By Laura Koenig | Echo
Imagine the routine of pushing your way through the Dining Commons, finding the right foods to eat and interacting with friends and wingmates. Now add the sounds of various popular tunes filling the room, with pieces from movies such as "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" and "West Side Story" reverberating throughout the room as you struggle to cut your chicken.
The Taylor Wind Ensemble will perform a lively program for their upcoming pops concert, held in the Hodson Dining Commons. The concert will also provide the students in music professor Al Harrison's conducting class a chance to conduct the band. For the past 20 years, the performance has given the students motivation and a goal to work toward as they apply their different conducting skills and work with a group of musicians.
Junior composition major Daniel Morrison, one of seven student conductors, will conduct a piece titled "Fantasia in G" by composer Timothy Mahr.
"Conducting goes far beyond just waving your arms around in time with the music-it takes a ton of practice and work to do well," Morrison said. "It is about leading other musicians and working with them to bring the best out of the group."
Even while focusing on the task of conducting, Morrison emphasized the atmosphere of the concert. "The pops concert is going to be a really fun, relaxed concert-sort of like going to a coffee house with your friends when they have live music, except that instead of some guy with a guitar, you are going to be hearing a whole wind ensemble," Morrison said.
The freshmen are also looking forward to performing in this type of atmosphere. Freshman bass clarinet player Jaylin Gadel is thankful for the positive experience and Harrison's graciousness throughout the year as they are approaching their last concert.
"It's bittersweet, but I know that I will continue to play in the Wind Ensemble for the next three years," Gadel said.
As the freshmen look forward to the next three years, the seniors are preparing to close this season of their lives with this final performance. "The nice thing about being a musician is the fact that even if this is my last concert with the TU Wind Ensemble, it will not be my last performance," said senior trombonist Joel Helms. "There is always some sadness when moving on, but I will never forget this group and all the great experiences I have had with everyone."
Harrison agrees with these bittersweet feelings as the year begins to close. He praised the students' practicing habits this semester. Their constant work allowed them to play more difficult pieces of music. "We've (the Wind Ensemble) had a great year," Harrison said. "They've been fabulous."
The student conductors for this performance include Morrison, seniors Jon Becker and Emma Helfgott and juniors Evan Koons, Howard Lee, Emma Helfgott, Brian Ballinger and Tyler Schnute.
The pops concert will be held tonight at 5:30 p.m. in the Hodson Dining Commons.
