Music department students fine-tune skills to entertain and pass a midterm.
By Brenda Carielo
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
Students in the music program are tuning their instruments and voices as they prepare for spring concerts in March in the auditorium of McAllister Fine Arts Center.
Each semester, the Percussion Ensemble, Latin Jazz, Choir, and Jazz Ensemble in the music program each stage two performances.
The first will serve as a midterm grade and the second as a final, music Professor Alice Gomez said of the grades students receive for their ensemble classes.
To enroll in ensemble classes, students have to audition.
No auditions are required for the choir.
Concerts encourage students to enhance their talent by performing in front of an audience, Gomez said. She is the director of the Percussion Ensemble and Latin Jazz Combo.
A nine freshmen and sophomore Percussion Ensemble, led by Gomez, will perform 1 p.m.-1:50 p.m. March 3.
Gomez also directs 10 freshmen and sophomores in the Latin Jazz Combo, which will perform 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. March 4.
Gomez is looking forward to successful performances from the students.
An important skill for students is the ability to hide mistakes should something go wrong during the performance so that the audience doesn’t notice, Gomez said.
The choir, led by music Professor Cindy Sanchez, will perform 1 p.m.- 2 p.m. March 5.
The choir concert will include two performances.
The Concert Choir of 35 students and Chamber Singers of 20 students will perform separately with each performance consisting of four songs. The theme is food.
The choir performances include “Java Jive” by Manhattan Transfer, “Chili Con Carne” by The Real Group, “Lollipop” by Chordette, and “Banquet Fegue” by John Rutter.
“This song set is on the lighter side of pieces,” Sanchez said.
Chamber Singers are voice majors who auditioned for entry into the class.
The Concert Choir is open to all students who enroll in MUEN 1141, Concert Choir.
The Jazz Ensemble will perform 2 p.m.–3 p.m. March 6.
All concerts are free and open to the public.
For information, call 210-486-0269.