A broad mix of genres and musicians was presented in the Music Department‘s annual concert when students and teachers performed side by side in the Fé Blend Forum.

About 60 people came to the event. This concert differed from many other school concerts because it featured both students and teachers on stage together. The genres varied a lot too, with a range from classical works, flamenco, brass bands and a five-minute opera with an Alice in Wonderland-theme.

Fourteen pieces were played, seven of which were original works by the students and the teachers. Emma Huston was one of the students that both wrote and performed. She said it was very interesting to see her work played, but the preparations were stressful.

“It feels very good and my piece went well, but I’m glad it’s done now,” she said. “It was an interesting but odd mix of songs in the concert. “Some pieces are very strange, but I don’t care if the audience thought it was weird. It went well.”

Many audience members talked about the mix between students and teachers after the concert. David Salvia was one of them. One reason he came was because the concert benefits scholarship funds, but he also wanted to hear the variety of pieces.

“It differs a lot. There were certain parts that weren’t all good. But the “Danny Boy” ensemble and the soprano were brilliant,” Salvia said, referring to singer Sara Cassano.

One of the performers in the “Danny Boy” number was Margaret Hontos, who played the harp. Hontos is an associate professor in the music department and also one of the organizers of the event. This is her eighth year with concerts like this one, and she was very satisfied with the concert.

“All the students are really top notch,” Hontos said. “This is the most talented group of people I’ve seen in years.”

Many of the pieces contained songs, which is very important, she said.

“We relate to words. We hear the meaning of the poetry,” Hontos said.

She had been a little worried about her own group because her singer had been ill.

“We have put so much effort into this and it went very well. The singer was so good and I started to cry,” Hontos said, in reference to singer Rebecca Carter.

It’s the collaborations between students and teachers she especially liked.

“It’s fun for the whole faculty and this is the high point of the year,” she said. “I love doing this.”

A flamenco performance by Tony Ybarra, Gilbert Lopez and Andrew Martinez received the most applause of the night. A mix of guitar, flute and percussion fired up the audience with the hot Latino tunes. Tony Ybarra was a student at City College 15 years ago and is now a teacher. He has also travelled the world playing his music and has released five CDs. He likes the idea of teachers and students performing together.

“This is a show case of the strength of the students and faculty working together,” Ybarra said. “The students are forced to raise their standard and it’s an excellent time for them to peak.”

After the concerts Margaret Hontos sat down in the seats and looked very relieved.

“We have put so much effort into this, and when it’s over it’s all like ‘aah’,” she said. “The students were phenomenal. I love that we were able to do this.”