Recent grad to join elite company at Wednesday’s Haunted Harmonies orchestra concert

At the front of the instrumental rehearsal room in the Purdue University Fort Wayne Music Center, there’s a list of composers on a whiteboard whose works will be performed during Wednesday night’s Haunted Harmonies: Orchestra Concert of Classic Composers. Included are names such as Liszt, Gounod, Schubert, Humperdinck, Franck, Weber, and Liadov.
 
“When you put the names up on the board, these are world-famous composers that people have known for hundreds of years in some cases, and Austin Hulsizer’s name is up there, too,” said Kevin McMahon, assistant professor of music and the orchestra’s conductor.
 
There’s a story behind Hulsizer’s inclusion. He graduated from PFW’s School of Music earlier this year as a trumpet player and one of McMahon’s composition students.

“I took lessons with him in the spring. I just for fun started experimenting with trying to write an orchestra piece and then I showed it to him,” Hulsizer said. “He kind of said, `Hey, we should do this.’ Honestly, I wasn’t sure this was something I wanted to do, but this is a pretty good opportunity that isn’t very common. Dr. McMahon has always been very supportive and encouraging, and I think he was even more excited about me writing a piece for the orchestra than I was.”

As McMahon explained, Symphonic Wind Ensemble conductor Dan Tembras loves bringing guest composers to campus to work with PFW students, such as 10-time Emmy Award-winner Bruce Broughton, who performed Oct. 10.

“These are world-class composers who come here to teach our students and share their music,” McMahon said. “I have taken the position since I’ve been here that I’m going to help our students become like those people. I am creating space for them so that one day their name can be like Broughton’s, and one day their music is going to be performed, often like Broughton’s as well.”

In fact, McMahon loves giving the six or seven students in his composition class each semester opportunities to hear their best productions played by other PFW musicians. Such opportunities are one way he’s their cheerleader who makes sure they are motivated so he can help them grow their skills. During November, Benjamin Eugene Allen Goins will premiere his work in a string studio recital, and Liam Patterson will perform the oboe alongside a string quartet playing his original compositions.

Wednesday night is Hulsizer’s chance. He’ll be sitting in the trumpet section performing while his friends and fellow performers present his piece “October Muses” as the second-to-last piece of the first half of the performance.

Though he’s written many songs, mostly on an online platform using electronics without live musicians, this is Hulsizer’s first orchestra piece. It’s 7½ minutes in length, and McMahon can’t wait for others to enjoy it.

“Part of my encouragement to Austin is because his music is so beautiful, and I know audiences will absolutely love it,” McMahon said. “It has this Halloween harmony at the beginning and slow music at the end, but there’s a bright section that is more Austin’s character—more bubbly and happy—and the audience will be tapping along because it’s fun, charming, and light.”

Along with work from the legends, the orchestra began practicing Hulsizer’s composition in mid-August, sometimes with him sitting in front to experience the full effect. He made small edits along the way, sometimes with pacing to help the flow. Then he’d sit in the orchestra, playing his part and trying to listen to the sounds everyone else was producing.

“It’s not the most challenging part for me,” Hulsizer said of his ability to play and listen at the same time. “There is some high stuff—and sometimes I complain about people writing stuff that is too high for trumpet—and I realized I got a little bit ahead of myself. But that’s kind of what trumpet players do. Thankfully, I’m the one playing the high parts, and it’s my own responsibility and I didn’t push that on everyone else.”

Hulsizer said he could probably spend another year continuing to make small edits to get the piece exactly as he’d like, but he understands it’s time to let it go and allow his friends make him sound good.

“I’m curious to experience it during the performance and see how I feel about it,” Hulsizer said. “It has been a little bit stressful, but I think it will be cool to have it played at a concert.”

And if he is encouraged by the result, maybe someday Hulsizer’s name will again appear on the whiteboard at the front of the room.