Christmas Concert

Last night I performed with the Jackson Area Community Band at the annual Christmas Concert. We have a new conductor this year and Tom Grant has really raised the level of the ensemble a notch. We were challenged with more difficult music than what a community band normally plays and Mr. Grant is also a very expressive conductor which requires us, the musicians in the band, to react musically to exactly what he shows us physically. Tom Grant is one of those conductors that has a talent to play the band itself like an instrument.

A good conductor can take whatever ensemble he/she is leading; orchestra, band, brass choir, string ensemble, and "play" it like an instrument. I love performing under conductors like that! Many people think that all a conductor does is stand on a podium in front of an orchestra and move a stick up and down...oh, a conductor is so much more than a metronome!

A conductor studies music and interprets a written composition much like an artist interprets life. When the conductor is in front of an ensemble, his mission is to pull the music out of the written page and bring it to life. The musicians are trained to do similar things, however, the conductor's responsibility is to get every single player interpreting the music the same way. The conductor will often do this by expressing himself physically, either with facial expressions and/or arm motions and sometimes his entire body! Seeing some of the facial expressions and body language of these conductors can help you "hear" the music they are interpreting.

One piece that was a particular challenge to me was The Procession of the Nobles. I think it was probably a challenge to most every band member because it is technically difficult...lots of double-tonguing (fast tonguing technique accomplished by mimicking "da-ga-da-ga" on the instrument) and many, many notes! I say take a fast tempo, that way the bad notes don't last as long! LOL

We also played a beautiful piece called O Magnum Mysterium. It is one of those pieces when performed well, the listener will be absorbed into the music. I get goose bumps. It's amazing. It was composed for voices, but the transcription for wind ensemble is very beautiful as well. Wow. Very powerful.

I'm looking forward to the spring session of JACB now! Woohooo! I love music!