{"id":6985,"date":"2025-03-01T13:40:15","date_gmt":"2025-03-01T19:40:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spectator.cuchicago.edu\/?p=6985"},"modified":"2025-03-01T13:40:15","modified_gmt":"2025-03-01T19:40:15","slug":"annual-wind-symphony-and-kapelle-spring-break-tour-cut-in-half","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spectator.cuchicago.edu\/?p=6985","title":{"rendered":"Annual Wind Symphony and Kapelle Spring Break Tour Cut in Half"},"content":{"rendered":"

For Concordia\u2019s music students, the spring semester always begins with a strong sense of excitement as they begin rehearsing music to take on tour over spring break. Rehearsals possess an increased sense of motivation as students learn the music they will share while on the most anticipated music trip of the year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In previous years, Wind Symphony and Kapelle have each embarked on a 10-day tour over spring break. This year, the Wind Symphony will be on tour from Feb. 28 to March 4, and the Kapelle will be on tour from March 5-9, meaning each tour is only for half of the duration of spring break.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While this change comes as a surprise to students, according to music department director Charles Brown, D.M.A., it had been in discussion since before COVID-19.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs the caretaker of ensembles, my overall concern is that students come back feeling like it was a great experience,\u201d said Brown. \u201cWe\u2019re just doing our best to adapt to the times, and considering how we can maximize the experience for everybody in an efficient way.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Because the trips do not overlap, students have the opportunity to participate in both ensembles. However, they currently rehearse at the same time, though the directors are willing to share students and work out an agreement.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, Dr. Fischer and I are just communicating on how to do the job share,\u201d said Brown. \u201cIt will get more intense about three weeks before the tour, but right now we are still figuring out our repertoire.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Students who perform in both groups will have to learn two sets of music, though they might not perform every piece with each ensemble. Allowing students to perform in both groups allows the ensembles to perform music they might not have enough players for otherwise, and also allows the students to experience both groups.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sophomore Olivia Wrolstad primarily sings in Kapelle, but plays the piano as well. She will be going on both the Wind Symphony and Kapelle tours.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI am looking forward to being able to play my main instrument which is piano, as usually there aren\u2019t many opportunities for pianists to play in a larger ensemble,\u201d said Wrolstad. \u201cThe most overwhelming part is having to learn twice as much music, but the tours themselves will be enjoyable.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI asked the students point blank if they were up for the challenge,\u201d said Wind Symphony director Richard Fischer, D.M.A. \u201cI wanted to make sure they actually wanted the experience, and they weren\u2019t just doing it to help us out.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Because each ensemble is only on tour for half of the spring break, it means that students who do not perform in both groups will have the opportunity to rest before coming back to finish the semester.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOver the years, we\u2019ve gotten feedback from professors that students were coming back to the spring semester exhausted from the hard work and fun of tour,\u201d said Leininger. \u201cMusicians and directors will get a little more rest over their spring break, which is always good.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was not upset about the tour shortening,\u201d said junior Wind Symphony trombonist Noah Clark. \u201cI appreciate having more freedom for half of my spring break.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Fischer has gone on 10-day tours for 50 of his 51 years and relishes the opportunity to share his ensemble\u2019s music with as many people as possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t live to have the time off, I live to work hard and to present music to as many people as possible, and to inspire as many young people as we can,\u201d said Fischer. \u201cNow we have less of that.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Aside from providing student musicians with a great experience, music tours are instrumental in recruiting students, engaging with alumni, and advertising for CUC.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI knew we would have to stay closer to home and focus on the Midwest, which is always exciting as we have a lot of alumni here,\u201d said Leininger. \u201cThe Midwest is also great for recruiting new Cougars!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Usually each ensemble performs at a few high schools while on tour in order to establish interest in CUC\u2019s music programs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis definitely will create challenges in recruiting more musicians to attend Concordia,\u201d said junior bass clarinetist Ruth Eatherton. \u201cWe are taking more of the appeal to do music away from our school.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Other universities may be shortening their spring break music tours as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve learned from my music tour manager colleagues that a lot of colleges and universities have had to cut back, or even cut touring altogether,\u201d said tour manager and planner Rachel Leininger. \u201cCUC still supports music tours, and that\u2019s awesome.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll make the best of what we\u2019re given,\u201d said Kapelle junior Emma Pflughoeft. \u201cI think that the benefits of students being able to perform in each group would be such a great experience for everyone.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTour is and always will be fulfilling to me, but the fulfillment does have to do with how we reach people through the gift of music,\u201d said Fischer. \u201cNow we have fewer audiences to have love and empathy for.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Following the tour, Brown intends to collect student feedback on the new tour format to plan tours in the future.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For Concordia\u2019s music students, the spring semester always begins with a strong sense of excitement as they begin rehearsing music to take on tour over spring break. Rehearsals possess an increased sense of motivation as students learn the music they will share while on the most anticipated music trip of the year.\u00a0 In previous years, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":6995,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6985","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-entertainment","category-showcase"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spectator.cuchicago.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6985","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spectator.cuchicago.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spectator.cuchicago.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spectator.cuchicago.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spectator.cuchicago.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6985"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/spectator.cuchicago.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6985\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spectator.cuchicago.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6985"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spectator.cuchicago.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6985"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spectator.cuchicago.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6985"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}