YPAS BANDS
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The faculty and staff of the YPAS Band Department know that music has the power to nurture, console, replenish, and inspire the spirit - all while affirming our humanity.  It is our conviction that music education is a basic and necessary component of a well-balanced educational program.
 
All students who are admitted to duPont Manual High School, no matter their major (MST, HSU, CMA, or VA) are eligible to audition to participate in the YPAS Band Program.  After receiving notice of your admission to Manual, simply contact Mr. Essig at the email address below to schedule an audition.
Curtis.essig@jefferson.kyschools.us

Faculty and Staff

Course Offerings

Mr. Curtis Essig, Director of Bands
Mr. Essig has been a faculty member at the Youth Performing Arts School since 1993. 
Mr. Jason Gregory, Assistant Director of Bands
Mr. Gregory joined the YPAS faculty in 2008.

Sectional Staff
Mr. Don Gottlieb, Flute Specialist
Mr. Trevor Johnson, Oboe Specialist

Mrs. Angela Soren, Clarinet Specialist
Mr. Ron Jones, Saxophone Specialist
Mr. Roger Soren, Bassoon Specialist

Dr. Jim Recktenwald, Trumpet Specialist
Mr. John Little, Horn Specialist
Mr. Bob Spiegelhalter, Trombone Specialist
Mr. Chris Schmidt, Tuba / Euphonium Specialist

Private Teachers
FLUTE

Don Gottlieb, Kathy Karr, Charlotte Roth, Kim Spaulding
OBOE
Doug Harville, Trevor Johnson, 
Jennifer Potochnic
CLARINET      
Brandon Bell, Amanda McGehee, Marilyn Nije, Carrie Ravenstem, Angela Soren, Walter Yee
BASSOON
Roger Soren, Jackie Royce
SAXOPHONE
Cory Barnfield, Brandon Bell, David Clark, Adam McCord, 
Ron Jones, Derek Siebert
TRUMPET
Melanie Dillman, 
Ryan Nottingham, Jim Recktenwald, Stacy Simpson, Craig Twedell
FRENCH HORN
Steve Causey, Colin Dorman, Diana Morgen
TROMBONE
Stasi Fafalios, Brian Heath, Chad O'Brian, Bob Spiegelhalter
EUPHONIUM
Chris Schmidt
TUBA
Chris Schmidt, John Jones
PERCUSSION
Greg Byrne, Cole Gregory, Michael Lanius, Michelle Lewis, Jeremy McMonigle, Neil Rao, Mark Tate

Piano Accompanist and Solo Performance Coach
Debbie Dierks
Wind Ensemble
Symphonic Band
Percussion Ensemble
Chamber Ensemble
Intermediate Band
Jazz Ensemble
Jazz Improvisation
Music Theory I
Music Theory AP
Pit Orchestra

Student Achievements

ALL-COUNTY ENSEMBLES 2019-2020
Total Placements = 132
Full Orchestra Winds, Brass and Percussion = 19
Wind Ensemble = 54
Symphonic Band = 35
Percussion Ensembles = 14
Jazz Ensemble = 10

ALL-STATE ENSEMBLES 2021
Total Placements = 46
Full Orchestra Winds, Brass and Percussion = 12
Symphonic Band = 10
Concert Band = 16
Percussion Ensemble = 3
Jazz Ensemble One = 5

LOUISVILLE YOUTH ORCHESTRA 2019-2020
Total Placements = 19
Symphony Orchestra Winds, Brass and Percussion = 14
Repertory Orchestra Winds, Brass and Percussion = 5

ADDITIONAL STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

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​Announcing the 2020 G. Schirmer Prize for Luna Composition Lab - 2nd October 2020 © KiMani Bridges

