Chad R Nicholson

Interests

Teaching

Advanced Wind Conducting, ensemble leadership, wind band repertoire

Research

Primary source material from the original Sousa band as found in the archives of the UA Frank Simon Band Library

Courses

Scholarly Contributions

Chapters

• Nicholson, C. R. (2017). Keeping Rehearsals Fresh. In The Conductor's Companion: 100 Rehearsal Techniques, Imaginative ideas, Quotes and Facts(pp 55-56). Meredith Music Publishers.

Other Teaching Materials

• Nicholson, C. R. (2020. Pro Tips for Band Directors: Gustav Holst: First Suite in E-Flat. Forward Motion/Manhattan Concert Productions LLC.
  More info

  I developed a new online instructional series to answer to the needs of professional conductors who want to enhance their skills and knowledge as conductors.This is a video course from my first unit, "Exploring the Masterworks."Each published course runs from 6-9 hours in length and utilizes multimedia to demonstrate score analysis, conducting gesture, and the historical context of the masterpieces of the wind band repertoire.
• Nicholson, C. R. (2020. Pro Tips for Band Directors: Gustav Holst: Second Suite in F. Forward Motion/Manhattan Concert Productions LLC.
  More info

  I developed a new online instructional series to answer to the needs of professional conductors who want to enhance their skills and knowledge as conductors.This is a video course from my first unit, "Exploring the Masterworks."Each published course runs from 6-9 hours in length and utilizes multimedia to demonstrate score analysis, conducting gesture, and the historical context of the masterpieces of the wind band repertoire.
• Nicholson, C. R. (2020. Pro Tips for Band Directors: Norman Dello Joio: Scenes from the Louvre. Forward Motion/Manhattan Concert Productions LLC.
  More info

  I developed a new online instructional series to answer to the needs of professional conductors who want to enhance their skills and knowledge as conductors.This is a video course from my first unit, "Exploring the Masterworks."Each published course runs from 6-9 hours in length and utilizes multimedia to demonstrate score analysis, conducting gesture, and the historical context of the masterpieces of the wind band repertoire.
• Nicholson, C. R. (2020. Pro Tips for Band Directors: Percy Grainger: Colonial Song. Forward Motion/Manhattan Concert Productions LLC.
  More info

  I developed a new online instructional series to answer to the needs of professional conductors who want to enhance their skills and knowledge as conductors.This is a video course from my first unit, "Exploring the Masterworks."Each published course runs from 6-9 hours in length and utilizes multimedia to demonstrate score analysis, conducting gesture, and the historical context of the masterpieces of the wind band repertoire.
• Nicholson, C. R. (2020. Pro Tips for Band Directors: Ralph Vaughan Williams: English Folk Song Suite. Forward Motion/Manhattan Concert Productions LLC.
  More info

  I developed a new online instructional series to answer to the needs of professional conductors who want to enhance their skills and knowledge as conductors.This is a video course from my first unit, "Exploring the Masterworks."Each published course runs from 6-9 hours in length and utilizes multimedia to demonstrate score analysis, conducting gesture, and the historical context of the masterpieces of the wind band repertoire.

Others

• Nicholson, C. R. (2022, March). Joy and Monsters: The Music of joel Love. https://www.soundset.com/album/SR1130/?sort=&asc_desc=DESC&resultpage=

