As Oklahoma Christian University prepares to showcase its annual Spring Sing show this weekend, the Spring Sing band is working hard to make the show come alive. The Talon reached out to some of the band members to learn more about their rehearsal process and the finishing touches on the show.
Sophomore Ella Granger said she has loved getting the opportunity to be this year’s Spring Sing band director.
“I think my favorite part is getting to be involved in the whole process. I get to delegate
how things are arranged in the band,” Granger said. “So like, who’s gonna be playing the drums? Are we gonna have trumpet players and horn players this year? But also playing in the band and watching the whole thing come to life is really cool.”
In addition to leading the band, Granger said this year’s group features a special instrumental addition.
“Something that’s really cool this year, uniquely, is that we’re not just having horns, but we’re also having a violin player, which is going to be really sick, because there’s so much more stuff
you can do with that,” Granger said. “I love getting to watch final approval too. Just being on the executive side of things. It’s a totally different side of Spring Sing that you don’t really get to see which is fun. Last year I was just in the band and in the freshman show, but this year I get to be on the executive side of things.”
Granger shared what the rehearsal process has looked like for the band over the past couple of months.
“We have two different types of rehearsals that end up happening throughout the semester. So from January until we move into Baugh, we are rehearsing in the band room. And we just kind of go through the songs and get them up to the right pace and make sure that everyone is playing the right parts and knows what needs to go where,” Granger said. “That’s the time when I’m checking solos and making sure that baselines are correct. And then whenever we move into Baugh, which is usually like two weeks or the week before Spring Sing, we’re running stuff with the hosts. And so we’re trying to get everything to run smoothly with no hiccups. We want to be able to go straight through the piece.”
Beyond arranging the music, Granger credited her team for the band’s success.
“I got the freedom to choose the band, which is a really cool opportunity, because I had so many options of people to pick from, and so that’s a blessing in itself. But then the people that I did end up landing on for the Spring Sing band are super talented, and I don’t have to teach anything. There is no band directing,” Granger said. “We are all just getting together playing, which is really really cool. The most that I did was write the charts and write the music, and then they just show up and play, which is really awesome. I don’t have to teach anything.”
One of the students bringing the sound to life is sophomore Ryan Dillinger, a tenor saxophonist in the band.
“I’ve been playing tenor sax for 11 years,” Dillinger said. “My favorite part is how versatile it is, the different things you can do, and all the many genres.”
For Dillinger, being in the band brings together two of his passions.
“My favorite part is getting to combine two of my loves: Spring Sing and then also play my instrument. Just put it all together. It’s just a new experience on the final scenes of Spring Sing,” Dillinger said.
Dillinger’s favorite song is one from “The Greatest Showman.”
“My favorite song is ‘Come Alive’” Dillinger said. “I just think the horn part is super fun and it connects the singers to the band.”
Spring Sing will take place March 6-7. Tickets are still available on Oklahoma Christian’s website.
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