The rock band, Kansas, will play classic hits alongside the Hardin-Simmons Orchestra at 8 p.m. in Behrens Auditorium on Saturday.
In 2009 Kansas teamed up with the Washburn University Orchestra to produce the “There’s Know Place Like Home” CD/DVD. After it’s success, Kansas was inspired to continue performing with college orchestras across the country.
Kansas drummer, Phil Ehart, was overwhelmed by the reaction from universities to participate.
“We immediately discovered that most schools have no money for their music programs,” Ehart said in a press release. “We then thought of performing the shows as fundraisers, helping to raise funding for the school’s music programs.”
Charles Robinson, a senior music education from Fort Worth, is the principal second violinist at HSU and also serves as an orchestral manager. He and the other members of the orchestra are excited not only to be playing with a famous rock band, but also to learn a style that they are not used to playing.
“We’ve been listening to a lot of Kansas to practice learning the style of their music,” Robinson said. “It’s a different experience and a new perspective. The rehearsals are different than normal rehearsing, but there’s lots of positive energy. No one’s been a part of something like this before.”
Associate Professor of Violin Peter Isaacson is preparing the orchestra to perform with Kansas.
“We just got the music on Aug. 28, so it’s been a pretty short turn around, just a month to rehearse,” Isaacson said. “We’re performing about 15 songs, including a lot of big hits like “Point of No Return”, “Dust in the Wind” and “Carry on my Wayward Son.”
While Isaacson is getting the HSU students ready, Larry Baird will be conducting Kansas and the full orchestra.
Isaacson said Baird is responsible for orchestrating Kansas’ music. He said Baird originally arranged Kansas’ hits for big names like the London Symphony Orchestra, but now Kansas is doing more philanthropic work with schools.
This event is partnered with D’Addario & Company to help provide musical scholarships for the HSU music program and improve the versatility of student musicians.
Tickets are available in the Van Ellis Theatre Lobby on the HSU campus for $38.50-$48.50. They may also be purchased online at www.hstux.edu/events/kansas.
