The OSU Associate Director of Bands recently conducted his high school alma mater at Carnegie Hall for a piece he was commissioned to write.
Olin Hannum
By Taylor Pederson, CLA Student Writer - November 13, 2024
As the Associate Director of Bands, Olin Hannum, M.A. ‘11, has been a significant figure in OSU’s music since 2016. Hannum’s role has been crucial in refining the university's musical development. His journey, however, began long before his tenure at OSU, in the small town of Woodland, California, just outside the university town of Davis.
Growing up, Hannum's mother, a pianist, nurtured his early interest in music, leading him to start piano lessons at the tender age of four. His musical interests soon expanded beyond the piano, incorporating his love for musical theater and the French horn. It was these formative years that anchored the essentials for Hannum's future, culminating in his decision to study music composition at UC Davis.
At Davis, Hannum dove into the world of music composition. His talents were recognized by his professors, one of whom suggested that Hannum would make an excellent music director. This encouragement led him to pursue a master's degree in music, eventually bringing him to OSU. Reflecting on his decision to return to OSU, Hannum noted, "The opportunity to grow and learn more in-depth from the person who I studied under, was a big draw for me."
Hannum's time at OSU has been marked by a series of accomplishments, but one of the most significant occurred when Davis Senior High School, Hannum's alma mater, reached out to him to commission a piece for their Wind Ensemble. The piece, titled I Ramble My Way Home, was inspired by a Mary Oliver poem "Have You Ever Tried to Enter the Long Black Branches?"—a work that holds special meaning for Hannum.
Hannum recalls how reading Oliver's poetry during his high school years changed his perception of poetry entirely. "It absolutely knocked me off my feet," he shared. Additionally, the main melody of the piece was something he had developed while spending time with his young daughter. As he rocked her to sleep, the melody took shape, and when the commission came through, he knew it was the perfect fit.
Composing I Ramble My Way Home was no easy feat. “Composing is weird,” he said, “because people have this idea that composing is just putting something onto paper that is already fully made up in their mind, but that’s not how it works." The piece required Hannum to balance his personal connection to the work with the technical demands of writing. He was mindful of creating a composition that would challenge the students without overwhelming them, a task that proved to be both difficult and rewarding.
The culmination of Hannum’s efforts came when he was invited to conduct the Davis Senior High School Wind Ensemble's performance of his piece at Carnegie Hall in New York City. For Hannum, this was a surreal experience. The grandeur of the venue, combined with the emotional weight of returning to his high school roots, made the event almost dreamlike. "It was about a month and a half ago, and I still am not sure it actually happened because it was such a surreal experience," Hannum admitted.
As Hannum looks to the future, the experience of composing I Ramble My Way Home has undoubtedly encouraged his continuation of achieving his goals and aspirations. For a musician and composer who started in the small town of Woodland, California, his story is not just about a successful career; it's about the personal connections that music can forge and the unexpected paths it can lead to—even the stage at Carnegie Hall.
