7QUESTIONS+PLUS

Garrett Kornman is the assistant director of the Kenosha Pops Band, which plays every Wednesday night at the Pennoyer Park bandshell. By day, he’s the Assistant Vice President of Business Banking at Bank of Kenosha, and at home he’s likely to be watching the Food Network. As for the things that inspired him to delve into music, thank that old record player and his baby-sitter.

Garrett Kornman will now take your questions ...

How did you become involved with the Kenosha Pops Band?

     What musical background do you have? I got involved with the Pops after Frank Germinaro took over as conductor and he appointed Craig Gall as his assistant. Frank told me the band was looking for a lead saxophonist and hoped I would be interested in playing. I knew and had worked with Craig during his years as a teacher in town, and in spite of that (joking, of course), I decided to give it a shot. This is now my 11th summer with the Pops. As far as my musical background, I started playing saxophone in fifth grade. I enjoyed it so much that by the time I graduated from high school I had also taken up the clarinet and flute. I also have a bachelors degree in music education from the University of Minnesota.

     Who (or what) inspired you to get into music?

     I don’t really remember what inspired me to get into music. There was always music in my house growing up, whether it be on the record player (yes, I do remember those), the radio, or with my dad trying to play the piano. I do remember having a sitter when I was young who played the tenor saxophone, which I thought was pretty cool and was probably the inspiration for me choosing that instrument. I also have two younger brothers that played the trumpet and the drums, so there were always interesting sounds coming from our house growing up.
     What do you do when you’re not conducting the Pops Band? In my free time, you will normally find me at some type of concert, theatrical event, sporting event (especially baseball and basketball), or concocting some type of culinary delight (hopefully) in the kitchen. Cooking is the newest bug that hit me over the last couple of years. I am absolutely addicted to the Food Network.

     How does banking relate to conducting a band?

     I like to joke with people that I am lucky that between banking and music I get to use both halves of my brain. But seriously there are some similar skills used in each. For instance, you have to be able to communicate with people in both positions, although in banking it is more verbal communication than in conducting. You also have to be organized enough to “do your homework” in both positions. Just like you need to get to know the businesses that bank with you inside and out in order to feel comfortable lending money to that business, you also need to know a piece of music inside and out to effectively conduct others in a performance of that piece.

     What’s in your CD player these days?

     I have really eclectic tastes in music, so there is normally a wide variety of music in my CD player to fit whatever mood I am in. Right now in the changer I have “Relaxing with the Miles Davis Quintet,” Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring,” Duke Ellington’s “New Orleans Suite,” Tower of Power’s “Souled Out,” and “Stories” by a local band called The MAHP that a friend of mine formed a number of years ago.

    Do you play any instruments? What is your favorite instrument?

    I learned to play just about every instrument possible (to varying degrees of success) as part of my music education studies in college, although my favorite instrument will always be the saxophone, which was the first instrument I learned to play.
What are the hardest or easiest aspects of being a conductor? I think the hardest part of being a conductor is trying to coax different sounds out of a group of 50-plus musicians, without being able to talk. Instead you need to be able to communicate using different gestures and especially facial expressions to convey to the group the specific sound that you are trying to achieve.

     How is the music picked for each performance?

     Every year around March, Craig Gall (the musical director) and myself will sit down and spit ball ideas for concert themes for the coming year. Once we have those in place, we will then go through the Pops music library and find music that would fit in with the specific themes. We are constantly searching for new arrangements to add to the band’s library as well, so we will spend a lot of time listening to demo CDs that are sent out by the publishing houses every year to see what might strike our collective fancies.

     What’s your favorite thing the Pops Band has done?

     Trying to pick out just one thing is difficult, but I would say that recording our newest CD, “Far Away Places” in the summer of 2005,was my most enjoyable experience with the organization thus far. I had been involved from a performance aspect on several other recordings, but with this, being involved in not only condicting and playing on the recording, but also the mixing and production of the final product was a real treat for me. The CD turned out great and everyone should go out and buy one (shameless promotion).

     What do you do during the offseason? I try to stay active in music and play whenever the opportunity arises. I still teach lessons to a few students each week and look forward to playing in a musical at St. Joe’s or with a pick up band in the area when needed.

    What advice do you have for aspiring musicians?

     Take the time to learn to play your instrument correctly, and then never stop playing. Listen to others that play your instrument (or even those who don’t) whenever possible. Even though I don’t play now as often as when I was younger, picking up my instrument at the end of a long day is still therepeutic for me. Even if you don’t pursue music as a career, it can still be a great release for you as you get older.

     How would you explain a Pops Band concert to someone who’s never seen the band perform? Picture several hundred people of all age groups sitting around in lawn chairs or even on the ground, listening to great music being performed by a lot of really talented musicians, in a setting that would be hard to duplicate anywhere else. That is the charm of a Kenosha Pops concert.

    What is the one thing you're looking forward to during this season's Pops Band concerts? I look forward most to the performances themselves. There is something so electric about performing in front of several hundred people, feeding off the energy that generates. It is a feeling that is never duplicated in rehearsal. No matter how many performances I am involved in, it gets your adrenaline flowing as if it were the first time.

    If you could have a super power, what would it be? I always thought it would be really cool to fly. Just to be able to take off and go wherever you want, whenever you want.

    Favorite TV show? My favorite show of this past year was probably “Heroes,” although I still enjoy watching “Scrubs,” “Deadliest Catch” and of course just about anything on the Food Network.
     Favorite movie? No contest, “Casablanca.” For me, everything with that movie was perfect. It doesn't matter how many times I watch it, it gets better with each viewing. They just don't make them like that anymore.