Overview of Symphony Orchestra and Wind Band as different Entities of Dissertation

Overview of Symphony Orchestra and Wind Band as different Entities of Music - Dissertation Example Some people think music is all around us and in everything that we do. There are those who also think collectively, music is a spice that gives the world its sweet piece of aroma and taste. But for however one perceives music, it could just be right to admit that there are thousands of factors that go into the creation and formation of music than mere coincidence. Music is actually created and this is what makes music an art. Talking about the creation of music, mention can be made of the different elements that come together to make the formation of music complete. One of such adorable elements that always stand out in the composition of music is ensembles. The kind of ensembles present and how they are used to form or create music also goes a long way to talk of the kind of music we have. Largely, the presence of different ensembles and how these are put to gather to create music would bring two major groups of music to bear and these two groups are symphony orchestra and the Ameri can wind band. There are many who have thought that because these two groups primarily end up in the creation or composition of music, there should actually not be any need differentiating them but that is technically not correct. (Forest, 2008). This research paper therefore tries to take a direct look at symphony orchestra and the American wind band in terms of practical musical issues that differentiate them and that account for reasons why composers make a choice between writing for orchestra or band. Difference in Instrumentation Instrumentation remains a major phenomenon in the discussion of the differences between orchestra and band. Typically, the instrumentation refers to the assembly of musical ensembles or instruments available to the two types of musical composition (Diamond, 2009). On a larger scale, orchestra is often thought to be with a standard instrumentation; a concept that is largely absent in the American wind band. Without implying that a band does not need all the ensembles in an orchestra to function, a band, can well function without a fraction of most of the ensembles that are needed in a typical orchestra. For this reason, orchestra is generally seen as a more standardized instrument based outfit than a band. This is very much because unlike a band, an orchestra can just not function properly in the absence of most of the so called standard instrumentations. In the count of ensembles rather than individual players on a band and an orchestra therefore, it would be true to say that an orchestra is a larger musical outfit than a band. It would also be true to say that an orchestra is a well organized musical outfit than a band. There are some music historians who even believe that in terms of differences in instrumentation, an orchestra is a more professional body of music than a band. Young Composers (2008) for instance writes that â€Å"â€Å"Wind Band" is a large ensemble consisting of many woodwinds, brass, and percussion.† He further states that â€Å"a "Wind Symphony" could be considered a larger or more technically skilled ensemble, with additional instruments, more players, and with a repertoire more difficult, expansive, and varied.† Organization There exist major differences between orchestra and band that result from their organization on a typical musical stage. Given a very typical musical show, the kind of technical organization that will take place within the orchestra is totally different from what will be experienced for a band. Most often than not, the differences in organization emanate from differences in instrumentation. As it has been indicated earlier, the types of instrumentation used in orchestras are totally different