Typical band instruments, including full brass, woodwind and percussion sections, complement this year’s Concert Band, with a total of 57 students enrolled.

“The ensemble is open to all students attending UW-Whitewater,” Concert Band conductor John Tuinstra said. “In fact, over half the band is made up of students from the general student population.”

Tuinstra, currently the instructor for tuba and euphonium, said conducting for the band came with his job when he was hired at UW-Whitewater.

“Concert Band has been around for as long as I can remember,” Tuinstra said. “My favorite thing about Concert Band is the students and watching them develop as musicians.”

Freshman Chris Fowler said he joined Concert Band at the beginning of the spring semester.

He said he found out about Concert Band from his World of the Arts instructor, who also happened to be Tuinstra.

“I enjoy the fun music we play and I enjoy having an energetic professor who loves doing what he is doing,” Fowler said.

Fowler, a broadcast journalism major, said he plans on trying out for a higher band later in his schooling.

Fowler said what first interested him in music was “the amount of different things you can do with an instrument and the sound you can get out of an instrument.”

On May 1, the Concert Band will perform in its second concert of the semester. During the concert, the band will play a total of three pieces with a guest soloist. Dr. Frank Hanson, trumpet professor at UW-Whitewater, will accompany the band for the second piece as the guest soloist.

The band will start out with a piece titled “Overture in B Flat,” written by Giovanni. After that, the band will perform a piece titled “Trumpet Concerto” by Neruda, featuring Hanson. A piece titled “Symphonic Suite” by Williams will complete the concert.

Tuinstra encourages all students and community members to attend.

“I always look forward to our concerts,” Tuinstra said.

Admission will be free for everyone who attends.