The Sustaining Citizen (Paperback)

The life of Stephen J. Macko, B.A. as a youth started with success, him becoming the 1st Chair Trombonist of the State of Washington's All State Orchestra and in his next year acceptance by his peers as the Drum Major of his High School Band and upon completion of the year received a National Honor Award. Having prepared for the Air Force Academy in mathematics, Mr. Macko instead went on in music to become an international artist and composer for all styles of the symphony orchestra. This book is an attempt to give the lifelong pursuits of a citizen that is lead though life to maintain citizenship and then learning that he could serve his country because his citizenship allowed him to.

Stephen John Macko - b. July 05, 1969 in Spokane, WA - Being an only child of his parents, Joseph John Macko and Joyce Arlene Macko, at the age of 7, the young Macko began studying violin in his elementary school orchestra under the direction of Gordon Ogo. When at the age of 10, he began lessons on the trombone with Mark Williams, he continued in both orchestra and band for two years. At the age of 12, he focused his studies to the trombone. After five years of playing the trombone only, the young Macko, now age 16, auditioned for and was chosen as the principle trombonist in the state of Washington's All State Orchestra. During his 16th year, he began attending Spokane Symphony rehearsals, where he was able to study orchestral scores and learn orchestration techniques from Stefan Kozinski. In his 17th year, he became the Drum Major for his high school band, as he attended Gonzaga University, in a dual enrollment program, studying the third semester of University level calculus and analytic geometry. For his work as a Drum Major, he received a national honor award. After graduating from high school, he was accepted to Washington State University, where he studied trombone with Gordon Hallberg, the former bass trombonist of the Boston Symphony. He then choose to attend Eastern Washington University, where he studied music and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in music. At the age of 21, he had learned enough conducting technique in order to be accepted as an auditing conductor at the Festival at Sandpoint, directed by Gunther Schuller. At the festival he was able to meet and learn twelve tone techniques, with a group of young composers, from Milton Babbitt. After the festival he then went on to study trombone performance in a master's program, with Stuart Dempster, and conducting, with Peter Eros, at the University of Washington. After one year at the university, Macko then became an assistant to Stefan Kozinski, a former prodigy of Nadia Boulanger. Since, Mr. Macko has continued in music as a composer and in 1998-2000 completed his Symphony No. 1 "The Cultural Symphony", in 2001 completed his Symphony No. 2 "The Children's Symphony", and in 2008 completed his Symphony No. 3 "The One Movement Symphony". During this time Mr. Macko also developed Tetra Chord Structuring which can be demonstrated with his orchestral works "Instancy: The Spirit of Time", "Buoyant Air", and "Fluent Harmony".