Jazz bassoonist featured clinician at High Plains Band Camp
By BRANDON WORF
Summer, for most kids, means long days with no school or homework.
For most music students, it means band camp. And for Hays area musicians, it's that time of year again.
The 61st annual High Plains Band Camp will begin Sunday, and the camp, which runs the length of next week, features an eclectic line-up of clinicians and performers.
"Oh, we've got some interesting stuff up this year," said Kay Werth, camp director and FHSU faculty musician. "I think the most interesting one we have is a guy who plays jazz bassoon."
From Sunday to July 26, the camp will feature nightly performances by faculty and campers alike, and is chock-full of mini-courses and classes for young musicians to hone their skills.
"High Plains Band Camp takes in both middle school and high school music students, and we have a big selection of clinics they can take that will help them in whatever areas they're interested," Werth said.
The camp mini-course lineup features everything from rhythm fundamentals, theory, ear training and instrument repair to marching techniques, jazz improvisation and even a pair of steel drum classes.
While the students are the stars of the camp, the faculty and staff also participate in a number of performances across the entire week, performing everything from the best in modern jazz to modern wind compositions and everything in between.
"We have nightly recitals for everything from jazz combos to a big wind ensemble, and we cap the week off on Saturday with all the student ensembles and band concerts," Werth said.
The broad lineup of clinicians features a handful of musicians who are some of the biggest names in modern music, including a bassoonist, award-winning composer and one of the few virtuoso oboists.
"We have Michael Rabinowitz coming, who plays jazz on the bassoon, and it sounds odd, but it actually works with the way he does it," Werth said. "David Holsinger is coming back this year to conduct the wind ensembles, and the jazz lineup we have is as good as ever."
High Plains Band Camp was started in 1947 by the Harold G. Palmer, who taught and conducted at the university during the camp's early years. The HPBC presents the Summer Music Festival in conjunction with the camp, and this year's performance schedule features two off-campus sets in addition to the nightly concerts at Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center.
* The Faculty Wind Ensemble will feature performances Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights at Beach/Schmidt, each beginning at 7:30 p.m.
* Wednesday will play host to the Student Honor Recital at 6:30 p.m., followed immediately by the student talent show at 7:30 p.m.
* The Faculty Jazz Combo will perform Thursday night at Rooftops and Friday night at Gella's, both at 9 p.m.
* The combined student/faculty jazz concert will finish the weekly night concerts Friday night at 6:30.
* Saturday will cap the week off with the student ensembles performing from 10 a.m. to noon, and the band concerts from 1 to 5 p.m.