Music majors, directors get creative to make season happen
Monday, September 21, 2020 2:30 PM
News, Academics, Arts & Entertainment
Pittsburg, KS
Dozens of music majors at Pittsburg State University found themselves wondering this summer how they’d have any sort of a performance season when the school year began.
COVID guidelines limit the number of people who can gather, masks are necessary, and the aerosol musicians produce when blowing through instruments is a concern.
But their directors got creative, altering the scope and scale of their usual concerts and implementing safety protocols that came from national scientific studies that focused on bands and choirs.
As a result, it is with great excitement that the students and directors are looking forward to Thursday, Sept. 24 and Wednesday, Sept. 30 — the first concerts of the year at the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts.
The PSU Wind Ensemble will open its season with a virtual concert that was recorded in advance by several small chamber ensemble groups at the Bicknell Center.
“We’re calling it ‘Grassroots’ because it’s entirely student-led,” said Director Andrew Chybowski, an assistant professor in the Department of Music. “The students selected their music, have led small group rehearsals to reduce the number of people gathering, and coordinated their individual recording sessions.”
The recordings were edited together by Bicknell Center staff and will be streamed at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at www.pittstate.tv and at Facebook.com/bicknellcenter.
“This semester has brought us a lot of difficulties, but it’s also brought us new opportunities and experiences,” said Jenna Morris, a bassoon player from West Mineral, Kansas, who is majoring in music education. “Our upcoming concert gave us the chance to work in student-led chamber groups and play music while still following COVID guidelines.”
Garrett Manasco, a trombone player from Republic, Missouri, who is majoring in music education, said he values the unique experience of being able to perform, even if a live audience won’t be in the performance hall with him and his fellow musicians.
“We’ve had the opportunity to learn new skills for both performing and recording,” he said. “A lot of effort has gone into our concert and we’re very excited for everyone to see!”
The PSU Jazz Ensemble will open its season with a virtual concert at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 30 that will be livestreamed as they play.
The concert, under the direction of Professor Robert Kehle, will be performed in the Linda and Lee Scott Performance Hall at the Bicknell Center to an empty house while Bicknell Center staff work their magic to livestream it to audiences watching from home.
Members of the band will wear special performance masks and bell covers and will use spread-out seating for the ensemble.
The playlist will include traditional jazz, bluegrass, and more — from Basie's “Blues in Hoss Flat” to the Buddy Rich version of the Beatles classic, “Norwegian Wood,” with some Latin tossed in and Kenton's version of the Dorsey classic “But Beautiful.”
“Crowning the concert will be a work featuring violinist Edith Sigler, a senior in our department who’s known as both an accomplished classical violinist and a champion bluegrass player,” Kehle said.
With the recent passing of the great fiddler Charlie Daniels, the PSU Jazz Ensemble commissioned a special arrangement from the pen of L.A. trumpeter and composer Jeff Bunnell to feature Sigler on the Daniels' classic, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.”
That concert will be livestreamed at www.pittstate.tv and Facebook.com/bicknellcenter.
Coming up:
The Southeast Kansas Symphony will stream a concert at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 20, and November will include a virtual concert by the PSU Choir. For details and announcements, follow the Bicknell Center on Facebook or check the university calendar at pittstate.edu.
Cutline: Garrett Manasco, a trombone player from Republic, Missouri, who is majoring in music education, said he values the unique experience of being able to perform, even if a live audience won’t be in the performance hall with him and his fellow musicians.