The Ohio University Symphonic Band, University Band and Wind Symphony, along with the Marching 110 will entertain the public as well as high school students coming to Athens on Thursday for the annual Band-O-Rama Concert.
The University Band, directed by Josh Boyer, will open the show, followed by the Symphonic Band, under the baton of Richard Suk. The Wind Symphony, conducted by Andrew Trachsel, will finish the concert band portion with an appearance by 3Basso, a university low brass trio. The Marching 110 will close the show by performing some classic 110 tunes.
Chloe Sutton, a freshman clarinet player in the 110, said the show is different for her because the concert isn’t entirely about them.
“This performance is different just because it’s less about the 110, and it’s about music as a whole with so many other bands playing,” she said.
Slade Denman, a graduate associate for the bands, said the concert is special because it’s the only time all four bands perform together all year.
“Band-O-Rama is a celebration of the concert bands and marching band at Ohio University,” he said.
The concert is the beginning of a weekend of learning for the high schoolers coming to Athens. The concert gives the students participating in honor bands an opportunity to experience the ensembles they may join if they choose to attend OU.
“While the vast majority of the students in the honor bands will not choose to study music in college, we hope that all of them continue to perform on their instrument,” said Boyer, assistant director of the Marching 110.
After the concert, the high schoolers’ work will begin. They’ll spend all day Friday and most of Saturday working on music they receive Friday morning. Saturday afternoon, they’ll come together after a weekend of rehearsing and experiencing Ohio University to showcase their talents and growth to their families and the public.
The students and directors within each band hope the concert can show the high schoolers what band is like in college and potentially draw a few more students to Ohio University.
“In just a short concert,” Boyer said. “The high school students have the opportunity to see and hear many of the band opportunities that exist here at Ohio University.”
Aside from recruiting the high school students, the band members are excited to share music with each other and the public.
“Most performances we do, it’s just us, and this is just a bunch of bands coming together to share music,” Sutton said.
