As the month of October came to an end, Saint Xavier’s low brass band students came together to celebrate music, and to promote SXU bands.
OkTUBAFest members, a collection of tubas, euphoniums, and trombones, rehearsed throughout the day on Oct. 25, 2014 in preparation for an evening concert in McGuire Hall.
“OkTUBAFest started as a recruitment event since trombones, tubas, and euphoniums are normally a group that is fairly small and we need to make sure that group is big and good in the band, and in the music department,” said Dr. Jeffrey Malecki, an SXU band director.
“Preparing for OkTUBAFest typically begins in the beginning of September, and it involves me drafting letters to ask for donations, drafting letters for band directors to pass out, and going to local supermarkets and stores in the area to gather monetary donations to offset the cost, so that everyone can participate free of cost,” said Michael Sliwinski, OkTUBAFest’s student coordinator.
In its third year, OkTUBAFest has welcomed music students from local middle and high schools for a day of rehearsal and performance.
With registration and an introduction for students to prepare for the success of the day, OkTUBAFest began with a variety of breathing techniques and warm-up exercises.
Continuing on with individual section and ensemble work, pieces were prepared for the evening concert.
Tours and a bratwurst cookout were some of the events throughout the day.
Sliwinski notes that “throughout the day, all the students were having fun, everyone chowed down at dinner, and everyone worked hard.”
Though the numbers were down from past years, Malecki notes that “the concert was the best one, by far, of the last three years.”
He suggests this was true due to the fact that there were so few students, so that more individualized instruction could be given to specific people.
It was easier to help those who needed it and to better prepare everyone for a successful concert.
Sliwinski also agrees that “the concert was the best it’s been in three years, quality wise.”
Malecki encourages everyone to be a part of a music program, despite skill level or knowledge of a particular instrument.
“Hopefully this increases our visibility as a department a little bit, because we have many course offerings including the Tuesday night Community Band which is open to all students.
The goal is to get as many people involved in music as possible, regardless to their playing level,” said Malecki.
If you are looking to join an ensemble, be a part of the music program at SXU, or want to attend a concert, contact Professor Malecki for more information about the programs offered.
Julie Gardner
News Correspondent
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