Faces of New Canaan: Scott Cranston

 

After catching wind of a new collaboration between the New Canaan High School Band and Jazz Ensemble and Summer Theatre of New Canaan—it’ll culminate in a 7:30 p.m., May 6 concert at the high school called “Musicals, Masters and Marches,” more on that below—NewCanaanite.com set out to meet NCHS Band Director Scott Cranston.

We found the Trumbull resident pleasant and engaging, and discovered some very interesting things about his heritage in the field he has chosen for a career—for example, the fact that Cranston’s own grandfather was the first civilian to serve as U.S. Marine Band conductor.

That man, Cranston’s grandfather—and I’m sorry now I didn’t ask for his name—directed the high school band in Westchester where Cranston’s own parents met.

During our talk—transcribed in full below—we reviewed all of this rich personal history and also discussed the 2014 New York Yankees and their retiring captain, the great Derek Jeter.

Since we talked, the Yankees picked up another win over the now last-place Boston Red Sox (ahem). They square up for the series finale at 8 p.m. Sunday on ESPN, so many of us will consider DVR’ing “Game of Thrones.”

Here’s our chat:

 

How long have you been in your position here as band director?

I have been here since 1998. This is my 16^th year.

Where are you from originally?

I’m from Buffalo, New York.

Oh yeah?

And I studied music in Buffalo, and I went to the Hartt School of Music in Hartford for my undergraduate and then to Yale for my master’s and then through that developed connections in music education and also performing where I ended up in New Canaan. I also play trombone principal in the New Haven, Bridgeport and Waterbury symphonies, playing with the Hartford Symphony all this week with their Mozart “Requiem,” and have done Broadway, New York and musical theater productions at The Bushnell in Hartford and the Shubert in New Haven.

So a huge background in music. You’re a musician yourself. You’ve been here a long time, at New Canaan High School. Talk to me a little bit about the talent and interest levels among young people in New Canaan that you deal with as a teacher, as an instructor.

As with many areas of scholarship and academics here in New Canaan, we’re very proud of the music. We every year have many students who participate in our All-Western Region Festival, which would be the equivalent of the FCIAC in sports. We have students who played at the all-state level. This year Julian Hough, a senior clarinetist, was selected for the all-national band, all based on audition.

How do you spell Julian?

J-U-L-I-A-N H-O-U-G-H. Julian Hough.

OK.

We as a band have competed and been adjudicated the last several years through what’s called the Music in the Parks Festival, and have gotten first place trophies in our division and overall. We’ve had chamber music groups that have represented us at the state conference as well as All-Eastern States Conference, so we’re really proud of this and trying to get this message out to our broader community.

Well this is what I wanted to ask about, because it sounds like sort of within the world of high school musicianship, with competitions and so on, this is a standout program. In what ways is New Canaan High School band connected to or involved in the community? And talk about this upcoming partnership with Summer Theatre.

Well, that’s a great question because currently we are not involved as much as we would like to be. Currently we have outreach where we do recitals at the New Canaan Inn. We’ve done stuff at Waveny Care Center. We feel like in order to get our message out about who we are and what we do, it would be beneficial, mutually beneficial, to invite an organization like Summer Theatre of New Canaan and the Performing Arts Conservatory to share our talents and skills and make a better overall product by having this collaboration.

So what’s happening? What’s coming up here?

This May 6 concert?

Yes.

Here’s what’s happening. For the last 10 years I have worked as both music director and personnel manager of musicians for Summer Theatre of New Canaan. And when we were planning for our last concert, and getting parents involved, we were already going to be doing some medleys of famous Broadway musicals. So we had been preparing “Greece” and “The Music Man,” and when I met with Nancy Bemis and [inaudible], we were trying to find community organizations we might be able to partner with to get some interest, like New England Ballet Theatre or whatever. What I realized was, those two shows, I actually had conducted with Summer Theatre. And I thought, ‘OK, wouldn’t it be fun to have them involved, invite some of their current members and alumni to do song and dance and full ensemble pieces with us to collaborate?’ After we met with them, we decided in addition to “Greece” and “The Music Man,” our production finale would be “Hairspray,” which is the musical that they’re going to be opening this summer, and a way for us to now celebrate the collaboration with Summer Theatre and their productions and sort of open up to the community their summer performance of “Hairspray.” We’re going to have some of their former alumni. Lead actors. We’re going to have the Performing Arts Conservatory teenagers doing a song-dance production number, and I’m also going to be inviting seventh- and eighth-grade band members to share the stage with us. So, more people, celebrating, getting the message out and hoping this turns into a great community event.

Talk about some of the things you envision in terms of future partnerships. Are there ideas bouncing around?

Absolutely. In years past, I’ve worked with Ted Thomas closely here at New Canaan High School and also with Summer Theatre and he has the New England Dance Company. That would be another arts group that would make sense, because dance needs music and music can be better understood and enjoyed through dance and movement. We’re also looking ahead to possible collaborations with our Art Department and media. You’ll notice now in concert venues across the country, whether it’s the New York Philharmonic or Boston Symphony, they have programs called things like “Cirque du Soleil for Music,” so incorporating more visual acts and also media presentations that support the music. Much like you’d see everyday life. Like when you think of a movie, think of “Indiana Jones,” if you see that movie without any music, you’d walk away feeling completely empty.

