Where no ensemble has gone before

by: Jenny Baxter- AWS percussionist

The Austin Wind Symphony is wiping the dust and rust off their instruments and getting off their couches and into their chairs, because it’s concert season again. Our first practice was Tuesday, August 12th, in preparation for our Star Trek concert.

Being a percussionist, I’m always really impressed with how well band members can sightread. I’ve had to sightread some mallet parts but usually it’s just rhythms. But the clarinets and flutes are trilling, the strings are going crazy and the brass are pumping notes out. They’re not all right of course, but I have to say that the music we played sounded pretty great for first runs and I think we all left feeling good about it.

And in the spirit of this concert, one of our members recently came back from a vacation in Las Vegas, where she visited the Star Trek Experience in the Hilton. My parents, hardcore sci-fi fans also visited this exhibit on our family trip, though they didn’t dress up, but I’ve heard it’s pretty awesome. Unfortunately it’s about to close on September 1st after 10 years to make way for a Michael Jackson….thing. I think we need a protest. Until next week, live long, prosper and practice.