Blog Post: Kristi Licare

I am once again excited to be a part of UMWO this concert! As an UMWE clarinetist, I am grateful for the opportunity to work with musicians with a diverse range of experience. This concert's program is stimulating, both mentally and emotionally.

Putting the Higdon Percussion Concerto together with the soloist today was incredible! I must admit that rehearsing a concerto without a soloist has never been my favorite type of rehearsal (in my pre-UMD career, I’ve played in the orchestra for two concertos). To me, those rehearsals always seem like assembling a car at a factory, but without the body. In order for the “body” (the soloist) to fit properly, we must endure the more mundane rehearsal process so that we can gain the most when our soloist arrives. When the soloist finally arrives, we can put the finishing touches on the piece, or car, if you will, so that it “rides” smoothly.

The Schmitt is quite a difficult piece. At first, I didn’t really like it because I thought it was unnecessarily difficult, but now that I’ve had the time to get it under my fingers (or so I thought before today’s rehearsal…there’s always work to be done!), I’ve been enjoying the piece much more. I think what frustrates me the most is the way the sheet music is formatted. If it were printed without so many divisi lines, I think it would look a lot less overwhelming and be easier to learn. Or, at least it would trick my mind into thinking it is easier, and my brain would function more efficiently. Fortunately, our graduate assistants have enlarged our parts for us, making it easier to read (thank you!!) When I get frustrated, I try to remember how privileged we are to have this sheet music in the first place. I also remind myself how fortunate we are to be able to perform it with such dedicated musicians.

To me, there’s nothing like a good Tarantella! The Corigliano Tarantella from Gazebo Dances is quite enjoyable and easy to listen to. The other Corigliano Tarantella (from Symphony no. 1), however, is literally and figuratively more difficult for me. Something about it resonates with me in a way I can’t quite explain yet. Perhaps it’s the juxtaposition of hysterically frantic emotions and eerily relaxed ones that gets to me. I’m curious to discover additional emotions this piece will provoke in me as we rehearse it further.

Hard to believe we have less than two weeks left of the semester! Glad we'll be finishing strong!

-Kristi Licare, clarinet

Blog Post: Drew Blais

When I was asked to play with the UM Wind Orchestra for another concert rotation, I was more than eager to jump on board. Although I am only performing one piece on the program, the structured and demanding rehearsal environment keeps me coming back for more. “Dionysiaques” has to be one of the most difficult ensemble pieces that I have had the pleasure (and/or head-ache) of playing. The grace notes in my part are very interesting to listen to, but trying to decipher their accidentals on my small piece of sheet music has been quite the challenge. Even with the limited amount of rehearsal time before our performance on December 3rd, our recent rehearsals have been really successful, and I could not be more excited to see the “Schmitt” come to life on stage.

-Drew Blais, saxophone

Blog Post: Matt Jones

The Corigliano Piece is definitely one of the most unique I've ever played. I've never seen a free-time numbering system, much less multiple in a row. Each number signals a different group to start their 'riff,' and each riff is in a different time and feel. It makes for an interesting sound, but also for getting lost easily!

-Matt Jones, percussion

Blog Post: Brendan Kelly

After only playing on one piece in the first two UMWO rotations, we (the saxophone section) now have our work cut out for us! This final program includes 4 pieces with saxophone, and is much more technically demanding than the last. As is expected with this level of music, it is requiring much more individual and ensemble rehearsal than the last piece we played on. I have really needed to focus on learning my own part before rehearsals because there is a bit of a unique challenge that comes with playing in an ensemble such as our Wind Orchestra. The size and instrumentation of the ensemble changes with almost every piece on the program, which requires an even greater awareness of my surroundings than what I have grown accustomed to playing in a large concert band for most of my life. Tuning and balancing with an ensemble that has 12 clarinets and 3 tubas on the Gubaidalina last rotation is very different than the Schmitt with its two separate brass sections or the one to a part standard band instrumentations on the Corigliano and Higdon. All in all, I am enjoying this unique challenge that teaches us how to handle the wide variety of ensemble circumstances that we may come across in our professional careers.

