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David H. Bailey -- Who Is He?

  • He is a private music teacher, teaching lessons on all the woodwind and brass instruments, as well as guitar, bass and drums. Over the years his students have reached high levels of musical achievement, earning places in the New Hampshire All-State band and orchestra, in addition to being accepted into prestigious area youth orchestras such as The Greater Manchester Youth Orchestra and the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra (formerly known as the Greater Boston Youth Orchestra). Many have studied music at the prestigious Summer Youth Music School at the University of New Hampshire.
  • He is a musical instrument technician, repairing all woodwind and brass instruments along with percussion.
  • He is a conductor, currently conducting the Hollis Town Band (serving since 1985 as conductor of that group) and having served in the past as music director for the Lowell Philharmonic Orchestra (7 years) and the Nashua Flute Choir (5 years).
  • He is a composer and arranger, having numerous original compositions as well as arrangements published with Falls House Press in addition to having compositions for concert band and other ensembles which are available for sale on this web site at the Compositions page. Band-in-a-Box "fake disks" that David has compiled are available for purchase at Norton Music
  • He is a performer, performing mainly on trumpet as well as flute, recorder and saxophone. He is available for most types of performances, either to fill in for a missing musician, or as soloist for church services or weddings. He is able to provide the entire entertainment for a party or reception, utilizing the Band-in-a-Box computer program as his backup band. This minimizes costs, minimizes space demands, and ensures an extremely entertaining performance.


David H. Bailey -- A Brief Biography
  • 1952 - born into a United States Army family in Massachusetts - father was a sergeant first class.
  • 1958-1961 - lived in Germany where his father was part of U.S. Army forces in NATO. Somewhere in here, visited Mozart's birthplace and saw the piano Mozart played on at home. At that time, he no idea who Mozart was.
  • 1961-1962 - lived at Fort Benning, in Columbus, Georgia. Remembers being part of a massive emergency drill (we were told it was a drill, anyway) evacuated to bomb shelters - later realized this was in the heat of the Cuban missile crisis.
  • 1962 - moved to Hanover, New Hampshire, where father was part of the Dartmouth College ROTC program.
  • 1963 - started studying trumpet in private lessons with Mr. Walter Marcuse (selected the trumpet for no other reason that good friend Peter Clark played the trumpet).
  • 1963-1964 - played in elementary school band
  • 1964 - was caught up in the sound of the Beatles, knew that the pop music scene had changed and was excited by the possibilities.
  • 1965 - played trumpet in Junior-Senior High School Band (7th grade). Was told in no uncertain terms by Mr. Marcuse that he was not very good, hardly ever practiced and if it continued, he would still be in the last chair of the trumpet section when he graduated in June of 1970. Mr. Marcuse then offered to teach David to read the bass clef if he would switch to euphonium, since one of the only two euphonium players was graduating and the other euphonium player wasn't working any harder than David was. David agreed.
  • 1965-1969 - played euphonium in school band and was thrilled with the rich, sonorous harmony parts and countermelodies the euphonium played. Experienced music from a whole new perspective which opened his eyes to the richness of music.
  • 1967-1968 - Walter Marcuse had a series of heart attacks which almost killed him. He was forced to step down as high school band director because of the stress level but he continued to teach elementary instrumental lessons and direct the elementary school band and teach a music seminar at the high school level. Mrs. Rose Gittelman took over as high school band director to complete the year.
  • 1968 (Fall) - George W. Black became the permanent band director at the high school. He brought a younger, more pop/jazz oriented approach to his conducting, while still focusing on solid concert band literature. Another eye opener for David, whose whole exposure so far had been very "old-school" with Mr. Marcuse, Mrs. Goodwin and the only other band director he knew, Don Wendlandt, the band director at Dartmouth College.
  • 1969 (Spring) - realized that from the practicing on the trumpet that he had been doing at home (while still playing euphonium in the school band) that he would be better than any of the remaining trumpet players after that year's seniors had graduated, so he bought a better trumpet and practiced all Summer long.
  • 1969 (Fall) - took over as trumpet section leader, organized a pep band for playing at soccer games (in addition to the marching band's performances at football games), and joined the high school orchestra. Realized that he wanted to pursue music somehow as a profession.
