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Once up-Ahn a Time - 6/30/2005 5:14:17 PM
Crystal Grave
I just finished up the last few days with the Ahn Trio during their time on campus to prepare and perform for their Wednesday night show. I had the opportunity to spend a great deal of time with them for rehearsals, interviews and staging sessions. It was a wonderful and educational experience. I learned a lot about what it takes to be a professional performer, a cultural icon, and a sister!
We started the week with late-night flight arrivals on Monday. Tuesday started bright and early for our first set of rehearsals with the percussionists (faculty members Steve Houghton and Jim Campbell). It was great to see the combined talent amongst those five world-class artists. Both the Trio and the percussionists were amazed with the groove they were able to achieve in just a few short hours. After the rehearsal, we rushed over to a live interview on a local radio station. The Trio talked about their life in Korea, their move to America, and their time at Julliard. They also talked about what it was like to be sisters….both the comforts of being with the ones you love, and the challenges of being three siblings spending a great deal of time together. It was apparent right away that while these three sisters form one of the most highly recognized trios in the country, they are all clearly their own person. Maria (cello) is a vibrant spirit full of spunk, flavor and pointed personality. Lucia (piano) is a sweet, sensitive and soulful example of kindness. Angella (violin) is a constant smile, and a true public persona with her grace, flexibility and ease around volumes of fans, friends and entourage.
We convened again just after lunch on Tuesday for another rehearsal and recording session in Braden Auditorium. The Trio then spent dinner with Vincent Thomas, director of the VT Dance Team, discussing final plans for the choreography in Wednesday night’s performance. After dinner it was time for an Orchestral Track Master Class complete with a private performance and an exclusive Q&A session, and then the trio was back to rehearsal and recording again in Kemp Recital Hall for another two hours. They finally called it a night by 10 p.m.
Wednesday was another day of full of rehearsals, staging setups and recordings. By concert time, we’d already spent over 20 hours together for this constant schedule of events. The evening concert was a huge success with the 1,600+ students attending. The Trio got to experience a great deal of ovation and personal accolades. The evening wrapped with a commercial shooting including the trio and the entire audience, as well as an autograph session. The atmosphere was electric!
Thursday came all to soon with an early morning flight for the twins. Since Angella had a few more hours in Normal, I sat down again with her at the hotel for a personal interview before she left. We discussed her thoughts on music education, Orchestra America, developing as a professional musician, and performing for such a large audience of music lovers. We bid Angella farewell in the late afternoon, and wished her (and her sisters) success in their future endeavors.
It was really marvelous getting to know such three extremely talented musicians so well in just a few short days. Their commitment to excellence for their music, their fans, and their family was evident in everything and everyone they touched. They seem “Ahn” target for an extremely successful career!
Tuesday Highlights - 6/29/2005 10:24:38 AM
Crystal Grave
Tuesday was the first full day of the 2005 Summer Symposium presented by Yamaha and there’s already incredible excitement in the air in every corner of campus. Ahn Trio, the amazing musical sisters, arrived late Monday night and treated the Orchestra Division students to an exclusive Master Class Tuesday evening. What a thrill! Other tracks have begun digging in to their respective sessions with their recognized staff, and students can be seen all around campus laughing, making new friends, and participating in impromptu jam sessions!
The Tuesday concert from the Air Force Band of Mid-America proved to be another example of musical excellence. Students enjoyed selections as varied as John Williams’ "Sound the Bells" to Sousa’s "Stars and Stripes Forever."
Directors' Special Gift - 6/28/2005 9:19:13 PM
Camilla Stasa
At the end of each school year, band students sometimes struggle with what gift they can present to their band director in appreciation. Kevin Klee, Band Director at R. Nelson Snider High School, IN along with his assistant, Dean Smekens, received the gift of a director registration for the BOA SUMMER SYMPOSIUM.
Kevin Klee had not attended the camp for over 10 years. During the school year, he had commented to his students that he had experienced an incredible week at the BOA camp years ago and had one of his best school years ever following the camp. Since then, time had simply flown by. His students have attended the BOA camp every year, but it never seemed to work out for Mr. Klee to return.
To celebrate the conclusion of the school year and show their appreciation, the band gave Mr. Klee and Mr. Smekens a BOA Director Registration. The students gave them the opportunity to "recharge their batteries," to network with peers and bring their renewed enthusiasm back to the band room at Snider High School. While the inner growth experienced during the band director curriculum at the Summer Symposium is not a tangible gift, it is one that any band director will treasure for years to come.
BOA: Full Circle - 6/28/2005 9:21:21 AM
Debbie Laferty Asbill
The 30th annual Bands of America Summer Symposium presented by Yamaha got underway Monday officially with the Opening Session for all participants. Caixa Trio opened the festivities with their unique percussion performance. Classes started Monday afternoon and the entire Symposium enjoyed a concert by the incredible Yamaha Young Performing Artists in Braden Auditorium Monday evening.
Tens of thousands of high school students have been through the BOA Summer program. Students from early years of the Summer Symposium are now attending as band directors, sending their own children as students and are even on board as faculty.