-Brendan Kelly, saxophone

Blog Post: Donnie Johns

This concert program involves a huge amount of work but is also very exciting. The Higdon percussion concerto is a major workout and the Corigliano is about as wild and loopy as any piece I've performed! I'm especially looking forward to performing the Higdon with the soloist. It's an amazing work and will be incredibly fun to perform. I have been playing percussion for twenty years, and I thought I had heard of just about every instrument within the family....until I came across the Surinach....hawk bells? pandero?....a percussionist's work is never done!

-Donnie Johns, percussionist

Blog Post: Emily Busch

Playing Surinach's "Paens and Dances of Heathen Iberia" has been fun so far. The piece is not technically challenging, but it is written on a very large scale. The ensemble has more instruments in most sections than normal works do, so the sounds coming from the group are powerful and strong. Harmonically this piece is much less harsh than other songs the ensemble has performed, which makes it even more enjoyable to rehearse. I also like that the movements, while short, are related to each other in sound, timbre and style. There is also something strangely appealing about playing Pagan-based music. Maybe it is the darkness of the sounds or the non-traditional meanings behind each movement. Or maybe the fact that Heathens from Iberia did not (or could not) record their music makes this feel like a resurrection of something long gone but not forgotten. Whatever it is, I have enjoyed working on Surinach's piece.

-Emily Busch, horn

Blog Post: Sam Crouse

I was very excited when I was asked to play oboe with Wind Orchestra for this concert. Tarantella from Symphony No. 1 by John Corigliano called for a third oboe. That piece sounds really cool. It has a very rhythmic and modern sound. I look forward to performing that piece on the concert. The other piece I'm playing in, Carlos Surinach - Paeans and Dances of Heathen Iberia has lots of extra parts in all sections it seems. It calls for 6 oboes and 2 english horns! Although most of our parts are in unison, there are a few times where we harmonize. The 5th movement of that piece is just the oboes and english horns. I'm very excited to hear how that sounds on stage. First we need the rest of the oboe section though. It's very hard to do that movement without having all the parts. I look forward to hearing the oboe octet in that piece. I can't wait to perform these pieces in the upcoming concert.

-Sam Crouse, oboe

Blog Post: Peter Begina

I think Dr. Votta said it the best in terms of describing how rehearsals have been going so far. “It’s like watching a picture slowly come into focus.” After three rehearsals the most significant group accomplishment has been a solid unification in rhythm but it is still clear that notes, which there are a lot of in this line up, are still lacking. From a tuba player perspective this is probably the most music I have seen in a single concert with UMWO. It is unusual because normally the tuba parts are pretty scarce, but this time around I am getting quite a workout. With constant low register playing in Dionysiaques, licks that encompass a wide range of the horn in the Percussion Concerto, and a fairly high and exposed tuba solo in the Tarantella, it is a lot more music to prepare then what I am normally asked for out of this ensemble. Of course this comes at a time when we have less rehearsals due to Thanksgiving and the quickly approaching end of the semester. With all this in mind I have no doubts that as an ensemble we will portray a pretty sharp image on stage in only three short weeks. I am very excited to continually polish this music to hopefully create an excellent concert for those of you out in the audience.

-Peter Begina,tuba

Blog Post: Noelle Drewes

Yesterday was our first rehearsal for our next concert and you can see the program information below as well as our first blog post from one of our oboe players, Noelle Drewes.

"Wild Rides"
John Corigliano: Tarantella from Gazebo Dances
John Corigliano: Tarantella from Symphony No. 1
Jennifer Higdon: Percussion Concerto
Carlos Surinach: Paeans and Dances of Heathen Iberia
Florent Schmitt: Dionysiaques

Concert programs for the Wind Orchestra at UMD can vary wildly - more so than any other ensemble at this school. We play classical and modern music, works for large and small ensembles, often bring in sting players or vocalists, etc. There is usually a piece on each program that I truly enjoy, and often one that isn't my favorite. Unfortunately for this concert, I have yet to find the silver lining. It seems like the music we are playing is mostly "shock-and-awe" in terms of sheer size and volume. As an oboe player, for much of this music, it doesn't matter how loud I play: I can't be heard. Maybe I am too used to enjoying the spotlight, but I prefer to blend with my colleagues, not simply blast away. There just doesn't seem to be much variety on this program; all the pieces were written in the 20th century, and all of them are for an extra-large group. What happened to the intimate wind group at UMD?

