SHIP :: Features

By Beth Skiles ’06

It’s all in the performing: from a trumpet playing in the brass ensemble, to some fun at marching band practice, to the Madrigals melding voices. Shippensburg University students are serious about making music.

They appear as typical students. They go to class, do homework, hang out with friends, and do the thousands of things students everywhere do at college. But these students have another life that marches in step with these activities—one that opens another realm of experiences. These are the students who make up Ship’s talented and varied music ensembles.

The marching band begins practicing in the summer before classes start with band camp. Members then spend an average of twelve hours per week to bring a halftime show to Seth Grove stadium.

You see them crossing campus, carrying instruments on fall afternoons. You hear the drum cadence as its echoes wax and wane across campus, especially around Old Main. You see them hurrying to practice in the evenings. Many average more than ten hours per week devoted to music—practice and performance, with officers and leaders racking up more.

Yet, they have no more free time than other students. Their schedules are no less demanding. Their majors can be found in just about every program and they often are enrolled in majors that require maintaining high minimum grade point averages.

Josh Tay, a senior pre-med biology major, plays trumpet in the marching and concert bands, jazz ensemble, brass ensemble and orchestra and he sings baritone in the concert choir. In addition, he arranges the music and instrumentalists for a weekly service at Our Lady of Visitation Church and plays piano and cello in his free time. He is a section leader in the marching band and will be the jazz band president in the spring.

Senior Emily Graybill spends the entire academic year playing music. In the fall she plays piccolo in the marching band and trades off to flute in concert band. Not content to just play, Emily is president of the marching and concert bands, an almost thankless task that covers just about everything the bands do. When asked to give an estimate as to the number of hours a week she devotes to music, Emily arrived at about 22 hours. Quite a feat when combined with the demands of majoring in both finance and personal finance planning.

Steve Lauer, a tenor, spends his Monday nights at the Cora I. Grove Spiritual Center, rehearsing with fellow concert choir members for an upcoming performance. Later in the week, Steve will be practicing with the Madrigals, another vocal group on campus. In addition to his studies as a psychology major, he serves as the president of the Madrigals and an officer in the music fraternity Pi Nu Epsilon.

Soprano Andrea Dippner will graduate in May with a degree in social work. Musically she sings with the Madrigals and the concert choir and has been president of the concert choir for two years. In high school, Andrea sang and played clarinet and bass clarinet but switched to vocal performances here at Ship.

Andrea, Steve, Josh, and Emily are not unique in their quest to make music. At Shippensburg, being involved in music is a conscious decision, often carried over from high school activities. No one compels or requires the hundreds of students in the music ensembles to practice, try-out, or perform. And Shippensburg has no music major. So why do they do it?

Time and time again, the answer is— the music.

The Brass Ensemble takes the stage for its fall concert. It is just one of several active musical groups that regularly perform on campus.

Right and below: Learning the marching formations is in addition to the music. It takes practice to bring an exciting show to Saturday’s performance in front of Raider football fans.

Students find it hard to articulate why they devote time and energy into an activity many freely admit is unrelated to their studies and something most will not continue after graduation. The one thing that is clear and outstandingly so is they love what they do.

It would have to be. If they didn’t, they would have stopped playing or singing long ago. Many now performing here began their musical careers in elementary school when they were given the opportunity to learn an instrument or to sing in school concerts.

Underlying the practices and additional time is the ultimate goal—performing. Professor Dennis Ritz refers to Shippensburg’s environment as a “recreational performance culture.” Marching band, concert band and choir, the vocal and instrumental ensembles, all direct their energies to culminating performances. The marching band, probably the best known of all the groups, takes the field at every home football game. But the other concerts are no less well attended. With minimum publicity, the groups perform for knowledgeable and appreciative audiences each semester. But even the applause doesn’t completely explain why they continue to play.

Perhaps part of the unarticulated reason lies in the intangibles these students take away from their musical experiences.

Playing music together means you learn to follow direction, depend on others to fill the gaps, and teamwork makes the end result possible. There can be stars but even the smallest part adds to the creation of the whole. These are general skills and lessons that transfer to most of life’s experiences.

