A special guest will be helping Advanced Band and Wind Ensemble fine-tune their Dec. 11 winter concert music on Wednesday.

Joseph Kreines, an esteemed conductor and composer, will be on campus to offer his musical expertise to band students. During his distinguished career, he conducted the Florida Symphony Orchestra, Brevard Symphony Orchestra and Brevard Symphony Youth Orchestra and various other orchestras and bands.

Band Director Carol Allen said she thinks his help will bring the bands to a new level.

“He’ll give tips on musicality and phrasing,” she said, “bringing [the music] from a technical to a musical standpoint.”

Allen has known Kreines since he conducted her All-State band when she was 17. Since 1983, she has had Kreines come and help her band students hone their skills.

“I try to get him once in the fall and twice in the winter before our MPA,” she said.

Some students, such as junior Natalie Brown, have received instruction from Kreines in the past and know what to expect when he visits.

“He’s so intense,” Brown said. “He gets so involved in what he’s doing that he gets emotional sometimes.”

Though Kreines can be intimidating at times, he can inspire someone to play better, said Brown, the first-chair clarinetist.

“He makes you want to play better to impress him,” she said.

Sophomore flutist Nicole Topp said she respects Kreines but doesn’t always agree with him.

“I’ve worked with him before,” she said. “But I don’t like the way he teaches.”

Brown said she thinks Kreines will positively influence the band, helping the students with their music as well as imparting valuable tips.

“He’s really good with making music have dynamic contrast,” Brown said. “He’s good at listening for balance throughout the band. He’s always telling me and others to play louder.”

Kreines visits hundreds of schools each year, Allen said. He also continues to conduct,  is a pianist who accompanies students playing solos in competitions and composes music for orchestras and bands.

By Katie Garwood