#cpsa pentathlon: music

[kristianscpsa-blog]

On Sunday April 30th, I attend chapel service with the university of Maryland Gospel Choir. I have been attending chapel service every Sunday all semester in order to add my voice in worship in the house of the Lord. However this particular Sunday, the entire choir came together to perform a few select songs chosen from our set list originally performed at our concert one week prior to this chapel performance. The songs sang included "You Are Worthy to Be Praised", "Excellent", and "Emanuel".

[leiycpsarts-blog]

When I went to D.C. with my family, there was a small event going on. I wasn’t able to get the name of the first band but they were a local group that performs indie rock. The band was very talented. Since we arrived late, we only saw one band before they opened it up for open mic. It was fun watching people go up and have fun and sing on stage.

[shiannercpsarts-blog]

Pentathlon: Music

I got to see The Flaming Lips play at the 9:30 Club two nights in a row. Actually, it was around my sixteenth/seventeenth time seeing them. It was so incredible, and I got to bring my boyfriend to his first Flaming Lips show! I love this band. 

[lgoldsmitharts]

First Friday Gallery Opening - Kevin Scheuing

September 6, 2019

Charmed Life Gallery [Baltimore, MD]

I attended a “First Friday” gallery opening for local artist Kevin Scheuing for my first CPSA Pentathlon event. While I am not always drawn to this style of  painting, I was particularly struck by the vibrancy of Scheuing’s pieces, especially as I experienced the body of work as a whole. The work was loud and demanded my attention the moment I stepped foot in the gallery. Charmed Life Gallery also is home to a very reputable tattoo shop, so throughout the venue there were several other paintings by different artists being showcased, as well as the opportunity to watch someone in the process of being tattooed. It was a really fascinating intersection of varying art forms, and it reminded me somewhat of how Arts Scholars aims to expose us to a plethora of creative pursuits (visual art, music, dance, performance, etc.) without valuing one’s significance over another. I think that a lot of synergy can arise from this type of collaboration across disciplines.

[amyhcpsarts-blog]

Here I am at Music in Mind: Beethoven at the Threshold, part of an ongoing set of performances known as “Music in Mind” that is being put on by the faculty here at UMD. Beethoven’s op 95, 96 and 97 were all played at this event. The Piano Trio in B-flat Major (Op. 97 “Archduke”) was supposed to be played by Evelyn Elsing, an emeritus professor but she put her cello up for auction so she had no instrument to play on and thus dropped out. The pianist was supposed to be a friend of hers, so the pianist also dropped out. Thus my professor, Dr Kutz, came to substitute for this performance, and the Pianist, Qing Jiang, had never played the piece before and managed to learn it in a mere two weeks. And the violinist was Professor Salness. They all sounded flawless nonetheless.  I was particularly excited for Op. 95 as I had played the first movement before in Orchestra Camp and wanted to see my professors play it. I was very enthralled and I almost fell out of the balcony from leaning out so far!

[thedzaatumd-blog]

I got to go to a Jimi Hendrix tribute concert. Fishbone and a bunch of other artists played all of the songs off of his first record, Are You Experienced? It is the 50th anniversary of the album and Jimi Hendrix would’ve been 75th birthday. It was a great show.

[fionaycpsarts-blog]

The bassoon is a unique instrument. Going in, I didn't know what to expect from this performance. I found that the bassoon is a woodwind instrument that sounds a little like a clarinet, and that it evokes the sounds of childhood cartoons. Specifically, the soundtrack of Tom & Jerry, where the music ebbed and flowed with the actions of the characters. It was a cartoonish noise. At one point, the bassoonist was accompanied by a pianist. Unfortunately, the pianist eclipsed him at parts. However, it was still an enjoyable performance.

[lenamcpsarts-blog]

Today (March 28th), I attended the Concert in Close Quarters with René Marie. I’ve got to start with that she is for sure my favorite artist that the arts program has brought in so far (while I’ve been here, of course). While she is for sure incredibly talented in her vocal abilities, René spent most of the event telling us her story, and she is also an incredibly talented storyteller. She used her music, interspersed within the story, to help reiterate her passion for singing, but focused mostly on her personal journey, her morals, and what she had discovered about herself throughout her life. Overall, I found it to be a very personal and inspirational event. She was talented, engaging, personable, and so many other great things. Her story made me want to dedicate more time to the arts, and to finding my own passion and my own way to express it. Please bring her back!

[kelsyscpsarts-blog]

I attended the arts scholar coffeehouse on Friday. This was the last coffeehouse that I planned as part of the Arts Advisory Board and had the theme of St. Patrick’s Day. We painted paper green and cut out shamrocks from them to put on the walls. We also painted a backdrop for a photobooth, planned which St. Patrick’s day props to include, put up tinsel decorations and blew up green balloons. Succulents were also ordered with the plan of selling them for $3 each. It was fun planning these events as well as listening to both arts scholars and non scholars students perform at coffeehouse.

[tiennemcpsarts]

I went to SPOTLIGHT: School of Music Showcase in the Clarice today. This was the second annual performance the school of music put on. There were roughly twenty performers who demonstrated their talent in instruments such as the clarinet, violin, xylophone, drums, flute, trombone, oboe and singing. I got to experience all different types of music and see the talent UMD has. I loved a blues piece that was performed where a student sang a blues song. The beat had me dancing in my seat and I thoroughly enjoyed the performance. I was amazed at the skill all the musicians had. One student played the piano and I could not even keep track of her fingers, they were moving so fast. Overall this was a great experience that exposed me to UMD students’ diverse talents. I also learned more about the capabilities of different instruments.

[lilyhucpsarts-blog]

I went to the CSA Lunar New Year Banquet. There were a lot of performances that followed Asian traditions and history. It was great to see so many people there to celebrate a fairly minority holiday in the US. 

[irisartscholarsblog]

I went to the language house open mic night and it was really fun to see my peers express themselves artistically!

[hjonescpsarts-blog]

Recently I got to sit in on a radio show held by a UMD student named Ericka. Her show was called “Pass the Aux” and was played over WMUC. This particular show on Friday was subtitled “Serendipity”. On the show, serendipitous occurrences were discussed and how they hold significance in the world. In addition to the talking segment, Ericka played a variety of songs. Overall the show lasted for an hour and I enjoyed the experience of being behind the scenes.

[thedzaatumd-blog]

I went to the Concert In Close Quarters this semester. It was Jaimeo Brown. He showed us his music video and we talked about what his music was trying to convey, especially in these post-Trump times. It was very interesting and I really liked his songs. I actually have them on my phone now.

[haleyzcpsarts-blog]

Oh wonder concert 10/3/17 I went with a few friends to see this dynamic duo from England. The concert was general admission at the 930 Club in DC. The male and female couple were mostly playing on a keyboard and occasionally a guitar, and were often accompanied by background performers on the drums and bass. They were lively and energetic and played upbeat music that was synchronized with the bright lighting. It was a concert that I will never forget, because everyone around me was dancing and smiling and just living in the moment.

[fionaycpsarts-blog]

I personally haven't been to a piano recital since I was 6 years old and performing at one myself. However, I've alway enjoyed listening to the piano. Its music can be so powerful in the right hands - and Richard Goode is a master of the instrument. At times, the music built and built until it reached a stunning crescendo. It was a beautiful thing to witness. I left feeling enlightened.