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The Stormworld of Stephen Melillo:


Third Millennium Applications for Timeless Music


Elizabeth Sokolowski and Ralph Ford


Editor’s Note: Part I of this article appeared in the October 2007 issue of ala breve.


Part II Infusing Electronic Media into Symphonic Ensembles


The approach to rehearsal and performance are critical in cultivating the development of student musicians. Technology dramatically impacts the means by which students learn to play, practice, rehearse and perform. Using electronic media in an otherwise non-electronic format accentuates the overall sonority as a natural pedagogical extension of traditional en- sembles. The development of ensemble sonority imbued by electronic media necessitates this immersion as a vital component of 21st century musical groups.


The Troy University Symphony Band is one such ensemble committed to technology. Rich sonorities inherent to the symphony orchestra are es- tablished in the concert band setting via the infusion of the PAD Bass, which is analogous to the nat- ural acoustic tendencies of the string basses in the symphony orchestra (see set-up in Figure 1). At Troy, this philosophical perspective of ensemble sonority began in the 1970s with Director of Bands, Dr. John Long. He was a vision- ary in employing electronics to enhance the quality of the marching band’s sound. As a student at Troy, Ralph Ford re- calls the use of electronics under Dr. Long who stated, “The electric bass provided an extra octave beneath the sousaphones, and had a percussive feature in its attack.” Appointed Director of Bands at Troy in 2001, Ford continued to use electronic instruments within his ensembles. But, dis- covering the true value of these resources unfolded in subsequent years.


Figure 1. Set-up of electronic media within a symphonic ensemble


Ford initially experienced one of Melillo’s compositions in 1993. The or- chestration of this composition greatly affected him.


“This is band


music?” he said. In 2002, Ford searched for something unique to under- take with the Symphony Band. He sought to embark upon a project that would “not be another recording of the same band pieces, but a MUSIC CD that people not associated with bands or the ‘bandworld’ would seek out and enjoy.” Recalling the performance he attended in 1993 of STORMWORKS (the 3-movement work), Ford contacted Melillo. As a result, collaboration with Melillo on a recording project became a goal for the Troy University Symphony Band. For two years, making use of fre- quent phone calls and eventually iSITE (Mac to Mac conferencing), Ford worked with his ensemble to attain a more focused, transparent, in tune and accurately intoned sound. He states, “I read articles, bought state of the art tuners, insisted on students completing tendency sheets, tuned chords, sang and played from ‘Treasury of Scales’. With tried and ‘proven’ methods, ensemble pitch improved but was inconsistent.” FEBRUAR Y


2008


It wasn’t until utilizing Melillo’s Function Chorales™ that the group made a significant, audible improvement. Ford’s students discovered the interrelatedness in horizontal and vertical sonority via an intuitive illus- tration of number functions applicable to all keys. Combined with the use of PAD Bass, this opened up the architecture of ALL sonics above the fundamental. The vertical structure and tendencies of pitch within the en- semble dramatically improved. Ford witnessed a transformation in his student musicians, now completely involved in the inner geometry of making MUSIC.


As Karl Geroldinger, Conductor of the professional SBO Ried in Austria states, “...once I began using the Pad Bass, there was no question that its contribution to my ensemble was enormous...”


PAD Bass originated as a function of Stephen Melillo’s teaching experi- ence, and later became an integral component of his compositions for band. He writes, “The PAD Bass provides a previously missing, hence new fun- damental for the Band of the 3rd Millennium. Missing was the acoustic foundation, a fundamental which exists in the complete Orchestral palette. As this fundamental is reintroduced to Band, horns begin to sound like horns again, the low brass are more resolute and play with a greater sense of harmonic awareness, woodwinds enjoy a richer mix of overtones in their spectrum and the low reeds have a new fundamental with which to merge in deeper, more color-enriched ways. The instrument’s function is to sup- ply a warm stereo-enveloping bass, a fundamental sounding two octaves below the Tuba. While accomplishing the task of releasing new overtones into the ‘sonicscape’ of Band, the PAD Bass also provides an inviolable fundamental and tuning reference. Intonation and Tuning are immediately improved. PAD Bass provides for and reinforces the correct path of listen- ing from the wind players, which is towards the bass or fundamental. Cor- rectly implemented, the simple addition of this new instrumental color provides for a whole new world of acoustic possibilities in the winds and percussion idiom.”


Dr. William Johnson, Director of Bands at the California Polytechnic State University describes PAD Bass in this way, “The use of PAD Bass, as in- tended by Stephen Melillo, increases the resonance of sounds in relation to other sounds. It extends the normal low frequency of the ensemble by at least one octave. This increase in low frequencies causes the natural har- monics to be reinforced, which strengthens the upper harmonics and brings out the beauty of sound of the ensemble. To the performer and listener, the overall sound becomes full, rich, and resonate. The traditional sounds of the wind band are transformed from the often strident sounds caused by con- flicting upper harmonics to a warm, smooth sound more associated with a fine symphony orchestra.”


At the high school level, Tom Davis, Director of Bands at Canandaigua City High School in New York states, “The PAD Bass allows students to tune without being burdened with verbal direction. They simply have a TARGET they aim for, thus passing by their own mental discussion about HOW to tune. Students move directly to experiencing and knowing.” con’t on next page


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