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NIB Reflections: An Interview with the 2021 Conductor and Composer By Dr. LaToya Webb National Vice President for Professional Relations - TBΣ Assistant Director of Bands, University of Texas at Austin
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he idea of bringing conductors, composers, and musicians together for commissioning a significant concert ensemble work can bring up both excitement and nervousness from all involved. To an extent, everyone feels pressure to manifest the composer’s intent, provide an aesthetic experience, and perform well. Phrases like: “Is my composition too hard or enough to get my initial thoughts across?” “I’m not sure if I communicated that musical idea through my conducting.” “I hope I sound okay on that solo” are typical phrases from the composer, conductor, and performing musicians that are actively engaged in the musicmaking process. Dr. Cynthia Johnston Turner and Alex Shapiro have the honor of serving as the conductor and composer for the 2021 National Intercollegiate Band (NIB) at the Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma National Convention. Dr. Turner serves as Dean of the Faculty of Music at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Before her appointment in Canada, she served as Director of Bands at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia. Dr. Turner is an active guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator, researcher, writer, and advocate of new music. Alex Shapiro is an American composer of acoustic and electroacoustic music. She has an extensive catalog
32 - Kappa Kappa Psi & Tau Beta Sigma
of various mediums (band, choir, and orchestra) ranging from solo to chamber and large ensemble works. Shapiro is an active speaker, clinician, writer, advocate for diversity, copyright, music education, technology, and music business. Alexs’ commissioned work titled SUSPENDED Symphony for Winds, Percussion, and Pre-recorded Soundscape premiered in the DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids, MI, July 13, 2021. For many, this was the first in-person conference and musical performance since the start of the COVID pandemic in Spring 2020. Various emotions surfaced as the NIB music participants went above and beyond to share an intimate performance filled with music. Covid forced everyone to rethink life to adjust for survival, so many experienced emotions during the concert were heavy, confusing, frustrating, reflective, vulnerable, but optimistic. We heard live music, with real musicians, in a concert hall- an experience that many of us missed dearly. Music is an art form that can heal and bring people together. It was so refreshing and rewarding to see the dedication of all working tirelessly to put this successful performance together. Learn more about the 2021 NIB experience as we share the perspectives of Dr. Cynthia Johnston Turner and Alex Shapiro through a series of interview questions.
The Conductor’s Perspective -Dr. Cynthia Johnston Turner
You have conducted many ensembles in various capacities. What was different about the NIB experience? First of all, for many of us, it was our first experience in a large ensemble setting since Covid. So, the mere act of being together playing music was magical. What made it even more special was that we were strangers brought together immediately through music. I loved every second of it. These students dug in and wanted to do well. We worked hard with challenging music, but there was a collective sense of, ‘we HAVE to do this,’ and therefore, we did what it took to get there.
