Band Camp Repertoire

Bandology is making the choice to feature underrepresented composers in our repertoire for our Band Camp program and we encourage music teachers and band conductors to do the same. Our goal is to choose camp music selections that reflects the young musicians in the band and that embraces our organization’s culture of equity, diversity, inclusivity and accessibility. We aim to inspire our musicians by programming pieces by composers who are Canadian, women, BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+ and/or local to our organization. We believe that by embracing EDIA, we can enrich our musical experience and differentiate ourselves, fostering a more inclusive environment for all.

REPERTOIRE FOR BANDOLOGY BAND CAMP 2025

Silly Samba (2001)

Silly Samba is Ron MacKay’s most popular piece, being performed from coast to coast across Canada. As a Grade 0.5 piece, this fun and easy samba is accessible to new learners as it only uses the first six notes (concert Bb to G) that you learn in a band classroom. The simple rhythms help students in making music soon after they start to grasp their fundamentals. This piece also features groovy percussion lines that will be sure to engage the percussionists. Last but not least, the foundational bass line encourages technical facility in the brass as they leap between notes.

Ron MacKay

Ron MacKay (1928-2008) was a Canadian composer, conductor, music educator and french hornist. His formal music education spanned multiple institutions, including the Canadian Armed Forces School of Music, St. Francis Xavier University and Dalhousie University. As a french hornist, he played with the Halifax Opera Company, Halifax Symphonette, CBC Orchestra (Halifax), Halifax Symphony Orchestra and the Victoria Symphony Orchestra. He also served for 20 years in the Royal Canadian Navy, where he was a french horn player, bandmaster and instructor for the Armed Forces band. After retiring from the Navy in 1966, Ron began teaching in Truro, Nova Scotia from grades 4 through 12. During this time, he encouraged over 300 students to pursue careers in music. After retiring from his teaching position in 1991, he remained active as a clinician, adjudicator, conductor and composer. He conducted the Saint Mary’s University Concert Band, St. Francis Xavier University Wind Ensemble, the Scotia Wind Ensemble, Dalhousie University Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the Halifax Concert Band and the Scotia Brass Ensemble. Even in retirement, Ron was committed to composing music for the development of young band students. Ron’s Six Notes Series features imaginative compositions that are crafted using only the first six notes typically taught in beginning band classrooms. Beyond these pedagogical works, his broader band compositions reflect and celebrate the rich tapestry of Canadian band music.

Crystal River (2008)

Crystal River was one of Lindsay Stetner’s first attempts at writing for beginner band. In this Grade 1.5 piece, she explores different tone colours and melodic lines that can be achieved in the beginning band medium. Balance and blend are essential techniques in this piece, as the whole ensemble ebbs and flows to paint a melodious picture. The warmth conveyed in this piece is sure to move the hearts of the audience.

Lindsay Stetner

Lindsay Stetner (b. 1976) is a composer, performer and music educator based in Regina, Saskatchewan. She received her Bachelor of Music Composition from the University of Regina in 1999, her Masters’ of Music Composition from the University of Calgary in 2002 and her Bachelor of Education from the University of Regina in 2011. Her composition teachers include Dr. Thomas Schudel, Dr. William Jordan, Dr. David Eagle and Allan Gordon Bell. Since 2011, she has taught in Regina public schools. Lindsay composes a wide variety of music including small ensembles, orchestral, choral, band and theatre productions, ranging in difficulty from professional ensembles to beginners. More recently, Lindsay has begun to incorporate Canadian First Nations content into her choral and band works. Her compositions have been played by Regina Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and university, high school and junior high school bands across Canada. As a blend between composer and educator, her creations always diligently tailor to the development of music learners.

Ready to Fly (2021)

Ready to Fly utilizes soaring melodies to launch your beginning ensemble to new heights. This Grade 1 piece analogizes beginning musicians to young birds; as they learn to use their voices through beautiful bird calls, young musicians learn music to convey inspiring visions through sound. In this composition, Cait Nishimura utilized real bird calls as inspirations for the melodies. For each purchase of this piece, the composer donates a portion to Birds Canada.

Cait Nishimura

Cait Nishimura (b. 1991) is a Japanese Canadian composer based in Waterloo, Ontario. Known for writing nature-inspired programmatic music, Cait has established herself as a prominent voice in the concert band community. Her music has been presented at MusicFest Canada, The Midwest Clinic and numerous other international conferences and festivals. Cait is passionate about empowering others through art, and strives to set a positive example for future generations of musicians through her creative work and her dedication to mental health awareness and environmentalism. She is an Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre and holds degrees in music and education from the University of Toronto.

Last Flight of the Aurora (2025)

Up and coming Canadian composer Alexander Wright will be composing a piece for Bandology’s 2025 Band Camps! Stay tuned for more information about its world premiere.

