10 years later, Fritzinger returns to Campus Band

Whitney Fritzinger with her husband, Andy.
Whitney Fritzinger with her husband, Andy.

It’s been a few years since Whitney Fritzinger took her seat amongst her bandmates and they performed music together – 10 years to be exact -- but she’s been overjoyed with her decision to sign back up for the experience again.

Fritzinger is playing with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Glenn Korff School of Music Jack R. Snider Concert Band as part of the Campus Band. They will be having a performance on Thursday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. in Kimball Recital Hall. It’s a performance that will also be live webcast.

“Oh boy has it been fun!” Fritzinger said. “I am amazed that I can still play after 10 years; muscle memory is incredible! In many ways, it feels like riding a bike again for the first time after a long hiatus. I know what I want to do or play but it doesn’t always come out sounding quite right. I hadn’t considered that I would have to learn how to count rests in music again - that was probably the funniest thing to relearn! I have loved being in a room full of band kids and especially enjoyed the company of my fellow oboist, Cody. He has been fantastic, helping me figure out how to play the right notes as well as making me laugh every week. I play a few times a week off campus when I practice at home.”

Fritzinger began playing piano when she was in elementary school and started flute when she was in middle school. When she was a freshman in high school, she switched from flute to oboe. She played oboe in band for four years and one semester of campus band in college (the spring semester of 2007). Of those three instruments, the oboe is her favorite. She attended Nebraska from 2007-2010 and graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry.

“I recognized Whitney at our first class meeting (this year),” Director of the Campus Bands Douglas Bush said. “I was trying to figure how. Then after class, Whitney walked up and explained she had been in Campus Band 10 years ago and she was now working for the university. The fact she enjoyed her experience so much as an undergrad that she would make time for band now, really struck me. I love the idea of university employees joining us in that way. How cool!”

In August Fritzinger was hired by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and learned that one of the benefits of being a University employee was the opportunity to enroll in classes.

“Last summer was also my 10-year high school reunion which I missed due to scheduling conflicts, but thinking about high school must’ve made me a bit nostalgic - I knew I wanted to play in band again!” she said.

Fritzinger is the Quality Manager at the Veterinary Diagnostic Center. The VDC is an American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) accredited full-service diagnostic laboratory with an emphasis on food anima diagnostic services and disease surveillance. It is Nebraska’s only veterinary diagnostic lab accredited by the AAVLD, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the National Animal Health Laboratory Network. My role as Quality Manager is to develop, manage, and implement the Quality Assurance Program for the VDC. I write, edit, and update Standard Operating Procedures and focus on laboratory compliance.

“There is so much I enjoy about music, but what I love the most is that it is very different from my day-to-day work,” she said. “It’s refreshing after a long day to be able to shut out everything and play for a few hours.

The Campus Band rehearses and performs in the spring semester only. The two sections of Campus Band rehearse one night a week, either on Tuesdays or on Thursdays, from 6:30 to 8:20. Membership in the Campus Band is open to any member of the university community, and music majors as well as non-majors are encouraged to join. There is no audition required. Contact Douglas Bush or contact the Band Office (Westbrook Music Building, room 101, 402-472-2505) for additional information.

“I have loved every minute of being part of a band again. It’s challenging, rewarding, and fun. If you’ve ever thought of playing in campus band, DO IT. It’s worth it!”