Michael Sweeney (born in 1952) is an ASCAP award-winning American composer, arranger, and musician. He lives in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, United States.
Biography
Distant Thunder of the Sacred Forest by Michael Sweeney - To purchase or for more info go to http://goo.gl/6i0nGY MusicWorks - Grade 2 This amazing work opens with the sounds of distant villages as their drumming echoes through the African rain forests...
Sweeney studied music education and composition at Indiana University Bloomington. Sweeney taught five years in public schools of Ohio and Indiana, where he taught many concert, jazz and marching programs (including three years with the Greenwood High School Marching Woodmen) for students from elementary to high school.
Since 1982, he has worked full time for Hal Leonard Corporation in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is currently Director of Band Publications. In addition, he contributes as a composer and arranger in all instrumental areas. Sweeney is particularly known for his writing and arranging of classic tunes at the younger levels for concert and jazz bands, and has over 500 publications to his credit. His works appear on numerous state contest lists and his music is regularly performed around the world. An ASCAP award-winning composer, his "Ancient Voices" (1994) and "Imperium" (1992) are analyzed in music education texts from GIA Publications.
Sweeney is also in demand as a clinician and conductor for honor bands and music festivals.
Compositions
Commissioned for bands
- 2016 Irish Rising
- 2015 "Celtic Farewell"
- 2012 Emerald Awakening
- 2012 Prelude And Pursuit
- 2008 On the Edge of Tomorrow
- 2008 Power Rock - Another One Bites the Dust
- 2007 Passages
- 2000 Black Forest Overture
- 1989 Blast from the Past
- 1989 Deck the Hall
- 1989 Dixieland Bash
- 1989 Kokomo
- 1992 Imperium
- 1994 Ancient Voices
- 1985 Life or Death
- 1972 Band on Parade
Other works
- Aladdin
- Ancient Voices
- Aztalan (City of Mystery)
- Bad Attitud!
- Band on Parade
- Bandroom Boogie
- Bay Side Grooving
- Been There, Done That
- Beyond the Seven Hills
- Black Forest Overture
- Blue 'n' Moody
- Bring on Da Band
- Caravan
- Carnaval
- Cayuga Lake Overture
- Celtic Air And Dance NO.2
- China Grove
- Christmas Joy
- Coming Home Baby
- Coldwater Crossing
- Cool Blues
- Corinthium
- Crossings in Time
- Dance of the Spirits
- Dansbury Run
- Dialogues
- Distant Horizons
- Distant Thunder of the Sacred Forest
- Drums of Corona
- Down by the Salley Gardens
- Due North
- Earth and Sky
- Earthdance
- Emerald Awakening"
- Equinox - Gershwin Classics
- Fanfare and March
- Fanfare and Presto
- Farandole
- Fires of Mazama
- Forge of Vulcan
- Freedom at Midnight
- Gallant March
- Gates of Orion
- Gathering in the Glen
- Go Daddy O
- Groove Bug: The Hanukkah Song
- Half Moon on the Hudson
- Hark! The Herald Tubas Sing
- High Water Mark: The Third Day
- Inside Out
- Instant Warm-Ups
- Imperium
- Jam 'N' Jive
- Just Plain Blues
- Kinesis
- Knights of Destiny
- Lament and Tribal Dances
- Last Full Measure
- Legends in the Mist
- Legend of Devil's Lake
- Let's Rock
- Lincoln Legacy
- Little Red in the Hood
- Northland Pines
- March of the Romans
- Mas Que Nada
- Monmouth Overture
- Mystic Dance
- Mystic Traveler
- On the Wings of Swallows
- Out of the Shadows
- Pantheon
- Particles
- Passages
- Pegasus (Wings of Majesty)
- Pictures at an Exhibition
- Pirates of the Caribbean (The Medallion Calls - The Black Pearl)(arrangement from the version of Klaus Badelt)
- Pop and Rock Legends: Music of "The Beatles"
- Port O' Call
- Prelude and Pursuit
- On the Edge of Tomorrow
- Out of the Shadows
- Quad City Stomp
- River Of The Ancients
- Rocking Robin
- Rumble on the High Plains
- Sawdust City Celebration
- Sax Attack
- Saxes with Attitude
- Shorewood Overture
- Silverbrook
- Song for Hope
- So There
- Southern Folk Rhapsody
- Spirit of Avalon
- Stardance
- Strike Force
- Swamp Rabbit Stomp
- The Forge of Vulcan
- The Groovemeister
- The Royal Tower
- To Soar with Eagles
- Touchdown Tony
- Troy!
- Trumpets with Attitude (T.W.A.)
- Turbo Rock
- Valley of Fire
- Variants on an American Hymn
- Villages
- When Drummers Take over the World
- Where the Sun Breaks Through the Mist
- White Christmas (arrangement from the version of Irving Berlin)"
- Wilderness Scenes (from «The Journal of Discovery»)
- Wild Thing
- Woodchoppers Ball
- Woodland Odyssey
- Year of the Dragon
Arrangements
Note: the following are Sweeney's Hal Leonard works which he has arranged and which are available at Hal Leonard Online. Some of these were not arranged by Sweeney alone.
Hal Leonard Essential Elements Band Folios
- Essential Elements Christmas Favorites (Bb Trumpet, Bb Clarinet, Flute, Eb Alto Saxophone, Trombone, Percussion, Baritoneð„¢, Bb Tenor Saxophone, Keyboard Percussion)
- Concert Favorites Vol. 1 (Bb Trumpet, Bb Clarinet, Flute)
- Concert Favorites Vol. 2 (Bb Clarinet, Bb Trumpet, Flute, Trombone, Percussion)
- Film Favorites (Bb Trumpet, Bb Clarinet, Flute, Percussion)
First Concept Concert Band Score & Parts
- Theme from Jurassic Park
Discovery! Concert Band Score & Parts
- Happy (from "Despicable Me 2")
Discovery Plus Concert Band Score & Parts
- Music From "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"
References
External links
- Nysbda.org
- Michael Sweeney Interview NAMM Oral History Library (2014)