March 15, 2000
EJH embarks on noteworthy musical effort
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Band students at East Junior High have the opportunity this week to work with the composers of original pieces written just for them. Multiple rehearsals with the composers, plus a dress rehearsal and a concert will give them a taste of the real world of professional performing.
Working face-to-face with composers is the culmination of the school's Commissioning Project, a created venture five years ago to enrich the standard music curriculum with practical experience. On Thursday evening, students will present the original pieces and play them for an audience for the first time in a concert at the Lars Hockstad Auditorium.
"It is an incredible honor, first of all, to be entrusted with somebody's brainchild," said Pete Deneen, director of bands at East Junior High. "So often music is written by people who are dead or faceless in another state. But to actually have the person in the room to answer questions, like one of the students had a question about a note, whether a C or D."
This year's commissioning project brought local musician and musical educator Michael Hunter on board to write for the Concert Band. His piece is entitled "Motions of the Wanderers, a.d. 2000." Hunter is a trombone player with Luther Gravy and the Soul Biscuits and a local music teacher and composer.
The Symphonic band will play the original piece "A Child's Embrace" for the first time, which was written by Dr. Charles Rochester Young of the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. A college friend of Deneen's, Young has made his mark in college-level band compositions, mostly for wind ensembles.
Deneen lined Hunter up for the project last spring and brought Dr. Young on board earlier in the school year. To help them compose their pieces and gear it to the student musicians' ability, he sent both composers tapes of the bands playing in concert.
"Every piece of music is a little different, you get started in a different way," said Young, who was inspired when composing the piece by the upcoming birth of his first child. "The objective of this project is to get students excited about writing music and to show them that you don't have to be sprinkled with magic dust to do it."
Since 1995, the two junior high schools have alternated years to sponsor a commissioning project for their music students. The project is funded by both the Traverse City Area Public Schools curriculum enrichment program and band student fundraising activities that start in the fall. Students are very enthused at the opportunity to participate in the Commissioning Project and work hard to raise money to compensate the composers.
Deneen noted that music available at the junior high school level is limited and that the caliber of much of it is akin to comic books. Playing an original piece composed just for them is like introducing the band to quality literature or artworks in a museum instead of comic book material.
"This is curriculum enrichment to the nth degree," Deneen said. "Just for the kids to be a part of this process is going to leave a stamp on them. The kids are rising to meet the challenge."
The Traverse City East Junior High Band/Choir Concert will hold their Commissioning Project Presentation concert on Thursday, March 16, at 7 p.m. at the Lars Hockstad Auditorium. The concert is open to the public and free of charge.