William Montgomery

I started experimenting with composition when I was 8 years old after my first piano lesson.  I took a few composition lessons from Dr. Thomas Ritter George, a former music professor and conductor of the local orchestra at Idaho State University, when I was 12.  He was instrumental in helping me understand forms and thematic development.  I continued to develop my own style until I entered university.  I started to study music at Idaho State University under Dr. Kori Bond (piano), Dr. Thom Hasenpflug (composition & percussion) and Dr. Chung Park (compositional emphasis in strings).  With their help, my music has taken new leaps in creativity and development.  With Dr. Parks help, I entered in to the Idaho State University Undergraduate Research Symposium where I took first place.  When I was 17, I marched with the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps based out of Casper, Wyoming.  I learned so much about arranging for brass while I was there.  I tried to take as many opportunities as I could to talk with the brass staff when they would change the music.  I wanted to know the ranges of the instruments (they are called a bugle corps but the instruments were all modern valved trumpets, mellophones, baritones, euphoniums, and contra-bass tubas).  From this I was able to really understand the limitations of the brass family and the strengths of the individual instruments.  I also teach a local high school drum line where I am responsible for re-writing music (smaller ensemble numbers than the music calls for), instruction of basic technique and cleaning the performance of the music.  We placed first in our caption for two of our competitions this year (2012) and tied with another drum line for first.  Over the past three years, the marching band has won 20+ trophies ranging from third place to first place with an almost clean sweep of the caption awards.  I also teach a beginning percussion class for kids ages 5-8 at the newest arts academy in our town, the Leavitt Center.  We are concentrating on doing a Stomp!-like performance coming up that I also wrote with the kids.  I love writing and sharing my love of music with people.  I try to express everything in my music from extreme happiness to pain to anger to deepest depression.  I believe that music is the only true way to understand how someone feels and it is the only true way to connect with people in any corner of the world.  Our scales, techniques, and ideas of orchestration may be different but music will reach directly to your soul.  I am planning on pursuing a Master's in Music degree in Composition in the near future.  Thank you all again for visiting my page and best wishes.