Audience members listened to familiar melodies ranging from the ‘80s to the 21st century Friday night as the WKU Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble replicated music from movies like “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” and “Excalibur.”

The WKU Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble performed its first concert of the semester on Friday night in Van Meter Hall. The Symphonic Band performed the first half of the two-hour concert, and the Wind Ensemble performed the second half.

Gary Schallert, WKU director of bands and professor of music, said that the week off at the beginning of the semester put the students behind on practice, so they had to work extra hard to prepare for this concert in time.

One piece that was particularly difficult for some of the Wind Ensemble percussionists to play was Nathaniel Daughtrey’s “Black Rainbow,” which uniquely featured the percussionists in front of the other instrumentalists on the stage.

Connor Kizziar, sophomore music education major, and Andrew McGuffey, freshman music education major, agreed without hesitation that “Black Rainbow” was their favorite piece to play at the concert. Both percussionists said they’ve also never had the opportunity to perform for the audience in front of the other instrumentalists on stage.

“I think it’s really exposing, but also really rewarding,” Kizziar said.

Kizziar said that all the percussionists soloing in this piece worked very hard both inside and outside the classroom to make sure it was performance-ready. 

“Black Rainbow” is split into seven parts that each represent different colors of the spectrum. The two percussionists agreed that “Violet” was the most difficult to play and took up most of the band’s practice time.

Kizziar said if the piece wasn’t ready by the time of the concert, they were going to cut it from the program since the bands were behind on practice due to the week of snow at the beginning of the semester. He said the percussionists worked hard to schedule their own rehearsals outside of class so that they could get it done in time.

Kizziar and McGuffey both said that it’s fun to come out to these events mainly just to support everyone. They said they support the sports teams at their games, and the sports teams support them.

“I mean, you’re putting in all those hours, and it’s not like we’re getting paid,” McGuffey said. “Scholarship is part of that, but ultimately, you’re putting it in to hear your peers cheer you on.”

Schallert conducted “Black Rainbow,” and also told the audience that percussionist Marisa Franklin, senior chemistry and music double major, recommended the piece for the concert. 

Franklin said she originally attempted to play the piece in high school, but it was a bit too difficult at the time. When she thought of six “really good” percussionists the Wind Ensemble had this year, Franklin said she was inspired to try and perform it again.

Franklin said this was her first time getting to play in front of the other instrumentalists on stage as a percussionist. She said it was very “surreal” to get to play up front during one of her last performances as a senior.

“I’ve never been up front, and I’ve never actually been the one to take the bow,” Franklin said. “I’ve always just been in the background supporting the soloists, and so it was really surreal.”

Schallert said the Wind Ensemble also had the honor of playing a piece called “Take Hold of Heaven,” composed by Matthew Herman, WKU associate professor of music theory and composition. He said this piece was originally commissioned by the Barron County High School Band in 2025.

Schallert said this is the first time the WKU Wind Ensemble performed Herman’s piece, and it was the second time it has ever been performed. He said the students put in extra effort for this piece, especially since some of the musicians are in Herman’s classes.

Some other pieces the Wind Ensemble played included music from Percy Grainger’s “Irish Tune from County Derry,” and John Williams’ “Adventure on Earth,” from the famous motion-picture soundtrack, “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.” Megan Withers, graduate conductor, also conducted a piece titled “Kirkpatrick Fanfare,” by Andrew Boysen Jr.

The Symphonic Band played three pieces at the concert. David Holt, graduate conductor, conducted the first piece titled “A Glimpse of the Eternal,” by Aaron Perrine.

Matthew McCurry, director of athletic bands and pedagogical assistant professor, conducted the other two pieces of music. These included Andrew Boysen Jr.’s “Grant Them Eternal Rest,” and Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana,” which is over half an hour long. 

“Carmina Burana” was the most notable of the three pieces because of its famous opening “O Fortuna,” played in commercials, movies, and countless videos on social media, according to Carnegie Hall’s website.

“Nearly everyone recognizes the opening chorus, “O Fortuna”, but hardly anyone knows that it is a song in praise of the moody Goddess of Fortune, whose wheel of fate rolls unpredictably over mankind,” according to a program note attributed to Silas Nathanial Huff.

Hannah Britt, sophomore hospitality management major, attended the concert with Nora Fitzgerald, sophomore environmental and occupational health sciences major. The two students said they’ve attended concerts before to support their friends in both bands.

Britt and Fitzgerald agreed that the opening of “Carmina Burana” was the most memorable out of the Symphonic Band’s portion of the concert. 

Fitzgerald said the Symphonic Band’s performance of “Grant Them Eternal Rest” resonated with her the most.

Geni Segovia, sophomore music education major, played flute in the Symphonic Band and said her favorite piece to play was also “Carmina Burana.” She said the hardest part of the piece was the pausing and waiting in-between parts, so she had to prepare mentally for the performance.

“It’s like a mental game,” Segovia said. “There’s a lot of waiting and a lot of weird spots, and also a lot of tempo changes.”