Wheaton Municipal Band welcomes guest conductor Terry Austin for the first time July 22

On Thursday, July 22, Dr. Terry Austin, director of bands at Virginia Commonwealth University, steps onto the podium at Memorial Park in downtown Wheaton to direct the Wheaton Municipal Band.

Austin, not only oversees the university's band program, he travels the world as a conductor, clinician and adjudicator. Austin served as the 78th President of the American Bandmasters Association and is dedicated to promoting music education through numerous institutions and organizations.

Thursday evening is the first time Dr. Austin conducts the Wheaton Municipal Band. He selected a program with many compositions the Wheaton Municipal Band has never played.

Of course, there are the usual marches, and Austin being the chairman of the Bandworld/John Philip Sousa Foundation Legion of Honor, and a member of the Board of Directors of the John Philip Sousa Foundation has Sousa on the program.

Also on the program is "Princess Mononoke" by Joe Hisaish, arranged by Kazuhiro Morita, the music powerfully depicts the tension and beauty of this 1997 epic Japanese fantasy film. In contrast, the "Blue Goose Rag" by Raymond Birch is sure to get toes tapping. In the traditional piano Rag style, the "Blue Goose" uses up-tempo stride to move the catchy melody along. Arranged by Timothy Broeges, the "Rag" snakes through the instrumentation of the band and creates a fun piece of music.

The program also features Barb Holland on piccolo. In her 19th year with the Wheaton Municipal Band, Holland performs "La Merle Blanc" ("The White Thrush") by Eugene Damare. Holland, originally from San Antonio, Texas, now lives in Chicago. Holland performs throughout the Chicago area in bands, orchestras, and chamber music.

The free concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in Memorial Park, 225 Karlskoga Ave. in downtown Wheaton. Bring a lawn chair or sit up front in the stadium seating. For more information go to www.wheatonmunicipalband.org.