By Grace Hooley | Echo
After years of classes, practices and critiques, seniors will show an audience the beauty of hard work in the Taylor music department.
Four seniors will perform in the recital hall this weekend. Each performance will include different types of music that these seniors have perfected during their time at Taylor. From saxophone and viola to Italian compositions and electronic pieces with dancers, these performers have pulled out all the stops for their final recitals.
"This recital gives me a chance to share the music that I love so well with friends, family and fellow Taylor students. It also has given me something to work towards during my last semester here," senior Emily Brokaw said.
Brokaw, along with senior Melissa Schleicher, crafted the performance that will take place tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. Schleicher will graduate with a bachelor of arts degree in music; Brokaw will graduate with a degree in history and a minor in music. Schleicher found out in January that her original partner had chosen to wait to do her recital until the fall. With only half a recital planned, professors Chris Bade and Al Harrison approached Brokaw and asked her to help create this recital alongside Schleicher.
"I was eager to play alongside Melissa and we were able to find a joint piece to play together. I love playing, and this gives me a chance to share with others the wonderful music I've been studying," Brokaw said.
Schleicher plays the viola while Brokaw plays the alto and soprano saxophones. Their recital will consist of pieces from various styles and eras, such as baroque pieces on viola, 20th century concertos on alto saxophone and a 20th century viola and soprano saxophone duet. The concert will run approximately an hour long with a reception afterward. Schleicher and Brokaw met once a week with their professors to develop their pieces.
"Although no recital is required for minors, this is an opportunity for me . . . to learn more about the process of running a recital," Brokaw said.
Becca Jackson's performance will take place on Sunday at 3 p.m. Jackson will graduate with a bachelor of music degree in music composition, and she has written everything that will be performed. There are six pieces in total consisting of electronic and woodwind pieces. One song even features dancers.
According to Jackson, this is the first time a music recital has incorporated dance at Taylor.
To prepare, Jackson had a lesson every week with her composition professor, who advised her on what to change or add.
On Sunday at 7 p.m., Chavandra Clark will be performing songs in Italian, German, French and English. Clark will receive a bachelor of music degree with her voice as her instrument. She will have an accompanist playing the piano, and the recital will run about thirty minutes long.
She says that Taylor has helped her grow vocally. "The recital means everything to me. I've always loved singing for people and sharing the talent God gave me. This is what I've always wanted, to perform for others," Clark said.
The four seniors have been working on many of these pieces since junior year, a few even earlier. This weekend, every lesson they've had and technique they've learned will play a part in their recital, their final performance before a Taylor audience.
"It's not just my effort that is going into this," Jackson said. "I have a lot of people who have worked so hard to do this for me, and they are not getting anything from this. I really, really appreciate everything they have done"
