Bartlett Music Students favor at All-West TN Band Competition

Each year we have a group of students that tryout for the All-West Tn Band contest. The constant investment into one piece of music for over three months can be painstaking for the teacher and the student alike. However, the end result is one that proves to be encouraging for the student and another bullet point in a students Application Submission to college. We are so proud of all our students whether they made it or not. However, we would like to take this moment to recognize the following students for their accomplishments this year.

JUNIOR HIGH
Clarinet
Bria Bannister – Blue 2nd
Jael Urbano – Blue 14th
Daniel Knickerbocker – Red 1st

Oboe
Ben Runyon – Red 1st

Bassoon
Tyler Marshall – Red 2nd

Alto Sax
Blake Nelson – Blue 2nd
Juliana Viguoras – Blue 3rd
Caleb Davis – Blue 4th
Parker Kuhn – Red 5th
Austen Cunningham – Alt 1st

Tenor Sax
James Volner – Red 1st
Zachary Miller – Red 2nd

Bari Sax
Ethan Avery – Blue 1st

Trumpet
Colin Pitawanakwat – Red 1st
Hayden Wagner – Gold 7th
Hunter Keough – Gold 10th

French Horn
Zach Samuelson – Blue 2nd
Nicole Strickland – Red 8th

Trombone
Jonathan Talbert – Blue 1st
Patrick Spears – Blue 3rd
Jimmy Buchanan – Blue 9th
Andrew Mills – Blue 4th
Ryan Thornburg – Gold 9th

Baritone
Scott Lancaster – Red 2nd
Matthew Heinz – Red 3rd
Tuba Nick Deathrage – Blue 4th

SENIOR HIGH
Flute
Hillary Puckett – Alt 3rd

Clarinet
Bethany Tibbs – Alt 6th
Anthony Perez – Blue 15th
Allyson Turner – Red 9th
Lily Tuttle – Blue 3rd
Brittany Nelson – Red 8th

Bass Clarinet
Marissa Mitchell – Wind Ensemble 1st

Alto Sax
Cody Allen – Jazz Alt 1st

Tenor Sax
Anthony Thompson - Blue 2nd

Baritone Sax
Aidan Porter – Alt 1st

French Horn
Kyoko Eng - Blue 1st

Trombone
Clinton Alexander – Blue 1st
Andrew Cook – Red 5th
Nathan Guinn – Alt 4th

JAZZ BANDS
Alto Sax
Cody Allen 1st Alt

Tenor Sax
Tyler Bernero – Blue 2nd
Ryan Traband – Red 2nd

Guitar
Jeffery Arnold – Blue 1st

JUNIOR STRINGS
Jesse Nguyen
Elyza Montefalcon

ORCHESTRA
Chelsey Thompson

Blues Workshop

Bartlett Music Academy Keeping Memphis Music and Music Education Alive!
By Derek Brookshire

Over a hundred years ago, Bartlett was a farming community known as a stage line depot on the way toward Nashville. Now it is a suburb of Memphis that has blossomed into its own beautiful city. It is a town close enough to Memphis to share the important legacy Memphis has in the music world. Seven years ago an academy in Bartlett was formed to further that tradition with the education of young musicians.

Memphis, a city whose heritage has been proclaimed the home of the blues and the birth place of rock ‘n’ roll, has been a haven for musical talent for the past century. There seems to be something almost magical about Memphis, a city that has mysteriously spawned the various cultural icons of music in blues, rock and roll, country and soul. From players such as Furry Lewis and B.B. King, to Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, Memphis has had an impressive impact on all of modern music. Musicians from all over the south still come here searching for a way to express their talents. The people of Memphis often have overlooked the city’s diverse talent and much of the great Memphis musical tradition has all but been obscured up until recently by the nearsighted perspective in which this city has been viewed. Names such as Phineas Newborn, Memphis Slim, W. C. Handy, Rufus Thomas, and Jimmy Lunceford will sadly fade with time but deserve to be remembered alongside the more celebrated Isaac Hayes, Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding. Without music appreciation and history, even names like Al Green, Charlie Rich, Jerry Lee Lewis and Booker T. & the MG’s could disappear. But the music has never stopped. Memphis can’t recreate the past but it can secure a hold on the future. With such diverse talent as this city possesses, we can support the music of today. This can happen in so many ways, from going out and attending shows, to nurturing and guiding young talent, to preserving and studying Memphis’ collective contribution to the music world.

Bartlett Music Academy was founded in hopes of reminding Memphis of its musical past and promoting a strong and vibrant future. This happens every week on an individual basis with the instruction of nearly five hundred students that attend the academy. Students come from all over Shelby County to seek the instruction that the academy provides. With a staff of nearly twenty degreed and professional musicians, BMA is doing its part in focusing on the positive attributes of such a musically rich city. The academy also hosts clinics and workshops for students and the public to attend. Recently BMA has been grateful to have Memphis musicians such as Doug Wamble and world renowned musicians such as David ‘Fathead’ Newman and Clive Carroll come and host these clinics.

The academy intends to have more guests in the new year with William Lee Ellis being the first for 2009. Ellis is a Memphis based musician and writer who plays acoustic blues. He is the son of banjo composer Tony Ellis and the godson of bluegrass legend Bill Monroe. Ellis has earned a Master of Music in classical guitar from University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music. He is now attending University of Memphis, seeking a PhD in Ethnomusicology. Saturday, January 31, at 2 p.m. he will be giving a workshop on acoustic blues music. With his musical inheritance and his varied musical experiences and knowledge this is sure to be workshop worth attending. Cost for the workshop is $10 for Bartlett Music Students and $15 for the general public.

Bartlett Music Academy is located at 6757 Stage Road and can be contacted at 901-213-4262 for more information. You can also review their website at www.bartlettmusicacademy.com and Mr. Ellis’ site at http://williamleeellis.com/.