When he was 18, Alban Wesley and a few of his fellow reed musicians formed a group to play together. They eventually started to gain more and more traction, and now, 33 years later, the group, Calefax Reed Quintet, has hit the big time.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes, something happens early in your life and you\u2019re really hooked to it,\u201d Wesley said. \u201cAnd then it becomes your profession.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wesley and his fellow musicians are from Amsterdam but have played in 41 countries around the world. Their upcoming performance at the Vilar Performing Arts Center \u2014 set to take place on Thursday at 7 p.m. \u2014 is part of their 15th tour in the United States.<\/p>\n
While they\u2019ve got plenty of experience under their belt, Wesley and his colleagues have one small reservation about playing here.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve never played at that altitude,\u201d Wesley said.<\/p>\n
All five members of the band play reed instruments, meaning that breathing and blowing and having strong breath control are all important \u2014 and they\u2019re all difficult for travelers.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo bassoonists, reeds are what vocal cords are to singers,\u201d Wesley said.<\/p>\n
That being said, there\u2019s plenty for them to look forward to.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really looking forward to being in the beautiful\u00a0surroundings (of Colorado),\u201d Wesley noted.<\/p>\n