In Goodwin Music Hall, there are students who receive class credit for banging trash cans with mallets.
Those students are the members of professor Doug Rosener's, the director of percussion studies and associate director of bands, steel band class.
Rosener said a steel instrument is basically exactly what the name indicates.
"(A steel instrument is) a 55 gallon drum that has been shaped into an instrument," Rosener said. "Instrumentation for steel bands is not standardized yet, but our band consists of several tenor (lead) pans, double seconds, guitars, cellos and six bass. Drumset and hand percussion instruments are also used in the ensemble."
Rosener said the only requirements for the class are the ability to read music and a sense of rhythm.
Even though some previous musical training is necessary, Rosener said the training does not have to be percussion related.
"We teach people to play within the context of the band," Rosener said. "Since we have a limited number of instruments, we have to audition for the group, but there are typically some each semester that are playing a pan for the first time."
Steel Band can act as a way for people who want a satisfying and rewarding way for college students to express themselves musically.
"It's definitely a fun class," Rosener said. "People with musical training might want to take it to continue playing music here now that they're away from their high school music programs, or just to have an outlet that doesn't involve academic work. Some people might know how to play an instrument, but want to try something new. Playing fun, challenging music at a high level and learning about another culture's music is its own reward."
Rosener said there is something about steel band music that pretty much anyone can enjoy.
"It's a great opportunity to learn about the music of some other cultures," Rosener said. "The instruments encompass the entire range of pitches, so we can play any music we want. We generally play Calypso, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and even pop or rock styles of music. The sound of the band is happy, fun and energetic; it appeals to just about everyone. I believe that it's one of the most fun ensembles we have here at Auburn."
Steel band class is not all fun and Calypso though.
Students can expect to practice with their instruments outside of the class's rehearsals, much like professional ensembles.
Rosener said necessary because the class plays several concerts over the course of the semester, such as the High School Honor Band Festival or the Percussion Ensemble/Steel Drum Spring Concert tonight.
The Percussion Ensemble/Steel Band Spring concert is an annual event designed to showcase the year of training the respective bands put into their music.
The concert will be at 7:30 p.m. in Goodwin Music Hall.
These live experiences shared between class members leads to a tight bond within the ensemble, according to Rosener.
"The class is more than a bunch of people playing steel drums," Rosener said. "We spend a good bit of time together and get to know each other very well. We become close friends--that's how we are able to play so well. The experience of playing live is exhilarating, and we get to play in lots of different venues and situations. The students generally have a great experience, and many choose to play with the groups for semesters and even years at a time."
For more information about Steel Band contact the music department at 844-4165.
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