The summer of 2018 has been one of unique opportunity for me.  For as long as I can remember, every summer would present itself with various concerts, festivals and outdoor gigs to play. The setting of dusk underneath the bright moon with the warm breeze of the hot summer night is very typical for all the summer gigs I play.  Of course, with the many days of extreme heat this summer, an out-door concert posed to be a bit more challenging!  Nonetheless, the summer concert season was made a little different with a few unique and personal opportunities for me.

In June, my wedding band, Generations (www.vposwing.com) had the privilege of being hired to play for the wedding of Ronnie Lord and Cassy Vash. If you didn’t already know, Cassy was a former student of mine who is currently living in Texas working as an engineer within the highway department system of Texas. She is doing very well and I am very proud of her.  Generations also played for her sister Helen’s wedding in 2014. So, it was a great honor for me to have the chance to play for a family that I am very close with.  As you can see in the photos, her wedding was held at the Loft at Jacks Barn (www.jacksbarn.com) in Hackettstown, NJ. The theme was very rustic and tailored to be very personal to both Cassy and Ronnie.  Since Cassy lives in Texas and is not able to travel to New Jersey that often, the day was even that much more special for the family and everyone involved.  We were part of both the ceremony and reception.  Everyone had a great time and the band had everyone dancing throughout. I am very thankful to Cassy, Ron and their family for allowing us to be a part of their most special day.

If you’ve read any of my past blogs, you maybe aware of the Ken Brader Holiday Brass Quartet that I play with have been playing the national anthem at various events. (www.facebook.com/groups/659018100807942/)  This summer, we were chosen to play at a home game for the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizen Bank Park in Philadelphia on June 26.  The chance to play at a major league stadium regardless of who the home team is, presents a great opportunity. But, there is definitely more pressure upon us as 40,000 fans, players, and workers are standing at attention as we play on the field with cameras in our faces as it is being displayed on the big stadium screen. We were blessed with great weather that day and I want to humbly say that we hit a homerun with our performance.  This video was taken by the Phillies staff and they did a great job. (www.phillies.com)

We had two more nice opportunities to play the anthem this summer.  On Friday and Saturday, Aug. 3-4, we were asked to perform for the Drum Corps International semifinal performance at J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown, PA.  Drum Corps, or DCI for short (www.dci.org) is marching band for those serious students between ages 18-21. They work and travel all over the country all summer long leading up to the finals and championships in mid August.  Those in attendance are musicians and fans of brass music. So, this was a nice chance to play to a crowd who truly enjoy what we do. We also had a chance to again play for the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs on August 27^th for their final home game before the playoffs begin.  Although not the size of the Phillies stadium, it still is a great place to play and we enjoy every chance we have to play there.  This year, the Iron Pigs had the best record in the league and will be playing Scranton beginning September 5^th in the playoffs. It is a best of 5 series. If they go to a 4^th game, that will be Saturday, September 8^th and we will again be playing for that important game.

I finished up the summer by joining the band once again to be a part of Gloria’s Miami Sound, the best Gloria Estefan Tribute Band in America. (www.facebook.com/gloriasmiamisound/)  Led by the husband and wife team of Nikki Torres and Bill Ciamarelli, this band is awesome and a pleasure to play with. The show was held at the Cold Spring Country Club in Long Island, New York.  A top- notch band comprised of the best New York has to offer, I always enjoy meeting and performing with these musicians. I always look forward to working with Bill and Nikki in this band or their other very popular band New York Minute  (www.facebook.com/NYMinuteBand/) (see photo)

For me, these opportunities paved the way for a nice summer of music and gigs.  I am always glad to play and enjoy the life, but, it adds a special touch when you have some new events to perform helping those you know to share a beautiful moment in their life.  Plus, to be able to share the stage with talented musicians is always a great experience.