“You have to fit in,” Erin Harmon, bassoonist and orchestra president explained. “There are times when you’re not the most important, but teams work toward an end project.” It’s knowing when to play and when to back off—a crucial component in all ensembles.

Ang Zimmerman, a senior said, “Most of my time is spent in leadership positions. It’s a lot of work. People put faith in you.” She cites the ability to work with different people, getting things done on time, and taking ideas to the “higher ups” as skills she learned and will take with her into her career as a teacher.

Blending their voices, members of the Cumbelaires sing with power at their recent fall concert.

Below: The larger Woodwind Ensemble breaks into smaller groups, like flutes or the saxophones (below), that take their turn at center stage during concerts.

Even at the most uninvolved level, musicians are part of a community that speaks the same language. It is there friendships are formed, roommates found, and in some cases, marriages made.

Maybe the depth of their commitment can be seen in a typical event. The marching band has just performed at a band competition in Hershey. It is the last performance of the year, which has already made the evening a bit bittersweet. Waiting for the return trip to Shippensburg to begin, the band huddles together for warmth. In a band tradition that follows every performance, they sing the alma mater. As the melody fills the chilly night air, emotions surface as the realization this is the end hits seniors and other band members alike. Tears begin to fall. Hugs, more tears, and laughter add to the bond.

Yes, the night might have marked their last performance, but it also identifies those bonds that will last well beyond the final echo of applause or the dying notes of the alma mater.

It was the music that made it happen.

Beth is an English major who is planning to graduate in May. She was an intern for the magazine during the fall semester.

We’re moving!

In January the faculty and staff of the music and theatre arts department are moving to their new offices in the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center.

Just what are they looking forward to?

New Steinway pianos bring us one step closer to being a “Steinway School.” – Associate professor and department chair Jon Cart

Being in one location. – Assistant professor Fred Dade

Updated facilities, larger rehearsal and practice rooms, and “the opportunity to grow.” –Assistant professor Trevor Famulare

“It will just be so pleasurable to make music there!” – Associate professor Margaret Lucia

With an office not in Memorial Auditorium, “not having to go from building to building.” – Professor Dennis Ritz

“Excited about the whole possibility of the experience.” – Professor Blaine Shover




