The Symphonic Winds ensemble played their first live performance on March 31 to kick off their Spring concert season. Led by David Francisco Lopez, the Symphonic Winds took the stage a few weeks prior with the spring musical “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” This performance, however, held them in the spotlight.
This performance featured a varied program with musical pieces from different forms, even a few marching tunes picked by Lopez. The variety offered gave the ensemble a chance to show their strength in different areas of performance than they typically get to display.
Much like sports teams, playing as part of an ensemble requires a bit of time to mesh with your teammates. Growth as an individual performer and as a part of the orchestra proper is very important to many members of the Symphonic Winds.
The crowd attending the performance was on the smaller side, mostly family and friends of the performers. However, the ensemble was still able to give a fair performance. While the performance overall was coherent and their setlist was completed without hinderance, it was apparent that many of the ensemble want to strive for more.
The pieces selected for the performance had a dreamy tone that alluded wonderfully toward the potential for the performers as they progress through their season’s performances. The pieces chosen opted to trade out large, booming power for more light-hearted songs.
Megan Kimmel, an oboe player and fourth-semester student, looked back at her time with the Symphonic Winds and said she will miss the community aspect and family-like bond the ensemble shared. She will be transferring at the end of the semester.
“Having new material every time and having a new story to tell is so exciting. Having friends come and being able to show what you’ve been working so hard on for three or four months… It’s not hard to get excited about it,” said Kimmel.
From the new blood coming in that’s excited to be a part of the community to the veterans that are transferring out of Fullerton College, all of the members seemed to be excited and inspired to do their best with the Symphonic Winds.
“I think in the music department we’re really lucky that we get to have that type of community for our students. It actually comes from the high school and middle school atmospheres. They feel comfortable in band and choir, they feel at home there. This becomes an extension of that, here. They depend on each other for their parts and they build a lot of strong friendships along the way,” Lopez said.
The Symphonic Winds has a show on April 29 with performers ready to give it their all and a director that is prepared to grow their strengths. It is at 7:30 p.m. at the Campus Theater.