Music! – Symphonic Band and Flute Choir Perform for The Community
Quinn Hagerty
He/Him
Staff Writer, SGA ‘27 Rep.
11/5/23
On Nov. 2, tucked in the Hanaway Theatre of the Silver Centre, one thing was happening – music! The Symphonic Band and Flute Choir opened its doors to people all over Plymouth, both on and off campus, for their first concert of the school year. The flute choir, composed of all flutes as the name might suggest, played “Shoes”, which was arranged by community member Beverly Erikson, and the “Korobeiniki”, otherwise known as the “Tetris” theme. Once they were done, the choir joined with the rest of the symphonic band, playing “Chorale and Shaker Dance” by John Zdechlik, “The Governors Own” by Alton Adams, “Rippling Watercolors” by Brain Balmages, and finally the “Second Suite in F for Military Band Op. 28 No.2” by Gustav Holst.
This is something the band has been practicing and rehearsing since the start of the semester, and it came together with little incident during the actual performance. Lasting around an hour and 30 minutes, the pieces ranged from bright to melancholic, marches and reflections, and yet were all attacked with the same fervor.
Nicole Tardiff, a tenor saxophone player for the symphonic band had an unorthodox experience joining the band. “I didn’t think I had enough room in my schedule,” she said, “So I decided not to join the band originally.”
After getting into contact with band director Jared Staub during the majors and minors fair, she was able to attend a practice that same night. “I was 15 minutes late, because obviously, [but] I had a great time. And ever since then, I’ve been going to the rehearsals. I’m not actually enrolled in the band, as a student … So it’s nice that I’m still able to participate in the band without having to put it in my schedule.”
“The people are very welcoming,” Tardiff continued, “and they always give me a greeting,” Tardiff spoke of the band’s environment, how everyone is friendly and open, and how especially passionate their Staub is. “[He] takes a very interesting approach to conducting I haven’t seen with any of my other conductors. We play a piece, and we play only certain portions of the piece, and he’ll individually help out certain sections first. He makes sure that that section nails it at least three times in a row before we continue to play.” She continued by talking about how apparent it was that he loved his job, and how he wasn’t afraid to add humor to rehearsals.
The key takeaways here are that the band is welcoming, friendly, and led by enthusiastic people who not only want to play music but continue to hone their artistry and share it with the world. Students, teachers, and even members of the community – everyone is involved from each step, and it’s a community built upon trying new things and seeing how far they can go.
On Nov. 20th, the symphonic band will be hosting the All New England Band Festival once again in the Hanaway Theater, before ending this semester of performances with their 2023 Annual Holiday Concert on December 2nd.