BY NOAH PARKER
This spring semester is shaping up to be a busy one, especially for FHSU Bands. The Pep Band just wrapped up its final home performances of the year. However, the band will travel to Kansas City to accompany the men’s and women’s basketball teams to the MIAA Tournament in early March.
The Pep Band also played for the 20-year donor brunch before Saturday’s final home basketball games.
According to Peter Lillpopp, the director of Bands at FHSU, the next thing on the agenda for the band is the Percussion Ensemble.
“The Percussion Ensemble is playing at KMEA, which will be February 23rd through the 25th; and we do a recruiting booth at the convention,” Lillpopp said.
However, the band next turns its attention to the MIAA Basketball Championships, where the Pep Band will travel to and perform for the FHSU games from March 1-5.
Less than a week later, the Symphonic Winds and Wind Ensemble bands will have their concert on March 9, which itself is followed closely by another Tournament the Pep Band will travel to.
“The following weekend is the NCAA Regional Tournament that the Pep Band will be going to; so pretty busy,” Lillpopp said.
Lillpopp also mentioned a planned run-out concert on March 30, where the Wind Ensemble will bus to Garden City to play with the Garden City Concert Band. He said his ambition for trips like this is wanting it to eventually become a form of a tour around all the community colleges in Western Kansas.
When asked what he was most excited about this semester, Lillpopp mentioned he was very excited about the upcoming March concert, where FHSU Assistant Professor of Music Ryan Pearson will perform a marimba piece accompanied by the Wind Ensemble band.
Lillpopp also mentioned how at the end of April, composer Katherine Bergman will be visiting to do a recital of her pieces that the Tuba Ensemble and Symphonic Winds are performing for the following week’s Spring Concert on May 4.
Lillpopp also mentioned that while this is outside the semester and during the summer, FHSU music will be very busy hosting and being part of three different week-long camps: The Kansas Lions Band, the Shrine Bowl Marching Band, and then the High Plains Music Camp. Together these events could potentially be hosting over 600 kids on campus.
Stay tuned to Tiger Media Network for more information on other parts of the FHSU Music & Theatre Department.