‘Contest’ concert Feb. 24

The Waseca High School bands held their winter concert Friday, Feb. 24 in the Performing Arts Center for about four hundred fans. Director Devon Lawrence greeted the audience, explaining that each band's three numbers for the evening were the ones they would perform at the Large Group Contest, which is to be held in Waseca on March 6. The contest is open to the public. Waseca's music groups perform at 8:30 for concert choir, 9:30 for select choir, 11:00 for  concert band, and 1:30 for symphonic band.

The concert band performed first, opening with “Among the Clouds,” by Brian Balmages. Balmages was inspired to write this piece by the feeling of flying he experienced in a lucid dream; its fast pace is meant to reflect that feeling. Next was “...music speaks,” which Lawrence explained was the second part of a two-part piece; the first is called “When words fail.” This much slower number was composed by Randall Standridge, who has said he didn't have any particular inspiration for the piece but wanted to experiment with harmonic ideas that he struggled to communicate. Also important to Standridge, according to Lawrence, is that every listener can interpret the piece for themselves; whether they hear sadness or joy or a blend of emotions, everyone’s impressions are correct. The final number from the concert band was Michael Oare's “Equilibrium.” Lawrence told the audience that Oare was looking to create balance within a piece of music. He attempted this not by never straying from a centerpoint, but by going to opposite extremes in nearly every musical aspect. Colton Schroeder, trumpet, played solo parts on “...music speaks” and “Equilibrium.”

The symphonic band played next, beginning their portion of the concert with “Perilous Voyage” composed by Cory McBride. Using music, the piece tells about the journey of a secret agent sent by Queen Elizabeth I to conquer a Spanish colony, and the many perils he faces. McBride composed this piece at age fifteen, Lawrence told the audience, and anyone who is familiar with wind instruments, he added, would be able to tell that McBride was a percussionist. The piece made heavy use of various percussion instruments, such as tympani and the band's new gong. The melody and harmonies were composed largely of sharp, almost percussive notes. Next was “Dusk,” by Steven Bryant. This piece was a slow song – written at just 44 beats per minute. Lawrence explained the band was playing slightly faster than that, “since we don't want to take our nap before we go to bed.” As the name implies, the piece was inspired by the time between daylight and the darkness of night. The final piece of the evening was “Midnight on Mainstreet,” also composed by Balmages. Lawrence said in his introduction, “When I passed this piece out to the symphonic band, they looked at me like I was crazy.” Balmages composed the piece inspired by the music he played as a musician at Disney's Epcot. “He wrote his own fireworks display,” Lawrence said. The piece is full of rapid changes between unusual time signatures, prompting the students' initial reaction, but despite their hesitation the band has conquered the piece and gave a strong performance. Soloists for the symphonic band were Hannah LaCroix, flute, and Addison Bomsta, clarinet, on “Perilous Voyage” and “Midnight on Main Street,” and Elijah Miller, bass clarinet, Hannah Wilder, alto saxophone, Lindsey Kopetzki, french horn, Joseph Feldkamp, trumpet, and Norah Schimming, piano, on “Midnight on Main Street.”

Before closing the concert, Lawrence extended special thanks to many who assisted with the concert. To Chuck Pollock, who handled lights, sound, and recording; the school custodial staff who prepared the space; middle and junior high school band directors Craig Brendan and Jay Downie, who, Lawrence said “make my job easy” by preparing young musicians every day for bigger things; all of the fine arts staff in the district, who support each other and work together often; Joe Hedervare and all of the administrative and office staff for the work they do organizing and promoting concerts; the parents and families of the students for their support; and finally the students themselves, without whom Lawrence pointed out he wouldn't be a director. “I love waking up every day and getting to work with them.”