Kemerer was one of about 15 students who auditioned in front of a panel of faculty judges from the School of Music. He performed 10 to 15 minutes from their selected concertos for the audition.
Kemerer is a member of the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and will also be performing as part of the group ensemble during the other selections.
"I'm jumping back from soloist to percussionist," he said. "This is my first experience being accompanied by a wind ensemble."
While both groups require auditions to join, the wind ensemble is smaller, with about 45 musicians, and has only one player to every part. The Symphonic Band is larger, with about 80 musicians.
The marimba will be amplified with a microphone for the feature performance, "Concertino for Marimba and Wind Ensemble" composed by Niel DePonte. Kemerer said sometimes an ensemble will drown out the marimba, and the microphone is there "just to give it a little bit more juice."
Matthew Stombaugh (graduate-conducting), a teacher's assistant in the School of Music, will be directing one piece during the symphonic band's portion of the concert, "Chorale and Alleluia" by Howard Hanson.
Stombaugh said his favorite piece isn't necessarily the one he is directing, although he still appreciates it.
"I really enjoy the [selection] I'm doing, but 'Bells for Stokowski' is a really neat piece," he said.
He said the director of the ensemble, Dennis Glocke, chose the piece written by Micheal Daughterty, along with the other selections.
"Very rarely does he do a theme concert," Stombaugh said, "but there's a method to his madness."
Glocke said he chooses music that is "educationally and musically rewarding."
"I pick pieces that are educationally sound for the students in the group," he said. "It's really high quality, profound music."