  • 1970 - Graduated from Hanover High School and in the fall began attending Colby College.
  • 1970-1972 - Played trumpet in Colby Community Orchestra, under Dr. Comparetti, whose taste in music did not include works with heavy demands on the trumpet section.
  • 1970-1974 - played in the R.B. Hall Band, a community band in Waterville, Maine.
  • 1971-1972 - Served (along with Jim Signorile, room-mate and good friend) as orchestra manager. Also served as Colby College Band manager (also along with Jim) and studied conducting with Robert Hudson, Colby College Band director (also along with Jim.) Conducted a piece with the Colby College Band. Began studying trumpet privately with John Rynne, trumpet player extraordinaire and band director at Waterville High School.
  • 1972-1974 - Served as Colby College Band president (with Jim Signorile as vice president). John Rynne took over as Colby College Band director in addition to remaining as Waterville High School band director. John Rynne agreed that the Colby Band needed to get out of the stands at football games but had no time (on the small stipend Colby paid) to do any such work himself, although he was willing to show up as faculty advisor for games. David and Jim wrote some humorous half-time shows which demanded very little actual marching but did get the band out on the football field to great acclaim from fans, football team members and coaching staff. Organized a pep band for Colby College hockey games. David and Jim continued to direct the band in one piece each for most concerts.
  • 1973 - Gordon W. Bowie became Colby College Band Director. He was all in favor of the marching band aspect, and enthusiastically supported all of David and Jim's suggestions and activities in running the band. David organized the Colby Brass Players, a large ensemble of brass, numbering around 10. Gordon invited David to come join the Bangor Band, which Gordon directed, which was a paid union gig, so David joined the A.F. of M.
  • 1974 - Graduation from college, along with uncertainty about the future, lead David to want to hang around Waterville a bit longer, so he took a full time job with the Colby College food service, and continued to play in the college band and in the Bangor Band. The Colby Brass Players shrunk to a brass quartet, along with Scott Kimball on trumpet, with Steve Gasiorowski and Jeff Chandler on trombones. David began doing arrangements for the brass quartet.
  • 1975 (Spring) - Gordon remarked about the repairman at Viner's Music (big music store in Bangor) having learned instrument repair at Western Iowa Tech Community College. This ignited a spark in David's mind, and he investigated and decided to pursue instrument repair study beginning in the Fall. Knowing that David needed a place to live for the summer, and needing a hand building a kennel on their farm, Gordon and Mary Bowie invite David to live with them and help out. This also enabled David to join Hal Wheeler's Big Band in Bangor in addition to being able to play all of the Bangor Band performances.
  • 1975 (Fall) - said goodbye to all that was familiar and packed all his belongings in his car and headed to Sioux City, Iowa to begin learning musical instrument repair.
  • 1976 (Spring) - was hired over the phone and at the recommendation of Karl Schultz, head of the instrument repair program at WITCC, to become the instrument repair technician at Hampshire Music, in Nashua, NH. Ironically, the position was open and in need of quick filling because the same repairman who had sparked David's interest had accepted the job but never showed up, having taken a better job in a Boston suburb.
  • 1976-1985 - worked as instrument repair technician at Hampshire Music.
  • 1976-1981 and again 1986-1991 - played with the Souhegan Recorder Consort, which included members Dorothy Fitch, Erna Johnson, Jon Thunberg, Dave Johnson, Priscilla Oliver and Gloria Fraser (at various times).
  • 1978 - Joined Temple, NH Town Band. Stayed with the band for many years.
  • 1985 - Quit working at Hampshire Music and opened the David Bailey Music Studio, teaching private lessons and repairing musical instruments. Still going strong!
  • 1985 - Began conducting the Hollis (NH) Town Band - still going strong!
  • 1986 - stopped playing with Temple Band full time - needed the evening time to schedule lessons.
  • 1991-1998 - Conducted the Lowell Philharmonic Orchestra. Modernized the programming by performing works by Jim Theobald (world premiere of "Symphony of American Folk Songs"), Tracey Rush (one work each concert in 1997-1998 season), Nancy Bloomer Deussen and Elizabeth Pizer. All at the same time as programming classics and exposing the audience to lesser known older composers as well as performing premieres of works by local composers such as Dr. David Sears.
