SRU student musicians demonstrate ‘excellence’

March 1, 2016

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - Recitals by Slippery Rock University student musicians and vocalists are a spring rite of passage. Eleven students will offer recitals from March 13-April 10, on piano, bass, trumpet, saxophone, flute and with their voices, gaining performance experience and showcasing their musical progress.

Students will premiere original jazz compositions and present in classical piano, modern flute and opera.

Students said a recital enables them to offer an encapsulation of their work at SRU. All students majoring in music/performance must present a recital their junior and senior years, for a pass or fail grade. Other music programs do not require a recital, but many students schedule one because they want the experience.

"A recital is really a multipurpose event. For a performance major, it is a required part of the curriculum, but realistically, it is an opportunity to put our work into the world," said Andrew Loose, a music education/performance (trumpet) major from Mechanicsburg. "For years, we have worked on all different facets of our playing, and this final recital is a chance to show off what we have been working on. It can also be an opportunity to do a piece or work that couldn't otherwise be done."

Loose said he wrote a trumpet ballad a few years ago, but never had an opportunity to perform the piece. It will be featured in his recital at 7 p.m., March 21, at Jergel's Rhythm Grille in Cranberry.

"My recital will be a collection of my own personal jazz compositions and arrangements," Loose said. "I'm using this recital as an opportunity to work on and perform my own music, as well as have the opportunity to work with great professional musicians. The recital will encompass several different styles but will all feature improvised solos and unique compositional elements. Because I am choosing to perform my recital in a public venue at a restaurant, the music that I have chosen and written is more geared towards the public's ear."

Loose said the next step in his music career is to get a master's degree in jazz studies, followed by a doctorate. He hopes to teach music at the college level.

Kaitlynn Sinclair, a music therapy major from Slippery Rock, will perform five classical piano pieces, including "Ballad in G Minor" by Chopin and Bach's "Italian Concerto," at 7:30 p.m., March 24 in Swope Recital Hall.

"Since I am not an official piano performance major, the purpose of my recital is just because I wanted to have one," Sinclair said. This means it is not a pass or fail. There isn't any consequence for not having one. However, I wanted and needed this recital for my future career goal and graduate auditions."

Sinclair said a piano recital requires an element that other musicians don't have to worry about. She has to memorize her performance.

"That means for a one-hour plus performance I must play more than 60 pages of music from memory," she said.

Sinclair said she hopes to obtain a doctorate in piano pedagogy.

Clint Bleil, a music education and performance major from Glenshaw, said he would perform his own jazz compositions and arrangements of other composers' music on saxophone at 7:30 p.m., April 6, in Swope Recital Hall.

"Doing a recital is a great way to show everyone what you have been working on and presenting what you have done to the music," Bleil said. "My recital this semester is actually either original music or my own arrangements of jazz tunes, so everything played will be a premiere performance. It is an all-jazz recital."

Other students performing recitals at Swope include:

• Simon Neubert, music education major from Saxonburg, will perform on bass at 7 p.m., March 13;
• CJ Corbett, music performance/voice major Pittsburgh, will sing at 2 p.m., March 26;
• Kylie Reiber, music performance/music therapy major from Rochester, New York,
  will perform at 4 p.m., April 2;
• Caitlin Luck, music major from Wellsburg, West Virginia, will sing at 2 p.m., April. 2;
• Carlie Keffer, music major from Dawson, will sing at 4 p.m., April 3;
• Paula Hartsough, music major from Youngstown, Ohio, will perform on flute at 7:30 p.m., April 8; and
• Christinia Eisenreich and David Vevers, music therapy major from North Hills and music major from Pittsburgh, will perform at 4 p.m., April 10.

MEDIA CONTACT: Gordon Ovenshine | 724.738.4854 | gordon.ovenshine@sru.edu