Band, Wind, and Percussion Ensembles
Concert Ensembles
Wind Ensemble
Dr. Margaret Underwood, Conductor
- Made up of woodwind, brass, and percussion players.
- Performs three to four times annually on campus.
- Tours domestically and internationally during winter break. Recent
destinations include Chicago, New York City, Italy, and Switzerland.
- Membership requires an audition.
Symphonic Band
Michael Yonchak, Conductor
- Meets winter and spring quarters.
- Performs two to three times on campus and annually at the Alum Creek
Band Shell opening concert (part of the parks summer series)
- Tours internationally with the Wind Ensemble.
- Membership requires audition.
Chamber Music
Chamber Winds
Dr. Margaret Underwood and Professor Michael Yonchak, Conductors
- Gives instrumental musicians an important chamber music experience,
- Exposes performers to standards of wind chamber repertoire, including Mozart, Dvorak, and Beethoven.
- Explores contemporary music and avant-garde repretoire.
Towers Brass Quintet
Ben Huntoon, Director/Coach
- Plays advanced standard and contemporary literature.
- Rehearses one hour per week.
- Performs on and off campus and occasionally at official Otterbein functions.
- Vacancies are filled by audition.
Flute Ensemble
Dr. Kimberlee Goodman, Director/Coach
- Consists of four or more musicians.
- Meets once a week each quarter.
- Performs a minimum of once a quarter.
- Featured annually at the Central Ohio Flute Association Festival in April.
Clarinet Choir
Robert Jones, Director/Coach
- Open to all students.
- Students work on cuing, blending, intonation, musicality, playing solos, and accompaniments.
- Students are encouraged to become acquainted with the auxiliary instruments of the clarinet family.
- Featured in Wind Ensemble/Concert Band concerts, student art
exhibitions, chamber music recitals, and off-campus student outreach
programs.
- Performs a vast repertoire of original works, jazz selections, and transcriptions of classical standards.
Saxophone Quartet
James Miglia, Director/Coach
- Repretoire includes arrangements and original compositions from the
Renaissance to 21st Century contemporary classical, jazz, and rock
music.
- Each quartet performs at least twice a year in a recital setting and may also perform at professional engagements.
Percussion Ensemble
Dr. Jack Jenny, Conductor
- Performs the avant garde to the traditional marimba band or rudimental drum ensemble to percussion pops.
- Performs during the fall and spring quarters, schedules run-outs to
area schools, and has performed with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.
- Membership is by audition.
Jazz Ensembles
Jazz Combos
Chris Berg and Karl Wohlwend, Directors
- Forum for students to explore topics in form, improvisation,
extended seventh-chord harmonic vocabulary, and a wide range of rhythmic
concepts.
- Instrumentation varies widely.
- Open to all students.
The Anticipations
Eric Van Wagner, Director
- Explores aspects of current music performance and production.
- Members can opt to be the lead singer, take a supportive role with keyboard or percussion parts, or take a technical role.
- Great experience in a working band.
- Performs at least once each quarter.
- Produces a CD each year in conjunction with our Audio Production students.
- Open to all students.
- More information is available at www.theanticipations.com.
Athletic Bands
Michael Yonchak, Director of Athletic Bands
- Cardinal Marching Band and Basketball Pep Band
- We offer Athletic Ban Participation Awards to any wind, percussion,
or visual performer interested in committing to membership in the
athletic bands.
- Open to all students.
- More information is available on the Athletic Bands site.