Music! Its Role and Importance in Our Lives

Chapter 2: Music as Culture

From the Top

Name: Well-Tempered Pans
Ages: 15-18

Well Tempered Pans member Francis Totten on performing the "Rondo" from Mozart's Eine Kleine Nacht Musik on the From the Top radio show:

Q: What are your thoughts and feelings about this piece of music?

A: When I was learning to play Eine Kleine Nacht Musik, to tell the truth, I liked it because I like the name of the song (long story) and I played bass. I love playing the bass, and in this song, there are some great runs that are a lot of fun to play, especially one near the end. And, I say the faster it's played, the more fun it is. There are other parts that I like too, but there are too many to name. The whole song is fun to play; there's really no part I don't like. Playing it at Music Hall with my friends made the song even better in my mind.

Q: What is unique or special about this piece of music?

A: The way Eine Kleine Nacht Musik was unique when my group played it, was that we played it on steel drums. This made it unique for me because it was the first time the song had been played on steel drums, instead of being played by an orchestra. This made it a little more difficult to get the dynamics right, especially for me on the bass. I had to move quickly sometimes and yet still manage to play piano. It was hard to not hit the notes too hard and make the drums clang. It was a great challenge!

Q: What was it like preparing for and appearing on From the Top?

A: Preparing for From the Top was a lot of fun. First of all, I love the people that were in the group with me. We had a lot of practices in the summer, before school, and after school. So, I got to see everyone in the group a lot. Second of all, the music was fun. It got a little difficult when we came together to practice, but it was worth it when we got it down and played together at Music Hall. Now, every time I hear it or practice it, it reminds me of all the fun I had playing it and of all the people I met. It really was so much fun, playing and hearing all the other performers. I would definitely do it all again. Also, because of the From the Top performance, I got to go to Florida with last year's group of seniors at Clark. Since the Florida trip spanned the five days before the From the Top performance, those of us who weren't seniors had to go on the trip so we could practice and be ready to record and play at Music Hall when we got back. There is so much more I will never forget about my experiences, but there's just not enough room to put it all in words.