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Concert Report
Aleigha Simerly
Hum 118
Professor Niiyama
April 26,2015

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I attended the Indianapolis Symphonic Band on March 31, 2015;
it was located at the Warren Performing Arts Center. I loved the variety
of people that performed the selections. They ranged from young to
old; it appeared about half of them were male and the other half was
female. There were several instruments that were used throughout the
performance. They include: flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet,
saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba, and
percussion. Some of the percussion that was utilized throughout the
selections was the bass drum, snare drum, triangle, xylophone,
tambourine, cymbals, and chimes. I attended this concert with my
sister so that we could discuss the different aspects of the
performance. By doing this, we were able to discuss our opinions about
them and form a better understanding of the pieces. The audience was
approximately about seventy-five people, maybe a little more; they
ranged from old to young. The majority of the audience was older
people. While waiting for the performance to begin, the organ was
played. The organ was very beautiful played and helped to get the
audience prepared for a great performance. The general setup of the
concert was outlined in the program. The setup included: the songs
that would be performed, the different sections of the band along with
the names of the performers, and background of the band.
Throughout the performance, I was an attentive listener. I
wanted to give my undivided attention to the entire duration of the

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pieces. I made sure that my phone was on silent so it didnt disrupt the
performance as well. I waited until the conductor stepped down to clap
to praise the performers for the piece that they performed. The pieces
that were performed include: Gallop, Three Revolutionary Marches,
Lord, Guard and Guide, On Wing of My Own, To Challenge the Sky and
Heavens Above, In Storm and Sunshine, Songs of Grace and Songs of
Glory, and Where Never Lark of Eagle Flew. The style of the music was
Classical; this means that it has been composed from the eleventh
century to now. The make-up of the music was solely instrumental;
there were no voices to go along with it. Their musical section grouped
the instruments; the percussion was grouped together. Visually, they
were arranged in a semi-circle so that they all could see the conductor
along with his motions. By being arranged in a semi-circle, the
audience was able to see the different musicians playing throughout
the pieces. The audience was very calm and attentive. They enjoyed
listening to the pieces that were played as well as singing along quietly
to performances that they knew. The ambience that filled the room was
very appreciative for being able to attend the concert; the audience
was very supportive of the musical band. I very much enjoyed
attending the concert. By attending, I was able to gain better
knowledge of the content we have been learning throughout the
semester. I also enjoyed being able to hear it live along with seeing
how it was actually carried out in person.

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Lord, Guard and Guide composed by Robert Jager was one of my
favorite performances of the evening. I found out that Jager was born
in 1939 and a graduate from the University of Michigan. He also served
in the Navy, where he was a composer for their school of music; he
served for four years. In 1992, he composed Lord, Guard and Guide.
The theme of each of the songs is based off flight. This is used because
it is a U.S. Air Force hymn played by the military airlift band. It appears
that it is rondo form because there are different sections but it still
appears to go back to the main theme. The purpose of the song is to
encourage the Air Force members and to show them supportive. The
tempo appeared more moderate, which was not too fast, nor too slow.
There tends to be good transitional points throughout the piece as well.
The rhythm varies throughout the piece; it has strong beats with a
varied rhythmical pattern. The melody is lyrical; words can go along
with the musical accompaniment. It appears to be repetitive at certain
sections; this piece also has small intervals between notes, meaning
that it has a step-like approach. There appeared to be clashing points
throughout the harmony of the piece. The harmony appears to be
harmonious, meaning that the tune was very full throughout the piece.
The piece began by using the flute and clarinet; the sections play
separate notes all at their own pace. There is a transitional point that
the beat picks up that I really enjoyed. A crescendo is used to get the
melody to slow back down to a slow pace and a lighter sound. This

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piece did a great job at showing the skills of all the musicians who
played throughout the piece.
The other piece that I chose to discuss is To Challenge the Sky
and Heavens Above by Robert W. Smith. It was made to discuss the
aerospace that takes place in Huntsville, Alabama. The goal is to have
you soar through the heavens. It was composed in 1999 with the band
to help him emphasize the instrumentals that went along with the
tune. The beginning of the song starts out really loud and strong with
the percussion group being emphasized. It slowly turns very soft that
allows the woodwinds to flow very lightly. A crescendo grows to get the
tune back into the powerful like the beginning was. The hand drums
were used throughout the piece to be used as the lead instrument.
There was a solo that was performed throughout the piece by Karen,
who was using the drum; she was very knowledgeable with the
percussion instruments. She played multiple instruments throughout
the pieces of the evening. The structure has small intervals between
the notes and was very tuneful. The fast tempo allowed the piece to be
very active, lively, and animated. There comes a point where the notes
becomes separated to make the piece sound choppy and
disconnected; it goes back to the same tempo as before, once this
section is completed. The rhythm is very regular and has very strong
beats throughout. The structures vary from small sections to longer
sections; it appears to have a classical form. The form has variations

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throughout the piece. The harmony appears to be consonant
throughout the piece; it does appear to have a chord progression.
Throughout the ISB performance, I was able to gain a better
understanding of the musical aspects of compositions. This encourages
me to listen more attentively to songs that are of a different genre that
I am used to. The flight theme throughout the performance of the
evening drew my interest to see how similar the compositions were.
The conductor did a great job at emphasizing the different sections
throughout the pieces to allow me to hear the different instruments
that were involved. I greatly encourage others to attend concerts that
are out of their musical preference. Indianapolis Symphonic Band has
upcoming concerts on May 7 and May 30. They also have a
performance on June 20 and July 18. You can visit their website to learn
more about their band and how to become a part of their ensemble.