Royal Purple

Issue date: 10/3/07 Section: Arts & Lifestyle

Media Credit: Brad McAllister

Kimberly Ashby is a college student who can inspire others. While some prefer their life at college to be consumed by school, work and bars, others, like Ashby, do all those things while devoting hours to one or more passions.

Ashby plays the clarinet for the UW-Whitewater marching band. She began learning how to play in seventh grade and chose the clarinet over the alto sax and the trumpet because her mom knew how to play the clarinet and could help her.

Ashby was in her high school marching band all four years, as well as concert band. She tried out for Wind Ensemble her senior year and was delighted to find that she made second chair.

The band's chair system is divided into sections by instrument, and the best player gets the first chair, the second best gets the second chair and so forth.

"We performed in a Kaleidoscope concert with all the other band members in high school and middle school," Ashby said. "When we played "Stars and Stripes." We had everyone on their feet. It was great."

Ashby practiced her clarinet everyday, because she wanted to get better. She and her mom had a friendly competition. Her mom would steal Ashby's music and practice it, and they would see who was better.

They would also play duets together. If Ashby was struggling with a particular song, her mom would try to play it for her so that she could hear how it was supposed to sound, as she has found that she learns the music better if she hears it.

Today, Ashby is a senior at UW-Whitewater. She is an elementary education major with a minor in special education. She came to UW-Whitewater because she was recruited on the NCAA bowling team. Marching band and the bowling team keeps her busy, and on top of all these activities she is also an RA in first floor Clem.

The marching band is on the practice field everyday, making sure their timing is right with the marching and the musical elements. They have been known to practice in the mud, but if it rains they will head inside onto the track. Fridays they practice on the football field after the football team is done using it.

After years of playing the clarinet, Ashby has accumulated many fond memories. One is from her freshman year at Whitewater. The marching band played "Thriller" at the football halftime show.

"It was so cool having everyone nail the dance," Ashby said.

Ashby also fondly remembers when the marching band played at the Packer's halftime show her sophomore year. Ashby remembers the band playing flawlessly and, being from Illinois, she almost became a Packer fan.

Friday was the band's first performance and, according to Ashby, it was one of the best first performances they have ever had, musically and in marching. On Sunday, Sep. 23, Whitewater's marching band performed at an exhibition in Waukesha.

After this year, Ashby plans on quitting the marching band and bowling team to focus on her studies. She looks forward to graduating and beginning her teaching career.

"My aunt is a teacher, and I've helped in her classroom before. I loved working with the kids," Ashby said.

Although she will no longer be in the marching band, Ashby plans on continuing to play and to improve her skills with the clarinet.

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