Just returned home from four wonderful days in Chicago. Always fun to make new acquaintances as well as to catch up with so many great friends and colleagues.

Here are some highlights of this year’s convention:

I had a wonderful time helping to spread the news about the “United Sound” organization. This amazing initiative is the brainchild of my friend Julie Duty and offers special needs students the opportunity to study instrumental music and actually perform with their school’s band or orchestra. I believe that Julie’s vision will impact music education unlike anything in recent history and I’m honored to be a small part of this ground breaking activity. The Carmel High School Symphony Orchestra performed a number featuring a United Sound student during their spectacular Midwest concert on Saturday and it was wonderful to see this young lady get the chance to perform with her new friends and colleagues. To learn more about this amazing organization, visit the United Sound website at unitedsound.org.

I was thrilled to unveil an exciting new musical project designed by my good friend Scott Lang of Scott Lang Leadership. “Heroes Near And Far” is a five movement integrated thematic instructional unit designed to challenge your students musically, academically and personally. Each movement is paired with curricula centered around leadership and character development. The musical and curricular elements are designed to go hand in hand to provide students with a true educational experience. I am excited about the potential of this collaboration and I hope you’ll take a few minutes to listen to the music and check out the adjoining curricula on Scott’s web site, scottlang.net.

I cannot tell you the emotion I felt when listening to Carmel High School’s Symphony Orchestra perform my new work “Essay #1 for Orchestra” on Saturday morning in one of the final concerts of this year’s convention. My great friend and colleague Michael Pote, Director of Bands at Carmel, made the experience even more special as he brought the piece to life from the podium. There is no one I respect more in this activity and having Mike conduct my new piece was an experience I will never forget. Many thanks go to Maestro Soo Han and the orchestra members for allowing me the opportunity to write for an ensemble that is undoubtedly one of the finest in the country. A midi recording of the piece is attached and I hope that you’ll be able to listen to Carmel’s performance soon. Look for the piece to be published in the near future.

The playback takes a few seconds before starting…

I continue to be grateful for my relationship with the wonderful folks at Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation. I will be recording new concert band works at all grade levels in March, so I hope you’ll take a listen to the new pieces as they become available in late spring at halleonard.com.

You can always check out my currently available works at the following link: Saucedo works

Happy Holidays everyone!

Richard

Yesterday (Saturday, May 4, 2013), I was honored to conduct Carmel High School’s Wind Symphony I at the Indiana State School Music Association Concert Band Championships. With my wonderful colleague and friend Michael Pote also conducting, the band performed Grainger’s “Molly On The Shore”, Sparke’s “Dance Movements” and Henry Fillmore’s “His Honor” March. The band performed wonderfully and was named the 2013 State Concert Band Champion. I am so proud of our students and staff and feel so fortunate to be ending my career at Carmel High School (retiring) on such a high! Congratulations to all sixteen of the finalist bands that performed at the Schrott Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Butler University. I also want to congratulate our Symphony Orchestra, directed by Maestro Soo Han on winning yet another state championship. The orchestra was magnificent in their performance and I am so honored to call Soo Han a colleague and a friend. Thanks to the Carmel parents and fans for their support yesterday! Congratulations again to the Carmel kids for their tireless efforts and for their consistent commitment to excellence!