-Noelle Drewes, oboe

Review of Our Last Concert

Below is a link to a student review of our last concert. These are available on the CSPAC website and you can read more student reviews of our performances and other ensembles there. Enjoy!

Student Review of 11/5 Concert

Blog Post: Julie Wagner

Some of the bass players from UMSO have been asked to help fill in parts for UMWO this concert. Most of us are playing in the Dutilleux, but I am also playing in the Gubaidulina. I must say it seems like most people write how at first they did not know what to make of the piece, but after several rehearsals they have some sort of epiphany and begin to love the music. I can’t say that has happened to me. In fact, I’m pretty sure the opposite has happened. I’m not usually one to shy away from modern pieces and I think you can usually find something in the piece that you like or that speaks to you. This has not been my experience with this piece. I like it less in practice than I did in theory. I read that Gubaidulina wrote the music for the movie Adventures of Mowgli, I hope with greater success.

The Dutilleux is a slightly different experience for us in the bass section. We do have one pretty exposed line, which hardly ever happens. It’s kind of fast and has some funky rhythms, which makes it more exciting and challenging to play, which also hardly ever happens. So the Dutilleux has kept us awake through (most) rehearsals and for that we are thankful. But I’m not so sure I see the stars…

-Julie Wagner, bass

Blog Post: Stefan Zavalin

At first, I didn't really know what to think of the piece, the orchestra, or even the rehearsals. I slowly, however, came to enjoy it. The multitude of sounds and rhythms made an incredible combination. I could really imagine the way the music depicts the painting.

-Stefan Zavalin, bass

Blog Post: Adam Stephens

As far as the Gubaidulina is concerned, I have mixed emotions about how I feel playing this piece. While the role I play in the piece is relatively small (out of almost 550 measures, I play roughly 80 of them), I realize that I am fortunate in comparison to my neighbor, who plays roughly half the amount of time that I do. I enjoy certain sections of the music, particularly the very beginning because of its very mysterious nature. Passing off the quarter notes seamlessly during the beginning has proven to be the most challenging part of this piece for me, but I am quite satisfied in how well the group executes this. Beyond the beginning, however, it is hit-or-miss for me in terms of what I enjoy hearing or playing. I can’t help but smile when I hear the “jazz” quotes that bounce between me, the bassoon, and other parts of the band simply because it seems like such a caricature. Later parts that seem to consist of atonal clusters speak to me far less. I think listeners will be drawn to the singer as much as I have, as her voice seems to suit the mysterious “atmosphere” of this piece. All in all, I have enjoyed broadening my horizons and being involved in something so different.

-Adam Stephens, tenor sax

Blog Post: Dan Vaughan

When I found out that I would be in UMWO this semester, I was pleasantly surprised. It has been great working under Dr. Votta and playing with musicians of such high caliber. However, as far as the actual music that I play goes, there are pros and cons.

Pro: My parts are actually fun to play and there are lots of them, which means I don’t have to sit in the back and do nothing. I enjoy performing the pieces I play (Dutilleux and Guibaduilina).

Con: The pieces I play in don’t sound like music. Not to sound rude, but I cannot fathom voluntarily listening to these pieces of music. I just don’t get them. They don’t seem to go anywhere like other pieces of music. To me, it sounds like the composer simply picked a bunch of random notes and rhythms and threw them onto paper.

Of course, I am only talking about the two pieces that I play on. Ironically, I like every other piece that I don’t perform on. For example, I find Sleepless Slumber to be very catchy and pleasant to listen to. I’ve heard other people say “I hate it, it sounds like pop song!” I honestly don’t see the problem with an orchestral piece sounding like a pop song. I think the audience will enjoy it more than the Dutilleux. Although I don’t “get” the Dutilleux or Gabuidilina that of course doesn’t mean the pieces don’t have a meaning. I am only a sophomore in college and have only a year or two worth of experience with music theory. The composers of the pieces on the other hand, probably had many years of schooling in composition and much more exposure to music than I have. Odds are I am probably too musically immature to appreciate this type of music. Hopefully in a couple years, I can look back on the music in this concert and enjoy it.

