The first band concert for the school year was held at the high school big gym on October 14, 2014. Kerry McNamara, the concert director and music teacher, led the 6^th Grade Woodwind Band, the Junior High Band, and the High School Band performances. Normally, the young musicians play published pieces from around the world. For this concert, she added a local flavor to the line-up -- a Brent Bain original.

Brent Bain is the school district’s technology coordinator. He has a background in music as a composer, musician, and a radio drama musical director. McNamara and Bain got together and plotted. Bain said, “I think Kerry and I thought of it about the same time. After working with the students on the Disney trip, I asked her if she would allow me to bring in some new music that I was working on for a project.” McNamara echoed the statement, “He told me he had written music for band, and he and I both thought it would be a great opportunity for the students to play it and work directly with the composer on it.  All of us enjoyed his piece so much that we decided to program it on the concert. “

“A Grand Entrance” made its grand entrance in Unalaska performed by the thirty nine young musicians in the high school band. The composition was a combination of two pieces that Bain originally created for a Yellowstone National Park video. It was meant for a full orchestra and a choir but Bain knew it would work very well with a full wind ensemble. It also featured a solo French horn part performed by Delanney McConnell.

Bain and McNamara have already started working on another composition. It might not make it on the next band concert which is schedule for December 8. In the meantime, Bain was pleased with the premiere. “This band is full of good musicians! And, while computers can do a pretty decent job of making virtual instruments sound like the real thing, there just is something magical about hearing your own composition being performed by a real band. Also, hearing the main themes whistled as students walk down the hallways means I did a decent job.”