UA Little Rock to Host Jazz and Wind Ensemble Concert Oct. 5 Featuring First Performance with Professor Doshier
Music lovers will have the opportunity to experience twice the fun and talent Oct. 5 with a concert featuring both the Jazz Ensemble and the Wind Ensemble at UA Little Rock.
The concert, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Building at UA Little Rock.
The Jazz Ensemble, led by Dr. Michael Underwood, advanced instructor of music, will jump start the program with three big band pieces: “A Nasty Bit of Blues” by Doug Beach; “Hay Burner” by Sammy Nestico, and “Kid Charlemagne” arranged by Mike Tomaro.
In a new twist, the Jazz Ensemble will next divide up into three jazz combos with one piece each, including “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” by Cannonball Adderley, “The Preacher” by Horace Silver, and “Blue Bossa” by Kenny Dorham.
The Wind Ensemble will follow with a concert titled, “Portraits of the Sky.” Selections include “Sunscapes” by Chandler Wilson, “Aphelion” by Giovanni Santos, “Sheltering Sky” by John Mackey (arranged by Patrick Dunnigan), and “Rolling Thunder” by Henry Fillmore. Wind Ensemble students had the opportunity to virtually meet and work with composers Chandler Wilson and Giovanni Santos.
“Through the beauty of daybreak, agitating storms, and looking beyond the night’s sky, the Wind Ensemble’s performance will feature music from multiple genres and styles, each reflecting a unique take on the mysterious nature of our atmosphere,” said Dr. Nickolas Doshier, assistant professor of music.
This concert serves as Doshier’s first performance at UA Little Rock. He joined the music program this fall, where he also serves as the director of music education, coordinates the music education internship program, and directs the Wind Ensemble.
Doshier enjoys working with musicians throughout the country as a clinician, adjudicator, and coordinator of music festivals. He is also an active researcher in the areas of conducting performance and pedagogy, life-long musicianship, and music teacher education.
“I’ve had a wonderful time getting to know the students in the UA Little Rock Wind Ensemble,” Doshier said.
