The Egan Early Music Room was dark, and the walls vibrated with voices, percussion and guitar. A professor and 14 students were in the room, and everyone was singing, dancing or playing an instrument. Latin American Ensemble's Thursday night rehearsal was well under way and only halfway done.
But next year, the ensemble's practice time will be cut in half, making practices like this one impossible. The ensemble, a one-credit course, began in 2001 as part of a tenure-track full-time position in Latin American Studies, but the professor in that position left four years ago.
Gabriel Espinosa of Central College has directed the ensemble four hours a week for the past four years since the departure of the original professor. "It was working great, because we had time to ensemble, piece by piece," he said. "It's going to hurt."
One reason for the cutback is to accommodate the Jazz Band, which will become a full-time ensemble in order to make the most of the recent addition of a full-time jazz professor to the faculty.
"Mostly, the rationale is that there is no tenure track full-time position associated with it," said Eugene Gaub, Music.
"One of the things about Latin American Ensemble is that it's growing quite a bit," Brent Shadel '08, a member of the ensemble, said. "And the same thing is happening with the Jazz Band, which is why we're beginning to compete for space."
Gaub explained that there are not enough practice facilities to allow both ensembles to be full-time. "It's not any sort of punitive thing," he said. "It's just a matter of finite resources . . . The program has just outgrown the space."
Gaub added that, for financial reasons, "the administration has sent rather strong signals that we already have plenty of ensembles."
Espinosa was positive about the growth of the jazz program, but emphasized the unique nature of the ensemble. "I don't think there's one ensemble in Iowa that does what we do," he said.
Ensemble members agree. "Until this year, there was no other ensemble that accepted vocalists," Alex Conlon '09, a member of the ensemble, said. "It's the only ensemble on campus that has that setup, that has that venue."
Shadel, who composed one of the pieces that the ensemble performed last semester, also stressed the opportunities that the Latin American Ensemble provides to students. "I think if there could be a compromise it'd be great," he said. "I think both ensembles would benefit from getting that much time."
Possibly, an expanded Jazz Band will fill some of the musical void left open by a half-time Ensemble. "Our hope is that some members of Latin American Ensemble, like the jazz vocalists, might find a place in Jazz Band," said Gaub. He also said that the Jazz Band will "hopefully incorporate Afro-Cuban rhythm," so that some of the Latin American Ensemble's ethnic music will still be represented.
But tight spaces still mean that the Latin American Ensemble will become a half-time Ensemble next year.
"I'm begging for time," said Espinosa, "because the ensemble deserves this. I'm willing to move the day, and I'm willing to move the time."
The Latin American Ensemble is performing in Sebring-Lewis Hall at 7:30 p.m. on April 19. They invite all members of the campus community to attend.
