The Campus Band: An Ensemble for Non-Music Majors

When the Ithaca College Campus Band made its debut with a holiday concert last December, it marked the first time that an ensemble composed chiefly of non-music majors gave a performance in the School of Music.

"I've talked to people whose institutional memories go back to the 1940s," says Beth Peterson, assistant professor of music and conductor of the campus band. "As far as anyone can remember, this group is a first."

When the one-credit class was first offered last fall, 75 musicians showed up, including non-music majors and music education majors looking to become more familiar with instruments they hadn't studied intensely but would be expected to teach. The course even attracted a faculty member, Don Lawrence, an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science.

"My instrument is the French horn," Lawrence says. "In the places I taught before I came to Ithaca College, I always played in a group. All I had to do was ask the orchestra conductor if the group needed horns and the answer was, 'Yes. Please.' Here, though, it's different - they already have 16 horns in the horn club, so they hardly need more horns. But thanks to the campus band, I can get my instrument out of the case, make music, and socialize with students."

The Campus Band class is also being offered this spring, and Lawrence says he plans to take the course again. So does Ginger Perritt, a freshman flute player in the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance.

"I was really involved in music in high school, and I didn't want to give that up just because I was an occupational therapy major," she says. "I've definitely enjoyed myself in the campus band. Beth Peterson has been very patient with us, and I'm taking the course again."

These are just the kinds of experiences Peterson had in mind when she recognized the need for this ensemble and coordinated the effort to establish it. "There are a significant number of talented non-music majors at the College interested in performing," she says. "We wanted to find a way for them to do that without submitting them to the time commitment required of music-major ensembles."

That approach to music making appeals to Jenny Norton, a freshman business major who plays alto saxophone. "We play in a noncompetitive atmosphere," she says. "We aren't fighting for positions so there's less pressure. Instead, we take turns playing different parts, and we help the other people in our section when we can. It's also wonderful working with Professor Peterson because she picks music that's challenging for the group. I plan to play in the campus band until I graduate."

Though a formal audition is not required, musicians interested in the campus band have to demonstrate proficiency on their instruments and give Peterson a general idea of their skill levels. Rehearsals are held once a week for two hours in preparation for an end-of-semester public performance.

"The band has really surpassed my expectations in both the quantity of interested students and the quality of musicianship," Peterson says. "It's very exciting to be involved in a new endeavor like this."

The campus band's next performance is scheduled for April 15 in Ford Hall, Whalen Center. For more information call Beth Peterson at 274-1934.