The John Philip Sousa Foundation
National Community
Band
******* July 9-11, 2010 *******
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
Join us in LAS VEGAS for the annual Sousa
National Community Band. Las Vegas is one of the most exciting cities in
America and you can add to that excitement by bringing your talent and your
tourist dollars to this great city in the desert. Come join a world-class
conductor and talented musicians from around the country for a great weekend of
music making.
We will convene July 9-11, 2010. The
University of Nevada at Las Vegas will host the rehearsals and associated
activities with easy access from local hotels and the world famous Las Vegas
Strip. The concert is scheduled for the afternoon of Sunday, July 11.
The Sousa National Community Band
will be organized by Gerald Guilbeaux, a Past President of the Association of
Concert Bands and Board Member of the John Philip Sousa Foundation. The band
will be conducted by Colonel John R. Bourgeois, USMC (Ret.), former director of
the United States Marine Band, "The President's Own."
The Sousa National Community Band registration
fee is $70.00.
There is no audition required to perform with
the band, however if you wish to be considered for any solos, a recording of
your playing must be submitted with your application. There are a limited
number of seats available, so register early.
Members of the Sousa National Community Band
are responsible for their own transportation, lodging and meals. A list of
convenient hotels to The University of Nevada at Las Vegas will sent upon
receipt of the application form.
Further inquiries may be directed
to:
Gerald Guilbeaux
3600 West Congress Street
Lafayette, LA 70506
Click here to download an application form.
|
Col. John R. Bourgeois |
Under his leadership, the Marine Band presented its first overseas
performances, traveling to the Netherlands in 1958 and an historic
18-day concert tour of the former Soviet Union as a part of the first
US-USSR Armed Forces Band Exchange.
Col.
Bourgeois is past president of the American Bandmasters Association,
the National Band Association, president and CEO of the John Philip
Sousa Foundation, and the American vice president of the International
Military Music Society. He has served on the board of directors of the
World Association for Symphonic Band and Ensembles and the Association
of Concert Bands. In 1996, Col. Bourgeois began an endowed visiting
professorship at Loyola University in New Orleans, where he conducts
classes and ensembles for two weeks each semester.
Among the many honors and awards Col. Bourgeois has received are the
1986 Phil Beta Mu Outstanding Bandmaster Award and the 1987 Kappa Kappa
Psi distinguished Service to Music Award. In 1993, he was presented
with the Grainger Medallion of the Percy Grainger Society and was
awarded the Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic Medal of
Honor. In 1996, Col. Bourgeois was recognized by the American School
Band Directors Association with its prestigious A.A. Harding Award. He
was elected to the Academy of Wind and Percussion Arts of the National
Band Association in 1988, and inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in
2001. He received the 1991 Phil Mu Alpha National Citation and was
named the fraternity's "American Man of Music" for 2002-2003.
Col. Bourgeois conducted his final concert as director of "The
President's Own" on July 11, 1996 (the band's 198th birthday), at DAR
Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. More than 3,500 people attended
this gala event. During the concert, letters of gratitude and praise by
Presidents Clinton, Bush, Carter, Ford and Mrs. Reagan were read.
Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton hailed Bourgeois as "a national
treasure" and presented the Distinguished Service Medal from President
Clinton. The concert was covered by media giants CNN, ABC, CBS, The New
York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. ABC's
Peter Jennings selected Col. Bourgeois as the Evening News "Person of
the Week."
After the Change of Command concert, Tim Page, The Washington Post's
chief music critic, wrote, "On the evidence of this concert, Bourgeois
leaves his ensemble in terrific shape; indeed, it would be hard to
imagine any band playing with greater vigor, precision, and
variety...Washington is very generous with is standing ovations. But
Bourgeois deserved each and every one he received last night."
His philosophy of music is that he tries to give the best performances
of the best music to the degree that he is capable. This philosophy has
been evident to the over 1000 high school musicians who have formally
participated in the Sousa National High School Honors Band and to
countless students throughout the nation who have been privileged to
perform under his direction.
