2002 All-State Guest Conductor
ANTHONY J. MAIELLO
Fairfax, Virgina

Access Audio using RealPlayer- An Interview- 3/22/02, Huron SD 
Note: audio is slightly distorted due to technical difficulties

Where do you currently work?
I am basically a professor of music. I conduct at George Mason University where I teach conducting at the undergraduate level, the graduate level and I have two doctorial students. I conduct the top band and also  the symphony orchestra, so I conduct both orchestras in Fairfax,Virgina right outside of Washington.

How were the students selected for the performance?
In terms of levels of auditions, they are selected by a committee that travels around the entire state. So every music student in the state of South Dakota can audition. These students are the ones who were selected, so it is a highly selective group. 

What is the conductor's role in a concert?
In terms of my role as a conductor, I always feel that a conductor's first job, above anything else, is to inspire. They can count. They don't need me to count. They  don't need me to really tell them when to play, although a conductor's job  sometimes is to cue people and bring them in at the proper time during the music. But more than anything else, my job, in my opinion, is to inspire them to play the music to the best of their ability. That is how I view myself . And so it is an emotional roller coaster really. Music is basically the highs and lows of human emotion put into sound  It is my job to inspire them to play  what's on the page to the best of their ability, so that  the listener can experience different waves of emotion in the sound.

What challenges do you face working for such a small amount of practice time?
That's the case no matter where you go. Anytime you do an all-state or an engagement or  festival, you have a given amount of time. There are always compromises. And what you do is you pick and choose your battles so to speak. In other words, what you need to work out to make the concert work in the amount of time that you have. The more time you have, the more specific you can work, the more minutia you can work on. The less amount of time you have, the more you go for the big picture The big picture is to make the students feel successful, to nurture them,  to encourage them and to set the environment for a positive experience.

How does working with younger talent differ from working with veterans?
I find younger people to be extremely inspiring myself. First of all, young people today are so talented. When I think back to my time at their age, they've got me beat. They are just incredible. They are so talented, and they have so many opportunities, and that is wonderful. I think that is just great.

How have the kids changed?
 I think the only thing that has really changed is that more people want more from them. Everybody wants a piece of the students today. Twenty-five years ago, there weren't as many activities and there wasn't as much going on, so you could call for extra time, and they could practice. Now-a-days, the computer teachers want them; everybody wants them. Women are in sports more so than they were 20 years ago. Everybody wants a piece of them , so in that respect,  you sort of fight for their time. In spite of that, they still manage to do so well. It's incredible. It amazes me to think of the talent we have.

Any standouts?
There are some wonderful players. The first horn player, his first name is David, is just outstanding.  The first chair players are just superb.  The first chair flutist is excellent. The first chair trumpet, trombone, I mean there are just so many players. There are some excellent percussionists back there.  They are just really incredible talents.

How was the music for the concert selected?
I was free to choose what I wanted to choose. Basically it's like a professional artist, we all have repertoire that we like, and we constantly build a repertoire. So these are some of the things that I like. I love the Barnum and Bailey, I've loved that ever since I was a kid.  Twelve Seconds to the Moon by Robert Smith is one of my favorites, and I think the students like it.  And that basically depicts man's conquest of the skies from the first flight with the Wright brothers through the Apollo missions, and it's just a beautiful piece  It's extremely difficult. It is commissioned by the United States Air Force band at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, and it's a virtuoso piece. They are doing so well.

What piece is the most challenging?
I think the Twelve Seconds to the Moon  is an extremely challenging piece. Brass wise, the endurance is incredible. I mean it is just so tough around the face and the mouth. The horns are playing high and they are playing  fan fares. I mean it's just a real challenge, but they are meeting it

Do you play?
I started off as a youngster playing the accordion;all Italian kids play the accordion. So I really didn't have a legitimate instrument. When I went away to music school, I started the clarinet, so I am basically a woodwind player. I play clarinet,  flute. saxophone. I play piano, and  I also play the viola because I conduct symphony orchestra.