-Dan Vaughan, percussion

Blog Post: Hannah Wang

I have to admit, when I first saw and played through Dutilleux I was extremely skeptical of the piece. The first thought that ran through my head was literally "what....just happened?!" Nothing really made sense to me and I was somewhat irked that I had been placed on the piece. Two rehearsals from the concert and I was still skeptical at first. To be honest, I think I felt feverish through the sectional. It was weird trying to fit in and once I lost count I couldn't get back, which really frustrated me and would send out a slew of unlady like words that would be muttered as I tried to find my place again. After a 10 min break today, we did a play through of the piece with the whole ensemble, and I have to admit I finally started to like it somewhat. There are really cool moments and once I got the hang of counting in some spots, it actually started to click with me. I was sitting there going "oh hey, this isn't really that bad!" I guess in the end, I'm going to have a love-hate relationship with this piece. It has it's own unique quality to it that makes it a challenging but cool piece to play, but at the same time the challenging aspect of it makes it somewhat of a foe when I'm playing through it. Don't let my intial reaction deter you from this piece though, because maybe like me you'll come around and like it in the end.

-Hannah Wang, Cello

Blog Post: Danielle Wilt

I have just about made it through all 5 stages of Dutilleux.

Stage 1 - Panic: Looking over the pages of my music, the ratio of black to white was pretty intimidating. It also doesn't help that the parts are handwritten and the notes and their accidentals are all scrunched together. Is that a flat or natural? ...still working that one out...

Stage 2 - Frustration: Spending an hour and a half on 5 to 10 bars of what seems to be a jumble of random notes that shift rhythmic subdivisions every other beat and finally thinking my fingers know where they're supposed to go. Fast forward to rehearsal that afternoon and approaching that very passage and feeling as if it's the first time you've ever looked at it!

Stage 3 - Acceptance: I attended the open rehearsal and performance of the Philadelphia Orchestra playing this piece and they even hit a few snags during rehearsals. It wasn't easy for them either, whew! Still, I had to convince myself that the rhythms weren't all that fast and the notes...well the notes would eventually make sense.

Stage 4 - Determination: Some of us have also been dedicating extra rehearsals to work out these tricky spots and it's really been to paying off. (i.e. - measure 1 to the end) Just kidding...but really. Last Tuesday I finally saw the pieces of the puzzle coming together and the faint picture of Starry Night coming into focus. We will pull this off.

Stage 5 - Gratification: I will do my very best to refrain from celebrating after every technical passage I complete, but you will definitely be able to tell if we've done our "Duti" once we don our Grinchy grins following the final cut off.

We have put a lot of work into this concert and we hope you enjoy!

-Danielle Wilt, flute

Blog Post: Joy Fraser

While lots of my colleagues have focused on the extreme quirks and difficulties of the Gubaidulina and the Dutilleux (I most wholeheartedly agree...), don't let anyone convince you that the Mozart Serenade is the easy piece on the concert! With such a small group of players, every note must be formed with the utmost sensitivity and awareness of what the other players are doing. It seems as if the most familiar kinds of melodies are the most challenging! As a group, we have worked through intonation issues, questions about style, tempo inconsistencies.... it hasn't always been very pretty, to put it kindly. While technically, Mozart might not be as hard on the brain and the fingers as the Dutilleux, there is no one to hide behind... we're all the front row!

Blog Post: Katelyn Jarkowiec

When I first found out that I was going to be in wind orchestra this semester, I was definitely a little shocked. As a cellist, you don't usually expect to play in a piece written for wind orchestra. Henri Dutilleux's Timbres, Espace, Mouvement includes 10 basses and 12 celli in this piece with woodwinds. At first, I wasn't a huge fan of the piece. Every semester I usually look forward to playing a Beethoven Symphony along with other big orchestral works, so with this piece, I didn't know how to feel about it or how to go about practicing it. Timbres, Espace, Mouvement is actually a very intricate piece that creates a unique atmosphere inspired by Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night. It is a big change to go from playing a standard orchestral cello part to playing weird harmonics and atonal motives. Overall I think that this was a good experience for me. I got to spend a little time outside of my comfort zone and play this piece of music that hopefully some people will appreciate and enjoy.

