Music Ensembles at Adams State College
Instrumental Ensembles
Wind Ensemble
The Wind Ensemble, directed by Dr. Jamie VanValkenburg, is the top concert band at ASC and is open to all ASC students by audition. The ASC Wind Ensemble follows in the tradition established by Frederick Fennell at the Eastman School of Music: it is a concert band reduced to generally one player per part.
The ASC Wind Ensemble performs at least two concerts per semester on campus. Other performance opportunities include performing at local high schools and the annual spring tour to other areas of Colorado. The ASC Wind Ensemble programs a mixture of standard and contemporary works, with an emphasis on benchmark compositions for wind band. The Wind Ensemble also serves as the accompanying group for the annual ASC Bands Concerto Competition. Winners get to perform a solo with the Wind Ensemble on the spring band concert.
Concert Band
The Concert Band, directed by Dr. Jamie VanValkenburg, is the largest performing instrumental ensemble at ASC and is open to all students with prior experience on a band instrument. It meets in fall semesters after the marching season and throughout spring semesters. The ASC Concert Band performs two concerts per semester on campus, presenting programs containing traditional through contemporary works for band.
Grizzly Marching Band
The ASC Grizzly Marching Band, under the direction of Dr. Jamie VanValkenburg, provides musical support for the ASC football team at all home games. The Marching Band is open to all ASC students.
Basketball Band
The ASC Basketball Band, under the direction of James Doyle, provides musical support for the ASC men's and women's basketball teams. The band’s performances greatly enhance the game atmosphere and are an integral part of the college experience. This ensemble is open to all students by way of audition and scholarships are available. For more information about the Basketball Band at ASC, contact James Doyle at jwdoyle@adams.edu.
Jazz Ensembles
The ASC Jazz Ensembles are directed by James Doyle. Performance ensembles are anchored by the ASC Big Band with numerous jazz combos each semester. Additional performance opportunities include salsa bands, Caribbean ensembles, and Dixie combos. All ensembles are audition-based and open to any major.
The various ensembles perform numerous concerts each year, as well as host the annual ASC Jazz Festival. The ASC Big Band regular tours throughout the region and frequently hosts guest artists as soloists. For more information about jazz ensembles at ASC, or to request a performance, contact James Doyle at jwdoyle@adams.edu.
Continuum- the ASC Percussion Ensemble
Continuum is directed by James Doyle and is the core percussion ensemble at ASC. The ensemble performs several concerts a year both on and off campus. The ensemble hosts guest artists a year, and performs frequently for Percussive Arts Society events. Repertoire includes standard compositions for the traditional ensemble, the marimba music of Guatemala and Zimbabwe, the drumming repertoire of the Caribbean and West Africa, and cutting-edge premieres. The ensemble is comprised of percussion majors and minors, and is open to non-majors through audition. For more information about Continuum, or to request a performance, contact James Doyle atjwdoyle@adams.edu.
The Rocky Mountain Pan Handlers- the ASC Steel Drum Band
The Rocky Mountain Pan Handlers is the newest ensemble at ASC and was founded and directed by James Doyle. The Pan Handlers is a fully orchestrated steel drum band and performs frequently both on and off campus. Repertoire for the band includes standard island favorites, competition tunes from Trinidad and Tobago, classical transcriptions, and student arrangements. Membership of the ensemble has included students from over 15 different majors, and is open to all students based on a brief audition. For more information about the Rocky Mountain Pan Handlers, or to request a performance, contact James Doyle at jwdoyle@adams.edu.
Community Steel Drum Band
The Community Steel Drum Band is directed by James Doyle and open to anyone in the community based on availability and a brief audition. This ensemble performs once a semester and focuses on the traditional repertoire of the steel drum band. For more information, contact James Doyle at jwdoyle@adams.edu.
ASC Orchestra
Directed by Dr. William Lipke, the ASC Orchestra is open to string, brass, woodwind, keyboard and percussion students. Music from the standard orchestral repertoire is studied and performed each semester such as works by Beethoven, Haydn and Dvorak.
Mariachi
The ASC Mariachi Ensemble is under the direction of Nick Branchal. The group meets once per week on Thursday evenings. Membership is by audition. Mariachi site
Choral Ensembles
Chamber Choir
The Adams State College Chamber Choir carries on a seventy-year tradition of excellence in choral music at the college. The twenty-four member select group is drawn mostly from the college's larger Concert Choir. Students represent a variety of disciplines in addition to music performance and education. Chamber Choir programs include a variety of repertoire from medieval chant to the most cutting-edge works of today. The choir tours annually and has performed recently at invited performances for Colorado Music Educators Association and College Music Society.
Concert Choir
Concert Choir is open to the entire campus community. It is made up of approximately seventy students from nearly every discipline in the college. This ensemble presents four performances as part of the Music Department's concert series. The choir participates in campus activities, social events, and service projects in addition to presenting formal concerts. No audition is required.
68 West
The college's vocal a cappella ensemble, 68 West performs extensively throughout the San Luis Valley. The ten-member groupsings a wide variety of vocal styles from gospel and blues to popular and Broadway. The singers have been featured in performances on campus, for public and private community events and in educational programs at San Luis Valley schools. Membership is by audition only as vacancies occur.
Valley Community Chorus
This ensemble is open to the public and no audition is required. The group meets once a week, providing a musical and social opportunity for adult and high school singers throughout the region.