From "Phoenix" CD Liner Notes: PHOENIX: Many legends hint at an inborn urge that calls us, because of and in spite of ourselves, home. Sometimes the music is faint, other times more clearly heard. We know when we hear it. We wonder when it's out of range. It's been called by different names. The Hindus call it Shraddha. We cry for its song. While we resist it still…. Unlike music more easily heard, it comes by invitation. Does not invade. We drift in silence a long time, busily busy, outside ourselves. Until by unquenchable longing or utter desperation… Caught inside the mystery, the doubt, fear and inspiration, we find comfort and encouragement, "what if…?" Heard long enough so, in our hearts, we feel again the call, the truth, validity, of being distinctly human, an authenticity that no machine can voice, that no human need feel ashamed to express nor abdicate the birthright to, in the face of increasing demand for inhuman perfection, for inhuman sterility. A choice. Of mind. And heart. And core to the Frequency Band, in response to genuine try, is the attempt, "Your mistakes cost your nothing, here." Our mission, to foster, beyond our domain, in music and life, the natural courage to further "make it so." This recording pays tribute to the essence in each life moved by the call to be free. Shraddha, the soul call of the Phoenix. Phoenix, the song of the soul set free. …. Recorded at Boston Conservatory, Seully Hall, Boston, MA, January 8, 9, 10 and 11, 2009. Engineered by Patrick Keating Produced by Carol Viera Music for trombone choir by Norman Bolter Notes and Art Direction by Carol Viera Cover Painting by Marina Petro Layout and Design by Rival Marketing About the individual pieces: Coming Soon! Norman Bolter's Bio Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Norman Bolter was first inspired to play the trombone when, at age four, he saw the Captain Kangaroo television show character, "Mr. Greenjeans," play the same instrument. Mr. Bolter began his formal trombone studies at age nine with Ed VonHoff of the St. Paul Public School System. Later, he studied with Ronald Rickets and Steven Zellmer of the Minnesota Orchestra and with John Swallow at the New England Conservatory. Mr. Bolter is very thankful to these teachers and to former Boston Symphony Orchestra principal bassoonist, Sherman Walt, not only for their technical and musical assistance but also for their encouragement and nurturance of his love of music and trombone playing. A Tanglewood Fellow and C. D. Jackson Award winner, Mr. Bolter joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1975 at age 20, becoming the youngest member of the orchestra at that time. As well, he is principal trombonist of the Boston Pops Orchestra and was a founding member of the Empire Brass Quintet, which won the prestigious Walter H. Naumberg Award in Chamber Music, the first brass ensemble ever to win this award. Mr. Bolter has appeared, as a member of the Boston Pops Orchestra, on the televised PBS favorite "Evening at Pops" with Arthur Fiedler, John Williams and Keith Lockhart as conductors. He has toured extensively in the U.S., Europe, Asia and South America with the BSO, the Pops and the Empire Brass and has made many recordings with them. He also appears as principal trombonist on recordings with Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine. Furthermore, Mr. Bolter appears as soloist and/or conductor on five recordings of his own compositions, "Experiments in Music," "Anew at Home," "Occurrences," "In Living Continuance" and "Phoenix." In addition to his numerous trombone solos, Mr. Bolter performed the acclaimed euphonium solo in the BSO recording of Mahler's "Symphony No. 7 " (Philips Classics Productions, 1990) and also played euphonium on the Minnesota Orchestra recording of "Ein Heldenleben" by Richard Strauss. Mr. Bolter has composed music from a very early age, with the last thirteen years witnessing an outpouring of new works winning him acclaim as a composer both in the US and abroad. In addition to his own recordings of these works, Mr. Bolter's compositions have appeared on recordings by New York Philharmonic principal trombonist Joseph Alessi, Boston Symphony Orchestra bass trombonist Douglas Yeo, Boston Symphony Orchestra principal trombonist Ronald Barron, and Los Angeles Philharmonic co-principal trombonist James