wind Orchestra (2008), WITH THIS Hid Clearing (2009), and a ninth level of Sousa music (2011).