I arrived here in Woodcliff Lake yesterday, and the performances last night were top-shelf. Todd NIchols and the Eastern Wind Symphony performed an amazing program, and Joe Alessi asserted his place at the top of the brass food chain with the performance of Bruce Broughton’s new concerto, Quadternity. They also gave a moving performance of the Bach Fantasia in G, which was my honor to conduct. The New Jersey Wind Symphony really shone with Patrick Burns’s Salve Regina, and guest conductor Loras Schissel interpreted Black Horse Troop with heroism and flourish. And many of my personal worlds collided as friends from different spheres of my life converged in the same place. I met the conductor of the Ringgold Band, Chuck Ebersole (I’m not kidding) and learned that we were in the same Pennsylvania District Band when I was a senior in high school — he actually remembered me!
Arriving and performing one day early has given me some important perspectives:
Directions
Your GPS should direct you here without any problems. It’s likely that it will bring you south on the Garden State Parkway, then direct you into the Montvale Rest Area. Don’t worry — your GPS is not trying to sell you a Starbucks. It will direct you through the parking lot and back onto the Parkway northbound. Get into the right lane immediately, because you will then take the first exit onto Grand Avenue. From there, it’s a breeze.
Parking
When you arrive on site, drive to the left of the lobby portico entrance and use the parking lot on the left side of the building. There is an entrance with a long accessibility ramp (and I think there is a big WELCOME sign above that door). Use that entrance, and you’ll find the Amphitheater, our warmup area, just inside that door. This is also the best door to load in percussion and the harp. Please plan to arrive by 2:00 pm and check in with David on arrival.
Music stands for warm-up in the Amphitheater
As you can see, the Amphitheater has some music stands, but not enough for everyone. It will be a tight fit to try to squeeze everyone in there, but I think it’s worth a try, in order to have the chance to play as an ensemble before the actual performance. EWS had to “tune and go” last night in a much smaller room, so we have a better situation than they were dealt. So please do still bring a folding music stand of your own.
Ballroom
The performance space in the Ballroom is surprisingly resonant. I listened at the back of the room last night, and I could hear everything. Players reported being able to hear front to back pretty well. The only issue I heard is that the percussion can be a little “hot,” as they are next to a reflective wood paneled wall. There is no dance floor under the setup and no sound shell. We’ll have to use Sennet to determine balance issues on the fly. Please be watching for cues to adjust as necessary, and I’ll speak to the group as needed after Sennet to check in before moving on. I felt very comfortable conducting EWS last night and felt I could hear pretty well.
Stand lights
Although the light in the performance area is decent, if you are a player who depends on full stage light and have your own stand light, I’d suggest bringing it. There’s no harm in it, and you will probably feel more comfortable without the eye strain.
Final notes
If you encounter any issues with your travel, please text or call David. Please remember to pack (and double check!) for your music folder with all music, mutes, extra reeds, sticks/mallets, neck straps, etc.
Everyone I’ve spoken to here has said how eager they are to hear our performance. Members of the audition committee have noted the strength of our audition materials. I think we have a very strong and unique program. The stage is (literally) set for a milestone performance. Safe travels — I’ll see you at 2 o’clock!