The UMBC Department of Music presents the Federal City Brass Band, directed by Jari Villanueva, on Friday, October 25, 2002, at 8 p.m. in the Fine Arts Recital Hall.

The Federal City Brass Band made its debut at the 140th anniversary of the Battle of Antietam. Featuring original Civil War era instruments, many drawn from the Mark Elrod Collection, the ensemble is uniformed as a Union regimental band. Emulating the many brass bands that entertained during the Civil War, the Federal City Brass Band performs arrangements from both contemporary band scores and piano music.

Jari Villanueva, director
A musician and historian, Jari Villanueva has sounded "Taps" at Arlington National Cemetery more than 1,600 times over seventeen years as a member of the United States Air Force Band. A graduate of the Peabody Conservatory and Kent State University, he was the curator of the Taps Exhibit at Arlington and is the author of Twenty Four Notes That Tap Deep Emotions, the history of the bugle call "Taps." He has arranged volumes of Civil War music for brass quintet, and published articles on the history of bugle calls and brass bands of the Civil War. An active Civil War reenactor, he has sounded bugle calls for Co. D, 3rd U.S. Infantry and has served as Chief Bugler for Vincent's Brigade. He has also served as assistant music producer and bugler for the movie Gods and Generals.

Mark Elrod, collector and performer
An internationally known musicologist, historian and collector of antique brass instruments, Mark Elrod retired from the U. S. Army in 1998 with over twenty-eight years of combined service with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, as a combat artilleryman and helicopter door gunner in Vietnam, as a musician (bugler) with the Army's principal ceremonial unit, the 1st Battalion, 3rd Infantry ("The Old Guard") at Fort Myer, Virginia, and as a musician with the prestigious United States Marine Band. He holds a B.S. degree in industrial arts from Salem College in Salem, West Virginia. Elrod is the author of A Pictorial History of Civil War Era Musical Instruments and Military Bands, the definitive reference work on American Civil War era band instruments, bands and music. While attending the Catholic University School of Music, he co-founded the Heritage Americana Band, a performance ensemble dedicated to the performance of Civil War era wind band music on original period instruments. He was recently contracted as a music consultant to a new movie based on the Civil War novel Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier.

Admission
Admission is free.

Telephone
Public information: (24 hour recorded message): (410) 455-ARTS
General Department of Music information: (410) 455-2942
Media inquiries only: (410) 455-3370

Web
UMBC Arts website: http://www.umbc.edu/arts
UMBC News Releases: http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/oci/index.phtml?r=Art
Department of Music website: http://www.umbc.edu/music

Directions
From Baltimore and points north, proceed south on I-95 to exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Fine Arts Building.

From I-695, take Exit 12C (Wilkens Avenue) and continue one-half mile to the entrance of UMBC at the roundabout intersection of Wilkens Avenue and Hilltop Road. Turn left and follow signs to the Fine Arts Building.

From Washington and points south, proceed north on I-95 to Exit 47B. Take Route 166 toward Catonsville and then follow signs to the Fine Arts Building.

Daytime metered visitor parking is available in Lot 10, near the Administration Building. Visitor parking regulations are enforced on all University calendar days. Hilltop Circle and all campus roadways require a parking permit unless otherwise marked.

Online campus map: http://www.umbc.edu/aboutumbc/campusmap/

Images for Media
High resolution images for media are available online: http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/arts/hi-res/ or by email or postal mail.

Image on this release (2Mb): http://www.umbc.edu/newsevents/arts/hi-res/music/fall02/federalcityband.jpg
Photo credit: Robert Szabo