When did you pick up your first instrument?

Fourth grade.

What was it?

It was the trombone. And I saw it demonstrated in my school, and I later found out that my grandfather played the trombone and he was a band director at Ossining High School, who decided to become a band director because he saw John Philip Sousa, who was the “march king,” conduct live in 1924.

You stayed with the same instrument since you were eight years old.

I did. I just enjoyed it very much and I took to it and in terms of our concert, Michael, that we’re doing May 6, our title is “Musicals, Masters and Marches.” The “Marches” are going to celebrate the music of John Philip Sousa. And the “Masters” are going to celebrate the music of Duke Ellington. So we have musical theater. We have jazz, which is the great American art form, developed here in this country. And John Philip Sousa, who you are hearing play over and over again, on Memorial Day, Fourth of July—

—So he’s a good choice, regardless of any connection. Is it something extra special to you, given your connection?

Yes, particularly because of my grandfather and his career. He conducted the United States Marine Band. He was the first civilian to ever do that. My parents met in his high school band, and in the ‘90s I played principal trombone for what’s called “The New Sousa Band,” which was a recreation, and we toured Japan. We were the first civilian group to tour Japan since 1911’s World Fair with Sousa. So it’s all in my blood.

Your parents went to Ossining High School.

Ossining High School.

What instruments did they play in his band?

My dad was lead trumpet in his band and my mother played French horn. My mother continued to be a music teacher and my father went on to drama. So for me, all this stuff is interconnected, because I work with a drama department here in New Canaan High School—not directly, as a director—but it’s all in my blood. I can’t help it. That and the Yankees.

Let’s talk about the Yankees for a second. [Thursday’s] heroes in the Red Sox game, or at least the impact players: Piñeda, Ellsbury, Beltran, McCann. One thing they all have in common is they didn’t play for the major league Yankees last season. What do you think about our prospects?

I think this is the most exciting team that we’ve seen in a long time, and I remember in my 20s, you know ’95-’96, when there was a rebirth of the new team, centered on the core four—

—How old are you now?

I am 44 years old. And I remember how exciting that was to see and look at a new dynasty and to be honest with you, a couple of thoughts: I’m glad to see Jeter going out this year, not because I’m not going to miss his contribution, but since he’s at the top of his game and I also like the fact that it’s not going to be clouded by A-Rod—

—I love that.

And I wonder if that was part of it—

—Part of his decision to announce it ahead of time, even.

Yes, and to tip it, maybe if A-Rod isn’t a black cloud that they can’t get rid of, maybe he [Jeter] plays another year, but maybe he’s smart to get out before that—

—Doesn’t the A-Rod cloud emerge at some point this season given his ban?

No, he’s out the whole season.

Toward the end of the season, the question may come up: What happens next year? But by then hopefully we’re talking about the postseason.
Right, and then Jeter can ride this out as he should, and get the accolades, but to get to your question, I think it’s exciting, I think it’s a new way you build teams. But the team needs to transform itself now, and I think it has more ability to do that with A-Rod’s suspension and that Jeter is transitioning on his own.

How did a couple of kids from Ossining end up in Buffalo?

My parents attended Fredonia College, which is south of Buffalo, about an hour. It’s where my grandparents, both of them went to school. My father due to a variety of personal circumstances—he was a year older than my mother—worked his year after high school. They went to Fredonia together, because my mother wanted to be a band director, and was told in the early-1960s that women were not allowed to become band directors, those were only jobs for men. But she stayed in music and she did vocal general music and my father went to study in the English and Drama program there, and his first job out of college was in Kenmore. And I actually, I have students in this band—Michael, if you can believe this, small world—I have students whose parents were former students of my father. So they have parents who went to school at Kenmore East, moved out to New Canaan and now I’m teaching them. So that’s how they ended up there, and my father worked 35 years in that area and it was a great place to grow up. It’s a very culturally rich community that not only supports the arts but really understands the arts and is involved. We’re looking for more involvement from our community—

—Let’s put you in New Canaan a little bit. Any things you like to do here? Places you like to go? Favorites?

Love the restaurants—

—Tell me your favorite restaurant.

After concerts we always like to go to Gates, because we can just—

—I used to work at Gates. Do you have a favorite dish or something you like to get there?

I like any and all foods. Eclectic. I can’t even answer that question.

What else in town? Any other spots in town? Things you like to do?

I just like shopping, I have a 16-year-old daughter, a 13-year-old son and a 10-year-old son and we enjoy shopping the shops. I just got my wife a nice Shep Shirt over at Vineyard Vines. I’m glad to see that they’ve come in. The town aspect but with the city center kind of feel, it’s very enjoyable that you can have great restaurants or a cup of coffee and catch a movie. All that is really, I think, a big draw to the town.

Well, it’s been great meeting you.

Than you. You too.