Music drifted through the first floor of Eastern’s Music Building as the EWU Jazz and Symphonic bands warmed up for their concert on March 2.

The performance started with the jazz band playing “Lost in the Shuffle,” composed by Les Hooper and ended with the symphonic band playing Donald Hunsberger’s “The Loyal Legion.”

There are two main types of music classes, theory and ensemble.

Theory classes go into the technical side of music and ensemble classes are where everyone learns to play together, according to Ky Curry, a senior in the symphonic band. The concerts are the finals for the ensemble classes and as long as students show up and play they pass.

Curry said everyone prepares for a concert differently, some people are at ease until the moment they get on stage and others calm down the moment the performance begins.

“I always like getting on stage and performing,” said Curry.

Curry said he has participated in nearly 20 concerts where he mainly plays the French horn. He can also play the trumpet, baritone and tuba.

Corey Oglesbee, a senior who played a trumpet in both bands, said he tries to relax and have a small warm up a few hours before a concert.

“I enjoy having the opportunity to play for people,” said Oglesbee.

Concerts are not only the students’ time to shine but the graduate teaching assistants get a chance to show what they have learned.

Timothy Blaydon is a graduate teaching assistant from the University of Portland who came to Eastern because it offered him a full-ride scholarship.

Blaydon said his job in the music department is to lead rehearsals, provide constructive feedback and conduct songs during concerts.

On March 2, he lead the symphonic band in the song “Dusk,” by Steven Bryant.

“I chose it mostly because it’s very warm and lyrical, which fits in with the other pieces,” said Blaydon.

Blaydon said the entire repertoire for the concert was chosen at the beginning of the quarter, which the bands had been working on in class. He said he will be participating in six other concerts during the next two weeks as part of finals.

“I think the greatest part of this program is that it’s small,” said Blaydon. “You get to know your professors.”

According to Blaydon some students will participate in several bands, so they can get pretty busy.

“I rather do enjoy the program but at some points it’s chaotic running from program to program, symphonic to symphonic,” said Curry. “I enjoy the program, just not the organization of it.”

Most of the songs during the concert were conducted by Don Goodwin, the director of the symphonic and marching bands at EWU.

“I was thrilled with the students’ performance last night,” said Goodwin. “I really felt that each piece was played at the highest level yet for our ensemble, which is all that any conductor can ask for.”