EMU’s music department kicked off its fall music season with a joint jazz/wind ensemble concert led by Dr. Kyle Remnant, the director of bands, on Sept. 27th, 2024. These two ensembles not only have student members, but they also include members of the community and even EMU’s own faculty and staff. The thematic tie of the evening was the jazz ensemble playing “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire and the wind ensemble performing “October” by Eric Whitacre. It was a way to say farewell to September, since the concert happened at the tail-end of the month, and a way to welcome in the fall month of October. At the start of the concert, Dr. Remnant mentioned that the audience was in for a treat.
The jazz band started us with an electric rendition of “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson, featuring senior music education major and tubaist Allie Smith. The mood shifts with a piece called “Fast Track Shuffle” by Doug Beach that has more of a laid-back feel with an alto saxophone solo that was performed by EMU grad Josh Ayers. Shifting from laid-back to more of a rock feel, “Come Sail Away” showed off the strong brass section that the jazz band has. The second to last piece, “Closer Than You Think,” featured senior music performance major Jacob Loya as the main trumpet soloist and changed the feel of the entire jazz set since this piece had more of a ballad feel to it. As their closer, and a closer to the month, the jazz ensemble played a dynamic arrangement of “September” and brought excitement to the stage that the crowd could feel.
After the jazz portion, there was a brief intermission so the stage could be set for the wind ensemble portion of the concert. After some short tuning on stage, the wind ensemble opened their portion with a march titled “The Klaxon.” This march was filled with energy and had a wide range of dynamics. Dr. Remnant, after introducing the piece, joked that because EMU is an Anabaptist pacifist school they don’t play many marches “but it’s good to know the style of a march.” Their second piece was the thematic tie “October,” which is an entire style change from a march to a slow ballad that paints the picture of what fall feels and sounds like. As their closer, “Beyond The Summit” by Brian Balmages brings the style back up to an exciting and joyful feel. Dr. Remnant mentioned that “band directors tend to repeat a lot of pieces that they’ve played over the years. I’m happy to say that this is the first one that we’ve repeated in the four years that I have been at EMU.” He also mentioned that the reason for the repeat is because of the fuller ensemble this year. This piece takes you through an adventure of different styles and even different time signature changes while also showcasing many different instruments either in a soloistic way or within the section.
This concert was the strong beginning of the music season here at EMU. With the eclectic styles of music that the jazz and wind ensemble played, they have set up the stage for what’s to come this coming fall music season. On Nov. 8, the EMU Music Department will have its annual Gala concert which has the theme “Arise.” Not only will attendees get to listen to the wind and jazz ensemble again, but they will also hear the chamber orchestra, university choir, and the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival join forces and perform Gustav Mahler’s “Resurrection” Symphony. To hear more from the EMU Music Department, students, faculty, and community members be sure to attend the upcoming Gala concert which will be held in Lehman Auditorium.
