The teacher is now the one performing
The walls of USU’s Performance Hall will ring with music Monday night as members of the faculty quintet Logan Canyon Winds perform their annual spring concert. The concert will also feature five students who were selected to play alongside their professors for the last number.
Nicholas Morrison, senior associate dean for the Caine College of the Arts and clarinet professor, was one of the founders of the 19 year-old group.
“The nice thing about this group is collaboration and learning from your peers,” Morrison said. “Because of this group, I’ve had seven or eight more teachers. It’s an opportunity to learn from each other and grow as a musician.”
Morrison said because of the group, his listening skills are continually improving.
“Someone once said that genius is 90 percent perspiration and 10 percent inspiration,” Morrison said. “I think that making good music is 90 percent listening and 10 percent playing. And I don’t mean listening to CDs. I mean listening to other people who are playing along with you.”
Carolyn Bodily, a professor who teaches bassoon at USU, said she has also changed as a result of being part of the group for the last 19 years.
“I’m much more willing to stand up for the way I think something should be played now than I used to be,” Bodily said. “The dynamics of the group change anytime personnel changes. It’s been fun to get to know (new members) in a chamber setting.”
Steve Park, who teaches french horn at the university and is the band director at Kaysville Junior High, said he enjoys being with the other members of the group, too.
“I enjoy the personalities of the other members,” Park said. “I like the fact that all of the members of the quintet are strong players and that we can play quality, challenging music.”
Morrison said inviting students to come play in the concert has added to the already rewarding experience.
“I’m particularly proud of our spring concert,” Morrison said. “We get to mentor a student through what is probably his first professional performance. It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it to me to see that student perform in that setting.”
Jack Goodrich, a senior in music performance, is one of the students who will be playing with the group. He has been playing the clarinet for nine years but also plays four other instruments.
“It’s an awesome experience and a great opportunity,” Goodrich said. “I’m grateful to have the opportunity to play with them. They are excellent musicians and awesome teachers.”
The group has a uniqueness that most small ensembles lack, Park said.
“The woodwind quintet is made up of instruments that are very different in tone color and method of sound production,” Park said. “Most small ensembles such as brass quintet or a string quartet are composed of similar-sounding instruments.”
Morrison said the selection of music chosen for tonight’s concert was a mix of music they’ve played in the past and pieces they’ve never tried before.
“The whole reason of the group is to get better and learn new things about music,” Morrison said. “It’s like reading a favorite book. The pieces are like that. You can always find new things to apply.”
The opening piece by Jaques Ibert, a French composer in the early 20th century, is a piece that Bodily remembers playing at age 15.
“It’s one of the most popular quintet pieces ever written,” Bodily said. “Hopefully I sound better now.”
Morrison said his favorite piece is one the group has never played before and will be played third tonight. It was written by Pavel Haas, a Czech composer, while he was in a Nazi concentration camp. Haas later died when he was moved to another camp.
“It’s just really amazing to hear this piece, realizing that this was a life cut short by the government,” Morrison said. “Even in the midst of that ugliness, humans were able to create something beautiful, hopeful and representative of that culture. It shows the power of the arts.”
Morrison said all the members of the group recognize the power of arts and education in schools. He said all the members of the group have worked as teachers, and some of his favorite performances have been when the quintet has travelled to schools.
Bodily said she enjoys playing with the quintet because of its challenges.
“Every aspect of musicianship matters,” Bodily said. “There’s nowhere to hide.”
Morrison said though chamber music is challenging and different than what most students are used to, they should come to the concert anyway.
“Sometimes people hear the words ‘chamber music’ and it’s like a foreign language,” Morrison said. “There’s something different between listening to live music and listening to recorded music. There’s almost a relationship between the group and the audience. You might think, ‘I’ve never done this, so why would I try?’ – Exactly! You might like it.”
The Logan Canyon Winds spring concert will be April 11 in the USU Performance Hall at 7:30 p.m. It is free for students and $8 for general admission.
– m.noble@aggiemail.usu.edu