Category: Arts

On Thursday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the CFA Recital Hall, the Houghton College Percussion Ensemble will perform its spring concert.

Percussion Ensemble brings a variety of unique and energetic music to Houghton’s campus, pushing the limits of the conventional understanding of “percussion.” In the past, the Ensemble has performed everything from works for mallet percussion and drums to pieces that utilize flower pots, squeaky toys, and balloons as instruments.

Houghton’s instructor of percussion, Dustin Woodard, remarked that the vast scope of percussion repertoire is one of the things he loves about working with the Percussion Ensemble. “As percussionists we can play literally hundreds of instruments and the repertoire is just as diverse. I am never bored working with a percussion ensemble because there is always something new to learn about,” Woodard said.

That excitement, however, also makes it incredibly challenging. “That being said,” Woodard continued, “it is also a great challenge because there are so many instruments, styles, pieces, and composers that I need to know about. I don’t get to focus on one or two instruments and really perfect them, I have to balance between playing an enormous variety of styles.”

The program for the upcoming concert reflects the great diversity of the percussion world. In just one hour, the concert will journey from jazz to a marimba concerto to a contemporary piece written for six triangles, and more.

In addition to a great variety of music, the Percussion Ensemble n features a diverse set of players. The ensemble is made up of not only percussionists, but also students who come from backgrounds in brass, woodwinds, strings, and piano.  Graduate student Nathaniel Libby ‘18, a member of Percussion Ensemble, commented, “Percussion Ensemble is not only an ensemble that makes great music, but seeks to expand and grow the standard percussion literature. Chamber percussion ensemble is a newcomer to the larger musical world and many of the works are completely new and highly inventive. Also, it’s simply a blast!” Playing in Percussion Ensemble gives every student an opportunity to have fun and to expand their musicality.

The wide variety of people who participate in percussion ensemble speaks to the wide appeal of percussion music. Woodard said, “percussion is very relatable to everyone. It is an easy concept to understand for the most part; everyone knows that you take a stick then hit a drum and noise comes out. What most people don’t understand is how wide and complex our art is. I love seeing the audience’s reactions to all of our music. Most people don’t realize what we can do and it is a joy to see the get excited.”

The ensemble has pieces for those that enjoy swinging to jazz, exploring classical music literature, or even delving into the avant-garde. All are welcome to come out to the Percussion Ensemble concert to support their fellow students and enjoy creative, exciting music.

All are invited to attend Houghton A Capella’s final concert of the year, tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Wesley Chapel.  Admission is free, but the ensemble urges audience members to “bring a can if you can.”

Alto Michaella Aliperti ‘19 commented, “It’s going to be like nothing we’ve ever done before—we’re really excited to share all of our hard work with everyone…and the fact that we’ve turned it into a food drive is really cool and exciting, because we get to take something that’s already bigger than ourselves, and turn it something into even more. We can’t wait to see everyone there!”

Despite being a relatively new ensemble in the Greatbatch School of Music, Houghton A Capella quickly gained an elite status and a reputation for both high-quality and highly entertaining performances. Professor Rebekah Brennan, director of the group, titled the concert “Episode 1,” with the anticipation of creating a series of episodic concerts that are more elaborate than most traditional productions.

The repertoire of this concert is highly varied, ranging in genre from pop, to country, to worship music. It features songs by Reba, Michael Jackson, Walk the Moon, and more.

Music and equestrian studies double major (and soprano) Lauren Grifoni ‘19 stated, “This concert is going to be a fun experience for everyone to enjoy. We’re having so much fun putting the program together and we know the audience will enjoy it too. It’s going to be staged somewhat like a production with fun choreography and set pieces.” Saxophone performance major and bass Derek Chase ‘19 added that “There’s moments that give me chills and moments that get me really lit. You’ll have to come and see all the emotions!”

Houghton A Capella, formerly known as the Houghton Singers, is a group of 16 highly skilled vocalists, comprised of both music majors and non-music majors. “I hope other students at Houghton can see they can all audition and it’s not a ‘music major exclusive’ activity,” commented Chase. He went continued, “The whole group is really cohesive and we all work together very well. I think this show really demonstrates how this group has helped us form a really special friend group.”

