borchnork Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 Well, I know Mackey isn't currently the most popular composer out in the lot, especially for large ensembles, but thankfully I see he's gaining out there, with Sachse Playing Turbine in their show, Poteet using Strange Humors in Honor Band recordings, and the All-State band performing Turbine last year. I just wanted to draw a little more attention to this guy and get others opinions on him. If you haven't heard it already, I suggest you check out his Soprano Sax concerto!! INSANE!!! www.ostimusic.com Mavs4Life75 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
takigan Posted December 3, 2007 Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 One of the reasons he's gotten so huge is BECAUSE of Turbine being performed by the All-State band. Not to mention it's a great piece, but when really good music gets exposure at TMEA, it almost guarantees said composer a catapault into notoriety. I've known about Mackey for a few years now, but it wasn't until Turbine's performance at TMEA that I've started to hear lots of other people start talking about how great he is. Drum Corps and Marching Bands and major Wind Symphonies have started picking up his works and Mackey will continue to enjoy much success from it. He's a great composer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borchnork Posted December 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2007 I'm currently listening to Turbine. it's amazing. again. Redline Tango is just as good. And I found out that our Electric String Quartet is going to attempt his piece "Rush Hour"!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SerialSleeper90 Posted December 4, 2007 Report Share Posted December 4, 2007 We have an electric string quartet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borchnork Posted December 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2007 Actually, its a Sextet. Dr. Holt bought 3 electric violins, an electric viola, an electric cello and bass. YAY!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SerialSleeper90 Posted December 4, 2007 Report Share Posted December 4, 2007 That's awesome. I love electric strings. I've seen people do so many diffirent things with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borchnork Posted December 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2007 seriously, if you like electric strings, go listen to Rush Hour. It's the coolest piece I've heard in quite a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b_sax_agent Posted December 7, 2007 Report Share Posted December 7, 2007 a cool thing about composers like Mackey is the fact that you can play any note at any given time in pieces like Turbine and it will sound correct. And that's hard to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BariBoyII Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 I enjoy his music especially "turning" and the concerto for soprano sax. I also really enjoyed getting to use his music for my last years show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ndnorris7 Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 a cool thing about composers like Mackey is the fact that you can play any note at any given time in pieces like Turbine and it will sound correct. And that's hard to do. That is co completely true. Hah. There's a lot of loud dissonance. So, play a wrong note really loud, it sounds wonderful We played an arrangement of "Turbine" in our marching show last year. I've been completely fascinated in his style of composition since. I love "Redline Tango". It's one of my favorites. And I know that I've heard Kingfishers Catch Fire from at least two bands this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
takigan Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 (edited) When I first read the title "Kingfishers Catch Fire" off the TMEA program I didn't know what a Kingfisher was and assumed that the title had to do with master fishermen who were able to ensnare fire with their fisherman's rods from the waters they fished from.....which sounds almost as cool imo. Edited October 28, 2008 by takigan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ndnorris7 Posted October 28, 2008 Report Share Posted October 28, 2008 Yeah, he composes some of the strangest things. But they're usually really pretty interesting and powerful. A heck of a lot of dynamic contrast, for sure. He writes more ppppp and ffffff, and not much inbetween, I'd say lol. But every once in awhile I get on a Mackey hype. It's cool stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoundRockBandSaxophone Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 I go to Round Rock High School, in round rock, TX, its near the Austin area, and we played a John Mackey piece, Asphalt Cocktail, in our wind ensemble last year. It was such a great piece, it was loud, it was in your face, and it was very unique. And we actually got to meet him! He came to one of our rehearsals, hes very short, and has no experience playing a musical instrument. I think he mentioned he tried to learn piano but couldnt do it. he just knows a lot about composition (he went to juliard for composition) and just uses an arrangment software along with audio samples of notes of all of the instruments to compose his music. To me, this just makes his music even more amazing! i really hope we play something composed by him again this year. and on a side note, i play saxophone, and he really writes killer sax parts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drummerjoe Posted November 8, 2010 Report Share Posted November 8, 2010 I go to Round Rock High School, in round rock, TX, its near the Austin area, and we played a John Mackey piece, Asphalt Cocktail, in our wind ensemble last year. It was such a great piece, it was loud, it was in your face, and it was very unique. And we actually got to meet him! He came to one of our rehearsals, hes very short, and has no experience playing a musical instrument. I think he mentioned he tried to learn piano but couldnt do it. he just knows a lot about composition (he went to juliard for composition) and just uses an arrangment software along with audio samples of notes of all of the instruments to compose his music. To me, this just makes his music even more amazing! i really hope we play something composed by him again this year. and on a side note, i play saxophone, and he really writes killer sax parts! We've played a piece by him every year since '08. '08 was Redline Tango, '09 was Sasparilla (not sure of this one), and '10 was Asphalt Cocktail. Oh, and I'm from Round Rock too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxRaider13 Posted November 10, 2010 Report Share Posted November 10, 2010 I haven't played any music by Mackey, but we have disected redline tango and that was so freak'n hard to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kankooku Posted November 10, 2010 Report Share Posted November 10, 2010 We also get to play one of Mackey's musics - Asphalt Cocktail Mansfield High School Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drummerjoe Posted November 10, 2010 Report Share Posted November 10, 2010 We also get to play one of Mackey's musics- Asphalt Cocktail Mansfield High School Look at that Tambourine part, haha. And the 5:4 thing that the tom player has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluebellbrass07 Posted November 27, 2010 Report Share Posted November 27, 2010 Check out his trombone concerto he recently posted on his site, awesome stuff http://www.ostimusic.com/TbnCto.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baritone4 Posted October 23, 2014 Report Share Posted October 23, 2014 Hymn to a blue hour is great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nalyd8991 Posted October 24, 2014 Report Share Posted October 24, 2014 I think a sort of industrial show centered around "Foundry" would be awesome. I played foundry at UIL in 8th grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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