Wind
Symphony band blows Salt Lake away
By
Kari Al Edelbi
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
This year, the Cal State Long Beach Wind Symphony was chosen as one of two
universities nationwide to perform at the Music Educators National Conference
(MENC) in Salt Lake City this past weekend. The convention takes place once
every two years and attracts approximately 4,000 music educators from all over
the country, offering workshops and endless opportunities to see and hear musicians
from New York to Los Angeles.
The other university to win this competitive audition was Kansas State University
from Manhattan, Kan., whose band was directed by Frank Tracz.
John Carnahan, department of music chairman, director of bands and conductor
of the Wind Symphony, along with Joan deAlbuquerque, the assistant director
of bands, accompanied the Wind Symphony to the convention. Both Carnahan and
deAlbuquerque, who are members of MENC, said it was the first time the music
department had ever participated in the audition to play at the renowned event
and won.
“
The audition for Salt Lake City was a blind audition,” deAlbuquerque
said, which means the MENC listened to all the submitted demos without any
prior knowledge of which performers they were listening to. This is done for
every MENC convention to ensure a selection based on musical ability rather
than preference.
MENC’s official homepage confirmed the Wind Symphony would be performing
twice at the convention.’The band performed once during the general session,
the main session that attracts most of the visitors, and then at a session
to premiere a new composition titled
“
Thanksgiving,” composed by Eric Schmidt, who has composed for Warner
Brothers and Disney.
While the majority of the pieces were conducted by Carnahan himself, Eric Schmidt
conducted his new piece “Thanksgiving” with the band. In addition,
there was also an entertaining surprise concert where the Wind Symphony played
alongside the famous Boston Brass, Carnahan said.
The Wind Symphony holds auditions once a year in the fall. The group requires
the participating students to agree to a one-year commitment. Owing to the
fact that the musicians are chosen strictly by ability, freshmen as well as
seniors have the equal privilege of becoming part of the Wind Symphony, Carnahan
said.
Nearing the end of the spring semester many of the musicians have to juggle
band rehearsals, tour dates and final papers, which are due too soon.
“
The next three weeks are going to be hell,” said Stephen Hughes, a senior
music major who plays bass trombone. He was at the MENC and will also be joining
Jazz I, the top jazz band at Cal State Long Beach, for a performance in Reno,
Nev. this Thursday.
Nevertheless, he also said he was looking forward to the concerts, which are
always associated with fun and enjoyment.
Sandy Collins, the Wind Symphony’s principal horn player, was also excited
about the band’s performance at the MENC this year.
“
We’re all much better musicians now,” she said, looking back on
the past few years in the music program. “We worked really hard to get
where we are.”
“
It’s fun and loud. It’s exciting to go on a last big trip together,” Collins
said the day before departure.
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