Symphonic Band performing concert April 17

Northwest Missouri State University's Symphonic Band will perform its final concert of the academic year this month.

The concert begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 17, in the Mary Linn Auditorium at the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts. It is free and open to the public.

"I'm excited for the students to get to show off fast playing and runs and skills that are more advanced than we played for our last concert," Shelby Shelton, a lecturer of music in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts, said.

The Symphonic Band will perform a variety of fast-paced, upbeat pieces, including Carolyn Bremer's "Pieces of Eight," Cait Nishimura's "Chasing Sunlight," Rob Wiffin's vibrant Latin dance number "Spider Legs," James Curnow's "Rhapsody for Euphonium and Concert Band" and the challenging "Easter Monday on the White House Lawn" by John Philip Sousa.

Shelton, a first-year lecturer at Northwest, conducts the Symphonic Band, which is active during the spring semester and performs a broad range of music literature, including modern wind compositions and light pop selections. The band is open to all Northwest students and presents two concerts during the spring semester.

"I like creating a piece of art that the audience can enjoy and that the students can enjoy," Shelton said. "It's cool to see the level of achievement from day one to how far we can go. I also like exposing them to different styles and having them play music that they haven't really seen before in high school."

To learn more about musical ensembles at Northwest, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/finearts/music/ensembles/.