Music moves
Professor performs in orchestra
“I love playing and being in the center of sound, just hearing it. At times I lose my place because it’s so magnificent,” David Hahn, assistant professor of music and worship at Liberty University, said.
Tune — David Hahn brings experience to his classes. Photo credit: David Hahn
Hahn participated in the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra’s (LSO) first concert of the season Sunday, Oct. 26 at E.C. Glass High School.
The concert, titled “The Power of Music: Beethoven, Liszt and Gershwin,” featured Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 3,” Liszt’s “Les Préludes,” and Gershwin’s “An American in Paris.”
Hahn, a second-violinist, said performing “Symphony No. 3” is a dream come true, because it is a piece he had always wanted to play.
“(‘An American in Paris’ is) tremendously fun, (because) you can hear the taxis beeping their horns (and) bustling about,” Hahn said. “It sounds like a person standing on the Champs-Élysées and just taking it all in.”
Hahn said “Les Préludes” has a big, bold, beautiful color of brass and strings.
“The strings were sawing,” Hahn said. “You not only heard it, but you could see it.”
Hahn also said that music from the program influenced some of today’s popular orchestral composers.
“When you listen to John Williams (composer of film scores such as ‘Star Wars,’ ‘E.T.’ and ‘Jurassic Park’), you hear reflections of ‘Les Préludes,’” Hahn said. “When you hear soundscores that have to do with chatter, they’re taking from ‘An American in Paris.’”
Hahn became involved with LSO shortly after beginning his teaching career with Liberty in 2008.
“I’ve played violin for a very long time,” Hahn said. When I came here (from Nashville), I knew I wanted to continue playing, so I became a part of the orchestra at Thomas Road Baptist Church. The first-violinist and concertmistress of our symphony, Andrea Albers, encouraged me to play with (LSO). I auditioned in August (2008), and I’ve played with them ever since.”
One of Hahn’s favorite memories of playing with LSO happened in May when a well-known pianist, Gustavo Romero, came to Lynchburg and performed Chopin’s “Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2,” as well as Finzi’s “Piano Concerto” with the symphony.
“(Romero) was really attentive and drew out every nuance of the music that he could,” Hahn said.
Taking his experiences with LSO into the classroom, Hahn said he always encourages students to participate in activities that will make them better people.
“I always ask them, ‘Will you be a better person (and not necessarily just a better musician) in five years from now?’” Hahn said. “How are you projecting that out and being intentional with (those goals)?”
Hahn said he spends a lot of time practicing his instrument in order to better his technique and skill.
“My desire is to stay proficient on my instrument as long as I live,” Hahn said. “I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to play, but I certainly will work hard at it. I’m a better player now than I’ve ever been. I’ve put (my philosophy) into practice, (because) it force(s) me to keep up with my instrument. When I have these kinds of features in my life, I know that I am going to have to practice.
This isn’t literature that I can just walk in the door and play, and so I look forward to it, but at the same time I can get frustrated by it.”
Hahn also uses his experience with the orchestra to teach his students the importance of being involved in the community.
“I always want to make my community better, and I believe art does that,” Hahn said. “Art is one of our core meeting places, whether it’s attending or playing in a symphony, or for children, youth or college-age people to aspire playing at that level.”
Hahn also views his involvement with music as a way to worship God.
“(Music) is all a picture of God and his tremendous beauty,” Hahn said. “At the heart of us is this imago dei. It’s what God’s put in every one of us to imitate and recreate his creation in such beautiful ways. It’s so exciting to be a part of that.”
MAURER is a feature reporter.