The Music Department held its fifth annual OcTuba Fest on Oct. 24 and Oct. 29.
OcTuba Fest kicked off with guest performer Todd French, from Murray State, on the tuba, accompanied by Meeyoun Park on the piano.
The first day of OcTuba Fest started with a masterclass given by French, during which students played pieces that they were working on for lessons or performances and French gave them tips on how to improve their pieces.
Sophomore Daniel Scott, from Cordova, said the biggest tip he took away from the masterclass was “really pushing through when playing trills,” which are vibrating or quavering sounds.
For the first OcTuba Fest performance, French and Park played a collection of five pieces. The duo started out with “Oboe Concerto No. 3, in G minor” composed by G. F Handel.
One of the next pieces French and Park performed was “Ordner seg (it’ll be alright)” composed by Oystein Baadsvik which was a personal favorite of mine. As described by French, the piece had a blues-tone tendency and a jazzy vibe. The song invoked a sense of peace, and may have even brought a certain Arts and Entertainment editor to tears.
The last song of the evening was called “Capriccio” by Rodney Newton, a film composer from England. This really translated into the piece as it felt like the audience was listening to the film score to an elaborate short film. The song took the audience on an emotional rollercoaster ride. French even performed “Capriccio” at his very own senior recital.
The night ended with a big round of applause and many thanks to the guest artists. It was obvious that tuba fans alike were excited for the next performance of OcTuba Fest.
The last night of OcTuba Fest showcased the work of students from UTM, Austin Peay State University, Dyersburg High School, Dyer County High School, McNairy Central High School, Munford High School, Arlington High School and Paducah Tilghman High School.
The guest artist of the night was Daniel Stoll, from Austin Peay, who directed pieces and played the tuba and the euphonium.
The night began with the UTM ensemble playing three songs under the direction of Bill Waterman, UTM professor of applied tuba and euphonium.
One song featured was “Cuckoo Waltz,” which is titled for the cuckoo bird whistle that can be heard in the background. The song was very silly and sounded like something that would be heard in a Disney movie.
After finishing off with “Too Fat Polka,” the UTM students exited the stage and the Austin Peay ensemble and Stoll took the stage. They played a rendition of “In My Life” by The Beatles.
Three students used the euphonium to mimic the sounds of a piano, which would typically be lost from a tuba ensemble playing the song.
As an avid Beatles fan, this song brought me much delight. To someone not versed in tuba and euphonium music, it was nice to hear a familiar tune.
After Austin Peay played their piece, the mass ensemble came on stage to play four pieces.
One of the pieces played was “Fanfare for a Friend” by John Stevens. The song had a pop sound that the audience seemed to enjoy and resonate with. It ended with the players playing their instruments as loud as they could, which made the audience jump out of their seats. It was quite comical and I found myself laughing because I jumped as well.
The mass ensemble also played “Come Sweet Death,” which is special to the tuba community because it was a favorite of a well known tuba activist, William Bell.
They dedicated the song to anyone in the audience who may have had something personal that they were hanging on to that they needed to release.
After the mass ensemble finished their performance, the two universities’ ensembles took the stage to perform the last pieces of the show.
Dr. Waterman directed the ensemble as Stoll joined in playing “The Lonely Shepherd,” which many people may recognize from the film Kill Bill. When Stoll played the first notes of this piece, I immediately sat up in my seat. The song is beautiful and I couldn’t help but think of revenge and justice the whole time I was listening to the song. Fans of Kill Bill will understand my thoughts on the piece.
The last song of the night was one of the most famous polkas “Beer Barrel Polka.” Some of the members of the ensemble took out their mouthpieces and played them like kazoos while the other members continued to play on their fully assembled instruments. The song ended with the members singing the lyrics of the song jovially.
OcTuba Fest ended with a standing ovation and smiles all across the room. I may have attended OcTuba Fest as someone who understands little about the tuba, but I left with knowledge and a new found appreciation for the instrument.
UTM and Austin Peay tuba and euphonium ensembles with Daniel Stoll and Bill Waterman. | Credit/ Drew Hendron
