Ralph Ford
Biography
Ralph Ford (b.1963) is an American composer, arranger, conductor, and clinician.
His work as a professional arranger began at age fifteen as a student in Panama City, Florida. While attending Troy State University, he was appointed as director of Jazz Ensemble I during his sophomore undergraduate year, a position he held for fifteen years. During his senior undergraduate year, he began his tenure as the staff arranger for the university band program. Upon completing his undergraduate degree in 1986, he was appointed to the music faculty as staff arranger and assistant director by his collegiate director and mentor, Dr. John Long, where he also taught courses in orchestration, arranging, theory, technology, jazz studies, and applied brass for the next fifteen years. He earned his Master of Science degree in 1988 from Troy while serving on the faculty as full-time instructor. In 1999, he began his career as an exclusive composer/arranger from Warner Brothers Publications, a relationship that he proudly continues today with Alfred Publications. Ralph retired from Troy University in June 2011 following a ten year appointment as the Director of Bands, Coordinator of Winds and Percussion, and Professor of Music.
In addition to his twenty-nine years of university teaching experience, Ralph has enjoyed a wide variety of professional experiences in the music, media, and broadcast industries. He is an exclusive composer and arranger for the Belwin division of Alfred Publishing Company, with over 250 titles available worldwide for orchestra, concert band, jazz ensemble, and marching band. A frequently commissioned composer, his music has been premiered and performed by university, military, professional, community, and school ensembles around the world. He has received international and regional advertising awards for his jingles and 3‐D animation. His work in media includes live radio broadcasts, host, voice‐over for television, commercials, and video productions, conducting live musical productions, recording sessions, produced recordings for release on traditional discs and other types of new media, compose and record news music packages for national network affiliates, and producing programs for television, radio, and the internet.
In addition to his usual production schedule, Ralph is also in demand as a conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and guest lecturer throughout the United States and abroad. He has received local, state, regional, and national recognition and proclamations for his artistic achievements from academic, artistic, and government organizations. With a wide variety of professional and educational experiences, he brings a unique personality to his work with colleagues and students alike.
His professional affiliations include the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity, and holds honorary memberships in Phi Kappa Phi, Kappa Kappa Psi, Phi Beta Mu, Tau Beta Sigma, and Sigma Alpha Iota. He was selected by Rotary International to serve as a Rotary Fellow to Namibia and South Africa. In March 2009, he was elected to membership in the prestigious American Bandmasters Association.
Works for Winds
- American Hymn Tune Trilogy (as arranger) (2001)
- Areopogus (2011)
- Ashford Celebration (2001)
- Auld Tannenbaum (2008)
- Bellingrath Gardens (2003)
- Blunderbuss Battles (2012)
- Broadway Classics (as arranger) (2003)
- Cango Caves (2002)
- Christmas Bossa Nova (as arranger) (2001)
- Classical Gas (as arranger) (2014)
- CompleX 2030 (2013)
- Con Brio (2012)
- Cotton Ferry Expedition (2007)
- Coventry Carol (as arranger) (2009)
- Creepers in the Castle (2015)
- Dancin' on the Bayou (2003)
- Dark Adventure (2001)
- The Dark Knight Rises (as arranger) (2013)
- Dervish (2008)
- Desperado (as arranger)
- Dillon's Flight (2007)
- Dimensions (2003)
- Divas! (as arranger) (2001)
- Down Home Christmas (as arranger) (2006)
- Dumb Love (as arranger) (2013)
- Dune Buggy (2012)
- El Tiburon! (2017)
- Everything is Awesome (as arranger) (2014)
- Fantasy Carol (as arranger) (2005)
- Fire Caves of Golgathon (2006)
- Fire's Edge (2015)
- For All the Wyle Eternal (2009)
- Frosty's Caribbean Holiday (as arranger) (2003)
- Funkytown (as arranger) (2014)
- G-Force Five (2005)
- Galileo's Vision (2004)
- Give Up the Funk (as arranger) (2012)
- Gizmo (2011)
- Go West! (as arranger) (2004)
- Happy Birthday Around the World (as arranger) (2003)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, Part II (as arranger) (2011)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (as arranger) (2001/2005)
- High School Cadets (as arranger) (2000)
- Highlights from "The Lord of the Rings" (as arranger) (2002)
- Hip-Hop All the Way (as arranger) (2005)
- Hooroosh! (2006)
- House of Cards Theme (as arranger) (2013/2015)
- Hyperdrive (2014)
- Idols of America (as arranger) (2004)
- In Glorious Splendour (as setter) (2011)
- Invasion! (2019)
- It Came Upon the Midnight Clear (as arranger) (2004)
- It's My Party (as arranger) (1963/2001)
- It's Vegas, Baby
- Journey of the Taikonaut (2004)
- Kernkraft 400 (as arranger) (2012)
- The Last Battle (2003)
- Layla (as arranger) (2007)
- Let it Snow!/Winter Wonderland (as arranger) (2005)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (as arranger) (2001)
- Lux Prima (as arranger) (1791/2008)
- Minecraft (as arranger) (2011/2015)
- Minnie the Moocher (as arranger) (2013)
- Moonlight Serenade (as arranger) (2004)
- New Age Christmas (as arranger) (2000)
- Ooh La La (as arranger) (2014)
- Panopticon Rising (2015)
- Parade of the Wooden Soldiers (as arranger) (2000)
- Patton (as arranger) (2007)
- Pippin (as arranger) (2014)
- Pique Dame Highlights (as arranger) (2012)
- Planet X (2015)
- Quantum Mission (2009)
- Rogue River (2019)
- Romanza (1991/2002)
- Royal Canadian Sketches (2001)
- Sailing Onward until Dawn (2013)
- Secret Agent Man (as arranger) (2002)
- She Flies with Her Own Wings (2015)
- Majestic Columbia
- Galaxy in Crater Lake
- Rogue River (2015/2019)
- Sea to Sky
- Beyond Whistler (2008)
- March: The Lion's Gate (2007)
- Shannon Falls (2007)
- Stawamus Chief (2008)
- The Sleeping Place of the Stars (2004)
- Slip and Slide (2000)
- Slovenian Folk Dances (as arranger) (2005)
- Songs of Aloha (2014)
- Soul Man (as arranger) (1967/2012)
- Sounds of Joy (as arranger) (2002)
- Spirit of Troy (2010)
- Spy Games (2008)
- Strange Pursuit (2007)
- Suite from "Man of Steel" (as arranger) (2014)
- Suite from Video Games Live - Part I (as arranger) (2007)
- Suite from Video Games Live - Part 2 (as arranger) (2002/2008)
- Sun Peaks (2009)
- Swing Those Bells (as arranger) (2000)
- A Swingin' Holiday (as arranger) (2008)
- Swingin' on the Housetop (as arranger) (2001)
- Temple of Ka Uka (2008)
- Theme from "Patton" (as arranger) (1970/2007)
- To Forge the New Frontier (2000)
- Tonadillas Suite (as arranger) (2012)
- Totally Tina Turner (as arranger) (2005)
- Un Flambeau Jeannette, Isabelle (2004)
- Video Games Live, Part I. See: *Suite from Video Games Live - Part I
- Video Games Live, Part II. See: Suite from Video Games Live - Part 2
- Voices of Thronateeska (2002)
- Voyage Jubiloso (2002)
- Walvisbaai (2014)
- Winter Rhapsody (2004)
- The Wizard of Oz, Themes (as arranger) (2007)
Resources
- Lychner, John A. "Royal Canadian Sketches." In Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 11, Compiled and edited by Richard Miles, 408-417. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2018.
- Ralph Ford, Alfred Music