With music, cookies, and drinks, NIC music faculty entertained more than 50 listeners at their recital April 28.
The recital featured varied instrumentation, from choral to oboe, and mainly featured classical and jazz pieces.
Piano instructors Marietta Hardy and Debra O’Dell started off the recital with a fast and cultured piece, “Jamaican Rhumba” by Arthur Benjamin. The pianists also provided accompaniment to their fellow performers throughout the recital.
Max Mendez, vocal instructor, also lent his baritone voice to the recital with classic German piece “Die Forelle” by Franz Schubert. Mendez explained the piece to be a warning to younger women against being “caught” by men.
Brass and woodwind also made appearances in the form of trombone instructor Holly Amend and oboe instructor Jill Cathey.
In contrast to the jazz and classical tunes, Charles Miller, guitar instructor, performed the Beatles rock ballad “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” on his classical guitar.
Several jazz selections were played by Thom Rutley, bass instructor, and Barry Aiken, jazz piano instructor. Rutley and Aiken also finished the recital with vocal accompaniment by Rutley’s wife, Padma Rutley.
For the final piece of the recital, the jazz trio played an original piece written by the Rutleys called “Unity,” which was inspired by last year’s elections and was titled after the theme of the piece.
The end of the recital didn’t call for a mass exit, however, as listeners were invited to remain and socialize amongst each other and the performers with cookies and beverages in hand.
“It kind of gives people a chance to see what our faculty can do; because I don’t think too many people realize that the faculty we have here are as good of performers as they are,” said band director Terry Jones, who attended as part of the audience.
Eric Osbourne, music, Calif., attended and provided his assistance for the event, and he said it was a treat to hear his teachers play.
“I’ve never seen Deborah play, so that was very interesting, I enjoyed her performance very much,” Osbourne said. “It’s nice to see your teachers, and see what they’re capable of.”
