Eight The University of Olivet students who are members of the band will perform in the 45th annual Michigan Intercollegiate Honor Band. The performance will be held in McNamara Rehearsal Hall in the Howard Music Building on the Hillsdale College campus Saturday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public.
The band is a joint collaboration between ten Michigan colleges and universities. Woodwind, brass and percussion students are nominated by their conductor and come together for one day of rehearsals, capped by the concert in the evening. For many students, this provides an opportunity to perform large works that may not be accessible to their home school due to the small nature of ensembles and instrumentation.
Conductor Jeremy Duby nominated the Olivet students, who include: senior Margaret Callahan, flute and piano; freshman Audrye Lehmann, flute; sophomore Samantha Lewis, flute; junior Emily Nelson, clarinet; junior Raquel Brumit, bassoon; freshman Emma Schut, horn; sophomore Emily Dorn, trumpet; and senior Nicholas Harmon, trumpet.
Dorn is especially excited to be performing with the band as her sister has been selected to perform from Hope College as well. “It means a lot to me to have this experience because I have the chance to create connections with other musicians from colleges in Michigan as well as reconnect with my sister,” said Dorn. “I’m also hoping to take away some new techniques for playing my trumpet.”
All the Olivet students strongly agree that participating in this experience is a great honor and that they are thankful to have this outlet to express their passion for music on a larger stage.
Duby, who is in his third year as director of bands at The University of Olivet, said the event displays a partnership between the other institutions and students.
“The students get a real professional musical experience and get to share different experiences and studies with fellow musicians from the state of Michigan,” he said. “This is a great honor and experience for our students and certainly results in enhancing our program and many others.”
The guest conductor this year is John Madden, Michigan State University College of Music associate director of bands and professor of music. He serves as the director of the Spartan Marching Band and conductor of the MSU Symphony Band. Additionally, Madden teaches advanced instrumental conducting at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He has previously taught courses on marching band techniques and has served on the MSU faculty since 1989. Madden received the Dortha J. and John D. Withrow Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2014 and was inducted into the prestigious American Bandmasters Association in March of 2008.
“This is going to be an experience of a lifetime for me,” Harmon said, pictured left. “As a senior, this will be my last major band event with fellow musicians, some of which I’ve been playing alongside for years and others I’ll be just meeting. I can’t think of anything that would make a grander finale.”
For more information, contact Jeremy Duby at 269.749.7158 or jduby@uolivet.edu.