Cal Poly’s music department has big plans for the 2010-2011 season. This season’s theme: “2010-11 A Season Event Odyssey: Make Contact!” will host 40 events throughout the year, from small ensemble performances to extravagant seasonal concerts.
The theme is a play on the Stanley Kubrick film “2001: A Space Odyssey,” said Administrative Support Coordinator for the department, Michele Abba.
“Our season is very much like an odyssey in that we have such a variety of notable events throughout the year,” Abba said. “And we want concert-goers to ‘make contact’ to experience the phenomenal performances by our very talented musicians (students, faculty and guest artists).”
The department’s first big collaboration will take place on Oct. 22, featuring all of the major performance groups — the choirs, the Arab Music Ensemble, the symphony, University Jazz Band I and the Wind Ensemble. Department chair Terry Spiller said choir director Tom Davies said they wanted to expand the showcase this year, which is normally a showcase of the choirs.
“Dr. Davies has done that with his three choirs, but he decided to offer it to everybody and go outside the choir program and have some instrumental music,” Spiller said. “So it’s sort of an offshoot. That’s probably another one of the elements that make it an Odyssey — it’s something we haven’t tried before.”
Director of the Arab Music Ensemble Kenneth Habib said that working with Davies in collaboration presents an opportunity for the ensemble to explore its sound.
“Tom Davies has developed a great choral tradition here that he’s worked on for a long time,” Habib said. “For me it’s a privilege to work with his groups, and he’s developed them to such a level that it enables my group to produce a sound that we wouldn’t be able to do on our own. So that collaboration enables us to do something that neither of us can do by ourselves.”
Aside from the Oct. 22 showcase, each of the department’s programs have performances planned throughout the year, from small-group ensemble showcases to featured soloist performances. Music junior and pianist Maris Loeffler said she’s looking forward to the faculty concerts.
“There’s only so many professors in the department that you end up working with all of them at some point. So it’s cool to see them do what they teach. I get to see my piano teacher put on a piano performance,” Loeffler said.
The faculty, which is hosting three concerts this season, welcomed a new Director of Bands, Andrew McMahan. Spiller said that after the rigorous interview process, McMahan is the perfect fit.
“Like Keanu Reeves in ‘The Matrix,’ he is the one,” Spiller said.
A native of the Midwest, McMahan spent the last few years at California State University Stanislaus as the Director of Bands. He said he is enthusiastic about working with Cal Poly students.
“You can see it in your eyes — the difference in Cal Poly students with other universities,” McMahan said. “The standards to get in are so high, students have to be intelligent. And in our band program, the percentage of those who are music majors is actually quite small compared to those who are not music majors. But because of the intellectual level of the student body as a whole, we have strong musicians because they’re able to utilize their minds as well as their bodies to be great players.”
Both majors and non-majors involved in the wind bands will be taking on several exciting pieces this season. One of the highlights is the Wind Band winter concert entitled, “Music for the Moment,” which includes a popular piece by composer Aaron Copland, “Fanfare for the Common Man.”
“It’s very visceral, powerful, emotional music,” McMahan said. “It’s perhaps, in my opinion, in the top five great works written for Wind Band. This is a piece that major universities perform every four years — it’s on the rotation. This is a significant work for Wind Band.”
This selection, as well as several other of the department’s shows will be held in the Christopher Cohan Performing Arts Center (PAC). Loeffler said that seeing music performed in the PAC is an experience in itself.
“I just love going to the PAC because it’s built for music,” Loeffler said. “There’s no other way to experience music that way.”
Whether the department performances are in the PAC, Alex G. Spanos Theatre or in the Mission Plaza downtown, the music department has several different events planned for season. Spiller said that he feels it’s important to attend a performance to support your peers.
“We’ve got 70 majors and 400 to 500 kids in ensembles. Needless to say, every concert has a lot of non-majors,” Spiller said. “So it’s kind of good to see people with other interests. And it’s a reminder that we’re not supposed to be just pigeonholed into what we do. Sometimes we’re a little bit too much passive consumers of everything. This pushes the concentration.”
The full schedule of events can be accessed at the music department website.