Looking Back , and Looking Forward:
Learning & Teaching Music
By Rachel Vanderbeek Gamma Class Three times a week in the early morning, The Theta Chapter’s growth over the years elementary school children would get to By Danielle Aguilar school an hour before the rest of the chilGamma Class dren to play music. A few members were When I joined the Theta chapter my freshman year, I was eager and excited given the privilege to work with these kids to help my Kappa Kappa Psi Brothers to serve the marching band program and help them learn new notes, techat OSU. Because Theta had only recently been reinstalled, helping the marching band was really all the chapter had begun to do. Getting the band niques, and cool things about their instrument. The band consisted of three or four fitted with uniforms, facilitating band camp events, making snack bags— these were the duties the band associated KKPsi brothers with. Our fund- flutes, a whole bunch of clarinets, one saxraising events were not often highly successful and brotherhood activiophone, one brave oboe player, about four ties were virtually non-existent. trumpets, one trombone, and one percusWhen I look at where Theta chapter stands now, I am very proud to say that we have grown immensely over the past 2 ½ years. Not only do sionist who didn’t always make it. I specifically worked with the saxophone we continue to participate in the activities listed above, but we plan and execute creative and successful fundraisers, such as Dogs-In-the-Quad and Halloween Band Flocking, and are able to have thoughtful, meaningful, and “I think that is the most importantly, awesome post-membership education discussions outside of routine meetings (Retreat and Challenge Course!). We are more ormost important thing ganized and engaged in our own activities, and we have been actively trying to instill in the kids: to connect with other chapters, including MuPi, whose first degree some of keep having fun.” us attended, Gamma, whose Washington weekend was a huge success, and Iota Gamma, who hosted Wagon Days last year. We are currently looking forward to a large Theta crowd at WDC in Boise. Also, we are soon to acplayer for a few weeks and then had a pricomplish something I've been long awaiting, a reading band where nonmusic majors get a chance to conduct their Brothers. We have striven high- vate session with one of the flute player and found that we can achieve more and we have become closer Brothers ers. Not only did these kids learn from the for it. few of us who woke up way before classes, I am excited about what we have accomplished thus far and for all but I would like to believe that we learned the events and activities I know we have yet to accomplish. I look forward some things about ourselves as well. I to soon bringing a new Eta class of Brothers into Theta chapter and guiding know personally I always learn something them in how to be as successful leaders and communicators as our active about how to teach a new note or comBrothers have become over the years. municate an idea better every time I visit a younger band. It also just makes me really happy to see the enthusiasm the kids have By Annie Pasquinelli towards music and reminds me of how I Gamma Class was when I was there age—struggling To put it all into perspective, before January 1st, 2012, I had never been out along, not always playing the right notes of my time zone, much less on an airplane. That all changed this year, as I but always having fun. I think that is the went from Willamette Valley denizen to international traveler/musician. most important thing to instill in the kids: My first plane trip was with the OSU Basketball Pep Band, when keep having fun. Getting better comes we went to Los Angeles to cheer for the men's and women's basketball teams in the Pac-12 finals. We stayed longer than expected and did quite with practice and hard work but it’s not well. The plane trip was short - only a few hours max - but traveling with worth it if you aren’t having fun. I hope to so many great band members was an intensely positive experience. visit the school again this year sometime My second trip took place on the ground: I went with some Thetas and work with the kids again because it and a bunch of Gamma chapter members down to the District Leadership really is a lot of fun and a good way to Convention in Arizona. The van ride lasted 24 hours each way. We had tons of adventures in Las Vegas on the way backwith members of all sorts spend the mornings. If we have to get up of Western District chapters, including a huge impromptu dinner with early why not enjoy that time making muBrothers and Sisters from around the district. sic! Continued on page three
2012: My Year of Travel
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meet our 2012-2013 officers! The Theta chapter elected officers at the end of spring term 2012, and over the summer several additional positions were appointed. Learn about each Brother’s class, main instrument(s), major, and hometown below.
