Thankful for all the joy it’s bringing! Kicking off the week of Thanksgiving, the University & Community Band held their winter concert on Nov. 25 to a full house in the Young Auditorium. This ensemble is made up of more than 30 students, recent alums, UW-W staff and other members of the Whitewater community. Musicians who participate in the Community Band range in ages from UW-Whiteater’s 18 year old freshmen to people who are at retirement age.
UW-W alumna, Kayla Glaser, has been a part of this ensemble since her freshman year in 2013. After graduating, Glaser has remained active in the Whitewater community in many ways. In addition to playing clarinet for the Community Band, she is the custom shop coordinator at the UW-Whitewater Bookstore.
“I joined during my freshman year. Doctor Hayes had told me that it was a new, fun ensemble that was generally a bit less pressure than some of the other bands,” Glaser said. “Since I wasn’t a music major, it was very appealing to me that this group didn’t require auditions or chair placements. Everyone was accepted and encouraged to grow.”
What makes the Community Band so unique is it gives the opportunity for everyone to participate. A biology professor at UW-W, Kris Curran, has been part of the ensemble for the last five years.
“It’s a wonderful break from other things.” As a professor Curran doesn’t have a lot of free time and is appreciative to have this outlet for her passion for music. “I love to use my brain this way. Science and music work well together in life. Einstein played the violin. Many of my scientist friends from college also were really good musicians.”
As we enter winter and the many holidays it holds, many of us reflect on what’s important to us. The sense of community is strengthened as people come together to share their time, their gratitude and their passions. In the audience for the concert were hundreds of family members and friends of the musicians who performed. The auditorium was filled with excitement both in the audience and on stage.
“I have met several of my very closest friends as a direct result of being in this ensemble,” Glaser said. “They have become such big parts of my life, and it’s wild to think about how our paths may not have crossed without band.”
French horn player and current UW-W senior, Sam Behling, also talked about how important this ensemble has been to him.
“This group is important to me because it allows me to have fun and keep music in my life,” Behling said. “I also really like that we allow members of the community to be a part of the band as well, be they alumni, music teachers, or people who just own an instrument.”
“For me, playing is an exhilarating experience,” Glaser said about her passion for music that she’s been able to continue to pursue because of the Community Band. “If you picture how exciting it feels to listen to a favorite song on repeat, it’s kind of like that, except you hear the music all around you, you can feel the vibrations through the floor, and you have a direct impact on the sound. It’s unlike anything else.”
