BSO newcomer talks about his first season
Percussionist W. Lee Vinson, 28, is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. He spent four years playing with the US Navy Band and did graduate work at Boston University, where he was a student of BSO timpanist Timothy Genis. He was named section percussionist in March. This is his first season of the orchestra.
How will it feel when you take the stage with the BSO on opening night?
It’s going to be very exciting. I’ve actually
played a few weeks with the orchestra already this year, but it will be my first season as a full-time member, so it’s definitely exciting.
Are you nervous?
Not so much. As a musician we find ways to deal with nerves over the years. It won’t be the first time I’ve had butterflies, so I’ll know how to deal with it. It’ll be a little anxious. I’ve got family coming to town, and it’ll be the first time they’ve heard me play with the orchestra.
Is the fact that it’s the BSO imposing?
Absolutely. It’s one of the finest orchestras in the country, so you’ve got to be prepared every day and get along with everyone.
What are you most looking forward to this season?
Just performing every week in Symphony Hall on that stage. That’s going to be a real treat.
What’s the camaraderie like in a percussion section?
Percussionists seem to get along really well everywhere, and I’m sure this is no exception. Something about the kind of people we are . . . whether we’re in school or at work or just hanging out, we just seem to get along.
So what’s the percussionist’s character?
I don’t know what it is, exactly. I think in a lot of ways we’re more laid-back than other instrumentalists. Not that we’re not competitive, because you have to be, to a certain degree.
What’s the best moment a percussionist can have in the orchestra?
Oddly enough, it’s kind of the concerts where you don’t get noticed, because that means that you’ve done such a great job that you just contributed to the bigger picture in a way that was so right that you didn’t actually stand out as a part. That’s what’s rewarding to me.
What made you interested in percussion in the first place?
Both of my parents were musicians. My father was a college band director. So I grew up with music in the house, whether it was my mom giving flute lessons or my father studying scores. . . . It was always a hands-on thing. I tried playing trumpet once and the mouthpiece tickled my nose, so I couldn’t deal with that.
You were in graduate school at Boston University?
Right. When I won the audition last year I was working on a master’s degree there.
Think you might not finish that?
I withdrew from classes last semester.
A little bit beside the point.
I’m actually on the faculty now. [laughs]
That’s a quick turnaround.
Yeah, it’s a little ironic.
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