(Level III) America The Beautiful, by Mike Dana is a heartfelt arrangement and written after the events of 9/11. Set in a contemporary harmonic framework, it features brief solos for a soulful tenor, and after a modulation for the second verse, alto. The rubato a cappella setting allows for a naturally fluid interpretation that works equally well for jazz singers, chamber groups, and concert choirs at both high school and university levels. SATB a cappella.

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Composer and guitarist Mike Dana lives in Fresno, California, where he has been Director of Jazz Studies at Fresno City College since 1990. AT FCC, Mike directs the award-winning Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combos, and co-directs the Vocal Jazz Ensemble with his wife Julie. He also teaches advanced improvisation, jazz theory, arranging. jazz history, Finale, and a music business course. In 2004, Mike founded (and serves as musical director of) the Jazz Composers Orchestra, an ensemble made up of the finest jazz musicians and educators in central California. This ensemble was invited to perform the Gil Evans Fellowship commission at the International Association for Jazz Education conference in January 2005.
Mike is quite active as a performer, leading several groups, including his own jazz quartet, the Jazz Composers Orchestra, and Bahia, a group focusing on Brazilian music. His jazz guitar credits include performances with Cannonball Adderley, Gary Burton, Clark Terry, Bob Mintzer, Bobby Shew, Ingrid Jensen, Ernie Watts, Arturo Sandoval, Tim Ries, and many others. He has composed music for orchestra, chamber ensembles, musical theater, film, choral ensembles, TV commercials, and of course jazz. His commissions, compositions and arrangements for both instrumental and vocal jazz ensemble have received excellent reviews in the IAJE journal and are widely performed across the United States. Mike continues to be in demand as a guest artist and clinician for jazz festivals throughout the western U.S., as a guest conductor for honor jazz bands, and as a faculty member for summer workshops, including the Lafayette Jazz Workshop, Britt Institute (Oregon), and CSU Summer Arts programs.
Mike earned Bachelors and Masters degrees in composition from California State University Fresno. He also attended the Berklee College of Music, and studied privately with jazz guitar legend Joe Pass. Currently, he is nearing completion of his doctorate (focusing on the teaching of jazz improvisation at the secondary level) at Boston University.