By Grace Gorsline
Staff Writer
The College’s Department of Music Showcase is a coming together of a variety of musical styles. Musicians and singers alike perform, letting their talents shine through. This year’s showcase was a wonderful display of hard work paying off.
The show started with the College’s Chorale, directed by John P. Leonard, featuring songs such as “This Little Light of Mine,” arranged by Moses Hogan and “Hold On!,” arranged by Jester Hairston. The fresh spin on “This Little Light of Mine” was melodic and soft, yet passionate and empowering. It called the audience to shine their light while embracing the light of others.
Following the Chorale, instrumental soloists took the stage. One of which, Emily Bielski, a junior music and psychology major, played the flute with passion. Her solo was remarkably rhythmic and fluid. Her back and forth with pianist Stefanie Watson, a professional pianist and piano teacher, was soulful.
“This was my favorite piece I’ve ever played, so I felt so lucky that I got to share it with everyone today,” Bielski told The Signal.
Another highlight of this year’s showcase was the Lincoln String Quartet. The musicians served as a bright spot on the stage with splashes of color on each of their outfits. Their performance stood out — a combination of music from the cello, violin and viola.
The College’s Wind Ensemble, directed by Professor Eric Laprade was also not to be missed. The use of symbols as well as the bass drum and kettledrums were delightful surprises for the audience. What was most intriguing about this performance was the way Laprade directed the musicians; it was as if each instrument was in a race or speaking to one another.
The Trumpet Ensemble was also a stand out, playing Erik Morales’s “Infinite Ascent” and despite there only being one type of instrument, the performance felt like a harmony of tunes. Nikki Hayden, the student director of this ensemble, pulled the musicians together to create an intricate melody.
Another feature that deserves much emphasis was Lyric Theatre’s performance. Nathan Brewer, the director and pianist, ensured that the performance was joyous and vibrant. With choreography by Daniel Jurago and music direction by Peter de Mets, the students sang a variety of sections from “Hairspray.”
The performers were full of passion and special student soloists, including sophomore English and secondary education major Travis Martin and junior elementary education major Meg Hurley. The concluding song from the Lyric Theatre was “Good Morning Baltimore,” which was absolutely beautiful.
The final three performances included the MAMA Quartet, the Opera Theatre and the Jazz Ensemble, all of which were lively and dynamic. The Jazz Ensemble was a great way to finish the show as most of their songs were upbeat, smooth and catchy, especially their first song, “Cute” by Neal Hefti and their last song, “Sandunga” by Arturo Sandoval. The energy of their music radiated with a Roaring ‘20s vibe.
Overall, the showcase was breathtaking. Every performance was unique, highlighting the several different forms of music that were used to evoke emotion, show self expression and draw attention to the intricacy that comes with music.
