Last Friday, Feb. 3, amidst the busy schedule of the Rozsa Center, Michigan Tech’s Superior Wind Symphony played their “Michigan Music” show. The Superior Wind Symphony is technically a class, but students audition one-on-one with the conductor to get in. The symphony prides itself in the diversity of its members. The ensemble is built completely with students who are not majoring in music but have a passion for it. In their last concert, “Michigan Music,” they played pieces by composers and artists who originate from Michigan. “Graceful Ghost Rag” by William Bolcom, “Solitary Dancer” by Warren Benson and “Coat of Arms” by George Kenny are a few of the pieces the Superior Wind Symphony played last Friday.
“In middle school I played the alto saxophone and in high school I started playing the baritone saxophone. My family has always been really big into music and I guess I got roped into it, but it’s okay because I love it now. I have played in wind ensembles for as long as I can remember. I auditioned for the Superior Wind Symphony because I wanted to keep my skills up and improve. I think my favorite piece we played Friday was Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed”. I really like the overall peppy and jazz feel. The thing I like the most about the Superior Wind Symphony is that it lets me continue to improve musically. I think that playing an instrument is a skill worth having later on in life,” said Mitch Dekutoski, a first year student majoring in exercise science. This spring semester is his first time with the Superior Wind Symphony playing the tenor saxophone.
If you missed the Superior Wind Symphony last Friday, there is another live music event on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. The Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra is coming to the Rosza to perform “The Greatest Movie and Video Game Music.” They will play select well-known pieces from movies such as “Star Wars” and “Lord of the Rings” along with popular video game music from games like Call of Duty and Super Mario. Metro Jazz Voices, a world-class vocal jazz group from Detroit will be performing alongside the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra to lend their voices for some of the pieces. Watching their performance is a great way to escape the cold and relax during the busy week of Winter Carnival!
