Ensemble to Perform ‘Born to Be Wild’ with Steppenwolf Keyboardist

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A person doesn’t have to have been born in the 1950s or 60s to know the famous Steppenwolf song, “Born to Be Wild.”

The song is a classic with staying power that’s endured through the decades in movie soundtracks, at high school pep rallies, on the radio, live concerts and more.

On Friday, Nov. 3, Steppenwolf keyboardist and University of Alabama instructor of music administration Michael Wilk will join the UA Horn Studio to perform a special rendition of the band’s 1968 worldwide hit “Born to Be Wild.”

This one-night performance is part of the University School of Music’s annual free fall Spectrum concert. The two-hour concert takes place at the Moody Music Building Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m.

“This is a really wonderful evening for people of all ages,” said Charles Snead, director of the school of music. “What we do is present snapshots of everything that happens in the School of Music. People get to see classical, jazz, vocalists, instrumentals all in one night.

“We have faculty members and all of our major ensembles perform three to four-minute presentations that features their best work in rapid fire. At the end of the concert, the Million Dollar Band performs a live performance like they would in the stadium, but in the concert hall. They line the stage, the stairs, upper balconies for a live surround sound experience.”

Wilk has been a member of the UA School of Music faculty since fall 2013. The Chicopee, Massachusetts native teaches courses in recording and audio engineering. He also oversees a lot of the sound application work on campus.

Snead said it’s a real treat to have him perform one of his iconic band’s famous songs with one of the School of Music’s ensembles for the first time.

“It’s really exciting to hear this,” he said. “This will be a very high energy collaboration with the University Horn Ensemble. The entire concert will be a wonderful evening, but this should be a very cool addition to a very exciting night.

“It is absolutely a performance not to be missed.”