Oral History Program Blaine Blondquist Interviewed by Noel Blondquist 20 May 1971 i Oral History Program Weber State University Stewart Library Ogden, Utah Blaine Blondquist Interviewed by Noel Blondquist 20 May 1971 Copyright © 2012 by Weber State University, Stewart Library ii Mission Statement The Oral History Program of the Stewart Library was created to preserve the institutional history of Weber State University and the Davis, Ogden and Weber County communities. By conducting carefully researched, recorded, and transcribed interviews, the Oral History Program creates archival oral histories intended for the widest possible use. Interviews are conducted with the goal of eliciting from each participant a full and accurate account of events. The interviews are transcribed, edited for accuracy and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewees (as available), who are encouraged to augment or correct their spoken words. 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These oral history assignments were created to help Weber State students learn the value and importance of recording public history and to benefit the expansion of the Weber State oral history collections. ____________________________________ Oral history is a method of collecting historical information through recorded interviews between a narrator with firsthand knowledge of historically significant events and a well-informed interviewer, with the goal of preserving substantive additions to the historical record. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a spoken account. 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It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Blondquist, Blaine, an oral history by Noel Blondquist, 20 May 1971, WSU Stewart Library Oral History Program, University Archives, Stewart Library, Weber State University, Ogden, UT. iii Abstract: The following is an oral history interview with Blaine Blondquist. The interview was conducted on May 20, 1971 by Noel Blondquist. Mr. Blondquist talks about his affiliation with the Golden Spike Orchestra, how it is funded, how it was developed, and his future intentions for the orchestra. NB: Mr. Blondquist, how is the Golden Spike Orchestra organized? BB: Five years ago when Mr. Arch Stokes was the director of music for the Weber County Schools, he conceived the idea of organizing a youth orchestra for this area. He received a planning grant from the Federal Government under a Title III Project. Then we received an operating grant which financed the orchestra for three years. NB: In what year was the orchestra actually completely organized? BB: Well, it was four years ago. That would be 1967. NB: How many schools and counties would be involved in this orchestra? BB: There were four counties: Box Elder, Weber, North Davis, and Morgan. NB: From each of these counties, how many students are able to participate and how many orchestras? BB: Well, it averages about 300 students each year and at the present time we've had four different orchestras involved in the project: a senior symphony, a junior symphony, a chamber orchestra, and a training strings. The range from elementary through junior high and senior high school. 1 NB: With the program setup with the different directors, how were you able to select the directors and musicians to work with each one of these organizations? BB: The planning committee organized the setup of the orchestra. They interviewed conductors and section leaders and the assignment was made at that time. Many of our conductors and section leaders have been with the orchestra (since it was organized). There have been a few changes, but not very many. NB: What are your present directors and section leaders? BB: Loren Crawford is the conductor of the senior symphony; Bruce Ericksen, the conductor of the junior symphony; Ronald Archibald, the conductor of the chamber orchestra; and Dennis Hansfen directs the training strings. Dennis Hansen is our section leader for first violins; Janice Miller, second violins; Rita Germer, viola; Sharon Koga, cello; and Susan Summerhays, string bass. Keith Kopp, flutes and clarinets; Layne Merriweather, double reeds; Darrell Lund, the high brass; Gordon Jessop, the French horns; John Klein, the low brass, and Louise Schouten is the percussion section leader. NB: It looks like a large organization. Could you go into a little bit more detail about the financial structure? Is all of the money that was originally proposed from the Federal Government to be used to finance this organization? BB: Well, the money from the Title III Grant ran out last year. This is the first year, the current year that the orchestra was completely financed by the various school districts within the counties. And the student pays a $20.00 registration fee. So it is financed through registration fees and school money from each one of the districts. 2 NB: Where did the name "Golden Spike" come from and what is the significance for having that for the name? BB: In this area they call this area the Golden Spike area because out at Promontory Point the golden spike was driven. Murray Mouler down at the Ogden Standard Examiner came up with the title of the group. He called it the "Golden Spike Empire Youth Symphony Orchestra." NB: Since its organization in 1967, how do you feel that the purpose of the organization has been developed? BB: The first purpose was to provide a full symphony orchestra for the string players and wind players in this area. We feel that we have achieved this goal. We play symphonies, and we have had soloists with the group. We have had two pianists. We played the Grieg Piano Concerto, and this year we had the Schumann Piano Concerto. We play all of the established classical symphonic works for orchestra with the senior symphony. With the other groups, they are all placed in the orchestras according to their ability to play, and so we have to use easier music with each training group. NB: In your planning sessions how are you able to hear the music to the students? BB: Each conductor knows for a year in advance the age level of the students that he is going to be conducting and he tries to plan a year in advance the music to be performed by each group. NB: How many performances do you have during the year? BB: We have three formal concerts each year and they are held up at the Weber State College Fine Arts Auditorium. But we take the senior symphony on tour, and we've 3 played in every junior high school in the area. We've taken the senior symphony to Box Elder to play in the high