CFA celebrates revival of recording tradition
by Anna Whitelaw (COM’19)
On paper, the Boston University Wind Ensemble can be described as an assemblage of winds, brass, percussion, harps, a string bass player, and a pianist. Yet according to Conductor David Martins, musicians within wind ensemble have a different culture, and appeal to a different demographic than the orchestral ensembles. Could these points of distinction make room for new opportunities? The School of Music thinks so, and is featuring the Wind Ensemble in a new venture aimed at growing the educational experience for School of Music students: a record.
This undertaking, according to School of Music Manager of Ensembles, Alix Saba, is important to the School because it enables a new breadth of repertoire to be shown, and taps into resources already available at the University. The idea was initially proposed by Shane McMahon, Manager of the Media Production Studio, who, according to Saba, “sees this as a learning opportunity for [music] students, but also a way to bring in students outside the classical music canon or individuals who wish to experiment with classical music.” Saba also considers the record a great way to connect the faculty to the 80 undergraduate, graduate, and PhD students that comprise the Wind Ensemble.
The School of Music is also engaging the music composition department by approaching faculty members to compose the pieces for the album. The four works that will be featured are being written by Boston University professors Richard Cornell, Rodney Lister, Ketty Nez, and John Wallace.
The inaugural record’s title and centralized theme focus on the idea of “Expanding Space,” and the theme has been presented to the composers and students separately so each group can conceptualize their own meaning of the phrase. Saba hopes the listeners will be intrigued by how space can be thought of musically, regarding breath and sound, or in a broader sense, such as celestial space. Regarding the theme, she says, “We’re hoping to open the conversation between the students and the faculty, so there will be more artistic handling throughout the process between the composers and the students.” The record will also be used as an additional (and somewhat unique) recruitment tool as the School attracts woodwind and brass players in the ensemble. Grammy Award-winning producer, Jesse Lewis, who has been involved with productions in Boston and California, will take their visions and create fluid, melodious results translated through the instrumentalists.
This isn’t Lewis’s first time working with Boston University. He spoke at the “Are We Listening?” symposium on music, change, and challenge, hosted by the College of Fine Arts in 2013, on the resurgence of vinyl in the recording scene made possible by 3D printing. Lewis was chosen because Saba and her colleagues believe he can bring fresh eyes (and ears) to this project. Inspired by his participation, the School of Music is considering release of a limited edition vinyl pressing after the initial CD is made. Lewis is also excited about how this record has the possibility of bringing together engineering, visual art, and music students in a cohesive, multidisciplinary project. The process will also enable classical music students to work in other environments on campus with new peers, resulting in an educational experience that is innovative and unique.
In addition to the collaborative possibilities inherent within this project, the Boston University record label will also allow students and faculty to have full control and artistic license over their work. This idea also links to work done in the 1970s, when the Boston University Symphony Orchestra recorded and released multiple records. In 1976, the orchestral ensemble even won silver at the Karajan Awards in Berlin, Germany. These records are still in the possession of the College of Fine Arts and Saba hopes that this project can also increase awareness and interest in these past releases.
Most importantly, this project is a learning experience for the students. Instead of recording at the Tsai Performance Center, as they’ve done in the past, the students will be recording in a professional studio at WGBH with the help of Boston University staff. Students will be able to see the process behind the making of a record and become familiar with a professional studio environment. Students will come away with recordings that are materially different from live concerts, which are spontaneous and singular. They will instead have recordings that are honed until their sound is perfect. Saba is excited because relatively few schools in the northeast are currently making wind ensemble records, and she is confident that people will be eager for the album’s release. The record will also be used as a recruitment tool to grow the number of woodwind and brass players in the ensemble. The School of Music thinks that this revival will “restart what we hope will be a long tradition of releasing records.”
This spring, BU Wind Ensemble will perform works by Richard Cornell (February 23) and works by Rodney Lister (April 21) at the Tsai Performance Center. Recording will take place in the spring of 2016 and 2017, with the intended release of the full album in the fall of 2017. In the meantime, videos and snippets of songs will be released so those interested can follow the recording process of the ensemble.
Anna Whitelaw is a freshman Public Relations major in the College of Communication. Anna is currently working with the College of Fine Arts Department of Communications as a Public Relations Assistant. She was a participant of FYSOP (First-Year Student Outreach Project), is currently a member of the PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America), and is looking forward to becoming more involved at Boston University through both COM and CFA.