MARCHES - madd creations

Having lived my entire in east Texas where many bands continue the tradition of military-style marching, in the fall of 2022 I decided to expand the focus of MADD Creations beyond corps-style music and begin writing traditional marches. The first three were Rio Grande, Big Tex, and Pineywoods. Since then, I have written six more, many of which were commissions such as Diamond Jubilee on the occasion of Tatum Music Co.’s 75th anniversary.

If you are in the market for a traditional march, I hope you will find something you want to purchase and play with your band. Or maybe, you like what you hear and want something written especially for your band

Hurricane Watch

This march was commissioned in 2007 by Leland Knapp, director of the Rockport-Fulton HS Band, and dedicated to his father, Don Knapp. The name for the march comes from the location of Rockport on the Texas coast. It was premiered at the Rockport-Fulton HS Band Spring Concert in April 2008.

Diamond Jubilee

Founded in 1948 by former band director Alto Tatum, Tatum Music has been serving bands in East Texas for 75 years. In the 60s Alto sold the business to Neil Grant, another former band director, who continued the level of unprecedented service to school band programs. Several years ago, Neil sold the business to his son, also a former band director, who has continued this tradition of excellence. This march was commissioned by Doice Grant in honor of Tatum Music’s 75th anniversary of service to the bands of East Texas. The march was premiered by the East Texas Symphonic Band in November 2023 in the Tatum Music parking lot with composer conducting. The occasion celebrated both Tatum Music’s 75th anniversary as well as their grand re-opening following a fire in 2021.

Black Bear

In the 2022-2023 school year, Johnnie Cotton, a tuba player and director of the Timpson HS Band, had two senior All-State tuba players in his band. He commissioned this march for the band’s performance at the 2023 UIL Concert contest to feature them.