The Tarleton band program will soon be able to show off their talents and skills during their concerts this month, involving the Tarleton Percussion Ensemble and the Tarleton Jazz Ensemble.
Both programs are included in the six total bands at Tarleton. This includes the marching band, The Sound and The Fury. These students perform during the Texan home Football games and other university events such as the Traditions Rally, Freshman Convocation, Homecoming events and even Texan Tours. These students are under the direction of Dr. Gary Westbrook. This band is open to all students on campus and is one of the largest student organizations on campus today.
The Wind Ensemble is composed of music majors and non-music majors who are selected at the beginning of each fall semester, and they are under the direction of Dr. David Robinson.
The Tarleton Symphonic Band is also under the direction of Dr. Westbrook and is open to all students with the permission of a director. Music majors at Tarleton may also have the opportunity to guest conduct the band as well.
The Tarleton Jazz Ensemble has been a part of the Fine Arts Program for over sixty years. The program allows students to perform in small and large ensembles and even take jazz courses regardless of the student’s major.
The Percussion Ensemble is under the direction of Associate Professor of music Dr. Ben Charles. The percussion program is composed of four total groups which includes The Percussion Ensemble, the Pandemonium Steel Band, the World Percussion Ensemble, and the Tarleton State University Drumline.
The two sections that will be performing on April 19 and 20 will be the Jazz and Percussion Ensembles. The Percussion Ensemble performance is taking place on Monday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m., in the auditorium of the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center. Admission is free of charge for Tarleton students, faculty and staff.
The second section that will be performing is the Jazz Ensemble 2, under the conduction of Dr. Tom Burchill. This concert will take place on the following Tuesday, April 20 at 7:30 p.m. This concert will be located in the Theater of the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center.
These concerts will be a must see, as the Jazz ensemble is a program that has had the honor of performing across the United States and even in different parts of the world. Some of these locations include Prague, London and Hawaii. In addition to this, the Jazz program has recorded three albums in total. These albums include Excitement of ‘73, Big Bad Band and Whisper Not.
The Jazz Ensemble has three goals which they pursue in their daily lives. The goals include focus, engage and execute because students need to focus on what is important, engage in excellence and execute the goals that they set for themselves.
The Tarleton Jazz Ensemble students are students that go on to leave a lasting legacy as teachers, professors and talented musicians.
The Percussion Ensemble is a large group of students whose specialties range from chamber music to large percussion orchestral works. They practice in the fall and spring.
The Pandemonium is found within the Percussion Ensemble and they perform at numerous on and off campus events with the Percussion Ensemble.
The World Percussion Ensemble is also a part of the Tarleton band program. They are arguably very impressive as they primarily focus on Latin American music along with African music. This group performs all over the globe as a team.
The final Percussion Ensemble is the Tarleton State University Drumline. This group of students perform with The Sound and The Fury and you will most likely find the drumline at numerous on campus events, getting students and fans excited for what is to come.
If you have any questions regarding both performances set to take place on April 19 and 20, please contact Lori LaRue at [email protected] for more information.
All band performances are socially distanced so do not be afraid to attend a concert and support your Tarleton Jazz and Percussion bands.