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The Daily Aztec
Arts & Culture
March 9 - 15, 2022 EDITOR: Ryan Hardison • arts@thedailyaztec.com
SDSU bands Bach in action By Owen Pratt STAFF WRITER
On Friday, March 4, friends, family and music lovers alike gathered into the Smith Recital Hall to enjoy a night of beautiful music, resulting from months of diligent practicing and coordinated rehearsals. After a break from performing, the SDSU Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble have returned with a new concert, striking a chord with audiences. The Symphonic Band started the night with a piece called “Africa: Ceremony, Song, and Ritual.” Conducted by graduate student Thomas Finch, the piece was filled with a loud, brassy sound along with a rhythmic percussion section, and soothing woodwinds. The musicians used a wide dynamic contrast, showing off their musical capabilities. The performance was met with a powerful cheer from the crowd. When the piece concluded, the Director of Bands, Dr. Shannon Kitelinger, entered the stage. Kitelinger thanked the audience for coming, boasting the impressive work his students put in this semester, given the twoweek switch to virtual learning. He then conducted the next two pieces: “Hymn to the Dawn” and “The Hounds of Spring.” “Hymn to the Dawn” took a different musical approach, with more simple rhythms
accompanied with beautiful woodwind and brass solos throughout. The ending had the whole ensemble singing a note in unison. Primarily, the percussion took a backseat while the wind instruments had the spotlight. “The Hounds of Spring” circled back thematically, with the winds going back and forth between loud and technical to slow and lyrical. For the most part, the tempo stayed at a moderate pace (or moderato for musicians). The woodwinds played some impressive musical licks as well. The piece ended with a loud applause from the audience, with people whispering their praises. After a 10-minute intermission, the Wind Ensemble took the stage and performed their repertoire. Beginning with “Ride,” the piece kept a rapid tempo with rhythmically intense music. Their loud dynamics filled the room with an intense energy, keeping the audience on their toes. The percussion played a prominent role, keeping the tempo at bay. Its ending had the winds playing a loud note with clashing cymbals fit the music’s theme. Next was “My Jesus, Oh What Anguish,” written by the famous Johann Sebastian Bach. This piece pumped the brakes quite a bit, offering a slow, beautiful sound with delicate rhythms. This music gave the woodwinds ample time to shine. Its subtle ending earned praise from the audience yet again.
EDITOR IN CHIEF Catlan Nguyen MANAGING EDITOR Trinity Bland NEWS EDITOR Katelynn Robinson OPINION EDITOR Aaliyah Alexander MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Noé Sandoval ASST. MUNDO AZTECA EDITOR Karina Bazarte ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Ryan Hardison ASST. ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Cristina Lombardo SPORTS EDITOR Jason Freund Photo by Owen Pratt
The SDSU Wind Ensemble performs a mix of musical works, including the rhythmically intense “Ride” as well as Bach’s “My Jesus, Oh What Anguish,” a softly stunning piece.
The last piece performed was “Sonoran Desert Holiday.” Described by Kitelinger as a western movie throwback, this song did not disappoint. The tempo had a large variation, switching from very fast to incredibly slow. It felt very natural, rather than forced and abrupt. The goosebump-inducing chords kept the audience listening, with the ending getting the loudest applause of the night. Anand Larson, who performed with the Symphonic Band on baritone saxophone, says he enjoys the process of refining the pieces into a finished product. “I enjoy the satisfaction of seeing the whole process come
together from just sight-reading the piece, and seeing the bare bones of people struggling with everything to then the final concert and seeing everything fit together properly and sounding amazing,” Larson said. Saxophonist Savannah Frost, a first year studying music education, felt the groups delivered a good performance. “I feel like we did really well,” Frost said. “I didn’t really mess up, so that was great…we all listened to each other, we were all in sync and performed well.” To find upcoming performances, go to the SDSU School of Music and Dance website for more information.
Alumni succeeds as business owner and singer By Niamh Moore STAFF WRITER
Ayesha Kosaka, also known as the ai.ko, is a former San Diego State student currently taking her creative journey to the next level. She is a singer-songwriter, the owner of a production company and a graduate student at UCLA. Kosaka graduated from SDSU in 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. She majored in interdisciplinary studies, which consisted of film production, marketing and event management, and minored in creative writing. While still a student at SDSU, Kosaka and two of her friends started Plugged Productions. It began as an organization with a solid clientele while still in college, but they decided to make the company official after graduating. Plugged Productions is a Black-owned “female artivist” production company that strives to give Black women and marginalized women of color a voice through film. “We really want to drive a conversation and have a deeper understanding of each other,” Kosaka said. “And just having the right representation that we don’t always feel like we see in mainstream media.” Another goal of Plugged Productions is to create a healing space for women of color. “We are actively conscious of what kind of material we want
Photo courtesy of Ayesha Kosaka
Kosaka is one of three friends leading Plugged Productions, a production company focusing on empowering women of color.
to represent,” Kosaka said. “And also allow people the space to heal and just create freely and just really push those boundaries.” Aside from the production company, Kosaka recently dropped her first single, “Circles,” with another artist, Isinome; together they are called Isinome & the ai.ko. They are collaborating on an EP set to release in May called “The Healing Project.” This project, much like Plugged Productions, is focused on healing and pushing to create a healing space. The single Kosaka recently released, “Circles,” is about getting through tough times. “It’s about overcoming the pain that you’ve had in the past, but you know, sometimes you have those pitfalls and
just understanding the roller coasters,” Kosaka said. Besides her EP and production company, Kosaka also has big plans for the future. “I am the type of person that is interested in so many different things, my end goal is to just really make an impact with any type of art that I do and just making sure that the story behind it is intentional and coming from my heart,” Kosaka said. “So. I hope that you know, whether it’s me making music, I also do poetry and have been in the process of writing an anthology of filming.” As well as creating art through various mediums, Kosaka is also a graduate student at UCLA pursuing her master’s degree in African American studies. Her thesis research focuses on the political and social impacts of film and music. “I’m using my time at UCLA as an opportunity to just collect as much from their database and just learn about the history that dives deeper beyond what they tell you,” Kosaka said. “And that’s just been a challenge, just really grasping all of that because it is hard truths that you don’t really hear. That is, you know, that’s not often talked about.” Kosaka grew up in Los Angeles in the neighborhood of Crenshaw. Since moving back to the city, she has been able to reconnect with many of the people she grew up with - leading to artistic collaborations and building a community.
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Photo courtesy of Ayesha Kosaka
The nature-infused cover art for Kosaka and Isinome’s recent single “Circles.”
“I think looking back and like seeing the community that I have built over the past few years growing up out here and seeing them come back together. It’s just been really special.” Kosaka said. “And yeah, just a joy ride. It’s been really nice being back home.” Kosaka’s art portrays her commitment to both healing and activism, her end goal is making the world a better place. “I hope that at the end of the day, people will take it and just want to leave being a better person and just being more compassionate and empathetic towards people because this world is crazy,” Kosaka said. “And I sometimes go crazy trying to feel like I’m saving the world, but I know that there’s a lot of people around me that want that same vision. Manifesting that and really seeing it come to life is my end goal.”
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