The wind symphony and concert band open their performing season tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the Dvorak Concert Hall in the Doudna Fine Arts Center. 

Professor of music and Director of Bands Alicia Neal said that she can’t wait for the concert.  

“I think it’s going to be energetic. The first concert of the year is always exciting,” said Neal, “They’re excited to be back playing again together. It’s something that we really love to do, so I think it’s going to be great.” 

Neal selects what pieces are played in each concert. She tries to keep a variety so students don’t have to often replay pieces they’ve already played. By keeping what is performed changing, she said the audience has a chance to hear something new, and the students can be challenged in new ways too.  

The performers range from freshmen to graduate students. For some, this will be their first college level performance.  

“I think the way I kind of run the ensemble is that the older students set the example and serve as leadership in the ensemble,” she said. 

 Neal said she expects to see around 200 to 275 people at the show, similar to the number of attendants last year, but she is hopeful new faces will join the crowd due to it being homecoming.   

She said comparing this year’s ensembles to previous ensembles is not fair to either.  

“In some ways this is going to be stronger, in some ways maybe not because of the strengths and weaknesses of the ensemble kind of fluctuating,” she said. “But it’s going to be a great performance.” 

One of the people attending tonight is Don Dawson, an academic advisor at Eastern. He said he is really excited because his son Jay Dawson, a master’s student in music who plays bassoon, will be performing.  

But besides his son, Don Dawson said he’s looking forward to all the students who are playing in the wind symphony and the concert band.   

Dawson said the concert is perfect for the students to play for a large crowd of people. 

“All the music majors are really super kids who work hard at their craft,” said Dawson “Since it’s homecoming, I would think it would be a pretty good decent crowd. A lot of alums are coming back.” 

Dawson said he has a great amount of respect for Neal for teaching the band members. 

“They all do a great job in terms of preparing these students for great concerts,” said Dawson “I come in and listen to great music.”  

Rob Crownson can be reached at 581-2812 or at rjcrownson@eiu.edu.