A Welcoming Home for Classical Music Lovers
By Peter Jacobi, H-T Columnist | pjacobi@heraldt.com
Published by the Bloomington Herald-Times, May 8, 2011
Members of the Southern Indiana Wind Ensemble are seen here in a recent rehearsal. Courtesy photo
Close to 6:30 last Sunday evening in the band room of Bloomington High School North, members of the Southern Indiana Wind Ensemble busied themselves in preparation for rehearsal. The percussionists were setting up their gear. The rest — from tuba players to flutists — were practicing passages or marking manuscripts. There was plenty of chatter, too, the chatter of friends coming together.
Together they come just about every Sunday to play, to ready themselves for performance. This particular Sunday, they were readying themselves for an extended period, more than the usual two hours, because concert time was nearing. Concert time arrives tomorrow evening at 7 in another Bloomington North space, its auditorium.
For the hour that I spent listening and watching, music director Eric Isaacson focused on just one of the five pieces that constitute the program, a Concerto for Flute and Wind Orchestra by Michael Mower, a contemporary British composer. Up front, next to Isaacson, stood soloist Kate Lukas, the eminent flutist who teaches in IU's Jacobs School and who, as player, champions new music.
The hour featured numerous starts and stops, repeats and reconsiderations. Conductor Isaacson asked for better articulation, for pickup in tempo, for softer tone production from the ensemble. Soloist Lukas asked about a beat, about tempo, about "heavy instrumentation — What can we do about it?" Occasionally, a player asked for guidance about dynamics or the handling of a phrase.
But from the start, I heard musicians who had come already well-prepared. Here were skilled musicians, of the sort Isaacson sought when, four years ago, he formed the Southern Indiana Wind Ensemble.
Self-interest was partially involved in that formation. Isaacson spends most of his professional time at the Jacobs School, where he is director of graduate studies and associate professor of music theory. But playing the saxophone and band directing are in his background. SIWE, he says, "has allowed me an outlet, to keep in touch with what, earlier on, was a career path. I thought of being a high school band director, but I wasn't keen on dealing with a marching band, and that led me into other musical directions."
The yearning, however, would not go away. Bloomington, he says, "had high level players who would fit into a concert band. I contacted Janis Stockhouse at North and asked her opinion. She said that a year earlier there had been talk about forming an ensemble, but that there had been no follow-up. She was positive about the project. And when we discussed it locally with other musicians, the response again was positive. So, here we are, finishing our fourth season."
The 50-or-so members get satisfaction from their Ensemble duties, not compensation. In fact, they pay to play. "They pay modest dues to help cover expenses," Isaacson explains. "We charge no admission to our concerts. We operate on a shoestring. We've received grants from the Indiana Arts Commission and the Bloomington Arts Commission. There are donations that come every once in a while. We make use of the music library at North and are building our own. IU faculty members have been generous in joining us as soloists, without charge."
For most members of the ensemble, the work is, as with Isaacson, an avocation. "We have physicians, area music teachers, IU office workers, an engineer from Crane, staffers at the Herald-Times, grad students with different majors, one high schooler. The mix works well. There's a range in abilities, but everyone is motivated and comes with a strong sense of workmanship. There's a joy in coming together."
I spoke with three Ensemble musicians who expressed the joy that their conductor spoke of.
Rebecca Cohen is a physician and, for the ensemble, a flutist. She majored in music as an undergraduate at Columbia. "I had studied the flute since age 8, and I didn't want to stop playing. For a while, though, I had no organized group to play with. Now, I do. It's lovely to play with other musicians of talent who love to play. For me, this is a great escape. And I like the outreach, playing in area schools, getting involved this way with the community."
Sandra Clevenger teaches clarinet privately. "This is great experience," she says. "I was a middle grade band director for seven years. Coming into such a fine group of musicians was something of a shock. I love the sound we make. It's a singular experience. Eric is very knowledgeable, flexible, and welcoming of our opinions. Playing for him is a pleasure."
Keegan White, the group's bass clarinetist, is band director for Eastern Greene Schools. He's new to that job and to the ensemble. "The experience has been wonderful," he says. "Everyone has been so welcoming. When I taught in Green Bay, I played in a band, but most of what we did was play the polka. Here, I'm in a fine classical group. We tackle challenging repertoire. It's been a musical and social joy."
There'll be no polkas in tomorrow's concert. Instead, says Isaacson, "a wonderfully varied and entertaining program."
If you go
What and Who: The Southern Indiana Wind Ensemble, conducted by Eric Isaacson, ends its fourth season with music by Peter Mennin ("Canzona"), Heather Schmidt ("Sea of the Edge," a premiere), Aaron Copland ("Quiet City"), Michael Mower (Concerto for Flute and Wind Orchestra, with Kate Lukas as soloist), and Percy Grainger ("Handel in the Strand").
When: 7 p.m. Monday
Where: Bloomington High School North Auditorium, 3901 N. Kinser Pike
Admission: Free
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