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The 网红爆料 Music Department will showcase student and guest performers during its Spring Concert at 7 p.m. on April 23 in the Dr. John D. Stull Performing Arts Center.
This incredible night of music will feature the Big Band, Jazz Combo and Commercial Music Ensembles along with the OCC Concert/Community Band. Admission is free, with donations accepted to support the program.
The Jazz Combo will perform genre standards including Triste by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Blues for Duane by Freddie Hubbard, Sugar by Stanley Turrentine and The Chicken by Jaco Pastorius.
The Big Band will present That鈥檚 All and Flight of the Foo Bird by Dave Barduhn, Girl from Ipanema by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, Woody Creek arranged by John La Barbera and Synonymic Bossa and See If I Don鈥檛 both by Staff Sgt. Paul White.
Guest artist that evening will be Monte Skelton. The University of Evansville alumni is a music educator at Evansville Music Academy and a former adjunct faculty member at OCC. He has performed with the legendary group The Temptations and jazz vocalist Sherrie Bias.
鈥淗e is one of the top call artists around,鈥 said OCC Director of Bands Wade Baker.
Also, joining the OCC Big Band for the concert will be Amy Hamm, current adjunct woodwind faculty member at OCC, on Bari Saxophone and George Fischer on bass trombone.
The Commercial Music Ensembles will feature two separate bands under the direction of Baker and adjunct faculty member and OCC graduate Josh Moats. Moats鈥 students will perform Kilby Girl by The Backseat Lovers, Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz, That鈥檚 Alright Mama by Elvis Presley and The Rudie of Breathing by Jeff Rosenstock. Baker鈥檚 ensemble will present three original compositions by band members.
The OCC Music Department also will welcome guest composer Rodney Grimes for the world premiere of his piece Midnight performed by the OCC Community/Concert Band. A former student of Baker, Grimes is currently attending Purdue University at Fort Wayne, Ind., where he composed the song for a music project there. The concert is being dedicated in memory of Grimes鈥 mother, Lucy, who passed away in February.
Other selections will include Folk Dances by Dmitri Shostakovich, The Thunderer by John Phillip Sousa, A Scottish Rhapsody by Clare Grundman, Ammerland by Jacob de Haan and Resting in the Peace of His Hands by John Gibson. The evening also will feature chamber music by flute, clarinet and brass ensembles.
Baker encourages the community to come out and enjoy the opportunity to hear live music and celebrate the hard work put in by his students.
鈥淭he concerts features a wide variety of music and there is something for everyone to enjoy,鈥 he added.
Reflecting on the past year, Baker is pleased with the continued growth of the program.
鈥淲e did have a student, Brayden Garland, who was accepted into the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, which is one of the most prestigious music programs in the world,鈥 Baker said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty awesome to have someone achieve that.鈥
He continued, 鈥淭he progress we have made has been nice. We are fighting back after COVID and we are moving forward and rebounding. We just need to get more bodies.鈥
Baker stressed Music Department Tuition Waivers are still available for 2025-2026. The scholarships are awarded to qualifying students who participate in one or more of the OCC bands and choirs. Students need not be music majors to qualify.
鈥淪tudents who are interested can reach out to me and we will set up an audition date as soon as possible,鈥 Baker said.