Musicians & Music
Meet the extraordinary men and women of Northshore Concert Band who have dedicated their lives to making music!
PATRICK WALL
Patrick Wall plays the Clarinet and has been with the Northshore Concert Band since 2016. He is a band director and lives in Chicago.
When and why did you start playing? I have loved music since childhood and started playing when I joined band in 6th grade. I started with horn but quickly moved to the clarinet because I was drawn to its dark, woody timbre.
What do you enjoy most about playing? Playing music at the highest possible level is a transcendent experience for me, and I can never get enough of it. Striving to attain perfection is the driving force behind everything that I do as a musician.
Do you have a favorite musical memory? I'll name one that doesn't involve me as a player: Once upon a time in Paris, a friend and I desperately wanted to see the Bolchoi Ballet perform Adolphe Adam's "Le Corsaire" at the Palais Garnier. We went a few days before to buy tickets, but they were sold out. We left looking depressed and a guy who, bizarrely, looked just like Robert DeNiro approached us and opened his trench coat pocket (yes, he was wearing a tan trench coat, and yes there were a bunch of tickets inside!). We purchased two tickets for loge seats, house right with a perfect view of the pit and the stage. The performance, not to mention the palace, were stunning and unforgettable.
What are your musical influences?Mozart, Debussy, Modernism, Dada, Punk Rock
Who was your most influential music teacher? Michael Sussman
Does anyone in your family play music?Yes.
What’s on your iPod? Everything worthwhile that I can get my hands on, from early music to the contemporary.
Do you have any advice for young musicians?Have an efficient system for practicing and stick to it. Do it every day and establish goals for each session. This will help you get better, faster. Consistency in practicing means consistency on the stage.
What makes performing with Northshore Concert Band different than performing with other groups? I love playing with NCB and advocate for the ensemble strongly. It is a very high caliber ensemble, from its musicianship to its leadership. I look forward to rehearsals every week and prepare heavily to contribute with the best of my abilities.
List three words to describe the Northshore Concert Band.Professional, second-to-none, highly-organized
Please add anything else that you would like our audience to know about you. I am a gourmand and I love to cook, especially French food. I also love to travel and have visited over sixteen countries. I am fluent in French, as well as Rhode Island French joual, and I am learning Farsi.
Learn more about the Northshore Concert Band at http://www.northshoreband.org
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