OSU student musicians to travel to Japan

The Oklahoma State University Wind Ensemble has been selected to perform at the 2013 Japan Band Clinic in Hamamatsu City. The ensemble’s 52 undergraduate and graduate students will travel throughout Japan from May 14-22.

Since they learned of their invitation to perform at the clinic, the students have practiced tirelessly in preparation for the concert. Caleb Ketcham, of Tyler, Texas, leads the ensemble’s trombone section.

“Knowing that we will present a concert in Japan at the end of the semester has definitely increased the level of intensity in our daily ensemble rehearsals,” Ketcham said.

The students’ performance will feature works by J.S. Bach, Richard Wagner and John Mackey. They also will debut a piece titled “Peace and Light Rising” by Edward Knight of Oklahoma City University. The work was written as a prayer for the victims of the 2011 tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan.

OSU music professor Joseph Missal is the ensemble’s conductor.

“We hope this successfully serves as a musical gift from Oklahoma to Japan,” he said. “For many of the student musicians, this will be their first time traveling outside of the United States. This trip allows them to experience a culture completely different from their own while sharing their passion for music with a 3,000-person Japanese audience.”

Haley Bates, a clarinetist from Richardson, Texas, agrees.

“It is an honor and privilege to be selected as the premier ensemble for this conference,” she said. “As young musicians, we are extremely fortunate for this and we will remember this trip for the rest of our lives.”

Each student will pay $800 for the trip; however, the actual expense is close to four times that. The ensemble needs help to make the trip a reality. For more information, visit music.okstate.edu.