Kirkwood Community College’s band program offers several opportunities including performances, practices, traveling and many different classes and groups open to the public.
Director Joe Perea said, “Playing music has so many benefits across academic disciplines. It’s not nearly as much of a time commitment as high school and you get to meet so many interesting people.”
The band program consists of the Jazz Ensemble, the Concert Band and Wind Ensemble. Community members are welcome across the area and get the opportunity to work with several different students.
Second year student Emma Dickinson, music education major, talked about the benefits of being involved. “The band is unique because it includes community members, and it is a close-knit group,” she said.
Dickinson is involved in the concert band and the small wind ensemble. She stated, “It has helped me meet lots of great new people.”
The band classes at Kirkwood consist of applied instrumental lessons, Jazz Improvisation 1 and 2, Music Theory 1 and 2, Wind Ensemble, Concert Band and Jazz Ensemble.
This year, the Concert Band and Wind Ensemble have two set performances on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 11:15 a.m. in Ballantyne Auditorium and on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m.
The Jazz Ensemble will perform throughout the semester along with touring high schools.
Liz is a second year Journalism and Mass Communications student who has been Creative Director and News Editor with the Communiqué. She also works at 88.3 KCCK as a Radio News Intern and the Corridor Business Journal as a Reporting Intern. After receiving her associate degree from Kirkwood, she will transfer to the University of Iowa with the 2+2 program. At Iowa, she will continue her journalism passions with the Daily Iowan newspaper and DITV. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree, she plans to work as a Multimedia Journalist and Reporter/News Anchor for KCCI in Des Moines or another station in Iowa.
Categories: Art & Life
