The Ohio State Show Band Autumn 2024 members featuring Shawn Wallace (front), director of the show band. Courtesy of:Shawn Wallace
Music by two of the industry’s biggest icons will be brought to life on stage at Ohio State Sunday.
The Ohio State Show Band, a commercial ensemble led by director Shawn Wallace, is set to present a free performance titled “Mike & Tina: The Music of Michael Jackson and Tina Turner” Sunday from 3-6 p.m. at the Weigel Auditorium — located at 1866 College Road N, according to the Ohio State School of Music website.
Wallace said the first half of the show will feature songs from Turner’s discography, while the second half will focus on Jackson’s, with a costume change in between.
Courtney Reyann, the ensemble’s assistant director and vocal coordinator, said she hopes Jackson’s and Turner’s distinct musical energies will be evident in the performance.
“[Jackson] and [Turner] complement each other very, very well,” Reyann said. “The songs going back to back are super cohesive and flow very well.”
Wallace, also a professor of Jazz Saxophone, said the show aims to highlight the significant contributions and adversities both artists faced, all while providing students with hands-on experience using technology.
In contrast to typical academic shows — during which professors might pause to provide commentary and students flip through sheet music — Wallace said this performance will be a fully produced show, including voiceovers introducing segments and music videos playing in the background.
“It’s an opportunity for students to experience the whole process of producing a tour-quality show,” Wallace said. “If you were to go see a Justin Timberlake show — or anything like that — that’s the kind of show that we’re producing. It’s not an academic show.”
According to Wallace, music can be sorted into three categories: art, liturgical and social. The Ohio State Show Band focuses on social music, which includes the commercial and pop music outgrowths, and aims to create an engaging experience for participating members as well as audience members.
“We want people to laugh, we want people to have a good time and we want people to come back,” Wallace said.
Wallace said performances like this are designed to equip students with the necessary skills to perform social music in ensembles or groups, such as concert bands, orchestras and jazz big bands.
“My primary thing is that the students that are participating in the show get the experience interfacing with what’s going to be a lot more similar to their experience in the real world,” Wallace said.
Reyann said in addition to receiving a classical music education, members of the Ohio State Show Band gain valuable experience performing popular music.
“It’s one of the few groups at [Ohio State], within the School of Music, that does incorporate more popular music, which can be very appealing to younger people,” Reyann said.
Reyann said working with the ensemble’s vocalists for this event has been a wonderful experience, noting the band has an excellent attitude, high energy and a strong ability to collaborate.
“The musicians are amazing, and they put in so much work to these shows,” Reyann said.
According to Ohio State’s website, the event is free and does not require any registration. More information about the event can be found on the School of Music’s website.