Houghton ACapella includes a beatboxer, Ross Atherton (Bass) ’21, and three graduating seniors: Kingsley Kolek (Soprano), Ellenore Tarr (Alto),Vera Motley (Soprano), and Andrew Welch (Tenor). Both Kolek and Tarr are planning to return to Houghton next year to continue their studies at the graduate level. Motley is currently working on her first EP, Scream, which will be available on iTunes and Spotify on April 30. Welch, a theology major, described plans to become a youth pastor after graduation.

When asked about the concert, music education major Ethan Bast ‘21 (Tenor) ’21 coolly replied, “Bruh, it’s gonna be groovy like a drive-in movie.”

Houghton Symphony Orchestra will present its first concert of the Spring 2018 semester tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Wesley Chapel.  The orchestra has been working on the repertoire for this concert since the beginning of the semester, in tandem with music for the recent production of Oklahoma! and repertoire for their concert in April. When asked to comment on how she felt about the collection, computer science major and clarinetist Teresa Soley ’20 sarcastically quipped, “Some of the songs sound like things I’ve heard previously in movies.”

Dr. Armenio Suzano, dean of the Greatbatch School of Music and conductor of the orchestra, stated that “This concert [features] an incredibly eclectic program with something for everyone: from the old school Magnificent Seven movie score, to the delightful ‘Ashokan Farewell’ (Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary), to the gorgeous Schindler’s List theme and all the way to the heart-wrenching ‘Adagio for Strings’ by Barber (theme from the movie Platoon) and the must-have Star Wars theme. There will be a special movie theme for every movie and music lover!”

It has become a tradition for the orchestra to put on a “Music at the Movies” concert nearly every spring semester, because of the great opportunity it offers to reach out to the non-musical members of Houghton’s community. The popularity of film scores like Star Wars cannot be denied, especially when it features a saxophone part played by none other than the fantastic Derek Chase ’19.

Many of the orchestra members enjoy playing such familiar repertoire. They reported that it can be fun for musicians to take a break from the seriousness of Bach and Beethoven and delve into the well-known sounds of John Williams and Danny Elfman.   When asked if she was excited for the concert, Alanna Paris ’18 exclaimed, “I am! It’s my favorite concert of the year. It’s always fun to listen to music you know and to see just what Dr. Suzano might say that’s delightful in his opening remarks.”

Many hands always come together to organize concerts like the one tonight.. One important person who helped with the production of this concert is Kira Browning, second year graduate student and violist. She was able to offer some information on what the orchestra has planned for the evening.  “We’ll have introductions to many of the pieces showing a highlight from the movie to which the music belongs,” Browning explained.

Browning also added that “Two pieces [in] the concert feature the violin, with the solos to be played by our co-concert masters: Chantalle Falconer and Cassie Harrison.” The Houghton Symphony Orchestra’s co-concert masters will both be graduating this semester. Falconer is a third year graduate student studying collaborative piano performance. Harrison is a senior majoring in music education who will be going on to study Suzuki pedagogy at Ithaca College’s school of music.  Symphony Concert members reported that both Falconer and Harrison are incredibly talented musicians.

All members of the orchestra have been working hard on this fun and approachable repertoire and look forward to sharing it with the greater Houghton community.

Senior recital season is upon us, and there are several original and anticipated recitals happening in the next few weeks.  Already this week Autumn Stone gave her performance on the clarinet.  Coming up before the break are Marissa Perez on the oboe with Sarah Showers on the violin, as well as a vocal recital by Aniela Perez.

Many students outside of the music building are not entirely familiar with the reasoning behind or nature of the recital, aside from the fantastic student posters that accompany them.  For music majors, however, it is the single event they have been working toward during their four years at Houghton.

Ellenore Tarr, a senior music major at Houghton, explained the reasoning behind the showcase. “A senior recital exists to showcase the work we’ve completed over the last four years,” Tarr explains. “Music, like any discipline, involves gradual, consistent growth. This is a capstone project, graded by our music faculty, that aims to exhibit that growth.”

Tarr’s recital that will be a historical first for the Greatbatch School of Music. She will hold her recital alongside good friends and peers Hannah Jager and Brandon Mellerski, both music education majors with vocal concentrations. A group of three has never performed in one recital together, as the general rule is one or two students.

Tarr, Jager, and Mellerski have combined for a 90-minute recital that will consist of each of their 30-minute performances. This allows the group to collaborate on some pieces, work together choosing music, and just have fun with each other before graduation puts them on different paths in life. Among other aspects that make the recital so fun and unique, it will feature a piece composed by 2017 Houghton alumnus Hunter Gregory, along with some theatrical pieces and a Dean Jordan cameo.

