Samantha Norton
Equinox Staff
Melodies marching to the beat of left, left, left, right, left could be heard escaping the halls of the Alumni Center Hall on the Day of Percussion.
On Sept. 24, 2011, the Redfern Arts Center hosted the Day of Percussion, which showcased the various talents of, not only Keene State College students, but also the works of the West Point Band.
The West Point Band is the oldest unit at the United States Military Academy and the oldest active band in the United States Army.
Composing the West Point Band are members Sgt. First Class Rone Sparrow, Staff Sgt. Craig Bitterman, Staff Sgt. David Bergman, Staff Sgt. Nathan Eby, and Staff Sgt. Eric Garcia.
Due to their background, these musicians were not only able to offer a stimulating performance, but they also incorporated a piece of history into their routine.
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Precision and structure were two elements that the West Point Band made sure to exude throughout its performances.
Without these two core elements, the significance of the history that helped create the ensemble would be different.
This sense of structure is what the West Point Band focuses on throughout its various recitals.
The West Point Band members, who are used to performing indoors, outdoors, and in concert halls, presented a sense of confidence as they stood perfectly poised, waiting to drum a beat.
However, the location this band is used to performing in differs from the concert halls where most of Keene State’s events take place.
“It’s about three to four football fields in size and basically it is our job to move 4,000 college kids from their dorm rooms out onto this field in order to be inspected by the general,” Sgt. First Class Rone Sparrow said.
“The technical musical decisions are wrapped up into how we actually have to function and how the music has to work,” Staff Sgt. Eric Garcia said.
“Our job is to primarily keep everyone in step,” Garcia said. This is accomplished through the powerful beats that radiate through the drumwork.
“We need to be clear, we need to be loud,” Garcia said. “’Left, left, left, right, left,’ is the easiest way to cue movement,” Garcia said.
Structure is derived from the sense of rhythm that is heard in the sounds created by the West Point Band. But for most, rhythm is beyond a sense of structure; it is a way to process thoughts, emotions, and actions.
For junior Joshua Hanauer, these are the types of beats that pulsate through the channels of his mind.
“I really love rhythm, I always have rhythms going through my head,” Hanauer said. These visions of rhythm are translated through Hanauer’s actions.
However, these rhythms are not just a musical outlet for instrumentalists like Hanauer.
“It’s definitely an emotional and intellectual outlet,” Hanauer said.
For Hanauer, the instruments incorporated into a percussion ensemble have a sound that no other instruments possess.
“With percussion specifically, you get to move a lot in comparison to other instrumentalists; it is sort of an added aspect,” Hanauer said.
Because of the movement involved in a percussion ensemble, there is room for artists to grow into their own element.
“You can channel a lot of feeling and emotion into it,” Hanauer said.
These emotions ultimately serve as a source of inspiration and aid in the process of developing and memorizing rhythms.
“The percussion ensemble group is a great group, we all get along together very well and when we play it’s a lot of fun, but it’s also very stimulating musically,” Hanauer said.
Because this type of music is very stimulating and intricate, it is not a common genre to listen to among the public. Junior Travis Corcoran said, “You’re not going to hear this stuff on the radio.”
“It’s more complex in a way, which is why it’s not popularized on the radio,” Corcoran said.
The melodies heard through the walls of the Alumni Center Hall are unlike the rhythms heard in the music played on the radio. Instead, these melodies offer a story filled with emotion and history.
“It’s a shame that more people aren’t exposed to it,” Corcoran said.
However, even though this type of music does not receive the exposure it should, through its assorted sounds this distinct genre inspires students such as Corcoran.
“It’s really diverse, you can have a lot of slow beautiful pieces and you can also have a lot of sharp attacks and it just sounds nice, looks nice, feels nice,” Corcoran said.
Even though this genre of music does not speak to everyone, for students like Corcoran and Hanauer, this type of music is more than just a passion; it is what defines their thoughts and their emotions.
Samantha Norton can be contacted at snorton1@ksc.mailcruiser.com
مكافحة الحشرات
مكافحة الحشرات هي عملية ضرورية للحفاظ على صحة وسلامة الإنسان والبيئة. تشمل هذه الجهود استخدام مجموعة متنوعة من الوسائل والتقنيات للتحكم في انتشار الحشرات الضارة. يمكن أن تكون هذه الوسائل مبنية على الوقاية، مثل الحفاظ على نظافة المنازل والحدائق وإزالة المصادر المحتملة لتكاثر الحشرات، أو تشمل استخدام المبيدات الحشرية الآمنة والفعالة عند الضرورة.إلى جانب الأساليب التقليدية، يتم تطوير تقنيات جديدة ومستدامة لمكافحة الحشرات، مثل استخدام الحشرات الطبيعية المفيدة وتطبيق تقنيات التحكم البيولوجي. يهدف التركيز على مكافحة الحشرات إلى الحد من انتقال الأمراض المنقولة بواسطة الحشرات والحفاظ على الزراعة والبيئة.تعتبر مكافحة الحشرات جزءًا مهمًا من الصحة العامة والحفاظ على التوازن البيئي، وهي جهد مشترك يشمل الأفراد والمجتمعات والجهات الحكومية للحفاظ على جودة الحياة والبيئة التي نعيش فيها.