Love (and jazz) are in the air
By Emily Fox · Editor-in-chief
Are your Friday night plans sounding bleak? How about Saturday? Maybe you don’t have a car and are frantically trying to figure out something special to do with your girlfriend for Valentine’s Day. Or maybe you’re a love-lorn Grover looking for something to distract you from all the recently engaged couples strolling about campus. Whatever the case, Grove City’s musical ensembles have got you covered. The college’s symphonic concert band and wind ensemble are hosting a concert at 7:30 p.m. tonight, and the jazz band is hosting the GCC Jazz Festival tomorrow at 7:30 p.m., both in Ketler Auditorium.
Symphonic Concert Band and Wind Ensemble
The symphonic concert band and wind ensemble have been preparing for tonight’s performance since the semester started. In just a few short weeks, they’ve put together eight selections sure to impress and entertain their audience.
“This was a fairly quick turnaround in terms of prepping this concert. The students have worked diligently to prepare this music in a relatively short amount of time, and I have really enjoyed watching them learn this material. Both ensembles are tremendous collectively and as individual members. I am so happy for them,” Dr. Andrew Erb, director of the concert band and wind ensemble, said.
The symphonic concert band will begin the concert playing the first four selections. The concert’s opening piece, “Ignition” by Todd Stalter, is a fast-paced and energetic selection sure to get the audience excited for what’s to come. They’ll then move on to “How Sweet the Sound,” a piece based on the familiar hymn “Amazing Grace.” The audience should also look forward to hearing “El Capitan” by John Philip Sousa and the symphonic band’s final piece by Randall Standridge entitled “Gloriam.”
“That piece (Gloriam) is a lot of fun for both musicians and audience. It uses quite a bit of mixed meter, syncopation and interesting rhythms,” Erb said.
After the concert band concludes, the wind ensemble will take the stage, opening with “American Overture” by Joseph Wilcox Jenkins. Their next two pieces are “Simple Gifts” by Frank Ticheli and “Rush,” a selection composed by Pittsburgh native Sam Hazo. Their final piece, “Grant Them Eternal Rest” by Andrew Boysen Jr., is a meaningful dedication to the victims of the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001.
“It is a multi-movement, highly emotional and touching piece of music. We hope it moves our audience the way it has moved us,” Erb said.
If you can’t catch this evening’s concert, the wind ensemble will be performing March 20 at the college’s Celebrate 150th concert at Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh, and you’ll have another chance to hear both groups on April 24 during Family Weekend.
GCC Jazz Festival
Grovers have much to look forward to at the GCC Jazz Festival, which showcases performances by Highland High School’s jazz ensemble and the college’s own jazz band, featuring pieces written by renowned saxophonist and jazz arranger Mike Tomaro, the festival’s special guest.
Along with being an accomplished saxophonist, Tomaro is a composer and educator. In 1997, he became the director of Duquesne University’s jazz studies program, a position he continued to serve in until his retirement. He was a member of the Army Blues Jazz Ensemble for 17 years, and during that time, he composed many of the selections in the group’s repertoire. Tomaro also has various other achievements from performing with many other jazz artists and ensembles. Grove City’s jazz band had the opportunity to learn from him at an improvisation workshop this past Tuesday.
Trombonist David LaBarbera expressed his gratitude for learning to play Tomaro’s arrangements and then having the chance to work with him.
“I have always found it exciting to play compositions or arrangements by a person I have actually met because the music feels much more personal, and this adds value and import to the performance. Consequently, I was thrilled to hear that we would be playing Tomaro’s arrangements alongside him in concert. On Tuesday, the jazz ensemble had the opportunity to rehearse with Tomaro, and I was blown away by his incredible saxophone playing, especially his improvised solos,” LaBarbera said. “His presence brings energy to the band and enhances the quality of our music.”
The college will also host workshops for Highland High School students, and the school’s jazz ensemble will perform the first portion of the concert on Saturday night. Next, Grove City’s ensemble will play several selections arranged by Tomaro, including “I’ll Remember April,” “Willow Weep for Me,” “What Is Hip?” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” The arrangements will feature solos from Tomaro himself and a solo played by LaBarbera in “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” The band will also play “Not Another November,” composed by the college’s own director of jazz ensembles, Dr. Joseph Hasper, and featuring a trumpet solo by Liam Cummings.
“Mike and I picked these tunes because they each have something new to say. If you know the songs already (who doesn’t remember Mr. Rogers singing ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’), you’ll hear some new twists and musical surprises in the way Tomaro treats the melody. Even if you don’t know the songs, the sound and energy of 17 musicians all playing this energetic, vibrant music is something everyone can enjoy,” Hasper said.
“As composers of rangers, we put lots of time into this music, and it is gratifying to hear bands perform it,” Tomaro said.
ro said.
After spending the fall semester learning between 45 and 50 songs for the Ballroom Club’s Winter Ball, the jazz band began practicing for Saturday’s concert in January, meaning they faced a tight timeline to prepare for the performance.
“I think the students are taking it in stride, just doing the work and each week’s progress to build into bigger and bigger accomplishments. We’re playing some very difficult music this week, without a lot of time to prepare, so that puts some pressure on students, but they’ve accepted the challenge. For me, it required setting a strict timeline for rehearsals and making sure we met each rehearsal’s goals,” Hasper said.
“Hearing the full and finished sound for the first time was incredibly satisfying and a perfect fulfillment of our anticipation!” Cummings said.
If your Saturday evening is already booked, there are several more opportunities to see the jazz band perform throughout the semester.
The band will play at 6:15 p.m. on April 18 at Lux Mea before the student films debut, and they will hold a concert for Family Weekend at 1:30 p.m. on April 25 in Ketler Auditorium.