Creative Works

• Consortium Premiere of New Work for Wind Ensemble; Symphonic Wind Ensemble; Cait Nishimura Music; November 2018; Canadian Composer and music educator, Cait Nishimura, was commisssioned by a group of univerities for a work that was premiered by the UA Symphonic Band. This UA ensemble provides performance opportunities for students across the UA campus and is an outstanding outreach ensemble for our campus.The piece, In Dreams, explores the crossover between dreams and reality.The work was premiered by the UA Symphonic Band, Yudai Ueda, conducting, on 12/9/2019.
• Selecting the Best Trip for your Students; Print and Online Magazine; Timeless Communications; November 2016; School Band and Orchestra Magazine; I was interviewed by the author of this article and subsequently cited in the final printed edition.  The author was aware that I have done a signficiant amount of work conducting ensembles who are on a major trip or tour.  I have been a vocal supporter of providing quality musical learning experiences to students while traveling, as it is often the case that a band trip becomes more about the theme parks and less about the development of musical artistry.
• The Instant Gratification Culture: Use it to Your Advantage; National Association for Music Education; June 2016; Official website for the National Association for Music Education, http://www.nafme.org/instant-gratification-culture-use-advantage/; Shortly after being selected through a competitve juried process to speak at the NAfME National Conference in 2016, the organization asked me to write a blog post on the same topic to be featured nationally.
• Consortium Commission of New Work for Wind Ensemble and Prerecorded Track; Symphonic Wind Ensemble; Activist Music LLC; January 2020; Notable composer and Alex Shapiro was commisssioned by a consortium if university wind ensmebles to create her new piece for wind band, Ascent.ASCENT reflects the effort to get off the ground, literally or figuratively. It's a micro-overture that begins with the promise of upward transcendence, yet soon flies off into rogue disorganization. The raucous flock of many notes finally gathers into a united upward-headed murmuration, but the freedom of soaring into the sky brings an uneasy mystery before settling into the tranquil air of anticipation.The premiere performance has been delayed due to COVID-19.
• Consortium Commission and Premiere of New Work for Wind Ensemble; Symphonic Wind Ensemble; ACTIVIST MUSIC LLC,; December 2021; I collaborated with 23 university wind band cunductors around the country to commission a new work from Ms. Alex Shapirt entitled Ascent. This was a grounbreaking premiere that combined synthesized soundscapes with the acoutic performance of the UA students.
• World Premiere of New Work for Wind Ensemble; Symphonic Wind Ensemble; Murphy Music Press; December 2021; I collaborated with Daniel Asia's DMA student, Joshua Nichols, in 2020 to provide mentorship for his final document: a new symphonic poem for wind ensemble. Although Dr. Nichols graduate in Spring 2021, the resulting four-movement piece, Hansel und Gretel, was performed in Fall 2021 with continued collaboration with the composer. 
• Consortium Commission and Premiere of New Work for Virtual Wind Ensemble; Wind Ensemble; Ryan Williams Music; April 2020; The UA Wind Ensemble commissioned a new work in response to the COVID-19 issues, entitle Mandatory Social Distancing, by Ryan Williams.This unique work was written, prepared, and performed over the course of weeks in Spring 2020. 757 students across the country participated in the multimedia premire, which occurred online on April 30, 2020.This was a special opportunity to rehearse and perform when most students could not do so: Mandatory Social Distancing for virtual wind ensemble - YouTubeThe Consortium Premiere was on December 7, 2019, in Crowder Hall.
• Consortium Commission of New Work for Wind Ensemble; Symphonic Wind Ensemble; Steven Bryant / Gorilla Salad Productions (ASCAP); April 2019; This new work commissioned from composer Steven Bryant utilizes electronic and acoustic instruments in an all-encompassing performance. The piece was premiered by the UA Wind Ensemble in Spring 2022.
• Consortium Premiere of New Work for Chamber Winds; Chamber Wind Ensemble; Wento Ames Music; April 2018; The UA Wind Ensemble commissioned a new work for wind octet as part of a consortium of institutions led by Hartwick College. The composer, JoAnne Harris, has written for movies, television, and now, for wind ensemble.The work,  Dawn Chorus, is composed for the same instrumentation as the Stravinsky Octet  and elicits the many counds and feelings of early morning.The Consortium Premiere was on December 7, 2019, in Crowder Hall.
• Chorale for Wind Ensemble; Commission and premiere of a new work for wind ensemle entitled Chorale by Joshua Nichols. It was composed by a former student of Dr. Daniel Asia and was premiered at Dr. Asia's final Music + Festival.
• Dust for Wind Ensemble and Brass Quintet; Consortium Commission for new work for Wind Ensemble by Jennifer Jolley and the Seraph Brass, a professional all-femmale brass quintet
• Luminance; Consortium Commission of a new work for Wind Ensemble entitled Luminance by Shuing Li
• Sunflower Studies; Consortium Commission of a new work for Wind Ensemble entitles Sunflower Studies by Nicole Piunno.
• University of Oregon Research Contributor-Graduate Thesis; I was selected as a resource for a new study to evaluate high quality repertoire in the march style. I provided my expertise and information about repertoire toward a Master of Music Education research project for a thesis at the University of Oregon.
• Sum of Our Parts; Newly commissioned piece for Wind Ensemble, entitled The Sum of Our Parts by Allison Loggins-Hull