2022 SmartMusic

2022 SmartMusic Category

In the SmartMusic large ensemble category, we are happy to present Alan Baylock’s arrangements/compositions!  His four charts — “Cold Duck Time,” “El Abrazo,”
“A Shade of Jade,” and “What Is This Thing Called Love?” — are perfect for high school ensembles. It’s a great opportunity to expose your students to Alan Baylock’s style, and videos will be provided with his description of each piece. The SmartMusic large ensembles will record their choice of the four pieces and submit it to the NJF by May 1, 2022.

Receive immediate access to each instrument for all these pieces for FREE and without an account in SmartMusic so your students can begin practicing.

You will be mailed a copy of the selected chart immediately so you have hard copies and a score on hand before recording. Submit your recording to the assigned Google Drive by May 1 for adjudication. Performances will be aired on YouTube May 21, 2022. Winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony.


2022 SmartMusic Adjudicators

We are pleased to announce that Alan Baylock, Mike Kamuf and Rick Hirsch will adjudicate and provide video and written feedback.

Alan Baylock

Alan Baylock Bio

Born and raised in a small town in Southwestern Pennsylvania, Alan Baylock has composed music that is performed throughout the world. One of the most respected and sought-after jazz composers and educators in the industry today, he is the director of the Grammy-nominated One O’Clock Lab Band at the University of North Texas, and previously served 20 years as Chief Arranger for the USAF Airmen of Note in Washington, D.C. The Alan Baylock Jazz Orchestra recorded three critically-acclaimed CDs and performed throughout the United States for 15 years. Baylock graduated from Shenandoah University (BME 1990), where he later became Jazz composer-in-residence and the University of North Texas (MM 1994).

Baylock travels extensively as guest conductor and clinician, and has been featured with close to 100 professional, collegiate, high school (all-state and regional) and middle school jazz ensembles. Alan is on faculty at the National Jazz Workshop (NJW) and directed the NJW All-Star Big Band in performances on the East and West Coast. Thanks to the Nu Psi Chapter, Alan became an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha in 2016, and became an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi (Kappa Epsilon Chapter) in 2017. He is an active member of the Jazz Education Network and is a strong advocate for women in jazz.

Alan’s music has been performed and/or recorded by jazz greats Melissa Aldana, Jerry Bergonzi, Michael and Randy Brecker, Regina Carter, Paquito D’Rivera, Kurt Elling, Maynard Ferguson, Stefon Harris, Jimmy Heath, Freddie Hubbard, Sean Jones, Dave Liebman, Nicholas Payton,  Joshua Redman, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Arturo Sandoval, Doc Severinsen, Tierney Sutton, Kenny Werner, Phil Woods, and many more. His eclectic talents have also led him to writing music for Roy Clark, Lee Greenwood, Chaka Khan, Al Jarreau,, Patti LaBelle, Spyro Gyra, Ronan Tynan, Wynonna, and symphony orchestras throughout the United States and abroad. His music is published by Alfred Music and ProJazzCharts.com.


Mike Kamuf

Mike Kamuf Bio

Mike Kamuf holds Bachelor of Music degrees in both Jazz Performance and
Music Education from the Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University (Youngstown, OH) and a Master of Arts degree in Instrumental Conducting from George Mason University (Fairfax, VA). Mike’s compositions and arrangements have been performed by numerous jazz artists and ensembles including the Woody Herman and Glenn Miller Orchestras, the USAF Airmen of Note, the US Navy Commodores, James Moody, Eddie Daniels, Sean Jones, Terell Stafford, Bill Watrous and Nick Brignola to name a few. Mike is an exclusive writer for the Belwin Division of Alfred Music Publishing with titles in their jazz, orchestra and concert band catalogs. He also has compositions for jazz ensemble published by UNC Jazz Press, the Neil A. Kjos Music and the FJH Music Company. Many of Mike’s published jazz ensemble arrangements have become standard literature for young jazz ensemble and he currently has over 90 publications in print.

Mike has performed with the Woody Herman and Tommy Dorsey Orchestras and has recorded as a member of the Alan Baylock Jazz Orchestra. He served as assistant principal trumpet of the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra under Maestro David Effron from 1990-92. Currently, Mike leads his own jazz octet, the Mike Kamuf Little Big Band, comprised of outstanding musicians from the Baltimore and Washington DC areas. 

Mike has taught instrumental music for Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools (MCPS) since the fall of 1992. He has been in his current teaching position since 1995 as the Director of Bands and Orchestras and Music Department Chairperson at John T. Baker Middle School (Damascus, MD). Under his direction, the Baker ensembles consistently receive high ratings at music festivals and have commissioned several works for young concert bands. Mike has received the MCPS Superintendent’s Above and Beyond the Call of Duty (ABCD) Award for his efforts in involving students in the composition commissioning process. He has directed the MCPS Senior Honors Jazz Band, Junior Honors Band, All County Middle School Band. Additionally, Mike has directed the Pennsylvania All State Jazz Band and many regional honors ensembles in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and New York. Mike has served as a jazz faculty member at Youngstown State University and Montgomery College (Rockville, MD). Mike has presented professional development sessions for music educators at the Midwest Clinic, Jazz Education Network Conferences and at numerous regional and state music education conferences. He has become an in-demand arranger, clinician, guest conductor and adjudicator for schools, conferences and music festivals across the country. 

Please visit Mike’s website at: www.mikekamuf.com


Rick Hirsch

Rick Hirsch Bio

Rick Hirsch is an award-winning composer, arranger, and saxophonist who began his career as a personal music copyist for Bob Mintzer and Toshiko Akiyoshi. He has written music for jazz icons Yusef Lateef, Tito Puente, the Yellowjackets, and Eddie Henderson; the Capitol Quartet; and the storied Penn State Blue Band, to name a few. Hirsch is an inspiring educator with an active independent teaching studio and frequent appearances as a guest conductor. His CD Pocono Git-Down (Rick Hirsch’s Big Ol’ Band) is on Spotify, etc. He has degrees from UMass-Amherst and Northern Illinois University.  


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