It is with much delight that I write, from the road, that the Grand Valley State New Music Ensemble’s 2016 National Parks tour is underway. We will be visiting 4 National Parks–Badlands, Wind Cave, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton, beginning with two Badlands concerts on July 1st and 2nd (Friday and Saturday).
The repertoire includes eight new commissioned pieces about the parks, works from the GVSUNME’s 2014 Parks tour and In C Remixed project, a work by our director Bill Ryan, and an extended version of my piece, Canvas the Bear. I am simply elated to be able to experience the parks and sound design for such a wonderful ensemble, but it is surreal to have my piece performed alongside those by the likes of David Biedenbender, Patrick Harlin, Phil Kline, Thad Anderson, Molly Joyce, and more.
The ensemble has been receiving plenty of press on the tour, and you can hear from director Dr. Ryan and saxophonist Karsten Wimbush on NPR’s Stateside with Cynthia Canty HERE.
For more details, you can find our official press release and tour schedule HERE.
To follow the ensemble’s adventures, you can find us on facebook.
P.S today we visited the SPAM museum (I’m hiding in the back)
Niko D. Schroeder 