For about the last three years now, I've been a member of the Austin Wind Symphony. This unique ensemble is dedicated solely to performing music from film and television scores. Through this group, I've not only had a chance to play some of my absolute favorite modern scores, but also grown tremendously as an artist! I want to outline five of my top reasons why I think musicians can benefit from performing with an ensemble.
1) Teamwork
In a symphony, no instrument is more important than the other. The fourth trombone is as valuable as the first clarinet. When all the musicians are working together perfectly, their music sounds like one unit. Just like players on a football team thrive by combining their efforts, a group of artists who make their music flow seamlessly will achieve the best results. I believe that playing with the Austin Wind Symphony has shown me a lot about this (and I've had chances to see how quickly things fall apart when we're NOT working as a team!).
2) Opportunity
There is such a wide range of music that is written for more than one instrument. I cannot think how many of my favorite pieces I could never perform as a soloist, because my one instrument cannot create the sounds that I want it to in replicating the scores. Joining the symphony opened up a whole new spectrum of repertoire to me. Not only that, the kinds of performing opportunities I have has also been broadened. In the past seasons, I've been in theme concerts where we dressed to fit the part, performed a show in the middle of the mall, and recorded an original score for a film project. In May, our group is scheduled to perform for the premiere of the new Star Trek movie at the Alamo Draft House.
3) Growth
I have seen vast technical and artistic improvements to my playing through working with the symphony. When I first joined, I had a difficulty sight-reading music. Before the end of my first season, I could pick up almost any score, and perform it within a short amount of time. This skill was extremely helpful to me when I was called upon to work with an orchestra for a concert on tour, and I had to perform the music the same day that I got it! Rehearsing orchestral music has also sharpened my knowledge of music theory, my skills in adapting and writing music for the harp, and taking artistic cues from the director as well as my own interpretation.
4) Appreciation
The more you experience something, the more you appreciate the hard work that goes into it! All of the film scores that I loved so much before joining, I now have a deeper understanding of. I really see the genius that these composers have for being able to weave such an intricate web of melodies and harmonies into each piece. I have also come to learn so much more about each instrument involved and their value in supporting the group.
5) Friendship
Of course, I cannot forget one of the very best reasons I love playing in the Austin Wind Symphony- all the wonderful friends I have! Getting to spend time with such great people week after week really energizes me. Without the connections we have, we would just be a bunch of people sitting around playing music. We work hard, but we also have a lot of fun together.
I wish every musician had the chance to perform with a great group of people like I do! Do you play in an ensemble or band? Write to me and tell me about your experience! Send your story to newsletter@austinharpamanda.com
Next concerts: Thursday, March 26th. "The Best of the Austin Wind Symphony" at Monarch Events Center
Thursday, May 7th. "Star Trek" movie premiere at Alamo Draft House.
Visit www.austinwindsymphony.org for more details |
