Quincy Hilliard can tell you where he will be a few months from now, and in the next century, too.
The Louisiana-based composer and music professor recently penciled in an appearance in Corning, N.Y. -- on April 5, 2001.
"My schedule is full for '95, '96, and now '97 is beginning to get booked," Dr. Hilliard said last week from his office at the University of Southwestern Louisiana in Lafayette.
Last summer, the Mississippi native was commissioned to write a piece for Carroll's All County Middle School Band.
That work, "Thunder Crest," will be performed at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow, with Dr. Hilliard conducting.
His appearance and the commissioned work are being paid for with a $1,500 grant from the the Carroll County Arts Council and an additional $1,000 in donations from local businesses and community organizations.
"I know the kids are looking forward to the show," said Glenn Patterson, supervisor of Music and Art for Carroll County Public Schools. "Besides the new composition, he will be conducting the band in two or three other selections of his own and a few works by other composers."
Mr. Patterson already knew of Dr. Hilliard when two teachers suggested inviting him to Carroll after meeting him last year at a conference at Villanova University.
Dr. Hilliard's enthusiasm impressed Mr. Patterson, who embarked on a project to bring other professionals to the county.
Over the next three years, he plans to commission a different composer to work with Carroll's five other all-county groups, which includes a high school band, high school chorus, high school jazz ensemble, middle school orchestra and high school orchestra.
The next concert is scheduled for April 1 and will feature Mike Tomaro, a saxophonist and conductor for the Army Blues Band. He is preparing a piece for Carroll's All-County High School Jazz Ensemble.
The arts council grant and community donations will cover both commissions, Mr. Patterson said. He said he will begin fund raising for future commissions soon.
Dr. Hilliard was to meet and begin rehearsing with the students this morning, Mr. Patterson said.
A second round of rehearsals will be held tomorrow afternoon.
The 40-year-old composer has students all over the United States, and in Canada and Australia.
"The university gives me release time to be creative, and that helps bring recognition" to the school, said Dr. Hilliard.
During the next six months, he will coach young bands in 15 states and two countries. These appearances have made him an unofficial recruiter for the university.
"Students often approach me and say, 'Eight years ago, you came to my high school and conducted our band,' " he said. "I hear this a lot."
After his three-day stay in Westminster, he'll crisscross the country, traveling to Pennsylvania, Texas, South Carolina and Missouri.
"I get a lot of frequent-flier miles," said Dr. Hilliard.
During the summer, his wife, Rubye, and their sons, Cameron, 10, and Alex, 7, accompany him on his trips.
He says it can get hectic, but Dr. Hilliard is driven by a deep passion for music.
"I get a lot of standing ovations," said Dr. Hilliard, who also is working on a composition for the 1996 Olympics. "The students tell me they like the music. It really does boost your self-esteem."
Born in Starkville, Miss., he played the trumpet in elementary school but later turned to writing music.
Dr. Hilliard earned a bachelor's degree from Mississippi State University and a master's from Arkansas State University.
After receiving his doctorate in music theory and composition from the University of Florida, he spent three years teaching in the public school system in Memphis, Tenn.
For the past 10 years, he has taught composition and music theory to college students.
Besides teaching and guest conducting, he writes textbooks and magazine articles; serves as a judge at music festivals; leads clinics on effective teaching techniques and gives motivational speeches.
He said the middle and high school students he coaches are nervous at first but warm up quickly.
"I tell them it's OK to make a mistake. We crack jokes and we laugh," he said. "I just want the music to be an enjoyable experience for them. I tell them, were going to have fun doing it, and that's it."
Dr. Hilliard will lead the All County Middle Band in a free concert at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at Francis Scott Key High School, 3825 Bark Hill Road, Union Bridge.