October 21, 2004

Boise State Concert Honors Longtime Music Educator Mel Shelton

A concert honoring Mel Shelton, an award-winning composer and longtime and beloved music educator in the Treasure Valley, will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14, in the Morrison Center. The concert will feature the Boise State Symphonic Winds, the Centennial High School Symphonic Band and former students of Shelton. Admission is $5 general, $3 for seniors and free for students of all ages and Boise State faculty and staff. The program includes several popular pieces written by Shelton, including: “Grand Tetons,” “San Xavier Suite,” “Song for Alto Saxophone and Band,” “Elegy,” “Biotzetik,” “Timberline,” “Air for Band,” “Requiem for Wildfire Heroes,” “Centennial” and “Western Jamboree.” A CD recording of music composed by Shelton will be available for purchase for $15 at the concert. The CD will also be given away free with a $100 scholarship donation. Shelton was band director at Boise High School for nine years before coming to Boise State in 1968, where he taught until his retirement in 1991. He held the position of principal trumpet with the Boise Philharmonic and the Brass Ensemble for many years, was solo cornetist and conductor of the Boise Municipal Band; performed for many civic operas and musicals; and served on the summer music faculty at the University of Wisconsin, University of Idaho and Ricks College. He now devotes himself to composing music for school bands. He has won numerous awards for his compositions, which have been performed throughout the United States, Europe, Australia and Japan. Among his many other activities, Shelton established the BSU Jazz Festival (now the Gene Harris Jazz Festival) and the Treasure Valley Concert Band, made up of adult musicians from all walks of life. The concert will benefit a Boise State University music scholarship. For more information on Shelton or the concert, or to participate as a former student, contact Symphonic Winds director Marcellus Brown at 426-1421. -30- Contact: Marcellus Brown, Department of Music, (208) 426-1421, mbrown@boisestate.edu  Media Contact: Kathleen Craven, communications and marketing, (208) 426-3275, kcraven@boisestate.edu