The Murray State News Blogs

After a broken bus and a plane ride, we pulled back into Murray around 7 this evening. The trip was fantastic and well worth it. I think many of the performers (me included) are still buzzing about it. It is, without a doubt, the highlight of my performing career. How often does an opportunity like this come up? It was also a great way to end my performing career at Murray State. Last night’s performance was my last-and certainly the best.

Thank you again to all who made it possible. I and the entire wind ensemble appreciate everything you do.

I’ve included a few of my favorite photos from the experience. Enjoy!

~Emily

Amazing. That is all I can say about this entire experience. Everything seemed to fall into place when we pulled up in front of the building, unloaded the bus and saw our names in print on a poster out front.

We sounded incredible and gave probably one of our best performances ever. After hearing the first chords echoing through the hall, I knew it was going to be fantastic.  The crowd gave us a standing ovation immediately after our final piece-”Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.” Dr. Baker’s solos were gorgeous and, without a doubt, a crowd favorite. I think we all had more fun playing “Journey to the Center of the Earth” tonight than ever.  And of course, “World Projects Fanfare” by Matt Hightower was fabulous. The piece was actually written for the occasion for the World Projects group (the organization that helped make this trip possible). Tonight we presented the CEO with a copy of the cover of the score to commemorate the event. 

I think the familiar faces I saw in the crowd made the concert mean a lot, also. President Dunn and his wife, Ronda, Provost Gary Brockway, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Jim Carter, Chair of the Board of Regents Alan Stout and Regent Vickie Travis, Dr. Park and Dr. Garfield as well as numerous other officials and professors were in attendance. Their support and encouragement mean so much and we are so thankful for their presence.

But this all wouldn’t be possible without our conductor, Mr. Dennis Johnson. He did so much work planning and organizing the trip, picking the music and putting up with us in rehearsal every day. His support and guidance have meant so much to all of us. I know that we have learned and grown from this experience, and that is largely due to him. Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication.

Thank you also to Mr. Fannin for coming on the trip with us, making sure we got to where we needed to be at the right time, putting up with all of us on a 4 a.m. bus ride and holding on to our plane tickets so we wouldn’t lose them. Thank you to the World Projects organization for everything they did to get us here and make the entire experience enjoyable. They did everything from help us with baggage at the airport, to help us get equipment together for rehearsal. And also, thank you to Matt Hightower for letting me use his computer to blog!

I will write more tomorrow–and (hopefully) include pictures!

~Emily

Today is finally the day! We’re all very excited and anxious for the concert to begin. Everyone is trying to relax, and get in the zone for our big debut. I think we all realize that we have one chance to get this right because this is probably the only chance we have to play at this hall. We are crossing our fingers that we have no equipment malfunctions, everyone gets there and that everything goes well. The hall is supposed to be great and we are looking forward to playing for everyone.

Right now we are all starting to get into our concert dress as we have to be in the hotel lobby by 2:45.  Then we are off to the Kennedy Center for a spot rehearsal and to get our picture taken. Then we get a break for dinner before we are back to the hall to listen to a band from Old Dominion University. Then it is our turn to play!

More later! Wish us luck!

~Emily

I swore I wouldn’t act like a tourist today, you know, walking around gawking at everything, taking pictures of all the sites and constantly having a map in my hands. But after I realized I had taken roughly 22 pictures of the US Capitol Building, it hit me that I was a tourist today. But there was no reason not to be. All of those sites were things I had seen only in books and on television and of course, I had to take pictures of them all, and we got lost once or twice.

We had a short rehearsal where we ran through each one of our pieces. I don’t think any of us can wait until we get into the hall tomorrow, where the acoustics will be MUCH better.

We were soon on our own for the entire day. Some of our stops included:

National Archives

Our first stop was the National Archives where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution are housed. It was so interesting to see both documents, however the Declaration is pretty hard to read because it is very faded. I wanted to include pictures, but there is no flash allowed, so all of my pictures turned out as big orange blobs. 

US Capitol Building

We then moved on to the Capitol Building. It was so picturesque, it was hard not to take a zillion pictures of it.

