Music students will present their annual Spring Music Concert on Friday, Mar. 24 at 7 p.m. in Andrews Hall. Doors will open at 6:45 p.m. The wind and percussion ensembles, choir, and string orchestra will present an exciting and eclectic program. There will also be collaborative pieces presented by the wind and percussion ensemble and string orchestra.
University Music Director Daniel Knox said that the theme connecting throughout the concert’s pieces emerged organically.
“Normally, I pick music that is going to be engaging for the students and then choose the theme later,” said Knox. “This time, all of the pieces kind of fell in line with this theme of working through stress, anxiety, or struggles in life–together.”
Knox, who is in his seventh year as the UHS Music Director, wants the audience to feel more connected with others through music.
“There is record loneliness right now after the pandemic and many people are feeling really isolated. Sometimes people don’t want to talk to others about it and music can be something, at least in my life, that has been a community-builder and helps to connect with other people,” he said.
There are ten seniors in the music program this year across every section, including wind ensemble, percussion ensemble, choir, and orchestra. Throughout the school year, these students have practiced the leadership aspect of the music program by helping to lead their sections and working together with the underclassmen in the program.
One of these seniors is Christian Baltz, section leader for the orchestra’s cellists. Christian, who has played in the University orchestra for all four years, credits the “close community” of the various ensembles for strengthening the sound and performances of the program.
“Everyone in our orchestra is so talented and making music with others and creating one sound all together at the same time is really magical,” said Christian. “I’m excited to play “How to Train Your Dragon” alongside the other ensembles and mostly, I’m just excited to perform cool music with the people I love and bring the excitement that our pieces hold to an audience.”
Mr. Knox shares the sentiment of bringing an entertaining, yet complex emotional experience to Friday’s concert.
“We’ll have pieces that are lyrical and musical that require a lot of musical and emotional maturity, and then something very exciting that’s fun to play, something challenging, and finally something that is fun to listen to,” he said.
“We’re just trying to bring people together, work through things, and play music. It can be celebratory, but it can also be really cathartic and therapeutic.”
Don’t miss the Spring Music Concert on Friday, Mar. 24 at 7 p.m. and save the date for Friday, May 17 for an on-campus coffee house concert featuring small group performances!