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Show 4 Arts & Entertainment THE SIGNPOST MONDAY, MARCH 5, 2012 WSU Jazz Ensemble in new venue Jazz group puts on big spring show By Janet Tarango correspondent I The Signpost The Weber State University Jazz Ensemble didn't let the change of venue throw it off when it performed Tuesday night. Its usual venue, the Browning Center's Allred Theater, had already been booked, so instead it moved to a ballroom at the Shepherd Union Building. The Jazz Ensemble has been under the leadership of Don Keipp for 27 years, although it has been around for much longer. It is composed of saxophones, trumpets, trombones and a rhythm section, making a total of 20 students. In order to become a member of the ensemble, students have to go through a tryout process. The first step is to attend the first rehearsal of the academic school year in which an audition of sorts is held. Students are asked to sight-read music, improvise and then play their instruments to see how their skills hold up. After all students have a chance to perform, the students who will make up the Jazz Ensemble are chosen. The ensemble has two annual performances on campus: a fall and a spring concert. While the fall concert usually features bigband pieces, the spring concert has lesser-known, more contemporary selections. When it comes to music selection, Keipp said he likes to have a variety of styles. The spring concert this year featured swinging, rock and Latin American tunes and even a jazz waltz, which are not often performed. Although PHOTO BY BLAKE NIFILIS I THE SIGNPOST The Weber State University Jazz Ensemble plays Tuesday night in the Shepherd Union Building. The group is composed mainly of music majors. the pieces performed at the concert might not have been easily recognizable, there was one number that the majority of the audience might have easily identified, and that was the theme from Sesame Street, which ended the concert. The music chosen also has another important factor behind it. It is meant to showcase the students' abilities. "We've got some fine soloists, so I pick music that will fit them," Keipp said. Audiences can also be assured they won't hear the same song repeated for a long time. Weber actors sell Moliere's Tartuffe "I don't want to have students play a song twice while they're in our program," Keipp said. According to Keipp, most students participating in Jazz Ensemble have plans to become music educators, but a few have other plans. Walter Rosio, a trumpet player, is a political science major with a minor in music. "I tried a major in music education last semester, but it wasn't for me," Rosio said. Although he plans on continuing with the Jazz Ensemble while at WSU, Rosio said he plans on pursuing law school af- ter graduation. With a major in instrumental music education, Andrew Wood is a Jazz Ensemble member who plans on continuing with music. He has played trumpet since the age of 4, when his father introduced him to the instrument. "Hopefully, I'd like to get a master's, go on to get a doctorate, and have my own band in a college program or my own orchestra," Wood said. Other than their performances on campus, the students in the Jazz Ensemble have extra opportunities to show off their skills. From time to time, they visit local high schools and perform. They are also the pit orchestra for the Crystal Crest awards held yearly on campus. In addition to its various performances in the area and two on campus, the Jazz Ensemble also performs at the Union Station in downtown Ogden as a part of the ongoing Jazz at the Station series. Its next performance will be March 14. More information can be found at weber. edu / performingarts. Comment on this story at wsusignpost.corn. From the Top comes to WSU Radio program to tape broadcast in Austad Auditorium By Kory Wood a&e editor I The Signpost SOURCE: TRICIA GERRARD Tartuffe premiered this week, featuring (from top) B.J. Whimpey, Kelsie Slaugh and Rick Rea in leading roles. WSU 's By Briana Drandakis a&e reporter I The Signpost The story of a twofaced hustler took center stage in the Browning Center's Allred Theater last Friday as Weber State University's theater department debuted its spring show, Tartuffe. "Tartuffe is the name of the main character, and for a long time it was actually synonymous with a con man," said Jennifer A. Kokai, the director of the show. Kokai, a new theater See Tartuffe page 9 Weber State University will play host this week to National Public Radio's From the Top, a showcase for young classical musicians. The popular traveling radio show, based primarily out of Boston, will be taping a broadcast Thursday night in the Browning Center's Austad Auditorium. Hosted by internationally acclaimed pianist Christopher O'Riley, the NPR program gives classical musicians aged 8-11 a chance to play with like-minded young individuals. O'Riley, who appeared at WSU last September with cellist Matt Haimowitz, serves as interviewer, accompanist and musical director for the program, which is distributed to 250 public radio stations across the country and has an average weekly following of 700,000 listeners. Each weekly broad- SOURCE: FROMTHETOP.ORG From the Top with Chistopher O'Riley comes to Weber State University this week to tape a broadcast Thursday night. The program features solo and ensemble musicians aged 8-18. cast features five young soloists or small groups, and the program is made up of performances by the musicians interlaced with O'Riley's interviews. Thursday night's show will feature five acts, including three performers with local roots. Trenton Chang, a 14-year-old pianist from Logan, Utah, will be performing Maurice Ravel's "III. Anime" from the Sonatine, a fastpaced piece filled with complicated rhythms and spots where the hands play in conflicting places. The Midnight Duo, a Also featured in the pair of students from Salt performance will be Lake City's Gifted Music Hannah Urias, a sopraSchool, will perform the no aged 18, from McAlfinale from Tchaikovsky's len, Texas, who will perViolin Concerto in D ma- form the famous piece jor, Op. 35. The young lo- "Quando m'en vo" from cal students are Aubree Puccini's La Boheme. FolOliverson, a 13-year-old lowing Urias are Nicholas violinist from Orem, Tisherman, a 17-year-old Utah, and Anastasia oboe player from KatoMagamedova, a 14-year- nah, N.Y., and the Meold pianist from Murray, shugene Quartet, a string Utah, who was also a win- quartet based out of liner of the Jack Kent Cooke linois' Midwest Young Young Artist Award, a Artists, an organization $10,000 scholarship given which trains and supby From the Top to young ports young musicians. musicians. 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