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Show Text: Dona Skaff There are several areas within Weber State's music department that make the cultural arts program worthwhile. Weber State College Symphonic Band The size of the Symphonic Band may change but the quality remains the same. From year to year the band size varies between 55 and 70 students. "The students who participate in this program," said band director Dr. Thomas Root, "are very fine musicians and they are dedicated to doing well." The group keeps busy throughout the year with concerts both on and off campus. Last spring, they were one of six groups invited to perform in the "Western International Band Clinic" held in Seattle, Washington. Recently, they performed in a band invitational that featured world-renown saxophonist Eugene Arousseau. The band also plays on a continual basis with high school bands in the area. Several concerts are held during the year on campus but Root finds there is little audience participation. "It's not a very visible group," said Dr. Root. The most visible part of the band is the pep band which plays at athletic events. "We don't put a lot of emphasis on participation in athletic events, but rather, we put emphasis on allowing the students to study with outstanding instructors from Ogden and Utah symphonies." Plans are in the works for an "All Utah College Band Festival," including all four of Utah's major colleges. Next year, the annual event will be held on the BYU campus and alternate with other schools in the following years. Dr. Root believes in his program and his students. "We think we have a very good band program, and it is growing because we are recruiting, " said Dr. Root. The college offers 21 scholarships for band students and Dr. Root does most of the recruiting himself. "Students are most anxious to be approached about coming and participating in our program." The students in the Symphonic Band work hard. They have to in order to maintain the solid reputation Weber has for its band and music department. His students must be dedicated, involved, and have a high degree of integrity in the way they perform. "The members of this band are all top students," said Dr. Root. "They need to have good experiences in order to justify this for them, and I am more than happy to provide them with these experiences." Music Concert and Chamber Choir Sixty student voices make up the Weber State College Concert Choir. Twenty of these voices make up the Chamber Choir. Both of these groups are directed by Mark Henderson, who transferred last year from the University of Utah. '- -' - n.. , f . ' J. r 1 I - "'"'t"1.T', JT" M' fmJiy&fl ' h "1 A 4 - - i - f f'f': ft ? ' . I SOFTLY NOW, admonishes Dr. Michael Palumbo of the WSC music faculty. The weather was just too nice to practice indoors. (Signpost photo: Oscar .Sosa) Both groups are auditioned and students must be able to read music and sight read. They are expected to improve their skills over the year. "We are basically trying to get everyone to sing well in addition to having fine musical skills," said Henderson. "I want to expose the kids to the great artists in order to sharpen their aesthetic sense so they can appreciate music on all kinds of levels." The Concert Choir performs six-to-eight concerts a year, all on campus. The main difference between the two groups is the musical styles. The Concert Choir does more classical pieces from artists like Bach and Brahms; the Chamber Choir uses more contemporary styles. Students in the Chamber Choir are almost on their own in learning their music. "The choir is an interesting combination of people, learning to develop their own voices individually as soloists, but also learning to blend within the group," said Henderson. "It is an individual experience and a social one at the same time." The Chamber Choir performs an average of 20 concerts a year to thousands of people. The music is a mixture of jazz, madrigal and 20th century styles. This is the last year for the Chamber Choir. Next year, they will be replaced with a six-to-eight voice entertainment group that will represent the college in a more direct way. It will be a complete concert package, including current pop, vocal jazz and novelty numbers with an instrumental back-up. Tangent Factor The Tangent Factor has been keeping jazz music alive on Weber State College for six years. The group consists of five saxophones, four rhythmists, three trumpets, one trombone, one band leader and a very unusual name. The name "Tangent Factor" was created by the band's leader Dr. Ron Elliston and was inspired by the band's need for an identity and the mathematical term of the same name. A student happened to be working on math homework at the same time they were looking for a name. He defines "tangent factor" as the "epicenter from jazz activity." The group plays an average of five concerts a year on campus. Other concerts are held in the community, usually at dances. They play songs like Opus 1, Memory, In the Mood and many other favorites from the big band era and others. Every other the year the band trav els to different mountain states. In the past, they have attended jazz festivals at the University of Northern Colorado at Greely, Univelsity of Idaho at Moscow and the University of Utah. The group practices five hours a week in order to "gain the skills and concepts necessary to perform well the many styles that are prominent in our society," said Dr. Elliston. The main requirement is to like and want to play jazz music with sufficient skills to play the arrangements. "Tangent Factor has enjoyed popularity and has a strong following in the community and on campus, and we are extremely grateful for the support," said Dr. Elliston. "We have a love for the big band era, and people seem to enjoy it." (AflGEnT r ACTOR Orchestra The Weber State College Orchestra is made up of an average of 50 students . . . everybody doing his best . . . everyone working together as a team. Although the group is not an auditioned group, there is auditioning for different chair seating within the group. The orchestra is open to all students who are willing to work. "The only expectation I have," said orchestra conductor Dr. Michael Palumbo, "is that the students practice the music." The students spend a lot of time practicing and playing (an average of 10 hours a week) and get very little credit (one credit hour a quarter). They perform one major concert a quarter on campus and several concerts in the community. "We don't perform as much as other groups because of the serious type of music," said Dr. Palumbo. "It's not designed for entertainment. It is an educational ensemble for those who are in it." Dr. Palumbo is proud of the program. "This program can hold iis own and is comparable to other schools of the same calibre," he said. Emphasis is placed on practice and performance through hard work. "We have a school, a policy, a tradition and level to maintain," he concluded. |