Students, parents and alumni were treated to a Homecoming weekend concert conducted by Chairperson for the Department of Music and Band Director David Vroman on Saturday, Oct. 18.
The concert band performed at Dingeldine Music Center and featured a selection of music from eight different compositions ranging from fast, more up-tempo music to slow, more expressive material.
Vroman said this was only the second concert performance of the year, but he could already tell his students were making progress.
“I thought they did really well,” he said. “That’s what we do each day during rehearsal: we’re always just trying to be a little better every time we meet.”
The response from the audience was just as enthusiastic.
“I came here to fulfill a requirement for a class, but I enjoyed the show and thought the band did a great job,” sophomore interactive media major Dominique Heath said.
Vroman compared the band’s practice to that of an athlete preparing for a big game.
“[The band] works on tone quality and intonation, among other particular skills, and then they apply that to the music, much like how an athlete works on fundamentals.”
The symphonic band and symphonic winds performed four separate pieces.
“I liked that the conductor talked about the music before it was performed and you could tell that he really loved what he was talking about,” sophomore interactive media major Juliet Lo said. “It made the concert a lot more interesting.”
The band is already preparing for its next concert in November, which will repeat some music but also feature new compositions.
“I want us to play music that is quite tuneful, that are melodies people can associate with even though they might have never heard them before,” Vroman said. “The opportunities we have are limitless.”
