PMEA Program - Kiski Area Bands

Kiski Area Jazz Ensemble
Saxophones
Casey Maher - Alto
Jack Pelligrini - Alto
Joey Caporali - Tenor
Dayne Auden - Tenor
Stephen Scassera - Bari
Trumpets
Dillon Shuster
Dominic Bucci
C.J. Thomas
Rachel McKelvey
Sam Shannon
Trombones
Kevin Gress
Shirley Summerhill
Adam Poleski
Jared Mountan
Rhythm Section
Cecily Petrarca – Piano
Baylee Summerhill - Bass
Cassie Deluce – Drums
Jacob Debich – Aux. Perc.
Program
Spin Cycle...........................................................................................Alan Baylock
Joey Caporali – Tenor Sax, Kevin Gress – Trombone
Latin Excursion..................................................................................Mike Carubia
Casey Maher – Alto Sax, Sam Shannon – Trumpet, Dayne Auden - Tenor Sax
High Clouds With A Chance Of Wayne..................................................Tom Kubis
Stephen Scassera – Bari Sax, Wayne Bergeron – Trumpet,
Baylee Summerhill – Bass
First Impression…...............................................................................Dan Higgins
Wayne Bergeron – Trumpet, Cecily Petrarca - Piano
Blues du Jour...................................................................................John Fedchock
Wayne Bergeron – Lead Trumpet, Baylee Summerhill – Bass
Joey Caporali – Tenor Sax, Jared Mountan – Trombone, Stephen Scassera – Bari Sax
Waltz of the Flowers………………………..………Peter Tschaikowky/arr. Bill Liston
Wayne Bergeron – Trumpet, Joe Scheller -Tenor Sax
The Kiski Area Jazz Ensemble has
developed a rich and proud tradition of
excellence over the last four decades.
Highlighted performances include concerts with
Bob Mintzer, the Lew Soloff Quartet, The Maynard
Ferguson Band, the Buddy Rich Band, Richard Stolzman, the
Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Band, Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, The
Count Basie Orchestra, and many college ensembles. In addition, the band has been named
the outstanding ensemble at numerous university festivals over the years including: Villanova,
Moorehead, California University of Pennsylvania, Ohio State, Duquesne, West Virginia, and
Mansfield. Conference and Clinic performances include: The Mid-West and Mid-East Clinics,
PMEA, and the MENC All Eastern Conventions. Alumni have gone on to perform with The Glen
Miller Orchestra, the US Navy Commodores, the New York Metropolitan Opera, and Harry
Connick, Jr.’s Big Band.
Commissioned compositions have come from such noted composers and arrangers as
Mike Tomaro, Jeff Holmes, John Wilson, Ralph Guzzi, Jay Kennedy, and Roy Mitchell.
The ensemble is one of two big bands in the high school and rehearses once a week after
school during the first semester and then every day as a class during the second semester.
Several students participate in combos throughout the year. Over the years, numerous
students have been selected to perform in PMEA’s All-State Jazz Ensembles. Many students
participate in a school district sponsored summer jazz camp. Improvisation begins in the sixth
grade with the elementary jazz ensemble.
Ensemble Director
Shawn Pityk
is currently the Director of
Bands at Kiski Area High School. He directs the the
high school Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble "A", and
Jazz Ensemble "B", and assists in co-teaching the
Seventh Grade Band and the Eighth Grade Band at
the Intermediate School. Shawn also teaches Music
Theory and an Advanced Instrumental Repertoire
class. He was the director of the nationally
acclaimed Kiski Area High School Marching Band
from 2005 to 2013, and currently serves the group
in an advisory role.
Shawn completed his undergraduate studies at
Youngstown State University in Ohio where he earned a Bachelor of Music
Education as a tuba major. While at YSU, he also studied jazz piano with the great jazz artist,
Chip Stevens.
Shawn began teaching at Kiski Area High School in the fall of 2002 as the Assistant Director of
Bands. Two years later, he became the head director. For several winters, he taught on the brass staff
for the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps. Shawn previously served as the Vice-President of the
Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association (PIMBA) and is currently the president of the
Alle-Kiski Valley Band Directors Association. Last year, he was inducted into Phi Beta Mu, the
International Bandmasters Fraternity. He also is an arranger and has written for several schools in the
Pittsburgh area. Shawn resides in Leechburg, PA, with his wife Lindsey, and children Ataleigh, Lillian,
and Ethan.
Music Education is a vibrant
component of Kiski Area’s
education program.
