By Kayla Martinez
Entertainment Editor
Two weeks ago Professional synthesizer Alex Shapiro had a skype call with band director Adam Wilke to talk about the piece she will be composing for the Wind Symphony to perform.
Along with 25 other listed high schools, the Wind Symphony signed up for a consortion in which different composers work with the schools and commission pieces customized to the band and director’s requests.
Wilke said that he isn’t sure which other schools signed up for the consortion, but he is confident in Shapiro’s skills because “[the band] has played some of her stuff.” According to Wilke, “She’s worked for Hollywood, worked in New York, and for a film commercial, all that kind of thing.”
Although he has never worked one on one with Shapiro, Wilke said that “We’ve played some of her stuff, but this was an opportunity to buy in on a commission.”
He also seems glad to be stepping out of the norm; apparently the band rarely works one-on-one with composers.
As for the skype call itself, Wilke said the students had the privilege of seeing Shapiro’s studio in the San Juan Islands, and she “showed the kids her set up where she makes music with many many screens and computers, she showed them briefly how she manipulates sounds.”
When asked what type of music the actual piece will be, Wilke asked that readers listen to pieces such as “Tight Squeeze” and “Paper Cut” for a better idea.
“It will be an electro-acoustic piece, and it’s written for regular bands to a regular track of electric sounds,” he told readers. “There’s a synthesized track that she makes with a bunch of electronic sounds, and regular band instruments play on top of the track.”
The composition is set to premier in March, although the piece itself will not actually be going public for another year.
