Musicians often specialize in a single genre, some rarely venturing into other realms. For Lawrence University junior Vivian Shanley, this was not an option. Through the double bass, Shanley has discovered just how versatile one instrument can be, using it to explore a broad spectrum of musical traditions during her time at Lawrence.
Her recent victory in the Wind Ensemble Concerto Competition is a case in point. Set for performance with the LU Wind Ensemble in Memorial Chapel on May 3 (concert begins at 7:30 p.m.), Shanley’s winning piece—Dana Wilson’s Concerto for Contrabass and Wind Ensemble—is rich with allusions to many musical styles.
“There are definitely some jazz influences,” said Shanley, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. “There are also a lot of Afro-Cuban influences, some avant-garde jazz influences. I would call it groove-based music. I hope the audience is dancing in their seats a little bit.”
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The piece’s shifting styles include a general improvisatory aesthetic—so convincing, in fact, that Shanley said she has received compliments on her “improvised sections,” even though the entire work is fully written out.
She insists that the piece’s inventiveness isn’t rooted in unjustified randomicity. Instead, its high-energy character arises from meticulously organized material.
“There’s so much kind of call and response between the bass and the wind ensemble, both as a whole and with individual players,” she said. “It’s really fun to listen to, whether you’ve heard it a million times like I have, or for the first time.”
Furthermore, each of the concerto’s three movements is titled and inspired by a poem; the wide-ranging authors include Walt Whitman, Hildegard von Bingen, and William Butler Yeats. Though each portion presents a distinct soundscape, Shanley observes a subtle narrative linking them together.
“In my mind, I have a story I've made up and applied to it,” she said. “I hope everyone else creates their own narrative too. It feels like a journey, and to me it's all connected.”
Genre is not the only plurality in Shanley’s musical life; her instruments include not just the double bass, but French horn and piano. In fact, it was the latter that first drew her to music at just 5 years old.
“As soon as I started playing piano, I thought, I want to do this for the rest of my life: playing music,” Shanley said.
Quickly though, the bass became her calling card.
“I joined my orchestra in fifth grade on bass; I was just so drawn to the sound,” she recalled. “You kind of have to be, because it's such a pain to haul around a bass. But I love how it’s so integral to so many styles of music. It can be the harmonic foundation, rhythmic framework, or a soloist.”
That versatility made Lawrence University her ideal choice. She is majoring in music performance (double bass) and music education.
“I really came to Lawrence because I wanted to study with Mark Urness,” Shanley said. “But I’ve stayed for so many more reasons. I love playing in the orchestra with Mark Dupere and playing in LUJE [Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble] with Patty Darling. Even when my focus [has shifted]—between orchestra, solo music, jazz, or teaching—Lawrence has always supported me.”
After her performance this week, Shanley has a busy summer ahead. She’ll be attending the Domaine Forget International Festival and bass-focused Wabass Institute, and she's preparing for her first professional orchestra audition in June.
“The audition preparation has been a really exciting new challenge," she said. "My whole musical career, I've been focused on one gigantic piece at a time. Now I'm working on 24 different orchestral excerpts. They're all short, but all so different. It’s been super fun."
Long-term, Shanley sees graduate school in her future, but not right away. First, she’ll complete student teaching as part of her major in music education.
“I love being a student,” she said with a laugh. “I think I want to be a teacher because it's the closest you can get to just being a student forever.”