Instrumental instruction begins
with weekly lessons in fifth and sixth
grade and continues on a rotating basis
through eighth grade. The Kiski Area Intermediate
School offers both seventh and eighth grade bands and choirs, along with extracurricular ensembles ranging from show choirs and jazz ensembles to small chamber ensembles.
Nearly 65% of the Kiski Area Intermediate School population participates in a performing ensemble.
Kiski Area High School course offerings include options for several concert choirs, a show choir,
and a jazz vocal ensemble. Instrumentally, three concert bands are offered, as well as two jazz
ensembles, two sections of percussion ensemble, and an advanced Music Theory and Advanced
Instrumental Repertoire class. Extracurricular ensembles consist of jazz combos, competitive
percussion groups, winterguards, and a nationally acclaimed marching band. Approximately 30%
of the high school’s student body participates in a performing ensemble.
For more information about Kiski Area High School’s Instrumental Department, go to
www.kiskibands.org.
Guest Artist
Wayne Bergeron
is enjoying a career as one of the most
sought-after musicians in the world. Studio sessions, film dates,
international touring, jazz concerts, guest appearances, and clinics
keep him busy not only in his hometown of Los Angeles, but
worldwide.
Bergeron’s first big break was playing lead trumpet with Maynard
Ferguson’s band in 1986. Bergeron continually demonstrates why
Maynard remarked, “Wayne is the most musical lead trumpet player
I’ve had on my band.”
As a sideman, Bergeron’s list of recording credits reads like a who’s
who in contemporary jazz and pop, running the stylistic gamut
from Ray Charles and Barbra Streisand to Green Day and The Dirty
Loops. His session work includes over 350 TV & motion picture
soundtracks, and Bergeron can be heard as a featured soloist on
films such as Ted 2, Minions, Jersey Boys, The Incredibles, Rocky
Balboa, The Green Hornet, Despicable Me 2, Leather Heads, The
Perfect Game, and numerous TV shows including Jeopardy.
Bergeron has recorded and played with Quincy Jones, Gordon
Goodwin, Arturo Sandoval, Pat Williams, Sammy Nestico, Jack
Sheldon, Tom Kubis, Bob Florence, Bob Curnow, and many others.
Bergeron’s debut effort, “You Call This a Living?” earned him a Grammy
nomination in 2004 for Best Large Jazz Ensemble. Bergeron’s second CD, “Plays Well With
Others,” released on the Concord Jazz label in 2007, was met with likewise acclaim. He is excited about
his new CD project, which will be released in 2016.
Bergeron is a National Artist for the Yamaha Corporation of America and is co-designer of the YTR8335LA trumpet and YFH-8315G Flugelhorn. Bergeron also designed a series of trumpet mouthpieces
with GR Technologies.
Bergeron was mentored by legends like Uan Racey, Bobby Shew, Warren Luening, and George Graham.
He hopes to inspire a new generation of young players and feels it’s important to give back. Bergeron
says, “Nothing makes me feel more accomplished than hearing a young musician say that I inspired
them or had a positive influence on their life. For me, that’s the real payday.”
Kiski Area School District Personnel
Mrs. Nichole Heiny
Mrs. Shelley Insko
Mr. Karl Priore
Mr. Greg Lutz
Mrs. Robert Insko
Mr. Robert Traugh
Mrs. Sara McMeans
Mrs. Tammy Hampshire
Mr. Shawn Pityk
Mr. Chad Heiny
Dr. Tim Scott
Mr. Scott Koter
Mr. Chad Roland
Mr. Matt Smith
Mr. Anthony Gonnella
Mr. Jason Lohr
Mr. Mike Cardamone
Mr. Joshua J. Weaver
Mr. Patrick Marchand
Mr. Jeffrey Jackson
Mrs. Christine M. Ross
Mr. Brian Kutchak
A special thanks goes out to the
following individuals for helping
prepare for this event:
Joe Scheller, Robert Traugh, the Kiski
Area Instrumental Boosters, Murphy’s
Music Center
Upper Elementary Vocal
Elementary Instrumental
Elementary Instrumental
Elementary General Music
Elementary General Music
Secondary Instrumental
Intermediate Vocal
Dept. Chair/High School Vocal
Secondary Instrumental
Secondary Instrumental
Superintendent
Assistant Superintendent
High School Principal
Assistant High School Principal
Assistant High School Principal
Intermediate School Principal
Assistant Intermediate School Principal
Upper Elementary School Principal
Elementary School Principal
Elementary School Principal
Elementary School Principal
Elementary School Principal