Give the people what they want

Music's influence on people among history conference topics

The influence of music on people is among the topics for the Friday history conference at this year's festival.

``Contemporary bands I think have moved away from the common people as a means of entertainment,'' said Foreman, festival founder, director of the Advocate Brass Band and managing director of the Norton Center for the Arts at Centre College.

Bands tend to be in academic settings now, particularly in colleges and universities, Foreman said. College and university bands have gotten more into performing serious contemporary music, he added. It often is written by composers in academic settings.

``I don't think popular appeal is a factor in composing much of this music.''

Music's appeal to the masses is what makes the festival a great event, Foreman said.

``I would point to brass band festival for people still having a love for that type of music.''

Foreman wishes more of the band music being produced today was focused toward pleasing crowds.

``Obviously my slant is going back and recapturing the idea of the band being an entertainment medium that appeals to a broad range of people.''

Foreman's views will be contrasted by those of Don Hunsberger.

``Hunsberger directs the Eastman Wind Ensemble, which is probably the most famous college band wind ensemble in America,'' Foreman said.

The discussion of ``The Intellectualization of American Bands,'' will be moderated by Frank Cipolla, professor emeritus at the State University of New York, Buffalo.

Their discussion is the third of three areas the conference will examine. The conference title is ``Instruments, Bands and the Populace.''

Cipolla, who acts as chairman, explains that the conference title reflects some of the interests of the speakers.

For the instruments section, Mark Elrod of Maryland, will speak on ``Band Instrument Collection and Collections.'' Stephen K. Charpie of Los Angeles will speak on ``The Keyed Bugle and 19th Century American Bands.''

``Mark is one of the foremost collectors of instruments in the country and Steve is a fine performer who has been in Danville many times,'' Cipolla said.

On the subject of bands, Fred Crane of Iowa and Elaine Bradshaw of Oklahoma will speak. ``Fred is a retired professor of music who has a special interest in American bands. Elaine is a music librarian who also is a trained specialist in American music,'' Cipolla said.

Their talks will be followed by a picnic and outdoor concert by the Olde Towne Brass of Huntsville, Ala.

With the area of old instruments, Foreman will speak about ``Zobo: The Musical Wonder.''

Foreman notes that there were zobos were kazoo-like instruments and there were entire zobo bands.

``It really was an attempt to capitalize on the fact that everybody wanted to be in the band,'' Foreman said.

Kazoos are small, open tubes with a top hole covered by a membrane that gives a buzzing quality to tones hummed through the tube. Kazoos were invented in 1883 and zobos, which were made in the shapes of instruments found in bands, came along in 1896.

After Foreman, Hunsberger will talk about the famed Eastman Wind Ensemble which he has conducted for about 30 years.

``He has lectured and conducted throughout the United States as well as Europe, the middle East and Japan,'' Cipolla said.

The conference will wrap up with a performance by Millennium Brass. Members are: Vincent DiMartino on trumpet; Rich Illman on trumpet; Lisa O. Bontrager on horn; Scott Hartman on trombone; and Marty Erickson on tuba.

The conference opens at 9 a.m. and ends about 4 p.m. Friday in Weisiger Theatre at the Norton Center for the Arts. Registration of $25 covers all materials along with lunch and refreshments at the morning and afternoon breaks. Early registration is requested. For more information, call Debra Hoskins at the Norton Center at 2364692.