The Gustavus Wind Orchestra under the direction of Dr. James Patrick Miller is proud to announce the digital release of their new album, Heroes: Facing Adversity and Destiny. A result of the GWO virtual tour in the spring of 2021, this album includes music from major Hollywood productions such as How to Train Your Dragon, Schindler’s List, and Star Wars.
Touring is very important to the Gustavus community, and, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Gustavus Wind Orchestra was unable to tour as they normally would. Changes had to be made to make sure safety protocols were in place. Despite the adversity of this pandemic, students were eager to create and perform music to an audience. The roaring spirit of Gusties resulted in a major live stream virtual tour recorded in April.
“The album represents an incredible achievement for our students,” says Miller. “Their hard work, attention to detail, time, effort, and energy during this challenging year was inspiring. To create a virtual tour video and release an album across all streaming platforms while seated six feet apart, masked, and using bellcovers is a success unlike any I have seen in my 17 years as a professor. The students did truly magnificent work.”
The COVID-19 pandemic made society rethink the word ‘hero’. People often associate heroes with superpowers and beyond human abilities. During the challenging times society faced over the last year and a half, medical professionals, teachers, front line workers, and first responders emerged as our unsung heroes. “Students were challenged to compare how Hollywood portrays heroes in comparison to real heroes that live among us each and every day,” reflects Miller.
Heroes: Facing Adversity and Destiny is available on all major streaming platforms, and a link to the 2021 Virtual Tour can be found here, on the Gustavus Fine Arts YouTube page.