Member Since: 21/11/2005
Band Website: www.xanga.com/october1324
Band Members: Musician Spotlight: Jori Pulver Max Petersen News EditorOne day when Jori Pulver ’07 was in third grade at Fremont Elementary School, her class took a seemingly routine trip to an assembly. There, she saw an eighth grader perform Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee, an aptly named song noted for its frenzied flurry of notes. “I was transfixed. I thought it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen in my life,†she says. Jori pinpoints that moment as the specific event that triggered her interest in music - an interest that has blossomed into a passion - but her parents, Owen and Teri, have also played a highly significant role in her growth as a musician. Specifically, her father has fostered her passion by providing her with a multitude of instruments. “He goes on business trips and always brings back some sort of new instrument to try and get me to play,†Jori says. “So far, he's brought home a trombone, cornet, bugle, bassoon, harmonica, guiro, banjo, violin-lute, flute, accordion and an auto-chord.†Jori’s primary instruments are the B-flat, A, and bass clarinets, and the alto and tenor saxophones. She also dabbles in more popular instruments such as guitar, bass and drums, but her favorite to play is the bass clarinet. “I love the sound,†she says. “I'm a bigger fan of low sounds than high, and plus it's taken me to so many places.†Those places include the top bands in school from fifth grade to the present (she has been a member of the Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble since her freshman year, and is a drum major in the Marching Band at MHS), the Illinois Music Educator’s Association (IMEA), where she has been first chair bass clarinet for three years, Honor Band of America, where last year she was first chair bass clarinet, the North Shore Concert Band, and the Midwest Young Artists symphony orchestra (MYA). Of all those groups, the one she is most involved in is MYA. MYA is an orchestra program featuring orchestras, big bands, and choirs. Jori is a member of the highest orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra, and also plays in a five-member chamber group. Her orchestra has played at Millennium Park and Ravinia, and will later this year play at the University of Illinois. MYA also takes international summer trips, and Jori hopes to be able to go for the Korea trip in 2007. Unlike most youth groups, MYA plays the real versions of classical pieces, as a professional orchestra might perform them. To pull this off, MYA relies on not only the exceptional talent of its musicians, but also on four-hour rehearsals every Saturday. All that time adds up. “Between the classes I take during school, practicing, and going to outside orchestra rehearsals and lessons, it’s probably a good 12 hours per week that I spend with music,†she says. Honor Band of America was a process that began with Jori’s recording an eight-minute audition tape and culminated in a concert at Butler University in Indianapolis with some of the best young musicians in the country. “HBOA was one of the best experiences of my life thus far,†she says. “I remember when I got my acceptance letter last year I was stunned, and even more so when I found out I got a 96/100 on my audition recording. Then I went there and it was just amazing to meet so many talented musicians from around the country. Getting first chair was just the icing on the cake! I'm really excited to go back again this year - I even improved two points on my recording!†Jori’s plans for the future involve lots of music. First, she says, “I want to go to college and most likely study to be a band or orchestra director,†although, if she can persuade a college to offer it, she might pursue a major in bass clarinet. Then, “I also want to be in a professional orchestra some day, maybe in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, or wherever else my music takes me. I also want to tour the world with a group.†Wherever it is that her music ends up taking her, Jori has an impressive resume to offer any group. MHS is lucky to have a musician of her caliber within its walls.
Influences: Colleen Corning, Kate Guarna, Eric Niessner, Adam Gross, Eric Dolphy, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, etc.
Sounds Like: a bass clarinet .
Type of Label: Major