Hill Country Community Band gets new director
On Saturday, October 9, 2:00 p.m., the Hill Country Community Band will present another great, free concert at the First Baptist Church in Wimberley. The audience will recognize many of the volunteer musicians that have played in the band for a number of years. However, this concert will introduce a new face in the director’s role, Dr. Manuel Arambula.
Arambula said, “My first instrument was piano as a child. Upon entering middle school I picked up the saxophone and string bass. In college I switched to clarinet and I have taught both saxophone and clarinet as a high school band director.”
Outlining his impressive musical experiences, he said, “I am now currently the orchestra director at Canyon High School in New Braunfels, Texas. I have taught and conducted musical groups in the Rio Grande Valley, Lubbock, San Antonio and the state of California. I have a bachelor degree in music performance from the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley and a Master’s and Doctoral degree in instrumental conducting from Texas Tech University.”
Explaining how he and the Hill Country Community Band connected, Arambula said, “I was very fortunate to have been outreached by Mr. Neal Mallard during the summer. I was told of the directorship vacancy and if I was interested in auditioning for the ensemble. I immediately accepted the invitation. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to lead the HCCB.”
He continued, “I understand that the HCCB has a 30 year tradition of providing musical enjoyment to its audiences. It is my intent to continue that practice. The people of Wimberley and its surrounding areas have come to expect fun performances from the band. While maintaining that philosophy, it is also my intent to raise the standard of programming with the band. The band world now possesses so many good compositions from the last 100 years. It is my wish to program as many great pieces with the band while still balancing the standards our audiences have come to expect.”
For Arambula’s first performance with the band, the HCCB’s board allowed him to choose most of the concert’s playlist. He said, “I really wanted to program pieces that were very special to me and that I knew the band would enjoy. There was input from the board, but overwhelmingly my choices were honored. It is my intent to listen as much as possible to the requests of the board and the musicians in the selection of the repertoire. This will ensure diverse programs which everyone will enjoy.”
“I love all the pieces that we are doing,” he said, adding, “but ‘Crown Imperial’, William Walton, is special to me. ‘Hounds of Spring’, by Alfred Reed, is a very challenging piece. It has many, many notes and requires intense concentration from the band. However, I will have to say ‘Be Thou my Vision’, as arranged by Gillingham, is the most challenging. It is highly lyrical and musical and requires demanding musicianship from all involved.”
In conclusion, Arambula said, “I was introduced to ‘Crown Imperial’ by my middle school band director, Mrs. Nancy Shepard. She changed my life and made me love music through her own special love for music. I wish she could be alive to witness the performance. I dedicate this first program to her memory.”
For more information about volunteering with the Hill Country Community Band or making a monetary donation, Visit the HCCB website at www.hillcountrycommunityband.org and follow on Facebook for current band news and future concert dates.