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FINE ARTS
“We’re all masked, six feet apart, plus there’s a solid 65 yards between the far left of the ensemble to the far right of the ensemble. It was important that we take the time to produce a high-quality performance that our audience is used to,” says conductor James Patrick Miller.
BRINGING MUSIC TO SCREENS EVERYWHERE
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Because of COVID-19, ensembles had to rethink the concert experience for both audiences and students. They’ve embraced the recorded concert format—delivering an exceptional audio-visual performance experience to screens everywhere.
Both the Gustavus Wind Orchestra and the Gustavus Choir collaborated with videographer Evan Taylor ’12 and audio engineer Doug Geston to record virtual tours. Each was a professional recording session, with conductors selecting their favorite sections from multiple takes, then mixing them into one master recording.
GWO’s tour, titled Heroes Facing Adversity and Destiny, consisted of musical scores from Star Wars, Silverado, How to Train Your Dragon, Schindler’s List, and Princess Mononoke. “It was really important to keep this year’s tour special, especially for the seniors since they’ve already missed two tours because of COVID,” says James Patrick Miller, Douglas Nimmo Professor of the Gustavus Wind Orchestra.
The Lucia Singers, directed by Elisabeth Cherland, have also continued to perform by adopting a recorded format. “As an educator, I’ve really started to understand the importance of these performances to stay energized and connect with the music. It can feel a little aimless when there isn’t an end goal for us as a choir,” Cherland says. The Lucia Singers were invited to the Minnesota Music Educators Association Midwinter Clinic. With videographer Will Clark ’19 and audio engineer Geston, the ensemble created a recorded performance, also with student interviews.
Despite its trials, the pandemic has afforded the opportunity to share the Gustavus music experience with new audiences. Including you: Recorded performances can be accessed on Gustavus’s Fine Arts YouTube channel at gustavus.edu/gustavusfinearts.