			By Beth Skiles ’06 It’s all in the performing: from a trumpet playing in the brass ensemble, to some fun at marching band practice, to the Madrigals melding voices. Shippensburg University students are serious about making music. They appear as typical students. They go to class, do homework, hang out with friends, and do the thousands of things students everywhere do at college. But these students have another life that marches in step with these activities—one that opens another realm of experiences. These are the students who make up Ship’s talented and varied music ensembles. The marching band begins practicing in the summer before classes start with band camp. Members then spend an average of twelve hours per week to bring a halftime show to Seth Grove stadium. You see them crossing campus, carrying instruments on fall afternoons. You hear the drum cadence as its echoes wax and wane across campus, especially around Old Main. You see them hurrying to practice in the evenings. Many average more than ten hours per week devoted to music—practice and performance, with officers and leaders racking up more. Yet, they have no more free time than other students. Their schedules are no less demanding. Their majors can be found in just about every program and they often are enrolled in majors that require maintaining high minimum grade point averages. Josh Tay, a senior pre-med biology major, plays trumpet in the marching and concert bands, jazz ensemble, brass ensemble and orchestra and he sings baritone in the concert choir. In addition, he arranges the music and instrumentalists for a weekly service at Our Lady of Visitation Church and plays piano and cello in his free time. He is a section leader in the marching band and will be the jazz band president in the spring. Senior Emily Graybill spends the entire academic year playing music. In the fall she plays piccolo in the marching band and trades off to flute in concert band. Not content to just play, Emily is president of the marching and concert bands, an almost thankless task that covers just about everything the bands do. When asked to give an estimate as to the number of hours a week she devotes to music, Emily arrived at about 22 hours. Quite a feat when combined with the demands of majoring in both finance and personal finance planning. Steve Lauer, a tenor, spends his Monday nights at the Cora I. Grove Spiritual Center, rehearsing with fellow concert choir members for an upcoming performance. Later in the week, Steve will be practicing with the Madrigals, another vocal group on campus. In addition to his studies as a psychology major, he serves as the president of the Madrigals and an officer in the music fraternity Pi Nu Epsilon. Soprano Andrea Dippner will graduate in May with a degree in social work. Musically she sings with the Madrigals and the concert choir and has been president of the concert choir for two years. In high school, Andrea sang and played clarinet and bass clarinet but switched to vocal performances here at Ship. Andrea, Steve, Josh, and Emily are not unique in their quest to make music. At Shippensburg, being involved in music is a conscious decision, often carried over from high school activities. No one compels or requires the hundreds of students in the music ensembles to practice, try-out, or perform. And Shippensburg has no music major. So why do they do it? Time and time again, the answer is— the music. The Brass Ensemble takes the stage for its fall concert. It is just one of several active musical groups that regularly perform on campus. Right and below: Learning the marching formations is in addition to the music. It takes practice to bring an exciting show to Saturday’s performance in front of Raider football fans. Students find it hard to articulate why they devote time and energy into an activity many freely admit is unrelated to their studies and something most will not continue after graduation. The one thing that is clear and outstandingly so is they love what they do. It would have to be. If they didn’t, they would have stopped playing or singing long ago. Many now performing here began their musical careers in elementary school when they were given the opportunity to learn an instrument or to sing in school concerts. Underlying the practices and additional time is the ultimate goal—performing. Professor Dennis Ritz refers to Shippensburg’s environment as a “recreational performance culture.” Marching band, concert band and choir, the vocal and instrumental ensembles, all direct their energies to culminating performances. The marching band, probably the best known of all the groups, takes the field at every home football game. But the other concerts are no less well attended. With minimum publicity, the groups perform for knowledgeable and appreciative audiences each semester. But even the applause doesn’t completely explain why they continue to play. Perhaps part of the unarticulated reason lies in the intangibles these students take away from their musical experiences. Playing music together means you learn to follow direction, depend on others to fill the gaps, and teamwork makes the end result possible. There can be stars but even the smallest part adds to the creation of the whole. These are general skills and lessons that transfer to most of life’s experiences. “You have to fit in,” Erin Harmon, bassoonist and orchestra president explained. “There are times when you’re not the most important, but teams work toward an end project.” It’s knowing when to play and when to back off—a crucial component in all ensembles. Ang Zimmerman, a senior said, “Most of my time is spent in leadership positions. It’s a lot of work. People put faith in you.” She cites the ability to work with different people, getting things done on time, and taking ideas to the “higher ups” as skills she learned and will take with her into her career as a teacher. Blending their voices, members of the Cumbelaires sing with power at their recent fall concert. Below: The larger Woodwind Ensemble breaks into smaller groups, like flutes or the saxophones (below), that take their turn at center stage during concerts. Even at the most uninvolved level, musicians are part of a community that speaks the same language. It is there friendships are formed, roommates found, and in some cases, marriages made. Maybe the depth of their commitment can be seen in a typical event. The marching band has just performed at a band competition in Hershey. It is the last performance of the year, which has already made the evening a bit bittersweet. Waiting for the return trip to Shippensburg to begin, the band huddles together for warmth. In a band tradition that follows every performance, they sing the alma mater. As the melody fills the chilly night air, emotions surface as the realization this is the end hits seniors and other band members alike. Tears begin to fall. Hugs, more tears, and laughter add to the bond. Yes, the night might have marked their last performance, but it also identifies those bonds that will last well beyond the final echo of applause or the dying notes of the alma mater. It was the music that made it happen. Beth is an English major who is planning to graduate in May. She was an intern for the magazine during the fall semester. We’re moving! In January the faculty and staff of the music and theatre arts department are moving to their new offices in the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center. Just what are they looking forward to? New Steinway pianos bring us one step closer to being a “Steinway School.” – Associate professor and department chair Jon Cart Being in one location. – Assistant professor Fred Dade Updated facilities, larger rehearsal and practice rooms, and “the opportunity to grow.” –Assistant professor Trevor Famulare “It will just be so pleasurable to make music there!” – Associate professor Margaret Lucia With an office not in Memorial Auditorium, “not having to go from building to building.” – Professor Dennis Ritz “Excited about the whole possibility of the experience.” – Professor Blaine Shover