As you may have read from my other blog posts, the quartet has performed the past 2 years at a home game of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, which are the AAA affiliate of the Phillies.  That is always a special experience and, even though it is minor league baseball, is still a cool thing to be on the field by home plate to play.  When we performed in September 2017, I inquired to the events coordinator who booked us, what would we need to do to be selected to perform for the major league team.  He instructed me to wait until January and then check out their website for info about it.  Well, I found the site and it required me to fill out an application and more importantly, include several videos of us performing.  Well, considering we had a good video of playing in the previous September, I felt our chances would be ok.  To my surprise, on February 16^th I received an email from the Phillies congratulating us on being selected to perform.  I had figured this might be political and you more or less needed a connection or had to know someone to be asked to perform.  But, that was not the case.  They had liked our arrangement and sound and wanted us to be there.  Now, we needed to review the schedule and select find a date to play.

The Phillies required you to visit the schedule and select 5 dates. From these dates they would select your day and you would have to play for that game.  You couldn’t just send in one date and that was it. As I checked the schedule, I realized that this was the year that the Yankees would be going to Philly for a three game set (June 25-27).  So, I quickly selected our five dates with June 26^th being a favorite and replied.  A few days later I was pleasantly surprised to read the email that they gave us June 26^th to perform.  As you can probably assume, I was thrilled.  It has been probably 5-6 years since I have been to a major league baseball game let alone a Yankee game.  Going to the Bronx for a Yankees home game really isn’t an ideal situation. The travel to the Bronx, parking, food, etc. is just really costly and something I didn’t feel is worth the money to spend.  But, now it is much easier to travel to Philadelphia and as a perk, we are given preferred parking for free! We do have to buy our tickets, but, the parking alone is worth it. So, to have a chance to go see the Yankees in person but not have to deal with the cost and travel to go to New York is something I am extremely looking forward to.

It will definitely be a great experience for us.  I can remember being in high school when each year the band played the national anthem in the outfield at the old Veteran’s Stadium in Philadelphia.  But, that was always on a hot Sunday afternoon and our tickets were usually in the 700 level high up in the outfield’s nose bleed section.  We were told that most likely the anthem would not be live on television, only showed on the ballpark screens. But, we would be able to have a copy for ourselves. Who knows if we may be on TV at all or maybe even partially. But, it is still a great experience to perform as well as knowing that once that is over, I can sit back and enjoy watching Aaron Judge, Didi Gregorious, Gary Sanchez and the rest of the New York Yankees all thanks to the Phillies!!

The ingredients of these factors always make for a great night and the euphoria of the season is made official by this performance.  But, for this year, the release of the CD more than added a next level of  “coolness” to it.  For many, this was their first time being part of a recorded album.  We all own cd’s and take it for granted, but, when you get to see your name listed on a professionally made cd, there is just something very special about that.  I designed and created the artwork and liner notes for the album and Discmakers from Pennsauken, NJ made them for us. Since I had put this together, I obviously was aware of what it looked like and was used to seeing it.  But, for the members, it was a cool experience for me to see the look of excitement and feeling of accomplishment on many of their faces. As we handed out the cd’s and they finally had a chance to see them for the first time, that was well worth the time and effort in designing this project.   Our CD, REJOICE, was finally available and after so many years, we now have a professional recording that will last forever.  I do believe that many of us DID rejoice that night in celebration of a wonderful event all led by founder and trumpeter Ken Brader.  For without him, none of this would be possible.

Since scheduling in December is never easy, our attendance can vary and usually does.  But, this year was really awesome as we had one of our largest groups ever with 43 people playing!  We had 2 great shows and both Ken I really feel this was one of, if not, the best performance of the group in many years if not ever.  Whether it was the cd or something else, the night was just great for everyone and the sound was awesome.  One thing that made it special for me was the addition of a few long time members who had not played with us in many years due to scheduling and travel.  Paul Chepolis and Eric Martin were former students of Ken’s and had not played in almost 20 years.  When I was in high school, Eric went to rival Easton HS and we spent many years playing together at Christmas time.  I hadn’t seen Eric in many years.  He came up as a surprise to Ken and his parents and it was awesome to see him there.  Paul also went to Easton and is a few years younger than I am, but it was great to have him back and be able to relive and tell stories of the past.  As the eldest member of the group, this opportunity was really good for me. To be able to not just see longtime friends but also perform with them was a great feeling.

I am very thankful to everyone who played and helped to make this night a great success.  Ken was so overjoyed and full of emotion that this was an even greater night for him.  With all the health issues that Ken is dealing with, it is such a good feeling to see him have such a rewarding night and a chance to lead again.

