Music filled room 101 in the Dance/Music Building on Friday, Sept. 30. when the Applied Music Program held its first recital of the fall semester. 

Seven students performed various songs from blues to classical along with two faculty combos. 

The recital began with the song “Es Lebt’eine Vilja,” originally sung by Franz Lehar but was covered by Jessica Frost on vocals and instructor John Douglas on piano. 

Frost’s performance immediately captivated the audience. Her voice felt warm, reminiscent of a comforting lullaby. While I couldn’t understand the lyrics because it was in German, the story of love and heartbreak was conveyed not only through the pain in her voice but also through her facial expressions. 

Douglas matched the energy of the singer, the combination of piano with her voice was synergistic.

The next performance was Tanya Higginson on Bass, playing “Andante,” by Burnet Tuthill.

Higginson took to the stage with one of three basses scattered throughout the room. Her performance stood out to me as the bass’s deep vibration reverberated throughout the space. Her face was full of pure concentration, unfortunately, her performance ended a little more than halfway through.

Michael Shove then took to the stage making the audience laugh with a few quick jokes before beginning to play “There Will Never Be Another You,” by Harry Warren on piano. 

Shove’s performance was uplifting, a wonderful juxtaposition to the heaviness of the last two performances. The song radiated joy, which was only emphasized by the smile on Shove’s face while he played. 

Jay Real performed “Concone Lyrical Study #15,” by Giuseppe Concone on trumpet.

His performance was short and sweet but left something to be desired. The song felt melancholy compared to the previous performance and seemed to end rather abruptly. 

In my favorite performance of the afternoon, Sally Ghizzoni played a blues song on piano that she wrote herself. The music was spirited and the audience couldn’t help but tap their feet along to the lighthearted beat. 

The next performance included Julius Sherman on upright bass, Ethan Fossum on drums, Douglas on piano, and alumni Kellen Roman singing “Cheek to Cheek,” by Irving Berlin. 

There was humor in the air as these performers also began with a joke before beginning the song. This performance felt like a party, filling the room with exuberant energy. The majority of the audience nodded along to the whimsical rhythm. 

Julio Longcob on alto saxophone, instructors Dave Campos on piano, Ralph Lowi on bass, and Ed Smith on drums sent the audience into a frenzy of smiles with their performance of “Groovin’ High,” by John “Dizzy” Gillespie. Longcob lit up the stage with his cheerful enthusiasm. 

The Applied Music Program will be holding its second recital of the season on Friday, Oct. 28. 

More information about the upcoming performances and the Applied Music Program can be found at sbccmusic.com.

Correction: Oct. 10, 2022

An earlier version of this story misstated the name of the building the Applied Music Program Recital was held in. The recital was held in room 101 in the Drama/Music Building, not the Jurkowitz Theater. The Channels regrets the error.