University Band members put in the work, but are there to have fun
Apr. 13—CHAMPAIGN — Unlike most ensembles at the University of Illinois, members of the University Band show up for practice each week purely because they want to be there.
That isn't to say members of other bands don't enjoy participating, but it does make the University Band experience a little bit different.
"What I just truly adore about them is that they're just there to play," said director Hannah Rudy. "They want to have a good time and enjoy making music, but they also still want to play at a high level, to the best of their abilities."
A lot of the students in University Band aren't majoring in anything related to music, but just enjoy playing or want to keep sharp with instruments learned in high school or before.
Rehearsal is two hours every Monday night which, while worth it for the credit hours, is just one more thing to fit in a busy college student's schedule.
University Band is also open to non-students, so a smaller percentage of the members are community members who have also managed to fit time for music into their schedules.
When Rudy first came to UI and became director two years ago, she wasn't sure what to expect with such a variety of age and musical experience in the group, but she said everyone is in the same boat of just wanting to play together.
Some community members have been part of the University Band longer than Rudy has, so she has enjoyed hearing their stories from past years and the history of the program.
"Coming to this program was really intimidating, just knowing how much history and tradition is here," she said. "But learning it now from a more personal perspective of people who were in the program, it's really cool to be part of that."
For students like Michael Furlin, University Band serves as a chance to do something more creatively focused than most of his homework in physics and nuclear engineering.
"Band was always kind of a nice break in my day in high school. I have a passion for music and wanted to continue that," he said.
Furlin plays alto saxophone and enjoys the level at which the band is expected to play; pieces take some work, but are never too challenging for everyone in the group to learn.
He thinks more people in STEM majors should try it.
"It's cool that there are just so many different types of people coming together to just kind of relax on a Monday night and make music together," Furlin said.
On the opposite end of the spectrum in relation to music, Audrey Schissler is fitting University Band participation around the Marching Illini season.
She only participates in the spring semester, since band for basketball is less consuming than in the football season, but it's still pretty busy.
Marching Illini members are required to participate in ensemble bands, so Schissler went with University Band to be with her friends and ended up enjoying the low-pressure environment.
"In bands it can be really easy to get super perfectionistic and hard on yourself," she said. "Those are all great goals to have, but sometimes it can get overwhelming, and I feel like this group is a little more laid back. We still want to sound good, but it's not as intense."
Pianist and sometimes-percussionist Lorraine Jamison also joined the band to fulfill an extracurricular requirement; she's in the Kappa Kappa Psi Honor Band Fraternity, so she needs to be in some kind of ensemble every semester.
"My favorite part is that Dr. Rudy starts every band meeting with the fact that you're supposed to leave everything at the door and just focus on the music," Jamison said. "I really like that aspect of just being in the moment."
Jamison came in with no experience in band as a musician.
However, she had been in color guard in high school and had been playing piano since she was young, so Rudy found a place for her in the ensemble.
Jamison said she appreciates that Rudy usually picks out something with a specific piano part so she doesn't always end up just playing percussion.
For their spring semester concert, that will be "The Seal Lullaby" by Eric Whitacre.
It fits in the overall theme of the concert, which will go "from dark to light," Rudy said.
The University Band will play along with a group of additional brass players, the UI Women's Glee club and the Central Illinois Youth Choir in their joint concert with the Campus Band from 3-5 p.m. April 21 at Krannert Center.
