Focus, The Battalion Q
Thursday, March 5, 1981 -7
sical
i banded
t: MUSIC
irfect
^hile it's officially
ie Classical Piano
members often play
jue contemporary
obably the biggest
isagreement among
n't the interpretation
actual definition of,
rsic.
ne of the people in
?ans (Frank) Zappa,
it means Chopin or
said member Wren
:hers start shouting
i aren't included in
rial category of clas-
ans. But Ham knows
r this debate isn't im-
: says 'Classical/and
is stressed," he ex-
re really haven't sat
:e the limits,
iebit of jazz is OK."
s Sunday-,
The band is mostly men, Allen said.
They have two women saxophone
players. Along with them, the band has
trumpets, bass guitar, keyboard, a
flute, trombones, and drums, Allen
said. The band could use one more
trombone, he said.
Anyone can join the band, Allen
said. Normally auditions are not neces
sary. Those that come but "can't cut it"
usually back out on their own, he said.
Some members will be leaving the
group after this concert and there are
even more people wanting to get in,
Allen said, so auditions might have to
be held.
There is a constant changing of peo
ple in the band, especially at the begin
ning of each semester,he said. This
limits their progress too because the
group is re-learning its music each
time.
Their repertoire constists of about
half jazz and half jazzy arrangements of
popular tufies, he said.
For their concert on Saturday the
band has worked up about 16 numbers,
Allen said. Among them will be tunes
like "Never on a Sunday," "Saturday
in the Park," by Chicago, Glenn Mil
ler's "In the Mood," and "Boogie
Woogie Bugle Boy." They're trying to
bring something for everybody, Allen
said.
Normally they don't reach their full
ability until three or four weeks before
the end of the semester, he said, but the
concert is forcing them to work harder
to be ready earlier.
Some of the members, he said, won
der if they're good enough to charge a
dollar for a concert, but, "I think we're
as good as any music group here on
campus."
Members of the Texas A&M University Symphonic Band direction of Maj. Joe K. McMullen, practices on Tuesdays
practice in the Adams Band Building. The band, under the and Thursdays.
Photo courtesy of John O'Keefe.
‘Other’ campus band open
to all interested students
By Frank L. Christlieb
Battalion Reporter
The Texas A&M University Symphonic
Band is the "other" band at Texas A&M,
open to students who enjoy playing and
performing in a musical group.
The "other" band is not connected to the
Aggie Band in any way, although members
of the Aggie Band may also participate in it.
The Texas A&M Symphonic Band, under
the direction of Maj . Joe K. McMullen, is a
non-academic credit musical organization
which meets in the Adams Band Building
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 p.m. to
1:45 p.m. Since its formation in 1974, the
band has used these two, and only two,
rehearsals each week to perfect the music it
performs at different concerts during the
year.
'There are no grades, no
discipline problems—it's
just an enjoyment, and that
is the ultimate in music—
just to enjoy,' Maj. Joe K.
McMullen said.
"There are no grades, no discipline prob
lems — it's just an enjoyment, and that is
the ultimate in music — just to enjoy,"
McMullen said.
There are currently 69 people in the band,
and McMullen said he likes to keep the
number of musicians around 70 because it
makes for a "better symphonic, compact
sound — it's not too thick."
He said the quality of musicianship in the
band is high; about half of the members
were in all-area or all-state bands in high
school.
The band's music ranges from Broadway
showtunes to classical symphonies, from
military marches to contemporary pop. The
band usually performs on campus each De-
The band's music ranges
from Broadway showtunes
to classical symphonies,
from military marches to
contemporary pop.
cember as well as each spring, and also takes
an off-campus trip each spring to perform.
Over the past few years, the band has
performed at the Superdome in New
Orleans, and in Corpus Christi, Kingsville,
Houston, Pasadena, Dallas and Fort Worth.
McMullen said the band has a limited
performance schedule because its activities
cannot interfere with academics. Two re
hearsals a week go by quickly, he said, but
they give the band enough time to work up
the music it performs.
"We perform enough that it makes it
interesting and challenging and we play
challenging enough material that it keeps
the interest going," McMullen said.
Each year band members elect officers
who are responsible for formulating attend
ance policies, which currently allow for two
unexcused absences before action is taken.
If a member is absent more than twice dur
ing a semester, he is taken out of the band.
"The officers are a tremendous benefit—
they're kind of like a board of directors,"
McMullen said.
Band President John O'Keefe said he and
the other officers are trying to bring band
members closer together by organizing such
activities as banquets, parties and fund
raising projects.
O'Keefe said, "Little things like these
help to make the band a good, tight group.
but it takes a lot of time to become a closely-
knit family."
Auditions for the band are held at the start
of each fall semester. Students who are in
terested are given a piece of music to prac
tice for about two weeks before auditioning.
"I'll issue a page of characteristic litera
ture which is usually something that we're
going to play during the year," McMullen
said. -
He said his system of chair placement in
the band is one In which the better players
are not necessarily at the top of each in
strumental section. Instead, the more
talented players are spread throughout the
different parts of each section so that the
band has a better overall balance and the
lower parts can be heard.
McMullen said after he has heard all stu
dent auditions, interested faculty members
are invited to "sit in" during rehearsals. He
said he will not hear faculty auditions be
cause he does not want any student to feel
that he has been "deprived of a chair by a
faculty audition."
However, he said, "Once they sit in, they
must perform with us. In other words, they
can't just come over and enjoy a rehearsal."
In April the band will perform on a tour
through Waco, Round Rock, Killeen and
'Weperform enough that it
makes it interesting and
challenging and we play
challenging enough material
that it keeps the interest
going,'the band director
said.
San Antonio. The band also plans to give an
informal concert in front of Rudder Tower
late in April.