Making Music with Friends: Symphonic Band
The community of musicians at Grinnell has a place for everyone. If you’re looking for a welcoming, low-stress ensemble where you can enjoy playing your instrument with like-minded musicians, the Symphonic Band might be just what you’re looking for.
Director Kara Metzger plays a big role in creating this welcoming environment. The Symphonic Band welcomes a wide variety of musicians, ranging from students to faculty members, staff, and community members.
“The more the merrier,” she says. No one should worry that they’re not good enough for the ensemble, Metzger adds. “We will fit you in wherever you feel comfortable.”
In addition to her role as director of the Grinnell Symphonic Band, Metzger is also a doctoral student in wind conducting at the University of Iowa School of Music. She loves being a teacher and a student at the same time. “It’s really cool and exciting that I get to do both things,” she says.
No auditions are required to join the Symphonic Band. “We accept anyone who plays a woodwind, brass, or a percussion instrument,” Metzger says. The musicians are a diverse mix of community members and Grinnell College faculty, staff, and students. “Having the faculty and the community members involved has been a really positive thing for us,” Metzger says. “It’s helping us build the program.”
The Symphonic Band performs a lot of standard band selections from a variety of musical genres. Metzger says her goal is to program diverse music compositions, composers, and styles. “We’ve got fanfares, we’ve got marches — really, you name it! We even have some pieces that are heavily jazz influenced.”
Metzger believes that performing music should be fun and she keeps the mood light. “I think we have a good time,” she says “We definitely make jokes in rehearsal and come up with analogies. … They spur some good musical engagement.”
It’s a low-stress environment, she adds. “There are people who have been doing this their entire lives, and there are people that haven’t played in years.” If you’re worried you might make a mistake, Metzger says, don’t give it a thought. “I encourage mistakes because if I can hear them, then we can fix them.”
The best part, Metzger says, is the opportunity to come together and play music as an ensemble. “The idea of working toward a common goal that you didn’t really know you had at the beginning of the semester allows the music-making process to be special,” she explains.
The Symphonic Band holds one two-hour rehearsal each week (Thursday, 7–9 p.m.) and performs once each semester. To learn more about the band, contact Kara Metzger.