With live performances on pause, members of the have adopted a fresh approach to music-making designed to keep their audiences鈥攁nd themselves鈥攅ngaged.
The group is creating video renditions of selections by Leroy Anderson. A combination of music, movement, costumes, and animation, the series is a playful celebration of the 20th-century composer and conductor鈥檚 work. , the third and best known, was released this week.
Conductor , who also directs Dartmouth鈥檚 marching band and youth wind ensemble, says he hopes the five-part series will provide 鈥渓ittle moments of light鈥 during the pandemic, and give students something they are proud to be a part of.
The project has helped the musicians stay involved, despite being unable to meet for rehearsals, says Margaret Ferris 鈥22, a DCWE trumpeter tasked with building community within the ensemble, for an independent study course. 鈥淚t gives everyone something to work on together.鈥
鈥橳he World We鈥檙e Living In鈥
The musicians use phones and computers to record their parts individually. Then, Messier, his staff, and students edit and combine the files.
鈥淭he conductor鈥檚 job is to connect musicians, repertoire, and the audience,鈥 says Messier, who learned three software programs for the series. 鈥淏eing an audio-editor-facilitator is kind of the equivalent of a conductor鈥檚 job in our current virtual environment.鈥
Thankfully, Messier says, a gift from Bruce J. Berger 鈥66 and Barbara S. Berger enabled him to hire several assistants, including students, to help with the complicated and time-consuming production process.
The wind ensemble usually includes about 50 students and community members. But with any geographic barrier removed, participation has grown to include alumni and guest performers from outside the Hanover area, a trend Messier hopes will continue. To encourage involvement, he has waived the audition requirement this year. Interested Dartmouth community members can email Messier.
That inclusivity, and acceptance of the reality of the online environment, 鈥渉as been really special,鈥 Ferris says. Messier鈥檚 attitude is, 鈥淭his is the world we鈥檙e living in, so we鈥檙e going to make the most of it.鈥
鈥橝 Little Bit of Lightness鈥
Anderson鈥檚 pieces work well for virtual performances, Messier says. They鈥檙e fun, accessible to a wide audience, and short, which he hopes will appeal to today鈥檚 tech-saturated listeners.
While his compositions are sometimes dismissed as simple, and played without the seriousness they deserve, that approach overlooks their elegance and subtle sophistication, he says. In addition to highlighting beautiful pieces that are often given short shrift, the videos are helping the ensemble move forward 鈥渋n a productive and purposeful way.鈥
, a lecturer in theater and director of the Dartmouth Dance Ensemble, choreographed the first video, , which features an audio recording from the DCWE鈥檚 February concert.
The musicians found delightful ways to express themselves in the video, he says. And the band鈥檚 spirit shines through: 鈥淭his ensemble is about making music together, but it鈥檚 out of love and joy and fun, also.鈥
Heginbotham loves that Messier chose a composer whose music is happy, he says. 鈥淓veryone says it, that we need joy more than ever. But we are in a hard time. To give a little bit of lightness, a little sense of the connection that can come from making something collaborative, it鈥檚 a relief to have that as part of your life when things are so heavy.鈥
For the latest information on Dartmouth鈥檚 response to the pandemic visit the .
Aimee Minbiole can be reached at aimee.minbiole@dartmouth.edu.
