TWE in the Time of Covid
It was inevitable that during our 2020-21 Season we would need to change the way we approached creating music within our community. This page highlights some of the steps we've taken to adjust to our newfound reality.
Outdoor Rehearsals and Concerts...
Indoor rehearsals are out! Before the days shortened and the temperatures dropped we held several outdoor rehearsals at local parks. Everyone kept their distance, covered their instrument's bell, and enjoyed the fresh air. When dusk fell, our conductor even donned light-up gloves to make seeing his hands easier. Drone video from several of these rehearsals can be seen in the "Soaring" video below.
We enjoyed having friends and family members come to these wide-open rehearsals and enjoy live music, and we were happy to have also made some new fans who happened to be relaxing nearby while we played.
On Halloween, we held a pop-up concert in Downtown Cary. Going forward, we hope to incorporate more outdoor performances into our schedule.
Outdoor Rehearsals and Concerts...
Indoor rehearsals are out! Before the days shortened and the temperatures dropped we held several outdoor rehearsals at local parks. Everyone kept their distance, covered their instrument's bell, and enjoyed the fresh air. When dusk fell, our conductor even donned light-up gloves to make seeing his hands easier. Drone video from several of these rehearsals can be seen in the "Soaring" video below.
We enjoyed having friends and family members come to these wide-open rehearsals and enjoy live music, and we were happy to have also made some new fans who happened to be relaxing nearby while we played.
On Halloween, we held a pop-up concert in Downtown Cary. Going forward, we hope to incorporate more outdoor performances into our schedule.
Ritter Park rehearsal
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Farmington Woods rehearsal
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Booth Amphitheatre rehearsal
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Virtual Ensemble Recording Projects...
Just like every other musical group in the world, we put together or participated in our fair share of virtual ensemble recording projects over the past year. They are featured below...
Just like every other musical group in the world, we put together or participated in our fair share of virtual ensemble recording projects over the past year. They are featured below...
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Zoom Rehearsals & Guest Speakers...
As temperatures dropped enough to raise worries in our woodwind players about cracking wood, we began holding online rehearsals and lectures on Zoom.
For our virtual rehearsals, Evan picks a piece and our musicians grab parts from IMSLP. Most recently, we looked through Arnold Schoenberg's Theme and Variations, Op 43a. Evan walks us through the piece both watching a YouTube recording and perusing the score which he shares on his screen, pointing out important changes in texture or melodies. When it comes time to play, everybody puts on headphones, mutes their call, and plays along with Evan's shared recording. While it's definitely not the same as playing together live in person, the ability to look through a score together before diving in was useful.
Other times, instead of virtual rehearsals, we invited guest speakers to talk to us about various topics which relate to the world of wind ensemble musicians. Guests included bassoonist and professor Lynn Hileman, clarinetist and professor Donald Oehler, US Marine Band percussionist Jon Bisesi, trombonist and professor Mike Kris, and conductor Cynthia Johnston Turner. Opening our rehearsals and minds to talented musicians has been a great way to feel connected to other musicians in a time when we're all so physically separated. We're grateful to those who shared their time with us, and we hope to continue this network-building even after normal in-person rehearsals resume.
As temperatures dropped enough to raise worries in our woodwind players about cracking wood, we began holding online rehearsals and lectures on Zoom.
For our virtual rehearsals, Evan picks a piece and our musicians grab parts from IMSLP. Most recently, we looked through Arnold Schoenberg's Theme and Variations, Op 43a. Evan walks us through the piece both watching a YouTube recording and perusing the score which he shares on his screen, pointing out important changes in texture or melodies. When it comes time to play, everybody puts on headphones, mutes their call, and plays along with Evan's shared recording. While it's definitely not the same as playing together live in person, the ability to look through a score together before diving in was useful.
Other times, instead of virtual rehearsals, we invited guest speakers to talk to us about various topics which relate to the world of wind ensemble musicians. Guests included bassoonist and professor Lynn Hileman, clarinetist and professor Donald Oehler, US Marine Band percussionist Jon Bisesi, trombonist and professor Mike Kris, and conductor Cynthia Johnston Turner. Opening our rehearsals and minds to talented musicians has been a great way to feel connected to other musicians in a time when we're all so physically separated. We're grateful to those who shared their time with us, and we hope to continue this network-building even after normal in-person rehearsals resume.