Officers Greg Urban
Secretary Rachel Vanderbeek
President
Gamma Class Flute & Alto Saxophone Civil Engineering Fallon, Nevada
Delta Class Percussion Speech Communication Evanston, Illinois
Stephen Marshall Vice President
Treasurer Alex Knapp
Zeta Class Trumpet Music Education Corvallis, Oregon
Epsilon Class Clarinet Pre-Physical Therapy Portland, Oregon
Jamie Gregory Director of Service
Parlimentarian Danny Mitchell
Zeta Class Bassoon & Saxophone Music Education Roseburg, Oregon
Zeta Class Trumpet Music Education Salem, Oregon
Committee Chairs Fundraising Chair
Historian & Social Chair
Trevor Wilson
Annie Pasquinelli
Gamma Class Trumpet Music Education Pendleton, Oregon
Gamma Class Oboe & Tenor Sax Music Education Eugene, Oregon
Brotherhood Chair Alumni Secretary & Publishing Chair
Danielle Aguilar Gamma Class French Horn Biology Huntington Beach, California
Music Chair
Allison Julander
Ryan Auerbach
Gamma Class Clarinet & Euphonium Digital Communications Bakersfield, California
Epsilon Class Euphonium Music Education Portland, Oregon
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2012: My Year of Travel - continued from page one The next trip was also grounded. I went the same direction on I-5 with Rachel Vanderbeek and various members of Mu Pi. This time our trip to Arizona was for the Western District Convention, where I conducted the reading band on one of my favorite pieces and was evaluated by several conducting instructors. It was another near-24 hour van drive, and we were all quite smelly by the time we made it back to Eugene and Corvallis. My most recent adventure was one I took on almost completely solo. A mere four days after my return to the United States, I took another international flight - this time with my oboe instructor to a chamber music festival in Vipiteno, Italy. If international flight was frightening as a member of a group, it was positively terrifying by myself, but I made it to our landing sites in Amsterdam and Munich in one piece. My oboe instructor, a few other travelers and I then drove on the Autobahn through Germany and Austria to the summit of the Italian Alps, where the Orfeo Music Festival is held every year. It was two and a half weeks of intensive summer music school, with live concerts every night by professional and student musicians and educators. Among other things, I learned that my hard work at OSU has certainly paid off - I could definitely make it as a professional oboist in the US. I made it back stateside three weeks later, exhausted and rather homesick for the good old Pacific Northwest, the clay of my existence fired by experience and honed to new levels of musicianship and independence.
exploring
Japan
Summer Tidbit: Disneyland with Anteater Brothers
by Garrett Elzie Zeta Class This summer, I was invited to play with the University of California Irvine band at the Disneyland half marathon in Anaheim, California. During my two days there, I met a lot of cool people, including members of the Lambda Alpha chapter of KKPsi who welcomed me with open arms. I had a great time playing and interacting with band members who I am not accustomed to! I am very grateful toward the UCI band for allowing me the opportunity of playing with them!
Photo credit: Sarah Montague
By Sarah Montague Epsilon Class Last summer I was one of the lucky members of the Wind Ensemble that got to travel across the Pacific Ocean to Japan. I have never traveled to a country with more gracious host families or better food. Best of all, I got to experience the wonders of Japan with a group of wonderful musicians and even better friends. This fourteen-day trip started out in San Francisco, where we all boarded the plane in anticipation of a longggg flight. Finally after what seemed like days, the plane landed in Fukuoka, Japan. Looking back, I have probably never seen such a grimy looking group of travelers. We were so exhausted and jetlagged, and the humidity was definitely getting the best of us. The next day, we were welcomed into the homes of our first hosts, the families of Iizuka, Japan. They greeted us by hosting a welcome banquet in our honor with spreads of amazing Japanese treats and drinks. We were also welcomed with a concert. Their band, looking young and possibly less experienced at first, played so well and charismatically that I am pretty sure everyone in the room was left with dropped jaws. The organization and perfectionist attitude were so impressive in the young high school students. Music was clearly very important to them and they were incredibly good at it. As the trip went on, we adjusted to the time change and weather—rain with a chance of skin drenching humidity. We went sightseeing all throughout the trip and saw beautiful scenery including islands, waterfalls, a castle and even an active volcano! We spent copious hours on tour buses where people caught up on sleep or had their faces pressed to the window taking in every aspect of Japan’s beauty. I was very impressed by the cleanliness and condition of the cities and sites that we saw. All in all, this trip was unforgettable. I could rattle on for pages about the amazing experiences throughout the trip with fellow band members, our host families and even perfect strangers. We were welcomed into this foreign country with nothing but open arms ready to welcome us into their homes and feed us past the point of “Thanksgiving Day full”. The musical aspect of the trip was equally incredible. Not only was every group we played with phenomenal, but they had a passion and drive for perfection that I seldom feel myself. It was encouraging and I feel I learned a lot just by playing with them and in a new environment. I hope everyone can have the chance to travel to a foreign place and do something familiar in an unfamiliar setting. It gives a new perspective and in my case, reminded me of my true and unwavering passion for music.
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the fabulous
five fabulous pictures of Theta showcasing...
Above: Members of the Theta and Gamma chapters grab lunch after the annual spring camping trip at the coast. Below: Tango dancing breaks out unexpectedly at the Alumni Banquet in Reser.
BEST HITS
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memorable events from the past year
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Above: Jamie Gregory, Greg Urban, and Stephen Marshall trace their hands for an activity during retreat in Corvallis. Left: Stephen Marshall and Rachel Vanderbeek hold a puppy at the Dogs-In-The-Quad fundraiser. Below: Group photo after Zeta Class’s third degree ceremony.
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