As the members of the Symphony Orchestra prepare for their concert at 8 p.m. tonight at the Musical Arts Center, they took time to reflect upon their experience of playing in the orchestra by answering a series of questions via email. Here are some of their responses to why they choose to further pursue this performance opportunity and what specific emotions they feel while playing their instrument.The instrumentalists also shared what they feel they gain personally from playing an instrument whether they have been playing for most of their life or is something they started just a few years ago.
Name: Lauren Butz
Year: Freshman
Major: Trombone Performance
Instrument/Section: Trombone
“I love feeling like I’m a part of something bigger than myself. The trombone doesn’t always get the melody or the most exciting part, but I know that without it the piece wouldn’t be the same. Every instrument in an orchestra is equally important, from the last chair second violin to the timpani. The composer had a vision of what he/she wanted the piece to be, and if everyone didn’t do their part, that vision couldn’t exist. I have learned a lot about the value of sitting back and accepting that I am just a small cog in the great machine that is the orchestra. Nothing feels better than knowing that you are contributing to the sharing of this stunning music that has stood the test of time.”
Name: Isabel Carton
Year: Junior
Major: Horn Performance and Business (Information Systems)
Instrument/Section: French horn
“I love my instrument because it’s very similar to the human voice. You really need to sing through it to produce a beautiful sound, and that connection to your voice makes you feel very attached to what you’re putting out there. Playing it makes you feel vulnerable and part of something greater than yourself. It’s challenging and frustrating, and even just getting the right notes to come out is hard, but at the end of the day mastering it is a therapeutic process. I continued playing in college because I had an overwhelming feeling that I just wasn’t done yet. I want to play professionally and make people feel something. It’s just as therapeutic for the player as it is for the listener.”
Name: Clifton Boyd
Year: 1st year masters
Major: Music Theory
Instrument/Section: Viola
“A remarkable moment for me during the ballet was the ‘Pas d’action’ movement from ‘Swan Lake’ with the stunning solos performed by Seung-mi Sun (violin) and Miles Norman (cello). I sat there plucking quietly, participating in the construction of a delicate atmosphere, and loved every second of it. Though the solo repertoire of the viola can match even that of the violin, in an orchestra one’s pride must be set aside. As a violist I have come to accept my structural role in the orchestra and know that my largely rhythmic contribution partakes in the creation of a grander whole.”
Name: Austin B. Han
Year: 2nd Year Masters
Major: Viola Performance
Instrument/Section: Viola
“I started viola in high school because everybody else was already playing violin. By then I was lucky to have had a difficult, yet inspiring teacher whose knowledge of my instrument inspired me to pursue music into college. Though my major has been and continues to be rife with hurdles, setbacks and disappointments, I’m grateful that I’ve stuck with it.”
“Music has the luxury of accommodating every emotion. If there is personal gain to be had, it’s being given the opportunity to express these emotions into sound.”
Name: Jacob Hook
Year: Junior
Major: BM Trumpet Performance
Instrument: Trumpet
“One of the nicest aspects of pursuing the Bachelor of Music degree is that it is far more geared towards a full comprehension of music rather than a focus on any one particular instrument. So to answer your question, my love of music as a whole caused me to want to pursue a degree in music, not simply trumpet playing, and I would assume this to be true for most of the music majors in Jacobs.”
“I feel a range of emotions ranging from extreme anger to catharsis through artistic expression. I have learned to discipline myself through my instrument and have taught myself to use it more as a tool of creation rather than anger. The trumpet can be very frustrating to play, but very rewarding when obstacles are overcome.”
Name: Sara Ford
Year: Second Year Masters
Major: French Horn Performance
Instrument: French Horn
“I chose to pursue the horn as a career because I love its sound — it’s so unique and lush and adds a distinct color to any music. I love being able to create this sound and share it with the world.”
“Each time I play the horn, I learn more about myself. Creating music allows for me to express parts of myself that I can’t put into words. It’s liberating.”
Name: Anna Clement
Year: 2nd year graduate student
Major: Music Education
Instrument: Violin
“Violin playing has been a part of me for over 20 years, and I cannot imagine life without it. The violin is the closest instrument to the human voice, and I love that you can get so many different colors out of it. I wanted to continue playing in graduate school because I feel that we are life-long students no matter how old we are.”
“I try to play what the composer wrote on the page, so by using dynamics and different bow speeds we can make any emotion come to life. Personally, playing the violin makes me feel like I’m giving a gift to someone, especially because I know that music brings people so much joy when they listen to it.”
Name: Laura Chalmers
Year: 1st year Doctor of Music student
Major: Clarinet Performance
Instrument: Bass Clarinet
“Although much of clarinet, like all instrument playing, is technical and does not necessarily have emotional content for the player — our goal, of course, is to create emotional content for the listener — there are special moments in performing when my colleagues and I get into a ‘flow.’ ‘Flow’ is a term used by music philosophers that describes a state of being in which you are fully engaged in the activity you are performing and are not aware of the passing of time. In this state, problems do not exist, time does not exist, and the only thing that matters is the current note(s) being sounded. This is a very special situation to be in, and is becoming increasingly more difficult to obtain with the advent of computers, smart phones and fast food, but it is something that musicians strive to experience for themselves, and also to share with an audience.”
