Logan Harvill – Reporter
On June 6, 2024, the Bicknell Arts Center hosted a concert for attendees of the PSU Summer Youth Band and members of the Pittsburg Community Band. The Summer Youth Band consisted of high school students from ninth to twelfth grade, while the Community Band members were adults of varying ages in the Pittsburg community. This event is the second of a four-part concert series that performs every Thursday in June.
The Summer Band Camp hosted a day-long rehearsal before the concert began in the evening. After rehearsal, they joined the stage with the Pittsburg Community Band and took turns performing a few songs each before joining together at the end of the show. Dr. Andrew Chybowski, Music Director for Pitt State and director for the Pittsburg Community Band, organized the event, while Cooper Neil directed the high school students in the Summer Youth Band. Dr. Chybowski believes “it is really important for Pitt State, and especially the music department, to involve the community with our concerts and with our outreach.” Dr. Chybowski also stated, “I believe we provide an important function to our students and to the community at large by spreading a good musical culture, and these youth camps and concerts play a really big role in that.” Chybowski hopes that this event will demonstrate that Pitt State is “beyond just a campus and part of the community.”
Dr. Chybowski went on to say, “I believe it’s fun to make music with new people. I teach at Pitt State, and I know a lot of music students very well, but this was a chance for me to make some music with some of the other students from the community.” Dr. Chybowski believes the concert is a great opportunity for students who may not get the chance to perform their music otherwise. “A lot of students coming are from very small schools so it’s nice for them to come out on a big stage and play a concert.” The concert provided a suitable platform for the diverse talents of students and community members alike.
Pitt State alumni, Gage Rider, graduated from PSU in 2016 and has been performing with the Pittsburg Community Band since it was founded two years ago. Rider has a long history as a talented musician and says, “I’ve been playing for twenty years, since I was in middle school.” Rider is proud of his and his peers’ performance and believes summer events like this concert have done a lot of good for the community broadly. Rider states, “I’m glad Pittsburg is starting to have more events like this (concert). I wish they had more community events when I was in school here.” One freshman from College Heights Christian School in Joplin, Olivia, says she has been a musician for two years. She states, “I’m glad I was part of the concert and in the Summer Youth program.” Olivia says she is satisfied with her performance and looks forward to her upcoming performances.
The Pittsburg Community Band and the Pitt State Summer Youth Band put on an excellent performance for parents and community members alike. The next concert in the lineup is the Vocal Recital in the Miller Theater on June 20, followed by the final concert, the Jopará Ensemble: Paraguayan Music, on June 27. To learn more about upcoming events, visit the Pittsburg Community Band’s page on Facebook and visit http://www.pittstate.edu/music/music-summer-camps.html.