Do you like to play or conduct?
I think I like to conduct better that I like to play. Although I love to play and I hope I will always have that wealth to play an instrument But it's nice to conduct, and I'll tell you why because when you conduct, in your mind, you play all of the instruments. It's really neat. Because when you are conducting the trombones, you are basically playing the trombone without having to overcome the trombone, and when you conduct the clarinets, and they are struggling with fingerings, you don't have to worry about that. As a conductor, in your mind, you get to play all of the instruments. Whereas when you play the instruments, you only get to play one.

You didn't seem to refer to any music during rehearsal. Why?
I try not to use scores. I try to memorize everything. I think that's better because when we're having a conversation and we're looking at one another, if I had to constantly look down at my notes, as a conductor, I would take myself away from you as opposed to always being able to speak to you . So, the level of communication is much higher, I think, when you are always looking at the musicians.

How long did it take you to memorize these selections?
This whole concert, these six selections, if I put all of the hours together in memorizing all of  the scores, I'd say it was probably about 250 hours. I don't have a photographic memory. I wish I did; it would be a lot easier.

What is the state of music in this country?
Personally  I think we are in very good hands. When I see these youngsters, and I hear them play, and I look at their level of their dedication, it warms my heart. And, I am so glad that you are here, and you are asking me these questions because often times youngsters are in the news, but it's for the wrong  reasons. And that's not always true; we always cover the good things . But, it warms my heart that you would take the time to hear them and to talk to me, and to let the general public know about all of these good things  happening musically.  We're in great hands.  I don't think it has ever been better.

What about recent music budget cuts?
Unfortunately in our society, not always but for the most part,  when they go to cut things and they go to cut budgets, they cut the arts. And the arts, in my opinion, are what make us human. We could have all of the technology in the world, but if we don't have art to bring out our humanity, what good is life. First and foremost, we are human beings. Our sensitivity,  our inner feelings, our expression, our self- expression, if we can't do that, what good is the quality of life. So consequently in this very technological age that we live in, we tend to want to cut the arts, and sometimes that happens. But I think I have enough faith in people, that even though it is a struggle, we'll never lose the arts. So I think we are in good hands. I really do. It is constant battle. They are always cutting budgets. State budgets everywhere are in trouble, even at the university we've had cutbacks,  but you know, we just forge forward. Because human expression is the most important thing. If we can't express ourselves as humans, the future doesn't look to bright. So we've got to me able to express ourselves, and one way is through music.

Besides this, what are some other important moments in your career?
Lake Placid was wonderful, the 1980 winter Olympics, that was a real big high. That was lots of fun; I enjoyed that very much. I think  one of the highlights in my career was when  I studied with Leonard  Slatken at the Kennedy Center and conducted that National Symphony Orchestra. That was just such a real thrill. The caliber of musicians was just incredible. Also living in the Washington, I am very fortunate to be able to conduct the military bands- the Air Force band,  the Navy band, the Army band, and conducting such wonderful musicians is an absolute thrill . I have never driven a Rolls Royce, but that is the closet thing to driving a Rolls Royce. 

What kind of music do you like?
If it is good, I like it. I like good country; I like good rock; I like good jazz; I like good classical.  I really don't have any preference. If music touches my heart, I like it. As long as it speaks to me, I like it and that is what's most important.

What do you think the average music lover should be familiar with to be well-rounded?
You should be open to all kinds of music, and even music from other countries  I think is fascinating. I can't say I am always taken back by it, some music I find more interesting. For some reason,  I  love Russian music, and I am 100% Italian. Somewhere back there I had a great-great grandmother who somehow had some Russian in her I think. The Russian composers because of their passion, it's that  passion that  is so incredible.  I always use my favorite Beethoven quote here, and I shared it with the kids today. Beethoven said, "To play a wrong note is insignificant; to play without passion is inexcusable." And I love that. And if music touches your heart, and it touches your insides then that is all that matters. If it changes your insides in some small way, that's the most important thing. And that's what we are trying to do here.  When the people come to the concert, we want them to feel just a little bit different. We don't care how. Having experienced the concert, their insides will be different.

Because music is such a big part of your life, is silence important to you?
Sometimes silence is okay, because music actually starts in silence and ends in silence. So, silence is good. This is probably a good way to sum it up.  I always tell students you don't choose music, music chooses you. Music chooses you. When students say, "Mr. M., I think I'd like to go into music," the first thing I say to them is if you have to think about it, don't do it because it is not a 9-5; it is a way of life.