On April 22, The Tarleton State University Symphonic Band performed a seven-song set, directed by Gary Westbrook, at the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center Auditorium.

When Mr. Westbrook started four years ago, one could count the number of symphonic band members on one hand.  Now, those early members will soon move on as educators in the music field, and the band has grown into a sea of musicians, which were countless from my view in the auditorium that night.

The band opened up with “Eternal Father, Strong to Save.” The opening segment of this song had a theatrical element, but then settled into the song that sounded more like the title suggested: a melodic hymn.  “Lux Aurumque” was the title of the next piece, which for me did not really stand out and was rather forgettable.

Much more interesting was the next piece, titled “Trek!” The author of “Trek!” was a man named H. W. Bassett, who wrote this piece about a bicycle ride he would take on a regular basis. It was very lively, and the tune actually made me think of a treacherous 1980s car chase from a television show like Magnum P.I.  At it’s peak, it had a moment of peace, like the danger that was imminent seemed to have been avoided, however this was only momentary, and the chase resumed with a bang.

The next two pieces, both by Samuel R. Hazo, were “Rivers” and “Ascend.”

“Carnival of Venice” featured the guest musician Dr. Brian Walker, who is a professor at Tarleton and master of the trumpet.  This piece had a comical element to it, and it appeared as though Dr. Walker arrogantly made the band wait for him to pick the music stand he wanted, and then wait some more while playing the introduction to the song.  The piece itself made me think of a merry-go-round, which was a reinforced concept due to the playful back-and-forth between Dr. Walker and the band throughout the tune.  There was clearly laughter and enjoyment in the audience, and I think especially from those who are more familiar with the dynamics of band performance.  There was an air of “inside joking,” whether it was intended or not, I do not know.

The band rounded out the relatively brief performance evening with the final number “Music from The Incredibles” which was their take on the theme music from the Pixar movie of that name.

This wasn’t one of the more memorable performances I have attended.  There was some occasional out-of-sync playing by some musicians; some of them did not seem ready for the evening, and there was a lack of cohesiveness or theme in the song selection. It’s not that the performance was not enjoyable at all, but without a particular focus, it unfortunately felt more like a concert held for the sake of having a concert.