Band brings it with a twist of everything

Mt. Hood’s Symphonic Band will be perfoming British masterworks on campus Dec. 4.

With a new term come new challenges that can affect the band more than the rest of the school. During a recent conversation with band director Grant Linsell, topics like upcoming performances, new students, and even Daft Punk were discussed.

“I typically like to alternate between stuff that’s either greatest hits, or stuff that’s cutting edge and weird. It’s all stuff that music people in the area would hear and go, ‘Oh yeah, I love that song,’” said Linsell on the band’s upcoming performance.

Linsell said he’s also excited for the band’s winter term. The group will play an original piece it recently recieved from a composer.

MHCC’s Jazz Ensemble will play a free concert on campus Dec. 3, which will consist of “a mix of pop tunes that you wouldn’t normally associate with jazz,” said Linsell. “It’s going to be pretty cool.”

The jazz ensemble will also showcase new student talent.

The ongoing problem with band is filling half a new roster at the start of each term. Linsell said that he sometimes feels like a coach, “not in like the rah-rah-rah, go get ’em team sense, but I run a lot, and I find that the same mentality transfers over.”

He’s excited with the process because every year there are a handful of students who show up unannounced who excel at their instrument. Such as first-year student Austin Tibbils this fall, who Lindell called “fantastic” at tenor saxophone, although he enjoys playing any type of saxophone, from soprano to bass.

Linsell discussed his choice of music for concerts and his personal taste.

“When my friends find out I have a doctorate in band – I have a doctorate in band, that’s like the nerdiest thing ever – they think I listen to Mozart in my car on the way to work,” he said. “Sure, I study Mozart, but really I just listen to anything I can tell the artist has clearly put a lot of thought into.

“Like everybody else I got really hung up on the Daft Punk album last year – probably the best album out of 2013.” he said.