Miller. Further, his compositions have been performed throughout the world, with performances in Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, South America and the US. Amongst the many who have given live solo performances of Mr. Bolter's works are: Joseph Alessi ("Arctic Emanations" for trombone and piano), Ronald Barron ("Sky Dreams" for alto trombone and piano), Scott Hartman ("Trees" for alto trombone and orchestra), Randall Montgomery ("Clouncey" for tuba and piano and "Keepers of the Cosmic Sea" for solo tuba and brass ensemble with percussion), Richard Sebring ("Nautilus" for solo horn and brass ensemble with percussion), Charles Schlueter ("On the Cusp" for solo trumpet and brass ensemble with percussion, "Immersions" for solo trumpet and "Marsha's Gift" for trumpet and piano), Charles Vernon ("Of Mountains, Lakes and Trees" for solo bass, tenor and alto trombones and orchestra, and "Sagittarius2" for bass trombone and piano), R. Douglas Wright ("Solar Voyages" for solo trombone and brass ensemble; "Lakes" for solo tenor trombone and orchestra) Douglas Yeo ("Of Mountains" for solo bass trombone and orchestra) and Jacques Zoon ("In the Place of Wild Lavender" for flute, horn and cello). Mr. Bolter's works have been commissioned by Joseph Alessi ("Arctic Emanations" for trombone and piano), Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston ("IOURS" for trombone and chamber orchestra), the Zellmer-Minnesota Trombone Competition ("Morning Walk" for tenor trombone and piano, "Sagittarius2" for bass trombone and piano), Mike Roylance ("Night of the Soul" for tuba trio), Peter Chapman ("Immersions" for unaccompanied solo trumpet), the Online Trombone Journal ("The Joy in Being Able" for trombone and piano), the University of St. Thomas ("A White Company Overture" for concert band) and others. In his numerous compositions (over 200 created to date), Mr. Bolter explores creating "essence music" (music as a living thing) inspired by the natural worlds and the human story. His compositions have a broad range of instrumentation, including works for a variety of solo instruments (trombone, trumpet, tuba, horn, flute, didjeridoo, ram's horn, serpent and others), brass ensemble, trombone choir, concert band, brass band, mixed chamber ensemble and orchestra. Notably, Mr. Bolter has composed more music for the trombone that any other composer. A renowned teacher, Mr. Bolter serves on the faculties of New England Conservatory, Boston Conservatory, University of Massachusetts-Amherst and Longy School of Music. Many of his students hold positions in major symphony orchestras, chamber music groups and universities around the world. In addition to conducting regular master classes, Mr. Bolter holds special Frequency Band workshops, co-conducted with his wife, entertainment psychologist Dr. Carol Viera. Mr. Bolter also is co-author, with Dr. Viera, of several papers and booklets, including "Methods of Effective Practice," "High Range Exercises," "It's Not All in the Air" and "The Metronome Meditation." He also has written a unique sight reading book for advanced trombone players, "Reading at the Speed of Sight." All of these works are available for purchase on the Air-ev Productions website. Mr. Bolter offers private lessons, as his schedule permits, in which players can experience for themselves his unique and effective one-to-one instruction. Frequency Band Bio: The Frequency Band® is a vision, a training and a performance ensemble. Founded in 1993 by Norman Bolter and Carol Viera, the Frequency Band's purpose is to offer a sanctuary for musicians to reconnect to the feelings, reasons and sentiments that attracted them to music in the first place, and to honor "music as a living thing" through striving to connect to the essence of music--that living spark which brings music alive, difficult to define but clearly felt. These opportunities are facilitated through unique methods of targeted mental tuning and advanced musical training, tunings which invariably result in a high standard of performance without undue preoccupation with academic or technical perfection. It is a fundamental premise of the Frequency Band that the most effective, memorable and life-enhancing experiences, for both musicians and audiences, can be engendered through approaching music in this way, as a human experience and a living art.