Event Details

Monday, May 4, 2026, 7:30pm

Catherine Cassidy Gallagher Great Hall, GBPAC

Buy Tickets for Symphonic Band

$7-17

UNI Symphonic Band

Justin J. Mertz, conductor

Emma Schmidt-Denner, graduate associate conductor

3 minutes

5 minutes

Emma Schmidt-Denner, graduate associate conductor

5 minutes

4 minutes

INTERMISSION

25 minutes

1. Renaissance Dances 
2. Tango
3. Hoedown
4. Spirituals Bon-Odori-Uta
5. Belly Dance

Personnel

UNI Symphonic Band

Flute
Kai Eilers
Katie Flaherty*
Caleb Little 
Janie Owens
Brooke Yulga

Oboe
Aveinda Rusk

Bassoon
Carter Danielson*
James Schafer

Clarinet
Elliana Minter
Mackenzie DeRonde
Riana Kraft
Meredith Moore
Gabriel Jesse*
Taylor Braun
Ada Switzer

Saxophone
Anthony Bernard
Carter Seber
Kara McGonegle*
Hope Jones
Sienna Becker
Braxton Nachtigal

Trumpet
Ale Cabello*
Blake Fullmer
Andrew Dutcher
Adan Gutierrez
Zachary Helle
Josh Neas

Horn
Al Haynie
Rori Snethen*
AJ Shively
Ian Shelton

Trombone
Noah DeVore
Camden Bennett
Brody Schoon
James Landeros*
Sam Hoffmann
Michael Shonrock

Euphonium
Riley Capper
Sara Shannon

Tuba
Logan Lubahn*
Zachary Smith

Percussion
Bradley Bodkin
Jonah O’Neal
Scott Devries
Benjamin Grim*
Megan Hobbs+
Brayden DeVries+

Librarian
Jenny Valenzuela

* = Section Leader
+ = Member of UNI Wind Ensemble or Northern Iowa Symphony Orchestra assisting with tonight’s performance

About the Program

The Rusty Bucket (And Other Juke Joints) was commissioned by the Texas Lutheran University School of Music to be premiered at the 2014 Summer Music Academy.

Traditional Southern folk dance music, "old-time music," is almost always played on live acoustic instruments, involving some combination of a fiddle, banjo, guitar, and perhaps piano and bass. The typical Southern "barn dance" utilizes fairly structured dances, such as the square dance, contra dance, a n d round dance, which progress through specific patterns sung out by a caller. "Juke joint" is actually a vernacular term for a smaller, informal establishment of the mid-1800s that featured music, dancing and drinking in the Southeastern United States. Classic juke joints often catered to the African-American rural work force that began to emerge after the Emancipation.

Much of the Southern dance repertoire since the nineteenth century has been derived from Irish and Scottish jigs (compound meter) and reels (simple meter) the Rusty Bucket is an Americana piece in the style of a reel meant to portray the liveliness and fun of an old-time dance. Come on, get a little rowdy, and we'll see you at the dance hall on Saturday night!

- Program Note from the composer

Stillwater is inspired by the beauty of a small town, Stillwater Minnesota. This town has a big lake in its center, and out of everyone’s backyard it could be seen. During the winter, the very top of the lake freezes and creates this tranquil effect that could not be seen, but heard. When stepping out into your backyard, you’d see this frozen mass, stuck into place and completely unmovable, but if you listened closely, you could hear that the water underneath continued to flow. 

Why is this important?

We as people forget sometimes that we are so much more deep and vast beneath our hard surfaces. We work, we go to school, we take care of our families, we deal with the struggles of the day-to-day routine militantly. But if we just take a moment to listen within ourselves; we discover our passions, our longings, and our sense of belongings. 

- Program Note from the composer

“The kind of tired sleep can’t fix.”

There is an inherent dichotomy built into the title of this work. The first word, “forward,” implying motion while the second word, “still,” implies non-motion. Equally dichotomous is the notion that while we move forward in time, there are conflicts, prejudices, tribalist tendencies, and antiquated, non-inclusive ideas that prevent us from truly moving forward — that hold us still.

The first half of this work presents a hymn -- or a requiem? -- that is saturated with weight and burden, reflecting a level of soul weariness that sleep simply cannot fix. Realizing that the only option we have is hope-made-action, the hymn gives way to a soaring effort, seeking to resume the fight towards progress, safety, and collective humanity. The piece eases into an ending with unsettling echoes of the original hymn and a return to the very first chord which should bring comfort and resolution yet leaves us with a feeling of uncertainty. This uncertainty is analogous to our current moment in time --one that humanity has faced at many inflection points throughout our story. If there is any lesson to be gleaned from our cyclical history of struggle and progress, however, it is that regardless how heavy, burdened, and hopeless we feel, we must move forward, still.

- Program Note by Composer

Frequency: when it feels right, nod your head to the beat.

- Program Note by the composer

Symphonic Dances for Wind Ensemble was commissioned by the Central Band of the Japan Air Self Defense Force. The suite’s five movements present “dances of the world”. While the energetic quality and spirituality of each dance should be captured, the collection is still intended to entertain. Each movement is complete and can be performed accordingly.

I. Renaissance Dances
An homage to European flavor and style from the time of Gervaise, Susato and Praetorius, after the introduction, the steps of courante, pavane, galliard, and branle appear. Please perform with vigor and contrast!

II. Tango
This section is more an earthy and piquant Argentine romance than an elegant continental tango. Perform the alto saxophone theme and solis for each section very passionately!

III. Hoedown
Here is the scene of the rodeo and a free-spirited western swing feel. The introductory clarinet solo can be done ad libitum. Maintain the mood by swinging slightly throughout. Present this movement playfully!

IV. Spirituals Bon-Odori-Uta
This is a requiem on the Bon-Okuri ceremony guiding ancestors back to the spiritual world. The initial piccolo motif repeats a chant in the rhythm of bon odori (a bon dance) and develops as a variation on Owara-bushi, a beautiful folk song from Toyama prefecture. The traditional bon odori have evolved into summer festival entertainment.

V. Belly Dance
The belly dance is typically Arabic, its music performed by strings and drums.All should play with passion and flamboyance and a sense of bacchanalia and abandon. Employ a heavy sense of rhythm, also with a "Darbuka" (traditional Turkish goblet drum) if possible. Additionally, a “big-bang” coda is not only allowed, but encouraged!

- Program Note by the composer