Western Oregon Journal

Issue date: 2/11/09 Section: Culture

Dan Schulte on bass and Tim Jenson on woodwinds during there performance as part of Cathexis Orchestra.

"I told my daughter to write us a song. So, she did. A rap actually," Christopher Woitach, a music adjunct instructor, said to the audience. The group, Cathexis Orchestra, then launched into "The Cathexis Rap," in which they said the definition of Cathexis and then clapped. The group passionately began playing while Sherry Alves, began rapping.
The performance, held Thursday, Feb. 5, not only provided lively music, but playful bantering and jokes from the stage. Keller Coker, associate professor, and Woitach joked through the performance, such as when Coker was utilizing Woitach's method of spelling words with music, and Coker said, "Aw, this requires math," to which Woitach responded, "Sure, coming from mister bust-everyone's-ass-in-music history."
Coker, who played trombone and Woitach, on guitar, were joined by Tom Bergeron, music professor, on alto sax, Jason Palmer playing drums, Tim Jenson on woodwinds, Sherry Alves singing and Dan Schulte playing bass. Each musician brought their own style to the performance as well as their distinctive personalities.
Appreciative laughter filled Smith Performance hall as Woitach asked after the rap, "Did you like that? I personally thought it was hilarious." On another occasion, Woitach asked the audience, primarily the music students sitting up front, "Anybody here studying counterpoint?" The group groaned, and somebody called out, "Oh dear!"
One of the unique songs of the night was a song Woitach wrote about his two sisters cooking Thanksgiving dinner, titled "Twa Sisters" ('twa' means two in Scottish). The name of his sister was spelled through notes, and frenzied music was played with contrasting parts.
Throughout the performance, the trombone somehow made sounds like a bee during "Playback," and on another occasion the bass made noises unlike any noise basses traditionally make.
When asked what he thought of the Cathexis Orchestra, Casey Younger, a senior music student said, "The group (members) certainly were all good friends, as well as the top musicians in the area."
Their friendship could be seen when, at the end of the performance, Woitach said they should all learn the ending song to "Hee-haw" to play it for the end of their show. They all laughed, and discussed the cast members, but conceded that they did not know how to play the song. Instead, they played "Dog gone" as their last performance, and called to the audience at the end, "Thank you everyone!"

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