The WSU Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band and several guests will come together this week to put on a free show for the Pullman community.

The WSU School of Music will present “Collaborations,” a symphonic band concert featuring a number of faculty artists as well as world-renowned conductor, Ray Cramer, at 8 p.m. today in Bryan Hall.

“We’re bringing a lot of people together who don’t normally work together,” said Troy Bennefield, associate director of bands and director of athletic bands.

Besides featuring many guests, the concert will also highlight different styles of music, he said.

“We wanted to show students that music is a broad field we can explore,” Bennefield said.

One of the songs that will be performed is called “Black Dog,” which was inspired by Led Zeppelin, he said.

“We chose it because it’s a little out of everyone’s comfort zone,” said Danh Pham, assistant professor of music and director of bands. “It’s so different.”

The song will feature assistant professor of music Shannon Scott playing clarinet, he said.

“It’s like pyrotechnics with a clarinet,” Pham said.

Another song, “Touch of Tuba,” will feature Chris Dickey, an assistant professor of music, on the leading instrument, Pham said.

“It’s a humorous and comical piece,” he said.

Dickey said he was asked to join the concert to add some contrast to what audience members are used to hearing.

“The tuba is a solo instrument, but the general public rarely gets to hear the tuba as a soloist,” he said.

Guest conductor, Ray Cramer, will be around campus three days this week working with the bands on ways to improve, as well as leading four pieces during the concert, Pham said.

“He’ll be conducting pieces he either edited, commissioned or arranged,” Pham said. “He knows the pieces very, very well.”

Cramer was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame of Distinguished Conductors, making him a bit like conductor royalty, Pham said.

“This is our version of like Bill Gates or Neil DeGrasse Tyson visiting,” he said. “It’ll never pack a stadium, but it’s our version.”

Cramer taught at Indiana University when Pham was attending, and their relationship allows for a unique opportunity during the concert, Pham said.

“It gives students a different perspective, they get to see me as a student,” he said. “It’s an important thing for students to see, that their professors were once students as well.”

The concert will only run for about an hour, so as to encourage students and community members to come give it a listen, he said.

“It’s a short concert. We meant it to be entertaining,” Pham said.