Smithsonian American History Museum

Our next stop was the Smithsonian American History museum. Because there was so much in the city that we wanted to see, we decided to focus on a few exhibits we wanted to see. Of course, the musical instruments were at the top of our list. It was interesting to compare the three-keyed clarinet to the ones we use now. I loved looking at the Stradivarius stringed instruments, with their intricate designs and craftsmanship. We also got to see the original flag. It was truly incredible. I didn’t realize how big it actually was; it could easily fill an entire room. It was so visibly worn, with some sections even missing, it is amazing that the bulk of it is still in tact. Our last stop in that museum was the exhibit with the inaugural gowns past First Lady’s wore. Some of the prettiest were worn by Martha Washington and Mary Lincoln. I liked seeing how fashion has changed over the years. I also think you can tell a lot about the personality of each first lady.

Old Post Office Tower

We met my friend’s aunt here for dinner. She works for the FBI and knows tons about the city. We went up in the tower of the building, which has one of the best views of the city. 

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

This museum was full of fossils, bones and tons of information about different cultures, past and present. I loved seeing the dinosaur bones and the aquarium. We weren’t able to see everything because it was about to close.

The Monuments

We decided seeing these at night would be more interesting. At dusk we started our walk to the Washington Monument. We then walked through the mall and on to the World War II Memorial. It was amazing: full of fountains and a very reflective atmosphere. Then we made the long walk to the Lincoln Memorial. By that time, we were pretty tired, but the long walk was well worth it. It was just like I had seen in pictures. It was interesting to see both sides of Lincoln up close. One side was the stern, serious side - where his hand was clinched in a fist, while the other side was more relaxed. This is how they describe his presidency.

So our day was full, that is for sure. We got to see and do a lot of cool things. Tomorrow is the big day, though, and I am probably equally (if not more) excited about that. The concert should be amazing, and I can’t wait to see the Kennedy Center and play in the hall. This is when all of our hard work will finally pay off. 

I hope to include some photos soon. Keep checking!

~Emily

We’re here! We pulled out of Murray a little after 5 a.m., hopped on a plane in Nashville, Tenn., and finally landed in Baltimore around noon. After another short bus ride, we were in the big city.

At first, the city was not what I thought it would be like. I expected it to be busy, with bumper-to-bumper traffic and people yelling at each other, like you see in the movies. We actually didn’t encounter much traffic until we got closer to the hotel, which is pretty close to the middle of the city.

My favorite part of the trip so far was driving into the city when, to the right and partially hidden behind some buildings, was the Capitol Building. I had seen it so many times in movies and on television. It was truly incredible and I think I would classify it as my “Welcome to DC’ moment.

After a little bit of relaxing, we all went off to an hour-long rehearsal, where we just went over a couple of sections in our pieces. Afterwards, we all split up to get dinner. A group of us decided to take the metro further into town to get something to eat. The metro was an experience in itself, for me at least. I have never been on a subway before. I couldn’t believe how fast it actually went.

We ate at a restaurant near the Capitol and we had plans to actually go look at the monuments at night, but it was raining, so we decided to wait until tomorrow.

 Tomorrow should be a blast. After practice in the morning, we have the entire day to roam the city and check the sites.

More later…

~Emily

We’ve got only a week left until the Derby. But, it seems many people - news outlets, especially - are too caught on which celebs are deciding to pencil in May 2 on their to-do list. Way to go Paris Hilton for taking off precious time from humanitarian work in Africa to come to Kentucky. And, let’s not forget Kim Kardashian who is missing a Play Boy photo shot in order to spend some “down home” time in Louisville. Will her reality show cameras come with her? Of course we will treat them (and the other frivolous stars who know NOTHING about horse racing) with underserving, unwarranted hospitality. Okay, fine. Maybe I’m exaggerating a tad. They will receive unlimited bourbon, free Derby hats and (worst of all) instant gratification from all the culture-obsessed Kentuckians. I don’t care about them. Where has the focus of the Derby drifted? If I’m not correct, the Derby is SUPPOSED to be about one main event (with a few smaller ones in between) - a two-minute horse race with the best darn Thoroughbreds in existence.

