instrumental ensembles have gained players eager to continue their musical careers. “The magic number is about 3½ hours a week for rehearsal,” Latten explains. “If I required more, we might sound better, but we would lose players.” Although there is some attrition from freshman year through graduation, not many Juniata musicians get out of tune with the program. Since 2002, the Wind Symphony has grown from 24 players to 87 and members of the orchestra string sections increased from eight performers to 35. Latten drummed up enough interest from percussionists to increase their number from three to 14. “That’s about a 391 percent increase,” Latten says. “Instead of trying to survive in a chemistry class of 200 students I found strong friendships with many of the band members, which includes meeting my future wife,” says Doug Schunk ’04, a Juniata percussionist who teaches chemistry at State College Area High School and currently coaches the drumline for the school’s band. (Doug’s wife, then Renae Watkins ’04, was a trumpeter for Juniata.) “A solid music program gives students a chance to develop their musicality while earning a degree in another field. Unlike some of my friends from band in high school, who went to universities where groups were open only to music majors, I was able to continue to play.” Besides orchestrating a ready-made social circle, Juniata musicians also earn one fine arts credit per
semester. Students each week must attend a two-hour rehearsal for whatever group they perform with, as well as a one-hour instrumental section rehearsal. “Being part of the band probably helps socially but I think it differs between the sections, “(The saxophonists) are really close,” says Abby Kress ’10, an alto sax player from Lancaster, Pa. “We also don’t have ‘chairs’ (that signify levels of talent) because it helps give us a sense of unity and it’s not as competitive.” Such explosive growth in numbers does not just come out of nowhere. Latten admits that during his first year in 2002, he waited for students to come in as players. He got eight bodies. He knew he had to channel his inner Woody Hayes, or rather Woody Herman, and start recruiting.
Stephanie Schmid ’13 was chosen to play French horn in the combined Juniata and Altoona ensembles. About 50 students were able to play in the two concerts featuring both groups. Center and right: Steve Schmitt ’11, of New Providence, Pa., played clarinet for The Planets and switched to cello for another composition during the concert. Monica McGrath ’13, of Warrington, Pa., plays in the violin section as Destiny Waller, a Huntingdon Middle School student, plays in the background.
2009 Spring-Summer
29