Breezy Harbor Winds, a group of faculty and community members, showed off their instrumental skills in a woodwind quintet at Sheldon Hall Ballroom on April 27. 

Trevor Jorgensen, the orchestra director on campus and four other community members performed seven pieces of classical music on various woodwind instruments. 

“ I brought a stack of music about four inches [tall]. And we read through some stuff and figured [if it] fit the group,” Jorgensen said. 

Jorgensen played the clarinet and bassoon in the concert, performing a solo piece by Johannes Brahms, accompanied by Robert Auler on the piano. 

Another composer that the group played a few pieces by was Aaron Copland. One of his pieces, “As it Fell Upon a Day,” was performed by flutist Kris Jorgensen and a clarinet played by Trevor Jorgensen. This piece was also accompanied by a singer, Amanda Li. 

The other members of the group have a love of performing like no other. 

“ Those of us being teachers, we don’t teach at the level of what we are capable of doing and it’s really nice to get back in touch with what we are actually capable of doing,” Kris Jorgensen said. 

“ I mainly fix instruments, so a lot of that’s not performing related. Being able to perform and share that with the people from the other aspects of my life is really fun,” Kelsey Poole, the oboist, said. 

“ My favorite kind of performing is collaborative,” Auler, the pianist, said. “I really do love listening to other people and play off of them and see what they did and see if you can comment on it. It’s also fun to just share with the audience. It’s just all around pretty fun.”

One of the most challenging pieces performed by the musicians was a piece composed by Robert Muczynski called “Movements, Op.16.” 

“ I definitely see the Muczynski as the hardest to put together as an ensemble, but also I had like a lot of technical difficulties to work on in the last piece of the [Malcolm] Arnold one, the French horn range is all over the place,” Kim Miller, the French horn player, said. 

“ I think the Muczynski is the hardest rhythmically to put together, cause it shifts so much rhythmically and everybody has different lines,” said Trevor Jorgensen. “Like we’re together, the horn and bassoon and the clarinet and the oboe’s together and it’s easy to not lock in cause there’s not a lot to lock into.”

Each musician is so busy with their schedule, it is hard to know when they will be performing together next. They would like to perform together sooner, but this time next year is more than likely their next performance date in order to be best prepared, according to Trevor Jorgensen. 

The event was held in the food court in Marano Campus Center because of its unique space which separated the games and provided enough space for people to both join in the game or watch others play. The games showcased were dominos, mancala, slapjack, spades, UNO and spit. Auxiliary Services were also provided for students before the event so that students could sit and mingle before playing. 

After eating, every table was filled with both players and spectators. 

“I was able to learn a lot of old school card games that I didn’t know before,” Samantha Mondesire, president of Fashion at Oswego (FAO), said. 

The event was filled with laughs and shouts of excitement as people debated the rules and whether or not someone won. It was all in good nature and the general consensus was that it was a fun event. 

“It was really fun and I felt a sense of community,” Latrelle Grant, vice president of FAO, said.

“It was a great celebration of Black culture from food to the music and ambiance,” Aiden Wilson, Student Association President, said. “It was a great way to bring in Black History Month after the Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations and it reminds us that even in times of uncertainty, we have power in unity. Well done AAMEN, BBB, BSU, CSA, ASO and the Institute.”

In uncertain times, these little things bring people together and remind them of those close to them.

One of the most challenging pieces performed by the musicians was a piece composed by Robert Muczynski called “Movements, Op.16.” 

“ I definitely see the Muczynski as the hardest to put together as an ensemble, but also I had like a lot of technical difficulties to work on in the last piece of the [Malcolm] Arnold one, the French horn range is all over the place,” Kim Miller, the French horn player, said. 

“ I think the Muczynski is the hardest rhythmically to put together, cause it shifts so much rhythmically and everybody has different lines,” said Trevor Jorgensen. “Like we’re together, the horn and bassoon and the clarinet and the oboe’s together and it’s easy to not lock in ’cause there’s not a lot to lock into.”

Each musician is so busy with their schedule, it is hard to know when they will be performing together next. They would like to perform together sooner, but this time next year is more than likely their next performance date in order to be best prepared, according to Trevor Jorgensen. 

Image by Maria Pawelczyk