Alexander Wright

Alexander Wright (b. 1996) is a composer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Kitchener, Ontario. He holds a Bachelor’s degree with Honors in Music Composition from Wilfrid Laurier University, a Master’s of Arts in Music Composition from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and a Master’s of Arts in Community Music from Wilfrid Laurier University. His composition teachers include Linda Catlin Smith, Colin Labadie and David Fennessy. Alexander has composed for a wide variety of instrumentations and settings, ranging from orchestral to musical theatre. When not composing, he spreads the joy of music education through his private teaching and his work with Bandology.

REPERTOIRE FOR BANDOLOGY BAND CAMP 2024

Band Camp Overture (2024)

In 2024, Bandology commissioned composer Jasmine Hourahine to write a piece specifically for Band Camp! Band Camp Overture served as an apt anthem, debuting at Bandology’s 2024 Band Camp. This energetic piece utilizes a plethora of dynamics, articulations and soaring melodies to get students to make immediate music, regardless of their skill level. Even the juniors were able to join with a special clapping part that was played in rhythm with the piece. We are incredibly grateful to Jasmine for this custom work!

Jasmine Hourahine

Jasmine Hourahine is a composer and oboist as well as a Band Camp alumni! She graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University in 2024 under the mentorship of Barbara Assiginaak. Jasmine explores experimental approaches to acoustic instruments and electronics. She draws inspiration from literature, notably Jules Verne and Mary Shelley, as well as nature, incorporating recorded samples and instrumental imitation into her music. Her first commissioned work, “Lament of the Wolves,” was created in 2022 for a site-specific installation with Conservation Halton. “Liiive!” premiered on May 16, 2024, performed by the T.A. Blakelock Wind Ensemble. “Del Aram” was selected for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s Explore the Score session on May 11, 2024.

After the Rain (2023)

After being pelted with a week’s worth of thunderstorms, Matt Neufeld felt inspired by the calmness that followed. He wrote After the Rain to represent the calm yet resurgent feelings after tumultuous periods. The piece emphasizes simple melodies and lush harmonies and instrumentation, while still being accessible for young band as a Grade 1 piece.

Matt Neufeld

A graduate of the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, Matt Neufeld does his best to compose, teach and play music for as many people as he can convince or coerce. He spends most of his days working with amazing band students at Oak Park High School in Winnipeg, where he’s been teaching since 2022. Matt is grateful to be published by Randall Standridge Music, Grand Mesa Music, Tapspace, Eighth Note Publications, and through his own website. 

Blackbeard (2023)

This pirate adventure piece allows the beginner band to play fast and furious! Randall Standridge composed the Grade 0.5 piece Blackbeard to be accessible for young students yet teach them new concepts related to form, rhythm and meter. Bombastic percussion and persistent articulations show the capabilities of young musicians.

Randall Standridge

Randall Standridge is a celebrated composer and marching arts designer. He earned his Bachelor’s in Music Education and Master’s in Music Composition from Arkansas State University, studying under Dr. Tom O’Connor and Dr. Tim Crist. After serving as Director of Bands at Harrisburg High School until 2013, he became a full-time composer. He is the owner of Randall Standridge Music, LLC and Grand Mesa Marching.

Rhythmania! (2020)

This exciting work for developing band by Carol Brittin Chambers introduces students to new sound effects with their hands, sticks and pencils on stands. Rhythmania! is a rock-inspired piece rated at a Grade 1.5 level. Its use of accents, shifting time signatures and syncopation quickly engages young band players in a groove that is sure to be stuck in their heads when they leave Band Camp!

Carol Brittin Chambers

Carol Brittin Chambers is an acclaimed American composer, educator and arranger. She holds degrees from Texas Tech University and Northwestern University, studying under renowned musicians like Vincent Cichowicz and John Paynter. Currently, Chambers teaches composition and serves as Composer in Residence at Texas Lutheran University. She previously taught band in San Antonio, TX. Owner of Aspenwood Music, LLC, Chambers composes and arranges for various ensembles. Her works, featured on the J.W. Pepper Editor’s Choice List and Bandworld Top 100, have been performed at the Midwest Clinic and other conferences. Chambers won the 2019 Women Band Directors International Composition Competition.

Tambora! (2013)

Based on the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia, William Owens composed Tambora! to encapsulate its quick destruction. The fierce melodies throughout this Grade 0.5 piece reinforces confidence among the beginning band players. This piece also features an interesting percussion break with foot stomps and hand claps.

William Owens

William Owens is an American Composer from Gary, Indiana. Owens is a graduate of VanderCook College of Music in Chicago and has since been active as a composer, conductor, clinician and educator throughout the US and Canada. Since 1993, Owens has written nearly 200 commissioned and published works for concert bands and string orchestras. His music is performed and appears on required music lists nationally and abroad.