RSU Jazz Ensemble and Concert Band to Perform Apr. 22 Spring Concert

Rogers State University musical groups will be holding its spring concert at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Apr. 22, in the Will Rogers Auditorium on the Claremore campus.

Members of the Jazz Ensemble and the Concert Band will perform a variety of pieces during the event, which will be free and open to the public.

The RSU colony of Kappa Kappa Psi, the nation honorary band fraternity, will be collecting canned food items at the door benefitting RSU Residential Life’s “Food For Thought,” a food pantry for RSU students who might be having difficulty putting nutritious food on the table.

The band fraternity also will host a reception immediately following the concert in the auditorium lobby.

The RSU Jazz Ensemble is expected to perform the Big Band classic “Pennsylvania 6-5000” made famous by Glenn Miller, as well as compositions by Sammy Nestico and Doug Beach. The Jazz Ensemble will take a tongue-in-cheek look at the emotions of music with the songs “Got Blues?,” “Blue Madness,” “A Little Happiness” and “A Happy Thing.”

The Concert Band will be performing selections from European Romantic music of the 19th Century with Edvard Grieg’s “March of the Trolls” and Frank Ticheli’s settings of 18th and 19th Century American Shaker tunes in his “Simple Gifts: Four Shaker Songs,” to selections by three of the best 21st Century wind band composers – Robert W. Smith, Samuel R. Hazo and Richard L. Saucedo.

The Concert Band will perform a newly revised and historically corrected edition of John Philip Sousa’s “The Liberty Bell” march. Since its 1893 premier, this has been one of his most famous and popular marches, which also is known by many as the march used by the Monty Python comedy troupe.

Participation in RSU musical groups is open to RSU students and community members.

Performers with the Jazz Ensemble, listed by hometown, are:

  • Bartlesville: Spencer Glenn
  • Chelsea: Nathan Sanders
  • Claremore: Derek Hansen, Erin Heraghty, Gary Paul, Tony Pierce,
  • Cleveland: Bethany Henley
  • Collinsville: Katelynn Davis, Jeffrey Johns, Sara Little, AJ Richburg
  • Foyil: Shelby Hubbard, Chance Van Sandt
  • Inola: Chris Mann
  • Oologah: Steve Panagiotis
  • Owasso: Shari Munroe
  • Verdigris: Rachel Gerving, Sarah Groover

Members of the Concert Band, listed by hometown, are:

  • Adair: Courtney Hibbard, Madaleine Ruiz
  • Chelsea: Nathan Sanders, John Sanders
  • Claremore: Austin Bender, Brandon Bickford, Erin Heraghty, Becky McDaniel, Tony Pierce, JoAnn M. Sample, Phil Sample, Seire Forminak Steward
  • Cleveland: Bethany Henley
  • Collinsville: Kirsty Blevins, Katelynn Davis, Brianna Hadley, AJ Richburg
  • Foyil: Mikayla Dunham, Shelby Hubbard, Ray Overton, Chance Van Sandt
  • Inola: Chris Mann
  • Nowata: Leayah Snoddy
  • Oologah: Steve Panagiotis
  • Owasso: Stuart Martin, Shari Munroe
  • Ochelata: Kilee Panick, Molly Panick
  • Pryor: Sarah Parsons, Jennifer Jordan
  • Verdigris: Rachel Gerving

For more information about the concert or the music program, contact Kirk J. Weller at 918-343-7723.