East Valley Senior Is Note-Able For Organizing Ensemble Concerts

Sean Barker’s concert is coming up, and he swears he’s going to do things differently this time.

Barker, 18 and a senior at East Valley High School, organizes a concert at school every spring. He encourages instrumentalists and singers to join into small groups or to perform solo. Some wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for Barker’s encouragement. Some will play the pieces they prepared for a regional contest - this time they’ll relax and play just for fun.

And this year, Barker vows, he won’t play in so many of the ensembles. Last year he played in something like nine of 13 groups. “It was insane.”

The East Valley Ensemble and Solo Concert is Wednesday evening at the high school. “Seven p.m., right?” Proving there’s still some teenager left in this unusually mature young man, Barker checks with his mom.

Barker’s emphasis on ensemble work stems from his own musical passion. “I love chamber music.” He plays clarinet, piano, clavichord - “anything I can get my hands on.” He’s a member of the Spokane Youth Symphony and a handful of smaller groups.

“I wanted more opportunity to get people (at school) to do ensemble work. It’s really important to your musical growth,” he says. “You can’t hide. You have to watch and listen.”

He hopes for a broad audience of parents, teachers, brothers, sisters next week.

“I just hope everyone will come and enjoy the music,” Barker said. Cookies and punch, courtesy of the musicians, will be served afterwards at an informal reception.

Cal Anderson, band director at East Valley, says he reserves the school’s commons for the concert. Beyond that, he said, “I just stay out of his way. Sean is a very driven, very capable, very mature student.”

Does this project sound like the work of a high school music student?

“It’s very rare,” said Verne Windham, who conducts the Spokane Youth Symphony. “He’s done it for years now. What is this, his third year? He does it in spite of all odds, over lethargy and people not showing up - all those problems. Yet he perseveres, because he believes it’s important.”

Barker also has a couple of other musical projects up his sleeve.

“Have you heard what he’s doing in his wood shop class?” asks Carol Kowzan, Barker’s clarinet teacher. “He’s got this old clavichord that was falling apart and he’s rebuilding it, refinishing it and restringing it.”

Then there’s his interest in arranging music.

Barker sometimes borrows music from a neighbor who’s an organist and pianist.

“He took a piece of Bach organ music and transcribed it for a wind ensemble,” said Jim Wallrabenstein. “Once again, this is a high school student.”

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