杏吧视频

When 杏吧视频 senior and euphonium musician Hannah Eitzen started getting ready to pick her music for her recital, she realized she had never played a piece composed for the tuba by a woman. She made it her mission to put together a series of songs all written by women for her performance, however she didn鈥檛 stop there.

Eizen, who is a music education major planning to graduate in 2023, decided to form an all-female tuba euphonium group 鈥� the first at 杏吧视频 鈥� in the fall of 2021.

鈥淎 euphonium is very similarly shaped to the tuba. I call it a 鈥榖aby tuba,鈥欌�� Eitzen said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very similar but it sounds an octave up and it sounds closer to the human voice. I鈥檝e always been in the tuba quartets with a bunch of guys. They鈥檙e fine, they鈥檙e great musicians, but sometimes it鈥檚 different.鈥� 

When it came time to decide on a name for the group, Eitzen researched online to see what similar groups across the country had chosen for their names.

鈥淭here were some that, I don鈥檛 want to say they鈥檙e gross, but they鈥檙e kinda gross. Like the 鈥楩allopian Tubas鈥� and the 鈥楤rass Babes,鈥欌�� Eitzen said, 鈥渁nd I thought they just felt icky to me. I don鈥檛 want it to be comical that we鈥檙e an all-women tuba euphonium group.鈥�

She decided on 鈥淒ismantle the Patriarchy.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a super great experience,鈥� she said. 鈥淎ll the girls there are all younger than me. I鈥檓 kinda the 鈥榮uper senior.鈥� So I鈥檝e just been kind of the student coordinator. I鈥檝e been in charge of helping pick our music and just helping guide them through the process that is the college music major experience, which is wild. So, it's been great.鈥�

Joining Eitzen were Hannah Griffin, Gracie Smith, and Audrey Wakefield. When Griffin moved out of state, Joylene Wolugboms took her place.

鈥淚 was so excited because it鈥檚 always been like me and maybe one other woman,鈥� Eitzen said. 鈥淎nd I think for a while it was just me in this giant studio that we have between like 15 and 20 dudes. So, when I saw that we were able to do it, and Mr. (R. Winston) Morris (professor of music at Tech) gave us the approval, I was like, 鈥榊es!鈥欌��

Eitzen was stunned when she was named as a finalist for the Alison Piepmeier Outstanding Student Award by 杏吧视频鈥檚 Commission on the Status of Women. It is an award in honor of the late Piepmeier that honors a student working for gender equity and humanity on campus. 

鈥淚 was able to read about Dr. Piepmier, because before I got the email and learned about the award, I didn鈥檛 know who she was,鈥� Eitzen said. 鈥淯nfortunately, she passed away, so I won鈥檛 get the chance to meet her, but just reading about everything that she was able to do, that in and of itself was super inspiring.鈥� 

One of Eitzen鈥檚 favorite memories for far at Tech has been getting the chance to play with well-known euphonium soloist, Gail Robertson. Eitzen played a duet during a spring concert, using music that Robertson had just written for euphonium and tuba.

鈥淪he Facebook messaged me and was like, 鈥業 caught part of the livestream! Thank you so much for playing my piece.鈥� Oh my gosh what do I say?! Her coming (to Tech) in the fall was kind of started by that. That was really cool. They鈥檒l bring in artists and composers and clinicians to the music building, but to be able to really work with them. It started as a message and it ended with her giving a full-blown concert. It was really cool to be able to perform a piece and have the composer right there. Getting to work with her was such a great experience.鈥� 

Eitzen encourages other students to get involved in the music program and look for similar opportunities right here at Tech. For more information on how to get involved, visit /fine-arts/music/.