On Tuesday Sept. 10, Northwestern State University of Louisiana’s Department of Music faculty held a showcase to present their talents to their colleagues, students and the community.
The showcase consisted of a beautiful array of performances from the staff, ranging from pieces with powerful singing to others where the intensity of the instrumentation said enough.
From the moment the NSU Faculty Brass Quartet stepped onto the Magale Recital Hall stage and performed, “Fanfare for Bima,” by Leonard Bernstein, the stage was set for the rest of the night. The number was short and commanding, a perfect catalyst to get the crowd ready for the pieces that followed it.
A majority of the following acts involved two faculty members combining their separate abilities to create a powerhouse of music heard from every corner of the recital hall. These pieces between just two people allowed listeners to feel the intensity of the music and intimacy a musician and their instrument share.
All eyes were on each of the faculty members as they gave lovely renditions of their pieces. This was especially true as Robert Cardwell, accompanied by Chialing Hsieh, performed “Last Letter Home” by Lee Hoiby. This song originated from a final letter a soldier left to his family in case he didn’t come back home from war, so many were left with tears in their eyes when Cardwell and Hsieh got to the last verse.
Another extremely notable performance of the night was, “Bye Bye Bye,” by Jacob Schulze, Andreas Carlsson and Kristian Lundin featuring NSU’s Oliver Molina playing on the drums. This song is one so many are familiar with, especially as it was featured in the film, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” which was released this past July. Smiles and applause filled the room and grew louder once Nhan Ho and a few other dancers from NSU’s Theatre and Dance Department appeared on stage to recreate the iconic dance from the film. This was visibly enjoyable for everyone on stage and those in the audience and was an amazing way of combining departments to give a unique experience to both students and staff.
The showcase proceeded with the NSU Faculty Woodwind Quintet performing, “Umoja,” by Valerie Coleman and wrapped up with, “The Song That Goes Like This,” from “Spamalot” by John Du Prez and Eric Idle performed by NSU’s Marcy McKee and Adam Philley accompanied by Hsieh. The song was full of comedic bits; there were tons of laughs from the crowd once McKee and Philley scolded Hsieh for the long length of the song. Along with this, the piece contained several impressive key changes on both McKee and Philley’s part, and was overall a lighthearted and engaging way to end the night.
Throughout the showcase, it was obvious that everyone on stage was familiar with their pieces and their instruments, and they are completely impassioned with what they do. This was a way for the faculty to display not only their talents, but their love for their work. It left their students in the audience knowing they are in good hands when it comes to learning and taking after the music faculty in their years studying at NSU.
