Swing with Sousa

Michael Buglio will conduct the Symphonic Winds of the New Jersey Pops Orchestra in Forsgate Country Club’s formal gardens Sept. 22.

By: Susan Van Dongen
   An evening of music in a beautiful outdoor setting is a perfect way to foil the official end-of-summer blues. That’s what conductor Michael Buglio had in mind when he planned a concert with the Symphonic Winds of the New Jersey Pops Orchestra at the Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Sept. 22.
   "We won’t be doing the ‘Three B’s’ (Bach, Beethoven and Brahms)," says Mr. Buglio, 68. "It’s a pops orchestra and we entertain, with plenty of music that’s fun, nostalgic and beautiful."
   The setting is exquisite, too — the group will perform in Forsgate’s idyllic formal gardens overlooking the golf course. Since it’s a private club, the concert also provides a rare chance for the public to see some of the gorgeous grounds first imagined and planned by entrepreneur John Forster more than 80 years ago.

For the Sept. 22 concert, Conductor Michael Buglio has music from My Fair Lady and West Side Story on tap, as well as a special patriotic arrangement titled "Home Front," featuring the anthems of the four divisions of the armed forces.

   Mr. Buglio explains that the NJPO is actually comprised of three groups — the full orchestra, a swing orchestra and the Symphonic Winds. The latter ensemble has about 35 brass, woodwind and percussion players, but no strings.
   "We do a lot of concerts at country clubs," Mr. Buglio says, noting that the Symphonic Winds are a little more "portable" than the full orchestra, which has numbered as many as 70 players in his 25-year history.
   Although the personnel has come and gone in a quarter-century, Mr. Buglio says he’s had a core of highly qualified musicians for the past 10 years. Because the NJPO is based just outside of New York City, they’ve been able to draw from "the largest pool of instrumental music talent in the world," he says. "My musicians play with a lot of groups, including the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and they play with numerous Broadway shows. We’re close enough to New York to get the finest players in the world."
   Established by Mr. Buglio in 1977, the non-profit NJPO has played hundreds of concerts across the state, including the PNC Bank Center in Holmdel, Liberty State Park and the original Convention Hall on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City. They’ve traveled as far north and west as Sussex County and south to Cape May to perform, making the group one of the most accessible musical organizations in the state.
   Mr. Buglio believes they’re "accessible" in more ways than one. Influenced by the late Arthur Fiedler, who conducted the Boston Pops for 50 years, Mr. Buglio envisioned his orchestra to be educational and entertaining. His philosophy has always been to bring great, enjoyable music to a wide audience.
   Born and raised in Hazelton, Pa., Mr. Buglio jokes that he’s a variation on the famous country song — he’s a "coal miner’s son." His father was also a musician, however, and the family shared a love of music.
   Mr. Buglio is a graduate of West Chester University of Pennsylvania in West Chester, with a master’s degree from Temple University in Philadelphia. He went on to do post-graduate work in conducting at Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and has doctoral credits in music education administration from Columbia University.
   He worked in music education for 34 years in Livingston, eventually supervising all the music programs in the school system. At the same time, he was also conducting more and more groups, including a regular position with the Bronx Arts Ensemble, which he continues to lead every summer.
   "I retired from education to do (full-time) conducting," Mr. Buglio says. "I wanted to be a conductor for many years. I had been buying music (orchestral scores) back when it was inexpensive and had built a substantial personal library."
   This collection of scores is one of the things that sets the NJPO apart from other pops groups — many are the same arrangements commissioned by the late Fiedler for the Boston Pops.
   "I found all the favorite (Boston Pops) arrangements when they were available. They always had a staff of arrangers, including Leroy Anderson. I have this very special library of musical arrangements and this gives (us) the advantage. You wouldn’t know the difference between the N.J. Pops and the Boston Pops."
   The NJPO will often open a program with light classical music and move on with selections from Broadway musicals and the Big Band era, closing with a favorite march by John Philip Sousa.
   For the Sept. 22 concert, Mr. Buglio has music from Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady and Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story on tap, as well as some musical memories of the World War II swing era. He also plans a special patriotic arrangement titled "Home Front," featuring the anthems of the four divisions of the armed forces.
   "We’ll do a little bit of everything," he says. "This year, with ‘Home Front,’ we’ll ask the people who served in the armed forces to stand when they hear their song.
   "There’s not too many bands in America like ours. I have a special interest and excitement for this. The people seem to be enjoying it, too."
The Symphonic Winds of the New Jersey Pops Orchestra, conducted by Michael
Buglio, will perform at the Forsgate Country Club, 375 Forsgate Drive, Monroe,
Sept. 22, 8 p.m. Tickets cost $35. Reservations required before Sept. 16 for
preferred seating. For information, call (732) 521-0070. On the Web: www.newjerseypops.org.
Forsgate Country Club on the Web: www.forsgatecc.com