Louisville should be one proud city and thank it’s lucky politicians for building Churchill Downs in the first place. What if the Derby originally ran in Lexington in which would make a heck of a lot more sense? Celebratory activities including Thunder of Louisville, the great Steam boat race and the Balloon Glow may have never existed.

Then I think … why on Earth would someone decide to build a huge (somewhat lacking in the charm Keeneland posses) racetrack in the middle of Urban America? Answer: $$$ And, this is the answer as to why the Derby attracts West Coasters with bottomless, designer wallets and purses.

First of all, thank you to everone who attended our concert Thursday. I think the ensemble performed very well and your support means so much to us. I am confident we are ready for this trip and will represent Murray State well while in Washington.

Speaking of ready. (after a last-minute trip to Wal-Mart for batteries, toothpaste and granola bars) I am now all packed. I hope. Now I just have to try to get a little sleep–which will be kind of hard because it is already 12:30 and we have to be at the music building, ready to go at 4:30. A lot of us are banking on getting sleep on the bus and in the plane. I’m just afraid of going to sleep now and sleeping through my alarm, therefore missing the bus. That would be bad.

All that aside, part of the fun of this trip (aside from the music) is picking the destinations and attractions to see while in DC. I’ve never been before, so the experience will be an adventure for sure. My friends and I have compiled lists of places we plan to go.  

We for sure plan on checking the monuments: the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial (check out page 2a of this week’s Murray State News. Great job on the ad Eli!) and probably Jefferson Memorial. There is a sculpture garden that looks really interesting and we might stop in an art gallery or two. The Smithsonian Institution has (seemingly) a trillion different museums, which would be great to spend a couple hours in.

And of course, The White House.  I don’t think a trip to DC would be complete without looking at it. What would make it even better is seeing Barack Obama.  Keep your fingers crossed!

I plan on updating at least once a day, so make sure to check back to read about some of my excursions and (hopefully) see some pictures.

~Emily

I can’t believe it is almost here! I’ve been waiting, seriously, for years to make my Kennedy Center debut with all of my friends in the Murray State Wind Ensemble. When our director Mr. Johnson told the ensemble this year was the year for our trip, we were all really excited. But we also knew it was going to take a lot of work and preparation. You know that old joke:

Q: How do you get to Carnegie Hall?  

A: Practice, practice, practice.

I think it is perfectly applicable to insert “Kennedy Center” into the “Carnegie Hall” spot. Practice is what we have done (ever since last semester) and practice is what we continue to do. That is partially what our Thursday night concert is for. 

At 8 p.m. Thursday in Lovett auditorium the Wind Ensemble is presenting the Provost’s Concert. The concert is labeled as an “open rehearsal” and serves as practice for our Kennedy Center gig. This means instead of formal concert dress, we are going to dress in casual attire. Though we are planning to perform all of the pieces we plan to play in Washington, it is a rehearsal, so it is quite possible we could stop and work on sections of the music. This is a great opportunity for listeners to really experience what our daily Wind Ensemble practices are like  - to an extent, at least.

The performance includes a variety of types of music. One piece is a Fanfare written by junior tuba player, Matt Hightower. It is full of folk songs collected from different parts of the world. Vocal professor Sonya Baker will solo with the ensemble on two spirituals (”His Eye is on the Sparrow” and “Shall we Gather at the River”) by Luigi Zaninelli. Both songs are fairly well-known tunes, but these arrangements are interesting and fun to listen to. In addition, the ensemble will be joined by Stephen Williams, a conductor from Australia, who will lead us in “Journey to the Center of the Earth.” The piece is as challenging as it is fascinating. As the title suggests, it depicts a journey to the middle of the earth. It’s intense at some points, but calming at others. Our final piece is “Symphonic Dances from ‘West Side Story.’” Basically, it is all of your favorite songs from Leonard Bernstein’s musical. Highlights of the piece include the mambo as well as other dance and jazz sections.

I encourage everyone to come to the concert to hear us before we leave. You have no idea how much your support and encouragement means to the performers and ensemble. We love sharing our talents with others…that’s part of why we are music majors. This is also our last concert of the semester (in Murray, at least). All the more reason to come.

