As I’ve written about before, I love the music department. We have so many ensembles within the department, large and small, to choose from. Even if you happen to be a non-major, you can participate in these ensembles and also be considered for an ensemble scholarship. Joining an ensemble can be a great way to continue pursuing your passion for music in college, whether or not you are a music major, so be sure to look into your options during the add/drop class week if you have some space in your schedule!
Symphonic Band: This ensemble meets twice a week in the afternoon and is comprised of a lot of non-majors. I was in this band my freshman year, and I met so many musicians that I never would have met if it had not been for this group. The director is Mr. Steven Zugelder, who is the trombone professor at Naz. The band plays a contemporary and classic repertoire, and it’s a great way to continue to play your instrument in college!
Symphonic Orchestra: Orchestra meets twice a week as well, and is directed by Mrs. Nancy Strelau, who is the head of the orchestra department and coordinator of auditions. I had the pleasure playing in this ensemble my freshman year as well. We played pieces by orchestral giants such as Tchaikovsky and Liszt, but what’s really cool is that we played Duke Ellington, and got to premiere a piece called Dreams of Smoke by Aaron Siebert, a Piano Performance/Music Composition major here at Naz.
Lab Jazz: This is one of the jazz ensembles at Naz that meets at night. They play jazz standards, both older and contemporary. The other Jazz ensemble is the Big Band. This band plays more complicated big band tunes and incorporates classic big band instruments, such as the flute and the clarinet! I have friends in Lab Jazz that are not music majors, who find it a great way to incorporate music back into their schedule. A friend of mine is a political science major who was in this ensemble last semester, and now has added jazz studies as a minor! All the jazz ensembles at Naz are directed by Mr. Brad Batz.
Concert Choir: Concert choir is an all-major, non-audition, mixed group of singers. The group itself consists of about 70 to 80 singers, and they rehearse Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. The choir sings a wide variety of choral literature, both classical and modern, across all different genres. This chorus is directed by Dr. Yunn-Shan Ma. If you’re looking for a more selective choir, there is also Chamber Singers, directed by Dr. Mark Zeigler. This group consists of about 20 to 25 singers, and is open to all majors, but is audition-based. Chamber singers performs up to five times in a semester and goes on an international tour every other year during the spring semester. They rehearse Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Fiddle Club: While this isn’t an ensemble credit, it’s still worth mentioning! Fiddle Club is a newer club on campus where musicians learn to play fiddle tunes by ear. This group is housed within the music department and is open to any musician, but the group mainly consists of those who play a string instrument, guitar, or percussion. They play mainly celtic and bluegrass tunes, and it’s a great club for enhancing your skills as a musician, while being introduced to new types of music you may not have been exposed to before! The advisor of the club is Mrs. Nancy Strelau, but it is run by co-presidents Jazlyn Melindo and Nicole Burns. They meet Thursday evenings.