percussion instrument.
“Most people do not realize the possibilities of the instrument,” Teague said. “I think it is one of the most versatile instruments in the world.”
The Concert Band and Symphonic Band will perform at 8 p.m. today in the Musical Arts Center.
Jason Nam and Nicholas Waldron will conduct the Concert Band, and Eric Smedley and Ryan Yahl will conduct the Symphonic Band. Teague will play the steelpan with the Symphonic Band.
The Concert Band will perform “Celebration Fanfare (2008)” by Steven Reineke, “To set the darkness echoing (2005)” by Dana Wilson, “Fugue à la Gigue, BWV 577,” by Johann Sebastian Bach, “An Original Suite for Military Band (1928)” by Gordon Jacob and “March in B-Flat, Op. 99 (1943-44)” by Sergei Prokofiev.
The Symphonic Band’s program includes “Myaku (1999)” by David Dzubay, “Serenity (2012)” by Ola Gjeilo, “Origins and Expansions (2013)” by Kevin Bobo and “’Profanation’ from ‘Jeremiah, Symphony No. 1’” by Leonard Bernstein.
Teague, who will play “Origins and Expansions,” is an award-winning musician from Trinidad and Tobago. He has been called the “Paganini of the Steel Pan.”
He is an associate professor of music and the head of steelpan studies at Northern Illinois University.
The steelpan, or steel drum, is a percussion instrument that originates from Trinidad and Tobago. It is generally associated with Calypso music, which is an Afro-Caribbean style of music.
Teague said it is his first time playing with the Symphonic Band.
“The piece really tries to pay homage to tradition and also to the future,” Teague said.
Bobo, the composer of the piece, is a faculty member in the music school’s percussion department. Today’s concert will be the first performance of the piece at IU.
Smedley said Dzubay’s piece is intricate and rhythmic, and the students have had to count intensely as they learned the piece. Dzubay is the chair of the composition department in the music school.
“We love doing music by our faculty,” Smedley said.
The musicians have not had much time to prepare for this concert Smedley said, and there was more pressure to learn the music quickly. However, he said, the students are dedicated and able to take on challenging music.
“It’s neat to see them go from Point A to Point B,” Smedley said.
