The Florida Bandmasters Association, Banddirector.com, and MakeMusic have teamed up to provide a music learning and performance opportunity for the directors and students of Florida. The project will showcase the creative progress of a specially commissioned work by composer Kenneth Amis, and will follow subsequent band rehearsals and master classes, culminating in a student premiere performance of the work via live webcast.

The Florida Commission Project webpage offers some wonderful resources. You can see and hear the commissioned score, which the participating students have titled March of the Corn, and read about the composition process. You can also watch videos of composer Ken Amis and director Neil Jenkins rehearsing the piece with the J. P. Taravella High School Band.

On March 17, 2010, there will be a free webcast, at 7:00 PM Eastern, from the J. P. Taravella High School that will include a live, in-depth composer/band rehearsal, as well as a SmartMusic demonstration/clinic, hosted by MakeMusic’s own Dave Hawley. Dave will provide an overview of SmartMusic, with an emphasis on repertoire of special interest to Florida educators. Dave will demonstrate how to access, within SmartMusic, the FMEA list of solo and concert titles as well as Florida-specific scale forms for all-state band auditions. The event will also be simulcast on the Woodwind & Brasswind site.

The concert premier of March of the Corn will occur on May 20, 2010. Additional details can be found at Banddirector.com.