School Spotlight highlights outstanding Minnesota school- and student-music ensembles during the academic year. Through this feature, Classical MPR hopes to expose listeners to the great music being made by young musicians across the state, and to generate more support for music education.
Today's audio feature is of the Austin High School Wind Ensemble led by Bradley Mariska at the 2014 MMEA mid-winter clinic (7:15 a.m.) and at the 2014 Big 9 Music Festival (7:15 p.m.)
7:15 a.m. — Shelley Hanson: Albanian Dance
7:15 p.m. — Sam Hazo: Perthshire Majesty
Edward Simmons, who founded Simmons Hardware Company in 1874, said, "The difference between failure and success is doing a thing nearly right and doing a thing exactly right." This philosophy guides the Austin High School (AHS) music program, encouraging students to push themselves and to improve not only as artists, but to build character through striving to do their best. If students believe in this quote, they have the potential to transform the world in so many ways, even beyond music.
The AHS Wind Ensemble has been a part of the Austin, Minn., community since 1930, and it has participated in the Big 9 Music Festival since 1933, which was instituted by then-music director C. Vittorio Sperati. Every spring, ensembles from nine major high schools in southern Minnesota cities — Albert Lea, Austin, Faribault, Mankato, Rochester, Owatonna and Winona — get together to play in a music festival. Founded in 1928, the Big 9 Conference (as it is known) originally focused on athletics but expanded to include a Music Festival in 1933 and a Speech Festival in 1940.
The AHS Wind Ensemble is made up of 50 students in grades 10-12, all of whom must audition to participate. The Wind Ensemble performs a wide range of repertoire from classical composers such as Gustav Holst and Percy Grainger to contemporary composers like Eric Whitacre and Twin Cities composer Shelley Hanson. The ensemble has even had the opportunity to work with contemporary composers in a clinic and rehearsal setting. In fact, both Hanson and Sam Hazo worked with the ensemble on their respective pieces and were present at the performances broadcast today. Next year, the band will again have this opportunity as they will be dedicating a concert to Minnesota composers, which will include a collaboration with Austin native Daniel Kallman.
Listen to Classical MPR in Austin on KLSE 103.3 FM.
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