I The Behrend Beacon
Behrend Jazz Ensemble features a variety of students
By Chris LaFuria
editor-in-chief
=MMI
ocated in a cluttered room down a stuffy hallway is a room full of During the class period, the students study the music of many past
musicians that are rarely seen but frequently heard. Inside, a handful jazz musicians such as John "Dizzy" Gillespie and Horace Silver.
of Behrend students huddle around the conductor who cues each and Simultaneously, they pay tribute to and express the genius of these
every move. The sound of the players warming up is rough on the influential musicians. One of the numbers the ensemble plays is "Lir
ears, with the trumpets play- Darlin' - by Neal Hefti. Every component
ing one note and the do of the song is practiced down to the very
mer finding his rhythm. E last note. Each member joins together to
just as the conductor, mi be in sync with the rest of the group.
professor Dr. Gary Viebri From the opening brushes on the drums
raises his hand, everyoni to the trumpet solo by Sperdute, each
set to explore the complt aspect is meticulously organized and
ties of jazz. practiced until it fits. Sperdute, who is in
Every Tuesday his second year with the ensemble, has
Thursday, students from been playing the trumpet since he was in
across Behrend's curricu: fourth grade.
gather to play different se. Although the class is only one credit, he
Lions from the jazz archil says it's still worth to stay involved. "It
Rohan Romanna, drumn gives me a chance to keep playing my
and percussionist, is horn," he said. "It's good to keep active."
Business Management Chris LaFuna/THE BEHREND BEACON Viebranz has been involved with the
major. Jason Nowacinski, This is Dr. Viebranz's 9th year as a professor at Behrend. ensemble for nine years. He says that the
bassist, is a History and students make teaching the class easy
Anthropology major. Mike because of their motivation to perform. "I
Sperdute, trumpeter, is studying Math Education. However, when the think the best part is that the people there want to play," he said. "To
students gather in the music room, they transform into jazz musicians.• be in it for the sake of playing music is the purest form of motivation."
ach and every one has the same purpose. "Because I love music," Aside from conducting the band, Viebranz also joins in on the
Romanna, "I get to express myself in ways that words cannot." music. During one practice, he aided the musicians by joining in on
The Behrend jazz ensemble expands farther than the walls of the trumpet. He leads the numbers by accompanying with the piano.
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A Quick Look:
inside new films..
Ryan P. Gallagher
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classroom. In September, the group played Parents and Family Day
on campus. They also have a performance scheduled for December
in Bruno's.
30 Days of Night
Director: David Slade
The latest vampire thriller attacks theaters today with Josh Hartnett and
Melissa George starring as husband/wife in a small Alaskan town. In this
lonely village, the sun habitually disappears for one month each year, how
ever, this isn't your typical sundown. Blood-thirsty vampires are prowling
about and Hartnett and George are the only hope for survival.
This may not be your normal horror-thriller flick, however, the vampires
make it deathly intrigueing. While the film stands out uniquely with its
creepy, nightmarish trailers, the portrayal of vampires is always a difficult
job. The success of this film is going to be dependant upon that aspect, in
addition to fine acting. All too often we see terrible acting in horror flicks
which brings the overall quality of the film to a minimum. If the horror
genre is your pickle and chips then check it out. If not, you're on your
own.
Release date: Today
Who was your favorite Mighty Duck??
A. Fulton Reed
B. Jesse Hall
C. Charlie Conway
D. Dave Karp
E. Lester Averman
F. Connie Moreau
G. Adam Banks
*e-mail responses to rpgsoo4@psu.edu or srmsoB2@psu.edu
-ni-ni
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The ensemble plays a variety of songs from Latin music to heavy
swing. They even throw in some contemporary off-the-wall numbers.
"We like to mix it up and keep a wide variety," Viebranz said.
Last year, during the ensemble's sessions, they played theme songs
from such popular hits as Chicago, The Ineredibles and Family Guy.
This year, in December, the jazz ensemble will showcase the numbers
that they have prepared during their twice-a-week sessions.
Whether the students are there for the credit, the friends or the expe
rience, everyone there is a musician. Each member comprises an
ensemble of different musicians from different majors coming togeth
er for the ultimate form of artistic expression. Nowacinski enjoys
being a part of the ensemble. The part he enjoys most is, "just being
a part of it," he said. "I'm here to expand my musicianship. It's inter
esting to watch it develop and grow."
Chris I.akiriaf BEHREND BEACON
Students of the jazz ensemble during rehearsel.
American Gangster
Director: Ridley Scott
The mafia is dominating the big screen once again as Ridley Scott delivers
his newest crime/drama with more organanized crime and drug trafficking
than Scorsese himself would know what to do with. The plot is fairly simple,
featuring Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington)as a driver working his way to the
head of the inner city's organized crime, where he eventually finds himself
trafficking drugs through the coffins of American soldiers who were victims
of the Vietnam War. Russel Crowe plays his counterpart- a typical street cop
trying to bring the entire ring down.
The film's plot does not play a crucial role to this latest Goodfellas-type
movie, but what will hopefully set this piece of work apart from every other
mafia flick is Scott's remarkable directing skills. In addition to the potentially
breathtaking cinematography that his films are known for, this film will stand
out among others in a way that can only be portrayed by Scott.
Release date: Nov. 2, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007