Senior recitals underway in KFA

Music students on campus will be performing senior recitals over the next few weeks in the Abbott Concert Hall.

Students in the broad area music major and the music education major are required to perform a recital as part of the curriculum during their senior year. Music students who take the liberal arts major, as well as music minors, are not required to perform a senior recital but are encouraged to do so.

"Minors can choose to give a recital if they want to," professor Sarah Parks said. "The requirement is much looser."

In addition to their senior recital, music majors must learn six pieces each semester, called Juries, which must be performed in front of faculty members. For vocalists, all juries must be memorized, but instrumentalists can use sheet music.

"Senior recitals are basically taking your repertoire from your freshman year all the way to your senior year," senior Heidi Williams said. "Then you have to perform 30 minutes of music in your recital."

Students often use musical arrangements from their past juries for their senior recital.

"Basically, it's like your final," Williams said. "That's what you use for your senior recital."

Music majors get two credits for performing a senior recital, while music minors get one credit. As part of the senior recital class, students get one-on-one training with the professor from their music discipline. Parks assists the vocalists.

"She is one of the most amazing, inspirational teachers I have ever had," Williams said. "You can tell she loves what she is doing and she puts so much enthusiasm into voice lessons."
Students go through months of practice leading up to their recital.

"Some of my pieces I've been working on for a year," senior Maite Oyarbide-Sanchez said. "I wanted mine to showcase some of my greatest talent."

Prior to their recital, students must perform all of their pieces in front of three faculty members who determine if the students are ready for their recital.

"If you don't have your music memorized as a vocalist, they will say come back when you have your music memorized," Williams said.

Students are encouraged to include music from several different periods in their recitals. Some of the periods to choose from include Romantic, French Baroque, Renaissance and many others.

"My senior recital showcases contemporary music, jazz inspiration, Venezuelan influence, as well as French Baroque," Oyarbide-Sanchez said.

The recitals are meant to show off what the students have learned during their time at UW-River Falls.

"They're showing different representative works for their instruments and their competency on those," Parks said.

Students must also include at least one ensemble piece that is performed with other students, and are required to advertise their recital on campus.

"I sent [post cards] to all of my friends, and it included my recital information," Oyarbide-Sanchez said.

The recitals are free and open to the public. The recitals are posted on the "upcoming music events" board in the Kleinpell Fine Arts building as well as on fliers across campus.

Music majors are required to attend eight concerts each semester, and are encouraged to attend the recitals for concert credits.

"It's a short concert, it's free and you get another concert credit out of the way," Williams said.

The recitals will be taking place periodically throughout the next few weeks up until finals.