Friday 12/22 7:15pm & 8:15pm

www.outletsatsandsbethlehem.com

As you probably may know from reading some of my other blogs, Ken Brader has been a long time influence and role model to me in my life. I was a student of his for many years as I was growing up and still to this day, seek his guidance on trumpet playing. One thing that bonds together all of Ken’s students is the Holiday Brass. Ken Brader’s Holiday Brass has been in existence for over forty years. Ken leads this brass collective of 35-45 musicians in concert during the Christmas season. It is always a joy knowing that this event is coming up and the enjoyment that comes with it. For the season is not complete without a performance by the Holiday Brass! The sound of a 40+ piece ensemble in a shopping mall is hard to put into words. The few that do come to mind are big, bold and beautiful, yet elegant and very magical.

One of the joys of playing in the group is to get a chance to see those you rarely get to speak with during the year. As a kid, this was great because Ken taught so many students it gave me a chance to meet new people from all over the region. Now, as an adult, I see so many faces from those years and now we catch up. But, instead of talking about school, classes and sports, we now talk about things like health, family and who is sick… Wow, I am getting old…LOL. However, it is still nice to see Ken’s students, those in middle and high school, who join us for the first time and the excitement they have for this experience.

Since this ensemble has been playing, there has never been a professional quality audio or video recorded. It was never thought of or suggested to make something like this…until last year. After we played in December, the idea was born to make a CD. We do have videos of our performances, but, they are taken in a shopping mall. So, you have other issues to deal with while taking video in a mall. Plus, they are not of a high quality.

After months of planning in early 2017, we finally achieved the goal of getting the group together to record a CD. The CD was recorded on July 15th at the Bethel Memorial Baptist Church in Easton, PA. (www.bethelmemorialbaptist.org) by Sonlight Productions (www.sonlightproductions.net). Owner and engineer D Freeman, Rachel Ewaniuk, and Kris Ewaniuk donated their time and services to help make this dream a reality. We were also given financial support to make the CD’s from the Christmas City Veterinary Hospital (www.christmascityvet.com), Lisa Cawley, Proprietor. It was a great day!! You may have seen one of my previous blogs on this event.

Well, after a lot of mastering, fine tuning and over dubbing, our CD is finally ready and we are excited about it. The CD, titled REJOICE! is a compilation of all of our holiday music. With this blog, I am very happy to announce that our CD release event of REJOICE! will be at our holiday performance which is set for Friday, December 22, 2017 at 7:15pm and 8:15pm at the Outlets at the Sands Bethlehem (www.outletsatsandsbethlehem.com/specialevents/) These performances are free and open to the public. We usually play in front of the large tree on the bottom level close to the elevator. The Outlets always treat us so great that we felt this would be the right time and location to hold our release party.

This CD is a long time coming and I am very proud of everyone who gave of their time and efforts to make this CD a success. Only the Lord knows how long this group will continue. But, it is great to know that we finally have a great recording to last a lifetime.

If you can make it, it would be great to see you on Friday, 12/22. Come out to help celebrate a CD 40 years in the making.

I have a few photos, a behind the scenes video and some clips from the recording linked with this blog. Check them out.

Behind the scenes video clip…

We had played in July of 2016 and it was a great experience.  We had hoped to play again this season, but when I called Zach Betkowski, the Promotions and Entertainment Manager for the Iron Pigs, the schedule was already set with performers. So, we were out of luck.  But then, our luck changed.  I got a call from Zach in late August and he informed me that he had a sudden opening for the anthem on 9/1 and asked if we could cover it.  We were only too happy to oblige.  Add in the fact that they would be playing the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Rail Riders, which are the AAA affiliate of the New York Yankees and it had the makings of a great evening.

