The Southeastern Michigan Wind Ensemble (SEMWE) will present ‘Tributes’ on May 7 at 3 p.m. in the Clarkston High School Performing Arts Center, 6093 Flemings Lake Road, and a few recognizable faces from Clarkston’s past and present will be heavily involved.
Conducted by former Clarkston Director of Bands Cliff Chapman, who served Clarkston for 27 years, the band will perform “Rise Up” by Brooke Pierson, “MSU Shadows,” “Our Cast Aways” by Julie Giroux, “Prayer for Ukraine” by Mykola Lysenko, “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Modest Mussorgsky, and “Sound the Bells,” “Star Wars Main Title,” “Adventures on Earth from E.T.,” “March of the Resistance,” and “Symphonic Marches” by John Williams.
The concert is open to the public and admission is free. Donations are gratefully accepted and appreciated.
SEMWE will also welcome guest conductors Eric Crimmins, SEMWE founder and managing director, R. Scott Adkins, director of bands at Waterford Kettering High School, and Michael Lewis, director of bands at Clarkston High School.
The SEMWE includes musicians from area public or private schools, band educators, professors at local universities and freelance performers.
Founded by Eric Crimmins, retired music director at Lake Orion Scripps Middle School, SEMWE performs high-quality community concerts in a series of three cycles per year.
The mission of SEMWE is to provide a performance outlet for music educators and other accomplished musicians, to educate and share music with the local community and to promote wind and percussion literature as a form of communication and cultural enrichment. SEMWE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization.
Chapman has served on the faculties of Wayne State University Department of Music and College of Education, Eastern Michigan University Department of Music, and Clarkston Community Schools as Director of Instrumental Music and Fine Performing Arts Coordinator.
Recently, Chapman has been elected to the National Executive Board of the Association of Concert Bands, beginning next month.
For more information on SEMWE, visit SEMWE.org, send an email to info@semwe.org, or call 248-462-9043.
— Matt Mackinder

PHOTO: From left, Cliff Chapman and Michael Lewis.