College bands present weekend concerts

Grove City College student musicians will present a pair of concerts featuring the Symphonic Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Stage Band and Jazz Ensemble over the weekend in celebration of Family Weekend. 

Dr. Joseph Pisano ’94, director of bands and professor of music, leads the musicians. Both concerts are free and open to the public.​

The College’s Symphonic Concert Band and Wind Ensemble present the second annual Pops Concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 5, in Ketler Auditorium of the Pew Fine Arts Center on campus. 

The show features contemporary and popular music, including selections from “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Oklahoma!,” “South Pacific,” “Star Wars,” Looney Tunes cartoons, Louis Armstrong and more. 

The award-winning College Jazz Ensemble and Stage Band will present its Spring Concert at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6, also in Ketler Auditorium. The concert will showcase a variety of jazz styles and include a spectacular light show and stage display. 

The Stage Band will be performing a number of popular and jazz classics, including “Walk the Dinosaur,” “Soul Man,” “Hooked on a Feeling,” “Take Five,” and “Sweet Georgia Brown.” 

The Jazz Ensemble will be opening with their signature tune “Woodchopper’s Ball” and play a number jazz standards. The ensemble will be featuring trombonists Alex Spaid ’18 and Hannah Van Der Eems ’18 on Mike Pendwoski’s composition “Hip Bones,” and will also feature Adam Snowden ’17 on saxophone with “Snakes,” a tune made famous by David Sanborn. Pisano will join his students, trumpeting through the “Pisano-sphere” as he performs Maynard Fergusons’ screaming trumpet arrangement of “Sesame Street.”

The Grove City College Jazz Quartet will provide pre-show music at 1 p.m.

Each year, students that have excelled in the instrumental conducting programs are given the opportunity to further study conducting and work with one of Grove City College’s major instrumental ensembles. Lindsey Miller ’18, will be conducting the Dave Brubeck medley at Friday’s Pops Concert. On Saturday, Adam Snowden ’17, Van Der Eems ’18 and Miller will assist Pisano.