Hailey Johnson03/09/2018Professor ImhoffMUSC 201-501525007939Texas A&M Concert and Symphonic Band ReportI attended the TAMU Concert and Symphonic Band recital on March 2nd. Walking into Rudder Auditorium I could already feel the anticipation from the audience members waiting for the concert to begin, most of them seeming to be family members of the performers. The atmosphere was lively and energetic, yet calm and formal. I was instantaneously nostalgic for myyears as a percussionist in my high school band. The attire was generally formal, which amplified the importance of the event. The prevailing demographic of the audience was an elder crowd, most likely the grandparents of the band members. The purpose of the concert, was simply to present the talents of the performers for the enjoyment of their family, friends, or any spectator in need of auditory pleasure. The concert was divided into two parts; first the Concert Band performed and following was the Symphonic. The Concert band performers began to warmup, some fidgeting with their music stands in a nervous manner, and others focused on their scales in a confident, concise effort. I sympathized with the former considering the stage fright I often encountered at recitals like this one. However, once the first note of the performance was played, I was blown away by the confidence that illuminated from the stage. The auditorium itself was a large room, with the seats nearly filled. Russel Tipton, the conductor, seemed baffled by the large turnout, considering it was a Friday evening. He thanked us for our spending our Friday night supporting the Bands multiple times. Considering it was mostly family members in the crowd, with very few student turnout, the attendance number seemed justifiable. The audience was very orderly and, per the conductor’s request, we all quieted down, silencing our devices and patiently awaited the concert to begin. The Concert Band began with a piece called Queen City, written by William. H. Boorn. The song started with a heavy use of Brass instruments. The trumpets were noticeably taking control of the melody, making them easiest to follow along to. I could faintly hear the sound of belles in the background and the snare drum and cymbals kept a consistent rhythm. This reminded me of a parade or march due to its melodious, upbeat sound. Following was an interlude lead by the clarinets which created a smooth sound. The song followed an ABA pattern,for the most part, going back and forth between the brass and woodwinds dominating the melody. My emotional reaction to this piece was one of joy and amusement, most likely due to the lively and parade-like atmosphere the song created. The next piece was Songs of Old Kentucky, written by Brant Karrick. This song conveyed a contrast of passion and humor. It started out with a clarinet solo and transitioned, with the help of an elegant stroke of windchimes,to a cohesive sound with brass dominating. The dynamics in the first movement of this piece are very prominent as the volume moves from forte to piano and decrescendos back on manyoccasions. The second movement is initiated by clapping of the band members while the clarinets carry the melody, followed by the brass. This movement reveals the humor element of the piece, as it elicits a whimsical feeling. As humorous as it may be, the second movement still enraptures the beauty of the piece with various elements such as the marching beat of the snare drum and cymbal crescendo. Towards the end of the second movement, there is a fugue, where the instruments reveal themselves one at a time, adding to the whimsicality of the piece. The nextsong played by the concert band was the Green Folk Song Suite, written by Franco Cearini. For this particular piece they had guest conductor, Travis Almany, take the stage. There are three movements to this piece. The song starts out with a heavy tambourine presence and a homophonic texture. The beginning of this song is upbeat and cheerful. The first movement begins with an oboe solo with cowbell accompaniment, creating a solemn and mischievous feeling. The cowbell is being played at a somewhat irregular beat, conveying a sense of disjunct within the movement. The next movement begins with a flute solo soon to be accompanied with other woodwind instruments. Again, this elicits a solemn, yet majestic mood. As the brass join in and the dynamics increase, the power of this movement begins to take place. The third movement was initiated by a trumpet solo. Carrying the down beat was a short puff of the tuba every half note with percussion matching the upbeat on what sounded like the hi-hat. Towards the end of there is a gradual but drastic change of both dynamics and tempo. The original harmony from the beginning of the song is played faster and faster while getting louder. The last song the Concert Band performs is café 512, written by Ryan George. It starts with a clarinet solo accompanied by various percussion elements such as what sounded like a woodblock, tambourine, and ratchet. This song has a strong percussion presence, which is why it was my favorite song of the night. There was an irregular meter which generated a curious, but eerie tone. The song transitions into a constant and fast beat created by percussion drumming on a cymbal while the band crescendos and then abruptly stops. From there a new harmony is introduced throughout all the instruments making a united sound. More percussion elements are introduced such as shakers, belles and marimbas. The piece ends with the same integrated sound and homophonic texture as the latter half of the performance. Next to perform was the Symphonic band. Their first piece was The Klaxon written by Henry Fillmore. It started out at a fast tempo with a steady meter being held by the snare drum. There was a series of crescendos and decrescendos, which for me symbolized a ride at a carnival.The piece transitioned to a piano dynamic for the brass and woodwinds, while the snare remained at piano forte. The snares roll out and the piece moves into a flute based, chaotic melody. Next, they played October by Eric Whitacre. It begins with a clarinet solo accompanied by windchimes. The other instrument gradually join in. The sound created is quite beautiful and graceful and evokes a feeling of overwhelming passion. The latter theme of the piece has many brass elements with a more alto pitch. The song has contrasted thin and thick textures,