Robert Sheldon is one of the most performed composers of wind band music today. He created In the Center Ring as a musical snapshot of circus performances, ranging from the antics of the jugglers and clowns to the elegance of the high-wire and trapeze performers. He wrote this work in 2003 on commission for the Upper Antioch Grade School Band in Illinois. Currently conductor of the Prairie Wind Ensemble and Concert Band Editor for the Alfred Publishing Company, Sheldon maintains an active schedule of composition and conducting. He previously taught conducting and music education at Florida State University. --James Huff 08:28, 14 November 2008 (UTC) (from the program notes of The Claremont Winds, submitted with permission)