Everything Band Podcast

Composer Omar Thomas is one of the brightest new talents in the band community, using his jazz background to write powerful works with a social conscience. Topics: Omar’s background in his high school music program and a young trombonist and why he doesn’t remember his high school cafeteria. Some tips for teaching jazz and some advice for teaching the language of swing. The story about how Omar was commissioned to write his first large scale work for wind ensemble (“Of our New Day Begun”) to honor the victims of the shooting a the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. “When does an opportunity present itself when you’re ready? The answer is never.” Omar’s position at the Peabody Conservatory and the lessons that musicians can take from dancers. Links: Omar Thomas Thomas: Of Our New Day Begun Thomas: Come Sunday Thomas: A Mother of a Revolution! Maria Schneider Anita Baker Biography: Described as "elegant, beautiful, sophisticated, intense, and crystal clear in emotional