La Voz

Media Credit: Andrea Svendsen The De Anza Wind Ensemble plays in the Art Quad.

Surrounded by trees and blooming jasmine, the De Anza College Wind Ensemble performed melodies, marches, minuets and even a movie score in the Art Quad on June 10.

Six pieces were performed, featuring songs that ranged from sweet and melancholy to cheerful and joyous.

In "Song for the Blacksmith," the percussion simulated sounds of a blacksmith hammering away in his shop. "Fantasia on the 'Dargason'" is a sweeping piece, moving from a celebratory beginning to a dramatic adventurous tone in the middle with a calm conclusion.

The performance ended on a fun note with the movie score from "The Incredibles." The ensemble also performed "Adante Cantabile for Winds," which Robert Farrington, De Anza music instructor and conductor, said was "one of my favorite melodies ever written."

Missed notes were rare and far between as Farrington conducted the performance. He has been conducting bands at De Anza for 26 years.

Every year is a unique experience for Farrington, as new players join the band, and others move on to universities and other programs. "There are some really talented students. Some really virtuoso players," said Farrington of this year's band. "And some are not music majors."

Farrington is challenged every year to decide on a program that is going to fit skill levels of all the students who participate. Keeping students focused, Farrington tries to highlight students who have made achievements or received awards, such as Ariel Jessup and Todd Freitas. Both Jessup and Freitas earned first chairs in the Northern California Community College Honor Band.

Freitas performed a beautiful and rich euphonium solo and Jessup performed a playfully detailed trumpet solo.

"No matter how I'm feeling, no matter where I'm at, what I'm doing, I have my trumpet. It's the one constant in my life," said Jessup. Jessup has been making music since she was six years old, but has been playing the trumpet for seven years. She came to De Anza to take some classes and because she "just needed a place to play."

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