Music Composition junior Caitlin Gilmore's work to be part of Wet Ink Performances

Caitlin Gimore
Caitlin Gimore

Columbus, Nebraska native Caitlin Gilmore did everything musical in high school. Marching band, jazz choir -- you name it she was a part of it.

So it’s not really surprising that she took a love to composing. Gilmore is one of many music composition program students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Glenn Korff School of Music who will have their ability showcased at the Wet Ink performances on November 12 and 13 in the Westbrook Music Building, Room 119. Both nights’ performances start at 7:30 p.m.

“I would write songs and run them by my piano teacher, who was a saint and also happen to be our accompanist in high school and ask her if they sounded ok,” Gilmore said, who is a junior at UNL. “I didn’t know anything about theory. I just wrote by ear. I wrote by hand because I didn’t know notation software existed since I was from a small town and no one told me.”

She hand wrote music for her friends to play. She hand wrote music for herself to play on the piano because that is the only thing she knew.

“I really auditioned here (at UNL) because they had a Nebraska Young Artist Award when I was a junior and I won the competition. I didn’t realize I was good at composition until I won the award. I didn’t think I was going to be a composer till I got here. It worked out really well.”

As for Wet Ink, Gilmore shared her excitement and said, “It’s really cool. They encourage all of us to do it. It’s a good chance for composers, especially those of us that haven’t had our music played by other people. My freshman year it was a really big experience for me. It’s a great opportunity. You work with the other departments because you need to ask the other instrumentalists to play your music. You get to meet them and you get to talk with the professors and as a freshman you don’t really know anybody. You have to ask who can play for me? It’s a good way to make friends and connections.”

Glenn Korff School of Music students get their music performed as well as a recording at Wet Ink. Gilmore said the event is usually geared towards smaller ensembles because they are easier to put together, since it’s a short amount of time to prepare. It allows the composers a chance to run a rehearsal, the experience of putting a rehearsal together and organizing musicians. Gilmore added that musicians at the Glenn Korff School of Music are amazing!

“They want us to be presenting music that we’ve worked on that semester or recently,” Gilmore said. “It’s our newest music. It’s a really nice thing. UNL is one of just a few schools that do something like this. It’s a showcase for the composers.”

And how has Gilmore witnessed her growth since stepping foot on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus.

“There is just so much more depth in what I’m writing,” Gilmore said. “My freshman year I put on a cello and piano piece. It was the first time I’d written for strings. I had to learn a lot. Then I wrote a trombone piece for my two friends. Then my sophomore year I did a flute and piano piece. Then I put on my piano trio. This semester I’m doing a solo double bass. My friend, Sam Loeck, is an amazing bass player. He’s so good. He told me last year that he would play anything that I wrote. I wrote him a whole new piece. I think it is pretty sweet. It’s called Stagnation.

“He’ll have three weeks to put it together. I like to be really prepared and get it to the performers as soon as I can. That way they have more time to look and it. It increases the chances of a better live performance. I try to gear my music to the musicians so they like it and want to play it. You can either write it for the musician or for yourself and I try to do both.”

It’s a busy time at the University of Nebraska Lincoln Glenn Korff School of Music as many student ensembles will take the stage to perform during the month of November, including Wet Ink.



Other upcoming performances include:

November 19 – Percussion Ensemble, 7:30 p.m., Kimball Recital Hall (Tickets $5 adults, $3 students/seniors)

November 20 – Jazz Combos, 7:30 p.m., Westbrook Music Building Room 119

November 24 – ChamberFest, 1, 4, 7:30 p.m., Kimball Recital Hall

November 25 – Large Brass Ensembles, 7:30 p.m., Westbrook Music Building Room 119

More details at: http://go.unl.edu/gpdw