CASMEC
On Feb. 12, 2016, the Samo Wind Ensemble performed a piece by Aaron Copland, arranged just for band and debuted by the ensemble at the annual California All-State Music Education Conference (CASMEC). Now, starting this October, the arrangement will finally be released for any musician to purchase and will have a special headnote acknowledging Samo’s special part in this piece.Aaron Copland is a world-renowned American composer who lived and produced his work in the 20th century. Among his repertoire of acclaimed compositions is a piece from 1944 titled “Letter From Home.” It was written in the hope of bringing patriotism to the war efforts during world war two, and was quickly considered his most emotional and moving piece.Over half a century later, composer and music teacher at Savannah High School, Brian Belski, arranged “Letter From Home” for a wind band, as the original composition was not written to be played by a wind band group. Belski asked Kevin McKeown—Samo’s band director and long-time friend from UCLA—if the Samo Wind Ensemble would agree to play his arrangement.“He came to me about making a new arrangement about the Copland piece and I asked if he would be interested in having it premiered at CASMEC, and he was just over the moon,” McKeown said.The Samo Wind Ensemble had been selected as the sole high school band to perform at CASMEC, and after agreeing to debut Copland’s piece, they knew they had to make the performance impeccable. On Feb. 12, with conducting by Dr. Travis Cross from UCLA, they played the powerful piece and performed something that had never been played before.Because of Samo’s collaboration with Belski on “Letter From Home” he made a special dedication to the Wind Ensemble at the top of the piece. This means that when the arrangement is released to the public in mid-October, anybody who purchases it will see Samo’s name.“Any high school, any college in the country, and internationally who purchases this music will see that it was performed by Samo at CASMEC in 2016. I’m looking forward to having friends and colleagues across the country saying, ‘Hey, I know that guy, I know that school.’ It’s nice putting Samo on an international level for recognition,” McKeown said.