The Iron Pigs organization is a class act.  They were and have always been very professional and wonderful to work with.  The perk of playing is that they offer us free tickets to the game. You also get a chance to go down the elevator and zig-zag trough the maze of hallways leading you to the area that walks out to the field.  Having always had a love of baseball, this experience does make you feel like a kid again.  Everything is extremely structured and since the game airs on television, strict timing must be adhered to.  We walked out around 6:50pm to wait until our performance time of 7:00pm.  On cue, Lindsey, the on-field assistant, ushered us to our spot behind home plate to wait for the announcer to say his lead-in for us to play.  Standing there waiting, you get a chance to see the stadium from the players point of view. It is really awesome! There were almost 10,000 people in attendance and you certainly feel the pressure to not make any mistakes, especially when you have to play it by memory.   A few minutes later we were given the cue and it was show time. Two microphones in front of us and it was our time to honor America with the National Anthem.  As you can hear in the video, it went really well and they were very impressed by our rendition.  It was rewarding to play and I was filled with a great sense of pride.

After we were finished, Bill and Shannon decided to stay for the game so the three of us had our seats next to each other.  In the past after we played, I had never stayed for the game. So, this was a great way to experience my first game.  The in-game fan experience and in-between inning entertainment is a lot of fun. Regardless of the score of the game, the fan is treated very well and there is no wonder why the Iron Pigs are such a huge draw in the Lehigh Valley.

This was a great experience for me and I can only hope we have a chance to play again in the future.  It is now our intent to reach higher goals and see if we can get an invitation to play the National Anthem for a Philadelphia Phillies or New York Yankees major league game. I guess only time will tell.  Play Ball!!!

For well over 30 years, Ken Brader and his holiday brass have entertained audiences throughout the Lehigh Valley area.  Holiday shoppers at our various performance locations have been treated with a little extra holiday cheer as they make their way through the malls. As the member with the longest tenure in the ensemble, it has been a great pleasure to share this wonderful music with so many.  Due to the many logistical issues that arise when trying to schedule performances, the group only performs during the Christmas Season.  Because of such a limited schedule, it seems like there is always a lot of anticipation to play, but, once it arrives, is over so fast and we are left with anticipating the next year.

Since its inception, the membership of the ensemble has certainly grown.  In fact, over the past several years the range of members has been anywhere from 35-50.  But, with scheduling being a constant issue, it can be difficult to get everyone to play from year to year.  While everyone raves at the glorious sound created by the trumpets, flugel horns, baritone horns, trombones, and tuba, the entire show lasts only about 20 minutes.  It always leaves the audience wanting more.  After this past show schedule in December, another longtime member, Jeff Vacha, suggested to me that we create a professional recording of the group and make a CD.  We have no really good recording except those taken from a mall performance.  But, as you can expect, there is always extraneous talking and noise from the mall which gets captured on the recording.  I brought the idea to Ken and the group and it was met with a great deal of enthusiasm and excitement. We would finally be able to take this great sound into the studio and record a clean wonderful sounding CD of our music.  We settled on Saturday, July 15^th and scheduled the session in the Bethel Memorial Baptist Church in Easton, Pa.  We worked with D Freeman, engineer and owner of Sonlight Productions in Perkasie, Pa. Their website is www.sonlightproductions.net.  D is a consummate professional and was extremely great to work with.  He understood our needs and desires and made sure we were happy.  One of our members, Rachel Ewaniuk, works with D on projects and recordings so it was good to have a member who knows our music to play a key role in the recording.  It needs to be stated that the cost of the recording was generously donated by D and his studio.  We are so very thankful to D and everyone at Sonlight Productions for donating their time and service to our project.  We could not have done this without your generosity.

We were blessed with a great day and everyone was excited to be a part of such a wonderful project.  I believe you can never take life for granted.  The fact that this group has played for so many years and just now we are able to record it really is proof of how Ken and his music creation has stood the test of time.  The initial listen in the headphones really sounded awesome and I cannot wait to share the finished product with you.  The joy and camaraderie with everyone in the room was just such a blessing.  It was also a great day for Ken as he was also able to hear his music be recorded for the world to hear.  Although it took several hours, we are so happy to have a product that will last forever.

The goal of the project is not to sell the CD but to give them away.  We want to be able to share the joyful music with those who have been longtime supporters or those who are unable anymore to come out to hear our group.  Everyone in the ensemble will receive a copy and we will have copies on hand when we perform in December.  Stay tuned for more info as I will announce once the final edits have been made and the copies are ready.  A HUGE thank you to everyone who participated and sacrificed time on their Saturday to be a part of this!