By Lacey Ezekiel
For three days, UA music students were able to see pieces of music through their composer’s eyes.
Noted composer David Maslanka was in residency Sunday until today in the UA School of Music. While here, he tutored student musicians, preparing them for a concert Tuesday night at the Moody Music Building.
Maslanka attended classes and practices for three days in their classrooms and practice halls. The students in the Alabama Wind Ensemble have practiced his pieces for him and he gave suggestions to the students to improve upon their skills as a group and individuals.
Maslanka attended the group’s dress rehearsals Monday night and gave constructive advice to the wind ensemble. After dress rehearsals there was an open forum for the students to ask questions.
“He was very pleased and said our students were very prepared.” Coleman said. “Our students were profoundly impacted. They learned the creating side of music and how he was inspired. He impacted our students with his generosity of sharing about his music, and it has rubbed off on our students.”
The highlighted works of the concert, performed by the Alabama Wind Ensemble, were “Eternal Garden: Four Songs for Clarinet and Piano,” with Osiris Molina, assistant professor of clarinet; “Morning Star,” and the Symphony No.7, according to the School of Music.
“When we perform a composer’s work, we try to have insight into the intentions that the composer would want,” said Kenneth Ozzello, director of bands and professor of music. “We usually don’t have personal contact with the composer and it is great to have feed back and what to work on.”
Maslanka’s works for winds and percussion include “A Child’s Garden of Dreams,” for symphonic wind ensemble, “Concerto for Piano, Winds and Percussion” and two wind quintets.
Ozzello said the school of music, like the Capstone as a whole is growing, and having world-famous composers come, such as David Maslanka, and give live feedback to the students who perform their pieces is great for learning and teaching.
“It would not be possible if it were for the funding from the university and our dean of arts and sciences, Mr. Robert Olin,” Ozzello said. “We are fortunate that the college and university funds these such projects.”
These projects allow the students and faculty to work with famous composers or directors, and the visitors also experience the students performing their pieces.
Coleman said the projects greatly impact the future of students who visit the University and are enlightened of the world famous composers that come to the university to share their creativity and how they are inspired.
“The students read about the composers but rarely get to experience the actual composer,” Coleman said, “and we offer that.”