So, recap: 8 p.m. Thursday (April 23) in Lovett Auditorium. Cost is free!

Hope to see you all there!

~Emily

My filly Stardom Bound  (well, not really “mine”) has been pulled from the Oaks, meaning she will also not run in the Derby. Her trainer claims she’s exhausted, and just needs a break. I understand. Apparently, she will come back to the track for the fall meet. It goes to show, racing is extremely unpredictable … the beauty of the sport.

“In simplest terms, a leader is one who knows where he (or she) wants to go, and gets up, and goes.”                                                                             -John Erskine, The Complete Life

Leadership is a hard concept to define. What are the characteristics that define a leader? What are the attributes that make leaders successful? What is success to a leader? These are all questions which I have wrestled with. After reading Peter Block’s “Community: The Structure of Belonging” I think I have come up with a more holistic understanding of what leadership can be. I used to think leaders had to have strong command and control, a delegating and telling style of leadership in order to organize the masses and get things done. This top-down, hierarchical style pushes us to disengage from the leadership process- to simply become followers or chronically apathetic. We have no stake in the goals of the leader. Eventually, we just disengage all together, and all we are left with is complaints about what a leader should be and how our leaders are not up to par.  The participant leader turns traditional concepts of leadership up-side-down by focusing on action, relationships, engagement, asset solicitation and effecting positive change. The participative leadership concept is two-fold with individual characteristics as well as a group process.

First, what embodies a participant leader? The participant leader is the first one to offer their services and assets in a group leadership process. The participant leader sets a positive example through doing rather than delegating, through contributing rather than complaining. The participant leader has hope and faith that his or her efforts towards creating something positive will not be in vain, and inspires others to feel the same way. By setting a good example, the participant leader is then able to engage others to start their own journeys as participant leaders themselves. However, there are certain behaviors participant leaders must utilize in order to build trusting relationship as well as credibility. Participant leaders cannot just give lip service to the importance of the group process, building quality relationships, and listening – they have to follow through with the commitments they have made and ‘practice what they preach.’ Other individual qualities of the participant leader include honesty, with themselves and with others, commitment, creativity, and idealism. These are the foundations of the participant leader, and once these traits are fully developed, then the second progression in participant leadership can begin.

The individual characteristics of the participant leader must be present before the group process in participant leadership can take place. The group process in key to the success of any type of leadership, based on the idea that the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts as stated in systems theory. For a group process to be successful Korda and Pancrazio site several factors including, “competency and adequate preparation of leaders, professional compatibility of co-leaders, adequate screening and preparation of group members; provisions for group safety, including a clear statement of ground rules; appropriate management of conflict, and self-disclosure…, minimization of leader absences; and constructive handling of dropping out if it occurs” (Korda & Pancrazio 1989). The first factor relates to importance of the developing the positive individual traits of the participant leaders before they step into the group process. The second factor relates to seeking group members who not only have similar ideas about participant leadership, but are also diverse so different assets of group members can be utilized. The third factor in group process success is the willingness for group members to do their homework. This means come to group meetings prepared and ready to participate instead of letting others do the work for them. The fourth factor correlates with the idea that group members need to establish a common ground and verbalize shared values and goals, before they being the action-process. If these aren’t established first, a common vision and direction is hard to cultivate after the fact. The fifth factor ties into the idea that relationship building must be laid as ground work before a collaborative process can come to fruition. Self-disclosure is essential in participative leadership. Members have to share their backgrounds, talents, expertise and knowledge to truly contribute and participate in the collaborative process. If they don’t they will never feel truly engaged and in reality they won’t be true participants. Lastly, the “minimization of leader absences; and constructive handling of dropping out,” denotes the importance of commitment and follow through on every single group member. Everyone in the group must be mutually accountable and mutually committed to not only their agreed upon goal and vision, but also to the process. This means saying what you mean and meaning  what you say. If these factors are addressed, a sense of community will then be created where belonging and engagement are encouraged and expected. Rhetoric, persuasion and propaganda are unnecessary in participant leadership, because everyone is already on the same page. As John Erskine wrote above participant leaders have already decided where they want to go, and instead of waiting for someone else to take them there, they are already on their way.