Texas Wesleyan’s Music Department hosted the first Wind Ensemble concert of the semester on Thursday night in Nicholas Martin Hall.

Dr. Paul Sikes, the director of instrumental studies, was the concert’s director.

Alicia Smith, a senior music major, attended the event to support her “fellow music majors.”

“It’s really great to see a band work together,” she said. “I hear them up here all the time practicing, but it’s cool how they can practice separately and then come together and it works really well together.”

Smith felt proud of seeing all of the students perform a show.

“It’s really cool to hear the success that other students are working towards just like you are working towards your major, music majors are also working towards their major,” she said. “This is what we do. We put out music for other people to listen to and enjoy.”

Smith described the show as lyrical, fun, lighthearted, and energetic.

“It was a nice variety and the band members played well,” Smith said.

Video by Elena Maldonado

She said that one of her favorite pieces that the band played was Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Rhosymedre.”

“I really like Ralph Williams’ [piece] because it is very lyrical and it paints a picture,” she said. “It’s a little programmatic, so I like that.”

As stated in the pamphlet, the program consisted of the pieces “Ride,” “They Led My Lord Away,” “The Black Horse Troop,” “Rhosymedre,” and “Scenes from the Louvre.”

Erica Vega, mother of junior music major Jose Vega, was at the concert to see her son play the cello.

She said she felt emotional about seeing him perform as it was the first time she was able to be at one of the concerts.

“This is my first (concert) because (Jose) remembered to tell me,” she said.

She said she will be bringing more family to future concerts she plans on attending, including “his grandmothers, his aunt, and probably his siblings and his dad.”

Mary Cerda attended the concert to watch her son James Cerda, a music major, perform. He plays the trombone.

“I have seen him play before, but this is the first time I see him perform here,” she said.

She enjoyed watching the students perform because she knows they enjoy performing.

She also said people who did not go and watch the show missed out on experiencing a great concert.

“It was a great performance and just a great show,” Cerda said.

Video by Elena Maldonado