Master Musicians Sharing Stage With School Bands

During a question-and-answer session with band students from Warren elementary schools and the middle school, Boston Brass tuba player Andrew Hitz was confronted with the kind of burning question young musicians have for such internationally-recognized, professional players: how heavy is a tuba?

Hitz answered the question with humor, and added a precaution for students, noting the tuba is unbalanced, warning them not to let their instruments tip over and go boom."

"Boom is bad," he said. "If there's one thing to learn from this masterclass, it's that when your instrument goes boom, it's bad."

The Q&A came between a brief improvised performance by the Boston Brass members and a rehearsal of "An Epic Exposition," by Rick Dejonge, the compostion that will be performed at 7 p.m. this evening with 175 of the township school musicians. Warren students will play the harmony and rhythm sections behind the Boston Brass players' on the melody.

Before then, the Boston Brass members, Jeff Conner and Jose Sibaja, on trumpets, French horn player Chris Castellanos, and trombonist Lance LaDuke, in addition to Hitz, will help guide the students through their parts for tonight's performance.

Tickets for the show were in high demand, with nearly all distributed to the band students. After each student received a pair of tickets for parents and siblings, the remainder were divvied up through a lottery.

Members of Boston Brass patiently waited as WMS music teacher Diane McCloskey instructed the assembled students for the rehearsal, and shared tips with the youngsters after two run-throughs of tonight's featured music.

The event was possible thanks to support from the PTOs of all Warren schools and the high school, and a performance the Boston Brass made at the University of Delaware a couple of years ago.

The group scheduled masterclass sessions with the university ensembles, including a brass quintet that included George Nimmo, a first-year music teacher in Warren schools. His ensemble performed that day with the Boston Brass, and followed with dinner and an excange of phone numbers. Later, Nimmo and the Brass members renewed the friendship after a performance at Rutgers, and the members of Boston Brass said they were looking to do a week-long visit to schools in New Jersey in April.

Sibaja said the groups tries to offer such clinics to young students regularly, but with the band's travel schedule, it's not always easy.

"We try (to host student clinics) but it's not as much as we'd like," he said.

Even so it remains  a priority for the band because of the positive impact such meetings can have on the young musicians.

"They're the ones we'll be listening to in the future," Sibaja said. Through the close work with professionals, the students "can feel what a musician can't communicate in words. It's a life changing event," he added.

Nimmo agreed, noting today's band students probably are not listening to classical music or even jazz on their iPods.

"This is probably the first time they have had a chance to see and hear live classical or jazz music," he said. "It's vital for them to have that experience."

Tonight's performance schedule will start with music performed by the fourth- and fifth-grade bands from each of the schools, followed by the performance of "Walk Point Five" by the students and the Boston Brass, then the Watchung Hills Regional High School Wind Ensemble, and a performance by the wind ensemble with the Boston Brass.

After an intermission, the Boston Brass will perform several selections.