Free concert takes place April 23
Published in the April 16-29, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Marty Cheek
Vernon Miyata, the conductor, also plays the French horn in the Morgan Hill Wind Symphony. The group’s next concert is April 23 at the Morgan Hill Presbyterian Church.
Photo courtesy Morgan Hill Wind Symphony
For more than two decades, the Morgan Hill Wind Symphony has been entertaining music lovers with free concerts. The group of local musicians will present its “Heroes and Legends” concert, featuring music about historic figures and iconic movies, 7:30 p.m. April 23 in the Morgan Hill Presbyterian Church chapel.
The Wind Symphony was founded in 1992 by Morgan Hill Presbyterian Church Music Minister Steve Potter. It encourage musicians of a wide range of ages and expertise to play together in a non-competitive, comfortable atmosphere, said Katie Colon, who has performed clarinet with the symphony since 1995 when she was a seventh-grade student.
“It was started as a community organization that rehearsed at the church – it was there to allow interaction between the church and the secular community to provide a free musical experience for the community,” she said. “The music that has been played has always been pleasing to listen to and yet still challenging to perform – those who play the music are in a constant state of growth in expertise and musicianship.”
The Wind Symphony musicians are diverse in terms of age, professions, and years of experience playing, Colon said. Many are from Morgan Hill, but in recent years membership has come from other areas including San Jose, Gilroy, Hollister, and Aromas.
“We have had several members of our group who were octogenarians as well young people in their early teens,” Colon said. One retired member was an active board member responsible for the group’s music library and making copies of music for the musicians to practice their parts.
“The teens have the responsibility of balancing their school work and attending evening rehearsals,” Colon said. “When I was in high school, I remember bringing my homework with me and squeezing in any bits of study time as the conductor rehearsed another section of the band.”
The symphony has kept going for more than 20 years because of the people’s love of music – both the musicians as well as the public, she said. The size of the group has fluctuated over the years and it has been the goal of the core team of musicians and conductor Vernon Miyata to maintain the nonprofit group. It is always looking for new musicians who want to perform, Colon said.
“To get involved is to help share and pass on musical gifts and appreciation for beautiful music to all generations in the community,” she said. “There isn’t anything more satisfying than performing a concert, for the enjoyment of the community, when you have communicated a meaningful message without saying a word.”
For 15 years, Ginny Novak has been a Wind Symphony member, playing the clarinet and finding it a “wonderful outlet” to express herself. She played clarinet in elementary through high school, then dropped music to pursue a career in nursing, followed by marriage and family life.
“Then I began playing again and found the Morgan Hill Wind Symphony and decided to take the challenge,” she said. “I was a bit rusty at first, but that seemed to fade away as I kept coming to practices and began to learn from those around me. Vernon Miyata is a fantastic director and music teacher. Under his direction I have learned so much more than I can remember from high school music.”
Morgan Hill resident Teresa Sermersheim and her family are big fans of the symphony, discovering it six years ago and considering it a hidden musical treasure for the community. She especially likes that the musicians perform close to the audience.
“I love being able to see them react to the directions of the conductor. The church where they play offers an intimate venue and great acoustics,” Sermersheim said. “My daughter and I have discovered that we love to listen to marches. They’re loud and dynamic and vibrate through you.”
During the performance, Miyata, explains the story behind a piece and adds historical anecdotes, which helps bring it to life for the audience, she said.
