SOARing in Southern Oregon

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Southern Oregon University's Siskiyou Saxophone Orchestra will perform as part of the university's SOAR 2008 event.Southern Oregon University

The Southern Oregon University department of music will launch SOAR 2008 — Southern Oregon Arts and Research — with a concert featuring the Siskiyou Saxophone Orchestra at 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, in the SOU Music Recital Hall, 1250 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland.

The main venue for SOAR events will be the Rogue River Room with concurrent events in the entire Stevenson Union as well as across campus.

The 14-member Siskiyou Saxophone Orchestra, directed by SOU music Professor Rhett Bender, will showcase three original pieces by SOU students: "Doo De Du" by Jenifer Jaseau, "Collisions" by Travis Moddison and "Gimmicky" by Keith Smelcer.

The orchestra will also perform selections by Bach, Copland and Marcello arranged by SSO members Vicki Purslow, Rhett Bender and Jenifer Jaseau. Bender will also present a solo performance of "Tag!" by Eric Stokes.

The Siskiyou Saxophone Orchestra performances highlight the unique tones of the entire saxophone family: bass, baritone, tenor, alto, soprano and sopranino.

The orchestra performances also showcase styles from classical music favorites, American big-band hits, and world music, as well as original pieces written for the orchestra.

This is the inaugural year for SOAR, a two-day, university-wide exhibit of faculty and student research and artistic activities.

All members of the Southern Oregon University community including students (graduate and undergraduate, full and part time), faculty and staff — alone or with others — have been invited to participate. SOAR 2008 will close with a reception at 5 p.m. Thursday, May 22.

The event has several purposes:

• To highlight faculty and student research, publications, performances, and other scholarly and artistic achievement;
• To bring the campus community together to learn what we are doing in a wide variety of disciplines;
• To demonstrate how Southern Oregon University research and faculty/student efforts are benefiting our region;
• To share new ideas and concepts;
• To expand our knowledge base beyond the traditional classroom;
• To provide an opportunity for students, faculty, and members of the community to interact and socialize.

Tickets to the Siskiyou Saxophone Orchestra concert are $8 general admission. SOU students are admitted free.

See sou.edu/music/siskiyousaxophone online.

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