  • 1992 - founded (along with Lauren Mann) the Lowell Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, to provide a first orchestral experience for young musicians.
  • 1992-1997 - Conducted the Nashua Flute Choir. Arranged and composed many works for the flute choir, many of which have been published by Falls House Press in Nashua, NH.
  • 1993 - taught a couple of courses as adjunct faculty at Merrimack College in Andover, MA (replacing Dr. David Sears who was on sabbatical for the year.)
  • Presently - still teaching private music lessons and repairing musical instruments, while also continuing to compose and arrange. Has added computer-music-engraving services to the list of things he does.


Influential Teachers
These people taught me a lot, which I try to repay by passing on their teachings,
filtered through my life's experiences.
Walter MarcuseFirst instrumental teacher and band director from elementary school through sophomore year of high school. Mr. Marcuse also taught a seminar in music my senior year. Mr. Marcuse had a brilliant mind and was a brilliant musician and wasn't afraid to share his opinions and experiences with us young and impressionable budding musicians. He was very patient with me when I was a less-than-ideal music student who didn't work very hard, and he steered me into a musical career by his advice. He never suggested I should pursue music, but the things he suggested I try eventually lead to my decision, as they lead to my increasing sense of musical self-worth. He was a very patient man, and I try to model much of my private teaching on his gently patience. He obviously saw something in me that I was totally unaware of at the time, and if it weren't for him I wouldn't be involved in music today.
Helen GoodwinGeneral music teacher in elementary school and first orchestra director (final 2 years in high school). She showed me that playing trumpet in an orchestra could be fun, and was very encouraging all through my high school career even though she was aware that my involvement in the orchestra was not my favorite thing at the time.
George W. BlackBand director, final 2 years of high school. George has a wonderful outlook on music and life, and opened my eyes to a much more relaxed view of music than I had previously experienced. He was the leader on the first job I earned money for, and as the founder/director of the Hanover-Norwich Community Band, he showed me the wonderful world of community music which has been my major musical performance outlet all through my life. George is responsible for me caring so passionately about communtiy music groups.
Peter ReTheory, harmony professor at Colby College, orchestra conductor, some conducting pointers. Mr. Re is a phenomenal musician who it was my great good fortune to meet. His talent is so great that I was constantly in awe of him, and the few orchestral rehearsals I had the privilege to play in under his baton were the most nerve-wracking and also the most musically satisfying orchestral rehearsals I have played in. He showed me a musical world that was at a level I had no experience with and was totally intimidated by.
Robert HudsonFirst Colby College band director, taught me basic conducting and showed me a lot of band literature I was unfamiliar with. Showed me a much larger musical world than I had previously experienced. Opened the door to the world of Early Music.
John RynneColby College band director my junior year, private trumpet teacher. He taught me a lot about teaching (through his teaching methods) and I find that I am constantly thinking back to things he taught me as I work with students of my own. A great trumpet player and a band director who was willing to give me a lot of leeway in working with the Colby College band so that I was able to learn far more about running a band than I probably would have learned in a larger music department. I was greatly saddened to learn that John Rynne died in June of 2010.
Gordon W. BowieColby College band director senior year, conductor of the Bangor Band, trombonist extraordinaire, composer/arranger. Gordon taught me much about how the proper attitude to any musical situation can make it a great success. He is one of the most well-rounded musicians I know, with one of the broadest ranges of musical abilities and tastes. I can't think of a musical style he doesn't understand and hasn't performed. One of my major mentors and models in this musical life. The death of Gordon Bowie in January of 2012 left a huge hole in the musical world. I am thankful for all that he did for me and for his friendship and musical companionship.
Burt BonebrakeInstrument Repair instructor at Western Iowa Tech Community College who has retired. He had been an auto mechanic who was tired of ending the day covered in grease, and so learned instrument repair. He could not play a note, but was very meticulous and knew what was necessary for an instrument to play well and passed that attention to detail on to his students. I am still repairing musical instruments professionally, having studied with Burt Bonebrake during the 1975-1976 school year. He has been a major influence on my life, both through his terrific instrument repair skills and his wonderful and wonderfully kind personality.


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