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Jacobs Community Engagement Initiative Indiana University

Volante Winds

Communities: Batesville, Oldenburg

Launched: 2 masterclasses, 2 performances

Engaged: 180 high school students

Involved: 5 JSoM students

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Summary

Volante Winds is a quintet comprised of Jacobs School of Music doctoral candidates, all united in their passion for chamber music and innovative pedagogy. Volante Winds traveled to Batesville and Oldenburg, Indiana to engage with high school students through performances and masterclasses. The quintet worked closely with band students at Batesville High School and Oldenburg Academy, providing miniature private lessons, coaching solo excerpts, and breaking apart elements of their own performance in critical back-and-forth discussions. Volante Winds shared their vision of making excellence in chamber music accessible for all types of audiences, and additionally gave students guidance about studying music at the collegiate level.
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“It was the first time any of them had seen a wind quintet, and for some, even chamber music. We mentioned that chamber music is, in essence, the classical musicians’ equivalent of forming a rock band in someone’s garage. Just the fact that they now know such a thing exists is so important.”

-Wai Ki Wun, Volante Winds member.
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The quintet made their performances interactive at each high school. They would play, talk about the elements in the music, breakdown how those elements fit together, and then play again. The quintet also engaged in Q&A sessions where students asked about their individual backgrounds, the challenges of being in a group, how much they practice, and how they navigate the process of learning new music together.

JSoM Students Involved:

Suyeon Ko              Wai Ki Wun                Rebecca McGuire               Olivier Huebscher

Sarah Fruehe

Others Involved:

Josiah Keith            Kris Wampler

More on the Volante Winds Project:

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