Article courtesy of MCSD Performing Arts Department:
On Friday, Oct. 21, the Monticello Performing Arts Department had the honor of hosting the Potsdam Brass Quintet for a day of performances, workshops and masterclasses with RJK and MHS music students!
The Potsdam Brass Quintet is the brass quintet-in-residence at The Crane School of Music, State University of New York at Potsdam. The members of the Quintet are part of the Performance faculty at the Crane School of Music and are active performers, composers, educators & clinicians. The performance workshops were designed to engage students through exciting, high level performance and captivating pedagogy, with an additional focus on musical communication, expression, and personal wellness. The day consisted of several informative and interactive performances with the 6th grade band, high school band and high school orchestra. Students got to witness performers at the top of their field playing difficult and exciting repertoire. Work at the ensemble level also included the high school chorus, where Dr. Brianne Borden led the group in stretching, breathing, and meditative exercises to promote musician wellness. Emerging Ensembles students were fortunate enough to participate in a Q&A session with the artists, including pressing topics like performance anxiety, practice techniques, and advice for aspiring professional musicians. Additionally, Emerging Ensembles students were able to work individually with members of PBQ on pieces the students had prepared for the event.
When asked about their experiences, students were eager to respond:
“The Potsdam Brass Quintet was really inspiring as a French horn player. The performance was amazing and super informative. When Dr Borden came to speak to the chorus, it was very relaxing and helped me learn new things about music wellness that I will definitely use in the future.”-Hannah
“As a young brass player, the performance really inspired me to continue learning and improving on my skills on my instrument, and I can’t wait to hear more performances like this!” – Joshua
It was very educational to be able to have a discussion with them, and be able to learn how to deal with performance anxiety. They made me feel less alone as a performer, and taught me how to communicate with the musicians you work with!”- Taylor