Dr. Thomas Bough, a conductor in the BOA Concert Band Division and Assistant Professor at Southern Illinois University, was a student drum major at the BOA summer workshop in Whitewater, Wisconsin in 1985.
Julie Dávila, member of the Caixa Trio, was also a BOA student camper and now a regular member of the BOA percussion faculty.
BOA's euphonium master class teacher has been so impressed with BOA's student programs that his children are enrolled in student divisions. Other previous student campers are now BOA Director participants and several have children also enrolled in student areas.
Bands of America now has generations of participants and the Symposium students of today are the leaders and teachers of tomorrow!
Leadership a Hit! - 6/27/2005 2:53:41 PM
Crystal Grave
The Leadership Weekend Experience culminated this morning after an uplifting closing session last night at the Stroud Auditorium at University High. The evening began with a Fran Kick and Scott Lang session that reminded students the time was NOW to take a stand by setting the example through music. Lang emphasized the academic achievements of music students as well as their power to persevere through adversity, tragedy and disappointment via a personal account of the loss of his brother to Leukemia. By the end of the session, Lang had the audience finishing his powerful words, “If you can, you must!”
Students later greeted their nine speakers in the final session with a roaring applause and continuous stream of standing ovations. Each speaker took a moment to reflect on the Leadership Experience and congratulate the participants for their outstanding achievements, momentum and life changing-experience. Sarah from Lugoff, South Carolina said, “The variety of speakers was amazing, and that was the part I enjoyed most. The things they had to say is what stuck with me.” Sarah wasn’t alone. Students demonstrated their enthusiasm for speakers by performing various claps, sounds and insider gestures as each approached the stage.
Students shared their final thoughts about the Experience with BOA staff. Lucas from Blaine, Minnesota commented that he learned, “It takes an entire group being positive to succeed. If one person is negative, the entire group will fail,” while Ken from Hudsonville, Michigan added, “I’ve really learned to lead means to follow.”
Lauren from Waukesha, WI was a returning Leadership Experience participant and summed it up best by saying, “I realized this year I will never stop learning about leadership.”
Leaders "On the Ropes" - 6/26/2005 8:23:48 PM
Debbie Laferty Asbill
Bands of America returning leadership students from last year had an unforgettable experience today at Timber Pointe Teams Challenge Course.
Located in a magnificent Oak and Hickory Grove on Lake Bloomington, Timber Pointe’s Teams Challenge Course offers a fun, interactive, group experience. The leaders' activities focused on team building, increased personal confidence and self-esteem, enhanced trust and support within a group structure, and developed effective communication. Problem-solving elements and cooperative group activities with names like The Wall, The Spider’s Web, The Trust Fall, and Nitro Crossing made the process challenging, yet enjoyable.
"I was 90/10 - 90% excited, 10% scared," said student leader Molly from Minnesota. "But the 10% is what makes it so cool." Conquering fears was key for many of the leaders at the challenge course. Even students who watched with apprehension the first students go "up the tower" to the course platform 40 feet up in the treetops overcame their fears. The pride of accomplishment at doing something they felt at first they could not bring themselves to do is a lesson that you CAN choose to succeed!
Other leaders experienced an incredible day with the BOA leadership faculty in breakout sessions, learning new and exciting ways to explore their own leadership potential.
Remember: "If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." – Henry David Thoreau
Pritchard Wows Crowd - 6/26/2005 9:09:35 AM
Crystal Grave
The Leadership Weekend Experience was a roar of laughter and applause Saturday evening due to the explosive feature session from Michael Pritchard. Pritchard took the audience from birth through teen angst with his wide repertoire of voices, sound effects and playful mockery of today’s family roles. Along the way, Pritchard shared the joys of learning how to accept others, share pain and find joy in music. Audiences members were moved from laughter to tears on multiple occasions and saluted Pritchard with a standing ovation and personal hand shakes at the end of the session.
“Play, inspire, uplift, connect.” Pritchard infused his message with key takeaways such as this as well as reminding us all “music is the language of the soul, and that joy shared is joy multiplied.”
Welcome BOA Leaders! - 6/25/2005 8:13:13 AM
Debbie Laferty Asbill
"Lead by example!" That's the opening message as Fran Kick "kicked it in" with nearly 600 student leaders at the Bands of America Leadership Weekend Experience in Normal, Illinois.
The past few days have been full of activity. A campus full of equipment and instruments from BOA sponsors Yamaha, Pearl, Vic Firth, Remo and Evans was unpacked and set up. The 85 members of Team SWAG began arriving Wednesday for two days of preparation and sessions to get ready for the arrival of Saturday's leaders and the start of the full week on Monday.
Fran set the tone for the weekend in the Opening Session, introduced the leadership staff and handed the mic to Tim Lautzenheiser who had leaders laughing, learning, up off their seats and singing in the aisles.
Leaders from 25 states converged at Illinois State University for the Leadership Weekend. The Student Leaders have an afternoon packed with break-out sessions and the evening will culminate with a feature session with Michael Pritchard, a nationally acclaimed keynote speaker and facilitator who uses a variety of humorous stories and useful tools to educate his audiences on improving communication skills.
Stay tuned for more live reports from the 2005 Bands of America Summer Symposium presented by Yamaha and the Leadership Weekend Experience!
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