G. Schirmer & Associated Music Publishers, part of Wise Music Group, is proud to announce that the recipient of the 2020 G. Schirmer Prize for Luna Composition Lab is KiMani Bridges, with Honorable Mention for Olivia Bennett.  Inaugurated in 2019, the G. Schirmer Prize offers recognition and mentorship for select works by composers participating in Missy Mazzoli and Ellen Reid’s education program, which is sponsored by the Kaufman Music Center. Now in its fifth season, Luna Lab provides aspiring young female-identifying, non-binary, and gender nonconforming composers (ages 12-18) with a year of one-on-one mentorship, performance opportunities, and high-quality recordings of their work.
The G. Schirmer Prize is an annual award with a commitment for the next five years, offering access to publishing industry professionals and a cash prize, as well as educational mentoring and networking opportunities, to one Luna Lab composer each year.
“G. Schirmer, Inc/AMP is proud to once again honor and support the vital work of the Luna Composition Lab, its visionary leadership, and their partners The Kaufman Music Center. In an extremely challenging year they continued to provide a dynamic training program for these select emerging composers, providing them opportunities for both personal artistic growth and practical insights into the professional side of their present and future work. We eagerly look forward to following the development of KiMani, Olivia, and all the other very gifted composers in the program.”
— Peggy Monastra, Senior Promotion Adviser, Opera
“We are thrilled that KiMani’s originality and talent has been recognized by G. Schirmer. The resources provided through the Schirmer Prize will help provide KiMani the support necessary to reach the next stage in her musical journey, and we can’t wait to see what she does next. Congratulations to both KiMani and also to Olivia Bennett for her Honorable Mention.”
— Missy Mazzoli and Ellen Reid
2020 G. Schirmer Prize Recipient – KiMani Bridges
The Flower (2020)
flute, violin, viola, percussion
“My experience with the Luna Lab was amazing!! When I was accepted, I had only been writing for a little over a year and the program allowed me to explore what music was to me and how I relate to it. With the masterclasses, working with my mentor Ellen Reid, and talking with the other Luna Lab Fellows, the program as a whole gave me a boost of confidence and has aided me in learning how to trust myself, think realistically, and to believe in my craft. I’m very grateful to be a part of the Luna Lab. When I received the G. Schirmer prize, I was overjoyed! I’m excited to be a part of this program and learn more about the business side of music.”
— KiMani Bridges
Bridges, a senior at duPont Manual Magnet High School/Youth Performing Arts School in Louisville, Kentucky, is a flutist and a composer. She has been playing the flute since she was 11 and started composing in 11th grade. She partakes in her school’s Symphonic Band, Chamber Ensemble, and Composition class. She has received numerous distinguished ratings for flute in KMEA Solo and Ensemble, has performed at Walt Disney World and the Field Museum, and has participated in multiple summer music camps. Her music has been performed at the University of Louisville, in her school’s New Works Festival, and recently was part of the Loretto Project’s Pathways Initiative Program. She was recently selected as a 2020 American Composers NextNotes winner. KiMani will be pursuing a career in music at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music beginning in fall 2020.
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​Anetta Kendall and Josh Polion with Doc Severinsen (top) and Ronald Romm (bottom) - 2019

Alison Addie - Winner of the Louisville Youth Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition 2018
Alison Addie - Winner of the Jack Kent Cooke Award through her audition for and appearance on NPRs nationally syndicated radio show From the Top
Jiwon Jung - Winner of the Louisville Youth Repertory Orchestra Concerto Competition 2018
Nicholas Recktenwald - 2nd place overall in the National Trumpet Competition held in Dallas, Texas 2018
Nicholas Recktenwald - Named the 2018 Gheens Foundation Young Artist

HISTORY OF THE YPAS BAND DEPARTMENT
​The Band Program has had three Directors of Bands since 1978, when the school began. Robert Bischof was the founding director (1978-1993). The second Director of Bands was Dennis Robinson (1992-2008). Currently the YPAS Bands are led by Curtis Essig (Director of Bands, 2008-present / Associate Director of Bands 1993-2008). The current Assistant Director of Bands is Jason Gregory (2008-present), who also is the Director of Bands for duPont Manual's Marching and Pep Bands. The band program is unique in that it focuses on the growth and development of each individual musician through a progressive set of assignments including Professional Journal Article summaries, Etude performances, Solo Convocation performances, and Special Project assignments. The curriculum is designed to guide students step by step through the materials beginning in their first year so that by the time they are seniors and auditioning for conservatories and major university music programs, they are ready to meet the requirements of the finest institutions in the country. Graduates of the YPAS Band Program have gone on to attend many outstanding institutions including: Berklee, Boston Conservatory, Cincinnati Conservatory, Cleveland Institute, The Curtis Institute, Eastman, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Juilliard, Northwestern University, University of Illinois, University of Miami Frost School of Music, University of Michigan, and many more. Students have won spots in major ensembles in the music profession as well. To see a list of YPAS Band Program Alumni and what they are doing now, please visit our homepage.

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