Last night I went to a concert. It had been a while since I attended a concert in which I wasn't playing. I wasn't sure how I would do; my attention span since Haydn's birth has left much to be desired. It was also the first University of Missouri School of Music concert I have been to since completing my Master's. I really didn't know how I would respond to being an audience member to a group I participated in not so long ago. Well, here is how it went:
Great. I had an amazing time and I was thoroughly impressed with Dr. Silvey and the MU Wind Ensemble. One of the reasons I didn't go to any Mizzou concerts last year and why I was hesitant this year is because I had, up until last year, only ever been a student. School, the structure and certainty of it, was my "safe zone". Going to one of these concerts and being an audience member...it terrified me. However, the group of students I heard last night eased me into my not-student concert experience extremely well. In fact, they had me questioning my experiences and time at Mizzou. When I was in the Wind Ensemble, is that how good we sounded? God, I hope so. If not, let me commend the group of students that make up the Wind Ensemble. You are a talented group of musicians that play well together. Seriously, when every instrument was playing, you were balanced and produced a full, warm sound. Watching the percussionist run around in the back of the band was unlike anything I have ever seen. Kudos, because when I was in the flute or clarinet section I couldn't see all that you were doing. It is crazy - you have a choreography all your own that I can only now appreciate because I can actually see what occurs behind all of us wind players.
Can I also throw out there that as much as I love the flute...and I do (obviously), the brass section stole my attention completely last night. I have always appreciated the low brass section (thanks to my friend I will call Queso and my favorite march National Emblem) and the French Horns (love a good horn section...Jägerchor anyone?!). But even the trumpets captivated me. Congratulations to a well-formed brass section.
It also reminded me what working with Dr. Silvey (and Maestro Dolbashian) was like; Dr. Silvey runs a tight ship and the results speak for themselves. He let you know well before rehearsal what would be worked on and he expected his musicians to show up prepared. If you demand excellence, there's a good chance you will get it, especially in comparison to demanding the minimum. Whether you are getting a degree in performance or education, having a good director is priceless. Your experience with them sticks with you throughout your career. The two directors mentioned above are a big part of what makes me long for school again.
My final thought from the concert last night is that a piece I anticipated disliking (based on the program notes), I ended up enjoying the most. Have I mentioned how important going to live performances is? I believe I have, but in case you forgot, it is one of the best ways to find new music! Pieces like William Pitts' Conniption may take you by surprise. Now, I thought the name was fantastic from the get-go, but the fact that "the main concepts that drive the piece are juxtaposition of opposites and often abrupt and unstable melodies and phrases" made me uneasy. Yet, in this piece, the band truly shined. I would go so far as to say that this piece was the strongest performance of the night. I shouldn't be surprised; between Dr. Silvey and the talent of the group...I don't know where I am going with this but somehow it doesn't surprise me. It was during this piece that I noticed the percussionists running between their array of instruments. The flutes rocked it (of course I give them a shout-out :) ) and the brass section was solid and clean. I don't get the piece at all, but it was easy for me to sit back and get lost in the music. There were definitely fireworks (see yesterday's post) and my brain was hard at work attempting to follow the musical "fit of hysterical emotion".
In short, I am so happy that I was out "late" last night. Seeing friends I hadn't seen in months was also very, very nice. Congratulations MU Wind Ensemble - way to start off the academic year!
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