STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Tarleton State University’s Symphonic Band will open the fall semester with a performance of “Rollo Takes a Walk” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27, in the auditorium of the Clyde H. Wells Fine Arts Center.

Inspired by Rollo, a character created by Charles Ives to represent ultraconservative musical tastes, composer David Maslanka takes audiences on an exploration of commonplace musical ideas from a satirical perspective.

“Rollo is a weakling who could not stand up and receive the full force of dissonance like a man,” Ives says. All musical ideas in the work, though original, sound familiar, deliberately banal and sometimes out of tune. The work was intended as a parody of early-day concerts in the park and a playful platform for both band and audience.Tickets are $5, or free with a Tarleton ID, and all seating is general admission. The box office opens one hour before the concert.  

A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of nearly 17,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. True to Tarleton’s values of excellence, integrity and respect, academic programs emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.