Moorpark College Wind Ensemble set to showcase legendary composers in its upcoming Music for a Sunday Afternoon concert.

It’s hard to imagine what was going through the mind of the first person to pick up a piece of dried fruit shell and blow into it, creating what would be one of the first musical sounds.

What was invented in that moment, probably by accident, was the first known wind instrument. It has evolved in many ways, and its variations can be heard in virtually every musical genre. Moorpark College has a wind ensemble of its own, and on Sun. Dec. 10, they will perform compositions from several of these genres.

Brendan McMullin, a music professor, and the music director for the Moorpark College Wind Ensemble, said that the ensemble will perform some pieces of music from the impressionist period, which draws on the idea of using broad musical strokes to convey emotion.

“We’re doing a few impressionist pieces by Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy,” McMullin said. “Impressionism as applied to music, is about using the streaks of colors to emote some type of emotion or some story behind what’s happening.”

The Moorpark College Wood Ensemble is set to perform in the upcoming Music for a Sunday Afternoon concert on Sunday Dec. 10, at 2:00 p.m. Moorpark students and families are invited to witness this ensemble perform compositions written by several legendary composers including Debussy, Ravel and film composer John Williams.

McMullin said that one of the other Moorpark College professors, Virginia Figueiredo, will be performing a few pieces, as a clarinet soloist.

“Clarinet professor Virginia Figueiredo is going to be featured. We’re doing a couple clarinet pieces with her, including Black Dog,” McMullin said. “It’s kinda like this avant-garde piece that treats the wind ensemble like it’s the heavy metal band and the clarinet soloist is like the high, screeching, heavy metal singer. It’s pretty cool.”

McMullin also said that the wind ensemble is highly proficient.

“The level of players that we have is amazing, McMullin said. “We’re playing some very ambitious music. So the fact that it’s being tackled is a huge, huge accomplishment.”

Peter Blok, 19, a Moorpark College applied music major, trumpet player, and member of the wind ensemble, said that the concert will feature music from a variety of genres and historical time periods.

“You can expect to see a wide range of genres, ranging from Impressionistic to classical,” Blok explained. “And modern, post-modern and rock, actually.”

Blok also said that he enjoys playing the romantic period pieces, because “it sounds really cool.”

“I prefer the more romantic pieces,” Blok said. “I feel like it’s a lot more loose than classical music in terms of what it sounds like. Personally, it sounds really cool.”

Julian Perez, 18, a Moorpark College applied music major, euphoniumist, and member of the wind ensemble, said that he enjoys performing and gives it all he’s got.

“My favorite part is just performing it, and doing the best I can,” said Perez.

Perez also said that family and friends should come to the concert to enjoy good music and have a good time.

“Come down, you know, to listen to some great music,” Perez said. “Have a good time with some friends and family!”

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For more information and tickets to the Moorpark College Wind Ensemble concert, please visit www.moorparkcollege.edu/PAC, or call the box office at (805) 378-1485.