-Katelyn Jarkowiec, cello

Blog Post: Britney Saline

As I sit in rehearsal of the Gubaidulina, furiously counting my measures of rest, I send up a quick prayer to the gods (devils?) of intonation that my upcoming entrance on a pianissimo high D won’t actually kill someone after it leaves the bell of my horn. My neighbor suddenly jerks forward to play a lonely pair of notes before slumping back in his chair to count more rests. The clarinets are awash with a moody line of eighth notes, and my sections spits out a lonely minor triad held for three beats. I note that it’s possible I would actually enjoy listening to this work. It doesn’t seem that many others in the ensemble share this opinion, but I find the abrupt shifts in color and timbre to be compelling and exciting. If we pull off this piece with the level of artistry it requires, I imagine it will have quite the impact on our audience – provided I don’t kill someone with my high D.

-Britney Saline, soprano saxophone

Blog Post: Tina Termini

Our performance on Friday will mark my last performance EVER with the University of Maryland Wind Orchestra. It has been a really crazy experience but there is no doubt it has been rewarding. I am playing principal flute on the Gubaidulina. This piece has actually grown on me. I started out hating it and hating the fact that I felt like I had to flutter tongue every other note. However, the melodic portions that I play with Janet (oboe) are actually quite beautiful.

I am playing piccolo on the Dutilleux and that has absolutely been a rollercoaster. It’s nearly impossible to feel confident playing a part that feels completely out of sync with all of the other players even though it’s not even supposed to be together. I was surprised by this piece... Dutilleux composed a Sonatine for flute, which is one of the most beautiful pieces in the flute repertoire. I expected this piece to be somewhat similar to it but indeed it is much more focused on somehow conveying Starry Night to the audience. I guess it will be up to us to all come together on Friday and make it a great performance. I know the audience will be thinking of the beautiful piece of art that inspired it and I hope we can life up to that.

-Tina Termini, flute

Blog Post: Shaun Rodgers

I play on Gubaidulina and Sleepless Slumber. Gubaidulina sounds like a typical UMWO piece, and has the typical UMWO lots of percussion needed. I don’t really get the song, but a large part of the percussion parts are more for the effect than the notes, so it’s no big deal if I play the wrong bongo. Plus a lot of that is really hard to do correctly anyway.

Here’s the thing- do we really need the metronome on Sleepless Slumber? It’s like a cool little pop tune being ruined by someone who’s Dr. Beat turned on in their bag. That’s hooked up to a large set of speakers. Dr. Votta was talking about what he thinks the lyrics are about, and I have to say I disagree. To me, the lyrics remind me of this: if you’re ever talking on the phone to someone when you’re dead tired and should be asleep, and anytime you close your eyes you like hallucinate or immediately dream, and you start saying whatever you’re seeing. Most of the time, it is irrelevant and makes no sense, and mostly embarrasses you in front of whoever you’re talking to. I feel like the lyricist just pressed a recorder and talked in that force to stay awake state and rolled with it. A line like “Sleepless slumber/ cucumber” doesn’t come from a completely conscious mind. Oh well, they have a published piece, I don’t; I did not get the last laugh in this situation.

-Shaun Rodgers, percussion

Blog Post: Britney Saline

As I sit in rehearsal of the Gubaidulina, furiously counting my measures of rest, I send up a quick prayer to the gods (devils?) of intonation that my upcoming entrance on a pianissimo high D won’t actually kill someone after it leaves the bell of my horn. My neighbor suddenly jerks forward to play a lonely pair of notes before slumping back in his chair to count more rests. The clarinets are awash with a moody line of eighth notes, and my sections spits out a lonely minor triad held for three beats. I note that it’s possible I would actually enjoy listening to this work. It doesn’t seem that many others in the ensemble share this opinion, but I find the abrupt shifts in color and timbre to be compelling and exciting. If we pull off this piece with the level of artistry it requires, I imagine it will have quite the impact on our audience – provided I don’t kill someone with my high D.

-Britney Saline, soprano saxophone