Composing jazzy lines
Original music piece celebrates band director
By Nyshicka Jordan
Staff Reporter

With a few dozen compositions already under his belt, Curt Wilson knows plenty about writing music. Nevertheless, he said composing is still an 8-to-5 job everyday.

“It’s not an inspiration hitch,” Wilson said. “That’s in the movies. It’s sitting down and doing it and throwing away a lot of paper.”

During his fall sabbatical, Wilson, director of jazz studies, said he did throw away a lot of paper. But he eventually created an original composition, “Fantasy Variations,” which the TCU Wind Symphony will premiere in concert 7:30 p.m. Monday in Ed Landreth Auditorium.

Wilson said “Fantasy Variations” is an 18-minute piece that was commissioned by Sam and Velma Bogart in memory of Velma’s father, Russell L. Wiley. Wiley was director of bands at the University of Kansas from 1934 to 1968, according to the program invitation.

Velma Bogart said she respects Wilson’s work and that she is pleased with “Fantasy Variations.” She said she has performed the piece on the flute and piano and that it is not easy to play.

“It is a difficult piece to play, but it has a really good sound and I know that my dad would have enjoyed it,” Bogart said.

Wilson said he has known the Bogarts for years and that he tried to make the piece reflect Wiley’s tenure at the University of Kansas and the music Wiley liked. He admits the piece is difficult, but he said he is impressed with the way the symphony has been rehearsing.

Virginia Neely, a sophomore music education major who plays the flute, said the piece is difficult to perform because there are a number of tricky transitions from fast to slow. She said there are also changing themes in the piece, such as march, big band and classical sections of this century.

“There are a lot of different elements that you have to recall to play correctly,” Neely said.

Neely said Wilson’s presence in rehearsals was intimidating at first because the symphony members wanted to play well for him.

Nick Wear, a sophomore finance major who plays the clarinet, said he is excited about premiering the piece. Wear said he likes that the piece has classical sections, but that it is also modern and offers diversity in tempo, tonality and mood.

“I wasn’t sure how the piece was going to be, but I think that he did a good job,” Wear said.

Conductor Bobby Francis said having the composer present is beneficial because students will then know the composers intent. He said that music reflects a composer’s personality.

“To know the composer and to see how his personality translates into the music is a unique experience,” Francis said.

The concert will also feature a vocal performance by Sheila Allen, an associate professor of voice, who will perform four pieces by American composer Charles Ives. Director Emeritus James Jacobsen will be a guest conductor on the last song, “From Maine to Oregon.”

The concert is free and open to the public. A reception will follow.

Nyshicka Jordan