US Army Medical Command Band to perform Steve Vai's "Liberty"

[02T]

The United States Army Medical Command Band will be performing Steve Vai's composition "Liberty" in Virginia Beach, VA, at the Sandler Center on 5 May 2010 at 7:30 PM.  The program is a selection of patriotic themed music.  It is a part of the Army Band Leaders Training conference; as such, I am not sure of availability to the public, but it should be open and free of charge.  If you are in the area, come on down, if only to see how I do on the cadenza at the end.   

[black_biff_stadler]

Awesome! Put up a clip afterward if hopefully this is being recorded.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Liberty is one of my all time favorite Vai tunes.  Absolutely majestically awe-inspiring.  I hope a video of this event will be available.

[02T]

It's pretty awesome to get to play it with a 40-piece concert band.  Beats playing cymbals, anyway. 

[02T]

Had a rehearsal last night.  My amp was behind a trumpet player's head.  Almost made him cry.    From awesomeness.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

If I was a trumpet player, there's no place I'd rather be.  Damn this sounds cool.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

 

[02T]

So, it went pretty well.  After the show, tons of people were asking about the arrangement, really excited about it.  It was really cool.  Plus a bunch of old friends who I had deployed to Iraq with were there for the conference, so I got to hang out with them.  A friend said he recorded it, so as soon as he puts it up on youtube, I will let you know.

My favorite part, the program says at the bottom: "Special thanks to Steve Vai..."

I contacted Hal Leonard to apply for permission to arrange the pice, and they never responded.  My XO decided to look up SyVy publishing, called them, and the lady there said that Steve would love for us to do it, and sent back the signed forms within 12 hours.  Mr. Vai is the king!

[black_biff_stadler]

So, it went pretty well.  After the show, tons of people were asking about the arrangement, really excited about it.  It was really cool.  Plus a bunch of old friends who I had deployed to Iraq with were there for the conference, so I got to hang out with them.  A friend said he recorded it, so as soon as he puts it up on youtube, I will let you know.

My favorite part, the program says at the bottom: "Special thanks to Steve Vai..."

I contacted Hal Leonard to apply for permission to arrange the pice, and they never responded.  My XO decided to look up SyVy publishing, called them, and the lady there said that Steve would love for us to do it, and sent back the signed forms within 12 hours.  Mr. Vai is the king!

Great work bro and very cool to see your proactiveness panning out so quickly.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

I have the guitar tab book for Passion and Warfare and there's a full instrument score for Liberty in it.  Amazing.

[02T]

I didn't get the book until one of my unit's arrangers had already almost completed it.  He pulled it all off the cd (the orchestral version) by ear, but made a few changes.  Then he compared it to the tab book.  The French horn parts are almost out of the practical range of the instrument, and some of the notated chord symbols don't really match with what is going on in all the parts.

We ended up dropping the whole thing down a half step, and I tuned down the guitar.  Apparently E is a rather difficult key for horns, especially at the end of the concert, which had some challenging parts.  And I wanted any screw-ups to be my fault instead of the rest of the band's.  Plus, the trumpet parts are ridiculously high anyway.

One of the biggest challenges was not over-bending.  The whole and half step bends had to be right on, or everything would get really ugly.

[02T]

If you're in the San Antonio area, we are playing "Liberty" Sunday night, May 16, at 6pm, at the AMEDD Museum on Fort Sam Houston.  Come on out.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Damn.  Sure do wish I was in the area to come see this.  Good luck, dude!

[02T]

Time change.  7PM.

And in case of inclement weather, it will be at the Sam Houston Club, on Fort Sam Houston.