91制片厂

Editor's note: After this article was published, the Wind Symphony premiered "Old听Ben's Farm" at the Whittemore Center Arena before a full crowd assembled to usher in 91制片厂's 150th year on Sept. 30. Video

When Andrew Boysen was commissioned to write an original piece of music celebrating 91制片厂鈥檚 150th anniversary, he wanted to avoid the familiar. The usual ideas presented themselves 鈥� using the alma mater听or one of 91制片厂鈥檚 fight songs as a basis.

鈥淚 wanted a different way of incorporating the university into the piece without being quite so obvious,鈥� says the 91制片厂 music professor.

And so, at the end of the spring 2016 semester, Boysen, who conducts the 91制片厂 Wind Symphony, asked student musicians for suggestions. What better way, he thought, to capture the university鈥檚 spirit than by talking to students themselves?

Boysen says that collaboration helped him find the musical language听for 鈥淥ld Ben鈥檚 Farm,鈥� an energetic fanfare that pays tribute to the university鈥檚 past, present and future. Boysen and the Wind Symphony will debut the piece on Friday, Sept. 30, at the Whittemore Center as part of the launch of 91制片厂鈥檚 sesquicentennial observance, .

Traditionally, fanfares are flashy and upbeat,听Boysen says, and 鈥淥ld Ben鈥檚 Farm鈥� is no exception. But under the soaring notes is a hidden musical message. The main theme of the piece is a musical spelling of Wild E. Cat, the university鈥檚 mascot. It鈥檚 something of a musical cryptogram, Boysen says 鈥� using the seven notes in a scale as a base (A, B, C, D, E, F and G), a composer can spell words musically. The letter H becomes an A note, I becomes a B, and so on.

鈥淭he whole piece is structured from that. It鈥檚 not something that鈥檚 going to make you say, 鈥極h, that says Wild E. Cat,鈥欌�� but it gives you a reason for doing what you鈥檙e doing,鈥� Boysen says.

Brandon Duras 鈥�17, a music education major who plays trumpet in the Wind Symphony, provided the suggestion that helped Boysen start writing the piece. 鈥淲hen he told me, I kind of laughed,鈥� Duras says. 鈥淚t was sort of a spur-of-the-moment thing.鈥�

鈥淭his is definitely a highlight of my musical career, being able to debut a piece for such a momentous occasion.鈥�

Duras and the Wind Symphony have been rehearsing 鈥淥ld Ben鈥檚 Farm鈥� since the beginning of September. For Duras, the piece is friendly and full of energy,听which is 鈥渢he vibe I get from everyone on campus and all the different departments across the university,鈥� he says. 鈥淭his is definitely a highlight of my musical career, being able to debut a piece for such a momentous occasion.鈥�

Boysen wrote the piece during听the summer; he sat at his piano and scribbled ideas in a sketchbook. Even after settling on the musical spelling idea, Boysen says it took a few tries to find his path to the composition. 鈥淔or me, a lot of it鈥檚 about planning the structure. When I talk to people about composition, a lot of time I talk about how, when you first learn to write an essay, you have your main point and then your supporting points. There鈥檚 a certain kind of truth to that 鈥� there鈥檚 what you want people to feel when they hear the piece, and then everything else is supporting details.鈥�

The title itself is a reference to the university鈥檚 beginnings 鈥� the campus was built on land once owned by farmer Benjamin Thompson, who bequeathed his land to the university in the late 1800s.

鈥淭he piece really brings in so many aspects of the university鈥檚 history,鈥� says Emily Silva 鈥�17, a music education major who plays clarinet in the Wind Symphony and is a drum major in the Wildcat Marching Band. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a really cool take on this university, which is such a big part of all of our lives.鈥�

This is only the second time Boysen has written an original piece for the Wind Symphony, and he says the chance to write for his students has been an honor.

鈥淭he best part of my job is conducting the Wind Symphony,鈥� he says.

Video: 91制片厂 Wind Symphony premieres "Old Ben's Farm" at Hear Us Roar event on Sept. 30, 2016.听