Our Conductor...

Neal Haglund
Director, Anchorage Community Concert Band

One of the unique aspects of the Anchorage Community Concert Band is its musical director and conductor, Neal Haglund. Under his baton, Maestro Haglund has directed the Anchorage Community Concert Band for a third of the 23 year history of this musical organization. As a long time music educator for the Anchorage School System, he brings an essential musical and historical perspective to the community concert band. This perspective is a valuable resource in achieving a
common musical focus for the variety of member musicians over a wide range of ages, musical interests, and abilities.

As the successor to the Anchorage Community Concert Band founder, Bob Armstrong in 1983, Neal's musical origin began in the Anchorage School District's Romig Middle school as a 7th grade trumpet player. After relocation to Wisconsin, he completed his high school years playing professionally in several dance bands before entering the University of Wisconsin. Enrolled in a Bachelor of Music Education, he gained extensive experience in performance with an eclectic range of musical groups from the classics to jazz. During this stage of musical development, he toured Europe with the Wisconsin Wind Ensemble. I n between working summers in Alaska and playing in UAA's emerging Jazz Ensemble under Windy Williamson, he completed his degree in Wisconsin and returned to Alaska.

Once established back in Anchorage, he joined talents and common musical interest with Bob Armstrong and 3 other UAA ex-patriots to form Anchorage's first big band sound, *the Anchorage Jazz Ensemble". At age 25, Neal Haglund became the jazz ensemble's first musical director. Several years after the formation of the Anchorage Community Concert Band, Bob Armstrong passed the baton over to Neal to continue building the community concert band concept as a musical service element of the local area. For over 18 years as a member and conductor of the Anchorage Community Concert Band, Neal Haglund has been a dynamic force in promoting the development of an adult musical resource in the Anchorage area.

As a foundation organization and base musical element for Anchorage musicians, some
interesting and diverse musical groups have evolved in typical Alaskan fashion. Members of the community band have gone on to establish the "Front Row Section Band", "The Frozen Brass", "Tuba Christmas", "The Blaskepelle (German Band)", and the Anchorage School District's "Strike Band" as a musical expression of the diversity of musical taste and appreciation in Alaska. Director Haglund continues to shape and provide direction for the Anchorage Community Concert Band each year in the annual preparation of two concert performances in the Spring and Fall.

As the community develops a larger appetite for musical expression, the Anchorage Community Concert Band has expanded its reach in the performance of mini-concerts at various shopping malls and Saturday Markets. Visitors to Alaska join with members of the local community to welcome the sights and sounds of Anchorage's own Anchorage Community Concert Band as an expression of the power and satisfaction from the sound of music unique to a time honored musical tradition, the Concert Band. Neal Haglund has established his place in the development of the musical character of the Anchorage community by his distinguished contribution to the Anchorage Community Concert Band.

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