Another original recital is that of resident harpist, Lillie Blakeslee. Blakeslee is a music education major known to everyone for her laughter, and to friends for her bright and energetic personality.  She started to play the harp in 7th grade. She had played the piano, but before long her parents kindly demanded that she play an instrument more intensively. Blakeslee’s history teacher played the Celtic harp, and she decided that she wanted to play the harp as well. Blakeslee took lessons with her history teacher, and later from a member of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, until she found her home at Houghton.

Blakeslee also has a decent amount of performance experience thanks to the rarity her skill.  She has performed at multiple Scottish festivals and weddings, especially those of her Houghton friends. Blakeslee is the first harpist in recent memory at Greatbatch, and her recital will feature both styles of harp, the Celtic or lever harp and the pedal harp. Blakeslee’s recital will also feature her immensely sought-after baking abilities, with such delicacies as peanut butter cookies with toffee bits, snickerdoodles, and cheesecake.

Both recitals featured will take place on April 11, with Blakeslee’s at 6:30 p.m. and the Tarr, Jager, Mellerski recital at 8 p.m. in the Center for the Arts Recital Hall.

There are many more recitals coming up, from a variety of instruments and voices.  Sole composition major, Jeffrey Hansen, will take the stage the Wednesday after break. April will also bring multiple graduate recitals, voice recitals from Angela Matson and Jenna Munro, and an instrumental recital from Cassie Harrison.  The talent of Houghton’s music program is too extensive to enumerate in a single article.  A more complete list is available on the school calendar.

The flagship vocal ensemble of the Greatbatch School of Music, Houghton’s College Choir, recently returned from their 2018 Mid-Atlantic Tour and now offer all of Houghton the chance to hear their music.  This exciting, well-rehearsed program will be performed at the College Choir’s Homecoming concert tomorrow, March 10, at 7:30 p.m. in the Wesley Chapel. The concert runs for about 90 minutes.

Houghton’s College Choir is an audition-only ensemble, open to sophomores and above.  Dr. Daniel David Black, a Houghton graduate school alumni from Minnesota serves as manager and conductor for the choir. Dr. Black encourages students from all majors to participate in auditions, which generally happen at the end of each semester.  Third-year graduate student and assistant conductor Jerome Bell managed this most recent tour.

In preparation for the tour and their other performances, the ensemble meets for 1 hour, 5 days a week to rehearse their demanding repertoire. The choir had a relatively short amount of time to learn, rehearse, and memorize the 17 advanced pieces they performed while on tour.

Despite the challenge, the choir’s repertoire was generally popular with the ensemble.  Many appreciated the traditional, familiar component of the pieces, although they also pointed out where the music went beyond what could be found in any church.

Lauren Grifoni ’19, who sings soprano with the choir, stated, “The theme of the tour was congregational singing, so most of the pieces were arrangements of old hymn tunes. I really like it because a lot of the music was familiar to me; stuff I grew up with singing in church but also in a newer style.”

Many of those in the choir agreed that the tour was exhausting. Many of them joke about how they don’t get a spring break, but they still find it gratifying. It is worth noting that many of the vocalists are also participating in Lyric Theatre’s spring show Oklahoma!, taking place in just a few short weeks. This means that many of the choir members are memorizing lines for two large productions and participating in multiple rehearsals every day. 

Several of the pieces from the tour repertoire benefited from the addition of instruments.  For the sake of efficiency, some students during the tour served as accompanists, in addition to singing in the choir.

When asked about this year’s tour and repertoire, music education major Michaella Alliperti ’19 exclaimed, “Tour was wonderful! It was just so wholesome and spiritually invigorating, as was the rep. We had a lot of time to reflect on what the words mean to us in relation to our lives. It was full of wonderful friendship and fellowship. Last year’s tour was great, but this year’s was even better.”

They traveled by bus through the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Ohio on their 14-stop tour. Each night, the choir stayed and fellowshipped with various families. The quality of these visits is often a highlight of the tour for the ensemble. When asked about these homestays, Kingsley Kolek ’18 said, “You just never know what you’re gonna get!”

When asked how he felt about tour, Derek Chase ’19 said, “As primarily an instrumentalist, it was exhausting yet rewarding to be on a vocal tour. Since this is Houghton, we all kind of knew each other already, but it was great to become closer friends with people you don’t know that well.”