Notes
Christmas Postcards is the first commercial release by the Hoodlebug Brass. Previous recordings include: "Brass Fac's," which was released in March 2004 and "Off the Trac's," in 2009. Most of the arrangements on Christmas Postcards were written especially for this recording project, and many of the arrangements are available through Eighth Note Publications. Arrangers for this project include: Dr. Zach Collins is Associate Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he also teaches theory, history, leads the IUP Tubaphonium Ensemble, and performs with the Hoodlebug Brass Quintet. Zach received his B.M. in Tuba Performance from Texas Christian University where he studied with Richard Murrow and his M.M. and D.M.A. in Tuba Performance from the University of Southern California where he studied with Jim Self, Tommy Johnson, and Norm Pearson. He has performed with numerous ensembles including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony, West Virginia Symphony, Johnstown Symphony and Keystone Wind Ensemble. Zach has several of his compositions and arrangements published through Cimarron Music Press. Dr. David Ferguson is the Assistant Dean of the College of Fine Arts at IUP. From 2001-2012 he taught trumpet and music education courses in the IUP music department. Prior to that, Dr. Ferguson taught elementary, Jr. High, and High School music (primarily band and strings) in Decatur, Illinois for 6 years. David earned a BM in Music Education from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois and an MME and EdD in Music Education from the University of Illinois. Dr. Ferguson has published several compositions and arrangements for brass instruments through Eighth Note Publications in Toronto, Canada. He continues to perform with the Hoodlebug Brass and in a jazz combo with his wife Laura, who is also an IUP music professor. David and Laura have two children, Ella and Xavier. Michael Gaydeski is a recent graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he studied composition with Daniel Perlongo and Dr. David Martynuik and trumpet with Dr. Kevin Eisensmith and Dr. David Ferguson. During his time at IUP Michael arranged a number of works for brass quintet and trumpet ensemble. He has also written several original works, most recently Hexamorphosis for saxophone quartet and his Sonata for Tuba and Piano. He is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Trumpet Performance at Oklahoma City University, where he studies with Michael Anderson and plays in the Blackwelder Brass Quintet, the university's top graduate brass quintet, though he plans to continue his study of composition as well. David Marlatt is a composer, arranger, conductor and clinician. He has composed pieces for concert band, string orchestra, brass quintet, trumpet ensemble, piano, tuba and trumpet. His writing style is diverse and he has written for a wide range of difficulty levels from very young concert band to professional soloists and chamber ensembles. He has also arranged/transcribed over 1100 pieces of repertoire including South African folk songs, traditional Christmas carols, tangos, pieces from the Baroque to the Romantic eras. He has been commissioned by both professional and school groups to compose many pieces for concert band and chamber ensembles. Along with many performances by elementary, high school and college ensembles, professional performers of his works include: Matthias Hofs, Jens Lindemann, The Canadian Brass and New York Philharmonic Brass Quintet, and the ITG Mass Trumpet Ensemble. Mr. Marlatt is a trumpet player who obtained a music education degree from the University of Western Ontario, Canada. He was Principal Cornet in the Whitby Brass Band for 6 years and founder of the trumpet ensemble Trumpets in Style. As a performer, he has played in jazz bands, brass quintets, orchestras, concert bands, brass bands and period instrument ensembles. Dick Meyer started arranging while in high school in Allentown,