Wells School of Music

“Sixth Man” Basketball Band

The WCU “Sixth Man” Basketball Band is a non-auditioned group that performs at all WCU Home Basketball Games. Membership is open to all students, regardless of major.

• Ensemble Director: Adam Gumble
• Number of Members: 100
• Audition Requirements: NONE
• Number of Concerts: Performances at all WCU Home Basketball Games
• Samples of Past Repertoire: Popular Music

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CHAMBER WINDS

The West Chester University Chamber Winds is a player pool of approximately 25 musicians that performs a diverse repertoire of music for groups as small as eight performers to as large as 23. The Chamber Winds performs two to three concerts a year on campus and regularly tours in the region and abroad. Recent trips have included performances throughout Italy, in Regensburg, Germany, Salzburg, Austria, Prague, Czech Republic, Vienna, Austria, Oxford, United Kingdom and Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.

• Ensemble Director: Andrew Yozviak
• Number of Members: Flexible instrumentation performing pieces of 8-23 musicians
• Audition Requirements: Auditioned group each semester.
• Number of Concerts: 2-3 per academic year

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CONCERT BAND

The concert band is a campus wide organization meeting during the Spring semester. It is open to any University student and provides an outlet for musical expression. Students practice twice a week and perform one concert at the end of the semester. In addition, the students are encouraged to rehearse as a section one hour a week. The ensemble performs modern, multicultural, and standard band literature. This ensemble is the only concert band open to any student regardless of ability level.

• Ensemble Director: Greg Martin
• Number of Members: 100
• Audition Requirements: No audition is required for participation. Auditions are held for seating purposes only. Students are asked to play major scales and perform a prepared selection demonstrating ability in both lyrical and bravura playing styles. Sight-reading will be included as part of the audition for seating.
• Number of Concerts: 1 per Spring semester
• Samples of Past Repertoire:
  • Second Suite in F Gustav Holst
  • Peterloo Overture Arnold/Paynter
  • To the Summit Robert Smith
  • Come, Sweet Death J.S. Bach/arr. Reed
  • Ponte Romano Jan Van der Roost
  • Toward a Northern Star Gary Gilroy
  • Rhosymedre Vaughan Williams
  • When Time Will Be No More James Curnow
  • Washington Grays Claudio S.Grafulla/ arr. Schissel

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GOLDEN RAMS MARCHING BAND

With a proud and distinguished history that dates back to 1889, the 324-member “INCOMPARABLE” Golden Rams Marching Band continues to delight audiences with its innovative and inspiring performances.

The Golden Rams Marching Band performs regularly at WCU football games, exhibition events throughout the region, and special events for the university and community. In addition to performances at National Football League events and World Series games, the group has also twice performed at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The Golden Rams Marching Band is proud to perform regularly at Bands of America Regional and National Events. Most recently, the Golden Rams performed in featured exhibition at the 2018 Bands of America Grand National Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana. This November, the “INCOMPARABLE” Golden Rams Marching Band will be a featured act at the 100th Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade sponsored by Dunkin’ Donuts!

The West Chester University INCOMPARABLE Golden Rams Marching Band has been selected as the recipient of the 2019 Sudler Trophy! Presented by the John Philip Sousa Foundation, the Sudler Trophy is awarded biannually to a college or university marching band which has demonstrated the highest musical standards and innovative marching routines and ideas, and which has made important contributions to the advancement of the performance standards of college marching bands over a number of years. WCU is the first Division II School in history to receive this prestigious honor!

For more information regarding the award’s history (and to see a list of past recipients), please visit http://www.sousafoundation.net/default.aspx?ID=39)

• Program Goals:
• Encourage students from all curricula to join the organization in order to sustain and/or increase the quality of the band and color guard.
• Quality performances.
• Increase the organization's visibility and recruiting power through off-campus performances.
• Student involvement to develop leadership skills.
• Increase educational offerings.
• Develop pre-teacher training programs for student instructors.
• Reinforcement of positive communication skills and excellent performance skills.
• Ensemble Director: Andrew Yozviak
• Number of Members: 325
• Audition Requirements: Membership is open to all interested students.
  • The Wind Musicians can audition for parts during the pre-school band camp.
  • Percussion mini-camps are held on two different Sundays, one in June and one in July to introduce the techniques program and audition for sections. All percussion members are sent an audition packet prior to these mini-camps.
  • The Color Guard holds two introductory mini-camps in July. The purpose of these one day workshops is to acquaint you with our program allow you an opportunity to see firsthand what it takes to participate in our program. After these mini-camps you will know if you really want to be a part of the Golden Rams Marching Band.
• Number of Concerts: The band performs for all home games, 1 or 2 away games, and 4-5 exhibitions each season. These exhibition appearances include the Cavalcade of Bands, Tournament of Bands, and USSBA marching band championships. In addition the band supports the community by participating in the Halloween and Holiday parades.
• Rehearsals: The band rehearses every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 3:15-5:15pm. A pre-school band camp is held the Tuesday - Saturday, before school begins. One credit is available for participation.
• Samples of Past Repertoire: Each season the student leadership selects a theme or themes for the season. Past themes were: New York City Rhythms, Moulin Rouge, The Roman Empire, and Flight.

Learn More About the Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band

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WIND ENSEMBLE

The WCU Wind Ensemble is composed of 45 of the finest wind and percussion players at WCU. As a premier ensemble, the group represents WCU at conventions and performs in high schools throughout the region. Many news works have been commissioned by the Ensemble in recent years. Member is open to all students and is by audition.

• Ensemble Director: Andrew Yozviak
• Number of Members: 50
• Audition Requirements: audition for conductor; audition consists of a piece(s) demonstrating both lyrical and technical abilities
• Number of Concerts: 1 per semester; Occasional run outs during Spring semester
• Samples of Past Repertoire:
  • Molly On The Shore And Shepherd's Hey, Grainger
  • Visions, Giovannini
  • Jericho, Gould
  • And The Mountains Are Rising, Schwantner
  • Fanfare For Freedom, Gould
  • Emblems, Copland
  • Overture, Creston
  • Symphonic Movement, Nelhybel
  • Alleluia, Reed
  • Fireworks, Youtz
  • American Salute, Gould
  • Second Symphony, Barnes
  • Postlude In F, Ives
  • La Procession Du Rocio, Turina

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WIND SYMPHONY

Membership into the Wind Symphony is open to any West Chester University student. An audition is required in October for participation in the Spring semester. The band rehearses two hours a week, meeting once a week in the Fall term and twice a week in the Spring term. Students are asked to conduct a sectional for one hour each week. Music selections are chosen from the standard band literature, transcriptions, and light concert repertoire.

• Ensemble Director: Greg Martin
• Number of Members: 70-80
• Audition Requirements: Musicians are expected to play major scales and two contrasting solos or sections from a concerto. Grades are given based on participation, attendance, punctuality, and a midterm. The midterm grade includes excerpts from the current repertoire.
• Number of Concerts: 1 per Fall semester; 2 per Spring semester, of which one is the annual pops concert
• Samples of Past Repertoire:
  • American Elegy, Ticheli
  • Heroes, Lost and Fallen, Gillingham
  • Abram's Pursuit, Holsinger
  • America, The Beautiful Ward/ Arr., Dragon
  • Music for a Festival, Philip Sparke
  • October, Eric Whitacre
  • The Star of Dreams, Robert Smith
  • Of Sailors and Whales, W. Francis McBeth
  • Visions of Flight, Robert Sheldon
  • Vesuvius, Ticheli

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