Oberlin College Community Winds to Showcase Band Literature and Orchestral Transcriptions on Thursday, May 11, 8 P.M. in Finney Chapel Story by Jennifer Spitulnik
	back to the main story		About the College Community Winds The College Community Winds is a 67-piece ensemble comprised of Oberlin College students, musicians from area communities, and Oberlin Conservatory students. Wind members include numerous local music teachers, band directors and school administrators; it is not unusual for multiple family members to perform with the group. The ensemble offers original music and transcriptions for band, featuring faculty and student soloists, guest conductors, and composers-in-residence. The ensemble was founded by John Knight in 1992 as a Conservatory outreach program. It replaced the Symphonic Band which was founded also by Knight in 1978 as a Winter Term project. "The ensemble," Knight says, "is a natural evolution from the beginnings of the music education program, which, at its founding in 1921, became the nation's first four-year college degree program in music education. Karl W. Gehrkens, founder of the Music Education program at Oberlin proclaimed the motto, 'All for music, music for all.' "Oberlin has a long history of outreach and community involvement," Knight adds. "I am proud of the Conservatory for sponsoring the community outreach groups of Musical Union, College Community Strings and College Community Winds. Music education and outreach is a vital part of musical life. I agree with the great German conductor Bruno Walter, who said, 'a person who is only a musician is only half a musician.' "
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