UW News
May 8, 2008
Seminar explores wind ensembles
Most collegiate wind musicians have spent a large part of their careers playing in symphonic bands and wind ensembles. But how did the wind ensemble as we know it now come to be?
That question will be addressed in a seminar on Monday, May 19 in room 223 of the Music Building as three distinguished conductors discuss the history and future of the wind band. The evening will begin with a reception at 5:30 p.m, followed by presentations by panel members beginning at 6 p.m. The event will conclude with a question and answer period with the speakers and guests. Sessions and speakers are:
- Bridging the Orchestral Divide, by Scott Atchison. This talk focuses on the history of the wind band between the French Revolution and the age of J.P. Sousa, focusing in particular on the reasons for the current lack of public recognition and acceptance of the wind ensemble as an elite performing group.
- Fall of the Giant (Ensemble), by J. Brad McDavid. This talk focuses on the impact of the wind ensemble on the structure of collegiate band programs.
- Composing with No Strings Attached, by Eric Smedley. The nature of wind ensemble repertoire is different from that of the symphony orchestra, or even the traditional wind symphony. This talk delves into these differences, looking at their origins and their impact on the status of windbands today.
