Kay Musical Instrument Company

Eight marching drums menacingly stand surrounded by the dim light of flickering fluorescent bulbs dangling above. The new recruits enter the room and slowly walk to their respective drum—their new homes for the next hours. All members stand with wide eyes and unstable posture. They nervously wait for the tech’s commands. The room encompassed in a seemingly endless silence. The tech sounded off and the new drumline members stepped off in perfect time and began the never ending, never moving…

Concert Report 1 On the date of September 23, 2015 the Ball State School of Music presented a jazz concert at Sursa Hall. The concert provided free admission to students and created a fantastic jazz performance. The crowd in attendance was a mixture of students, natives of Muncie and jazz enthusiast. The performance drew a diverse crowd because it provided a high level of entertainment that everyone could enjoy. It is highly recommended that everyone in the community attend at least one…

I have been playing piano for eight years. In those eight years, I have taken piano from three different teachers. My first teacher taught me how to read basic music and helped me grow my interest in piano. However, she was always getting sick and having to cancel my lessons and when I did have a lesson she would complain about how she was feeling bad. I finally had enough of this and decided the best thing to do would be to find another piano teacher. My second teacher was very strict and…

include the tuba, piccolo, bass clarinet, double bassoon, and a larger string section (Romantic, n.d.). With theses new instruments being added, the larger orchestra (from 26 members to close to 100) was able to accommodate new and exciting sounds. Woodwinds started to take on a more prevalent role in the orchestra and composers started experimenting with new sounds from the instruments. For example, “flutists were required to play in the breathy low register, and violinists were asked to…

impressive was that the last song played by the second quintet was composed by their pianist, Tim Mesun, and, even better, the song was truly good. My only real complaint of the music played may be that, as someone who adores the sound of string instruments, I would have loved to hear more…

Orchestra. A harmonious branch of music where melodies flow from the hollow bodies of violins, violas, cellos, and basses. A thin wooden baton is swung wildly, conducting dramatic notes from famous compositions. Tunes fill the room as hopping heels and tapping toes go “Thump” Thump” “Thump”. Heads bob and torsos sway in unison, like puppets bound to dancing strings that were hung by the conductor. I made a rotten decision. I had no doubt about it when I clicked open my sister’s text. “Did you…

overpowered my already diminished desire to study, I sat up in bed and grabbed my phone to check the name of the song: ‘Here Come Those Eyes.’ Reminiscing on old times, Rice sang out of the feeling of intense intoxication that is only experienced in the company of a high school crush. His lyrics were so emotional, so artfully crafted, they even caused unbidden thoughts of my own crush at the time, a pretty girl named Caroline, to swirl through my mind, connecting me further to the message of the…

When you hear the word band when related to music, what do you think of? Is it a small group of friends playing in a garage, or a huge group of people putting on a concert at school? Merriam Webster defines a band as “a group of persons, animals, or things; especially: a group of musicians organized for ensemble playing.” To finish out the semester I went to one last concert, the SIUE Wind Symphony and Concert Band. The opening piece of the night Where Never Lark or Eagle Flew by James Curnow.…

Sometimes, people have a lot more to tell than they do to say. Wait, what? When you compose music, you tell a story, not just say it. There’s meaning. That’s why I think composing music would be the perfect career for me. It’s diverse, satisfying, and worry free. Composing music is like making art; anyone who wants to, can accomplish it. The music industry is based all around the world so location is never a problem. That’s what makes composing music so diverse. Anyone can do it! Even the…

school acapella choir and a guitarist and a bassist and a drummer and a bagpipe player. I went to church children’s choir practice every Wednesday afternoon with my little sister. I participated in elementary school choir. I auditioned for every musical and was cast each time. However, I never realized how deeply music and performance were rooted in me. I grew up assuming I would do something in music because it was such a large…