Last evening (Thursday 4/30) we went up to Rutgers (New Brunswick, NJ) for the Concert Band's Spring Concert. Our son is the Marimbist and sound effect specialist in the Percussion section. During the evening, he played bass drum about a third of the time, but also marimba, vibraphone, xylophone, chimes, upright bells, and several kinds of sound effects devices. I was real proud; he seems to be their most versatile percussionist.
Nicholson Music Center is a lovely venue on the Douglas Campus, one of five campuses that make up the State University of New Jersey's New Brunswick/Piscataway facility. The auditorium looks like it seats about 500, but is designed to seem much more intimate. We had good seats, about halfway up near the center. Before the performance a taped announcement advised us not to record or photograph the performance. I wasn't too bad a boy. I took only 24 photos, and I didn't use flash.
The Rutgers University Concert Band was joined by the Mainland Regional High School Wind Ensemble. This pic shows the combined bands being directed by the Rutgers conductor and director, Timothy Smith. Three student conductors led portions of the program, and the Mainland director, Keith Hodgson, conducted several selections.
There was variety aplenty, and the various conducting styles meant the musicians needed a dash of extra flexibility. The selections were mostly rather modern pieces. Fortunately, the latest generation of composers is producing work that is more harmonious than the atonal work of the mid- to late 1900s. The closing number, by the combined bands, was Sousa's Washington Post March, one of my favorites.
Fortunately, Rutgers is not too far from home. We were able to return home by midnight.
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