school up there and we've performed in the junior highs and high schools in this area. We've also taken them up to Morgan to play for their high school up there. So we are trying to take the orchestra to all of the schools in the area. NB: Now does part of your financial help come in supporting these type of traveling assemblies? BB: Yes, we have the expenses for the transportation written into the budget which is approved by the superintendents of the area. NB: With these activities throughout the year, do you feel that this Golden Spike Orchestra takes away from the programs of the public schools, or does it add to it? BB: No, it adds to it. The students get training in orchestral literature through our section leaders and our fine conductors. We have a regulation that students have to be a member of the school orchestra to perform in the Golden Spike and many of our conductors in the various schools have told us that it has really developed their orchestras and has done much to raise the level of performance in all of the schools where these children go to school. NB: How has the general public accepted and felt about this orchestra and this organization? BB: We have a reception following each one of our formal concerts for each group. We have an opportunity to talk with the parents at that time. They have stated in all of our receptions, and we get letters of appreciation from parents, and they, without a doubt, feel that this is one of the finest projects in the area. Our superintendents are getting 4 quite a bit of feedback, also, from parents. They feel that it is a very worthwhile project. NB: Getting back to some of the finances, do you think that another federal grant will be available in the near future to help promote a program like this? BB: No. The federal grant was furnished to us for three years and when that runs out there is no chance to reinstate it or bring it back. It has to be financed locally. NB: Working in the rehearsals, could you give us some type of format that is used during your rehearsals and when you do practice, and how this is set up? BB: The practices are scheduled on Saturday morning. We begin at 8:00 a.m. For the first hour the members of the orchestra are in sections with their section leader and the conductor goes from one section to another to make sure that the work is being covered. Then, following the section rehearsal they have an hour rehearsal with the conductor. We have this scheduled for all of the groups. They all have a section rehearsal and they all have a full orchestra rehearsal every Saturday morning. We try to present our concerts with six rehearsals. NB: In these rehearsals are there any special techniques that you have seen developed by directors or something in music that is a new approach to helping work with the student? BB: We felt that the program was innovative from the very beginning. The section leaders are working on the fundamentals of musician-ship. They work on tone and embouchure, bowing styles and finger technique, and all of the technique and 5 playing that is necessary to develop a fine orchestra. We feel that our section leaders are the finest musicians that we have in the area. HB: Is there any way that this type of rehearsing, first with section leaders and then going in with the director could be implemented in your high schools on perhaps a two or three class periods throughout the week? Is there any way that it could be implemented in the public schools this way? BB: Yes. This would be an excellent idea, except that the public schools can't finance it. They usually hire one director and it is impossible to develop a band or orchestra with just one. That is, to develop it to a high degree of proficiency. We would like to have "Aids" or "Interns” or "Para-professionals" come in and work with individual sections in our public schools. When you do this, then you can really develop the student's technical ability and his performance on his instrument. HB: Then this really is a new program and something that is, maybe, a new step in music education. When the students qualify for this, is it through audition that they have to qualify to be in this organization? BB: At the beginning of each year we hold an audition. We place the student in each group according to his ability to play. HB: Do you think that it takes a lot more outside practice in order for a student to keep up with the Golden Spike? BB: Oh, yes. In order to develop, the section leaders can give them instructions on what to do, but they must practice at home. You see, every six weeks we present (every 6 six rehearsals, which would be six weeks we present) a concert and there is a great deal of outside preparation on the part of each student. HB: Have you received any favorable comments from the college or university level students who have gone through the Golden Spike program, in the way of proficiency. BB: We feel that in the string area particularly this has gone a great deal to bring the college orchestra, the Weber State College Orchestra, up to its fine level of performance this year. I think that I may not have these statistics exactly right, but I think that the first year after the Golden Spike was organized there was about 12% of the students from Golden Spike that participated in the Weber State College Orchestra. The next year it rose to 33% and the following year to 46%. So there is a great deal of carryover and we know that this is going to affect the overall quality of the Weber State College Orchestra. HB: In round figures could you give us some type of rough estimate of the cost of this type of program for the entire year: music, salaries, and facilities, and things? BB: The budget now that we have, and it has been reduced and reduced many times, but the budget that we have runs around $10,000 a year. Since the Golden Spike Orchestra was organized we have several youth symphonies in the area. There is one in Logan which is called the Northern Wasatch Youth Symphony. We have the Golden Spike Youth Symphony here in Ogden. Then down in Salt Lake they have the Granite Youth Symphony, and in Provo they have the Provo Youth Symphony. Once each year all of these orchestras get together for a full day on a Saturday. 7 They play for each other and then they have section rehearsals, and come back under different conductors, and play for each other again. HB: Then it looks like the program has really developed since the Golden Spike Orchestra was set up. BB: That is very true. HB: Thank you very much, Mr. Blondquist. We appreciate your help. 8