Student Prepares to Perform Senior Recital

VANESSA STAUBLIN | Staff Reporter

Between 30 and 40 senior recitals are taking place this spring semester, according to the JCA calendar.

Senior recitals are a requirement for all performance and education majors in the School of Music.

Students participating must get their programs typed and sent to the School of Music and are responsible for any advertising for their recitals. Faculty and students are encouraged to come.

Patrick Peterson, a senior music major, is preparing for his recital, which will be held this Saturday at 11 a.m.

“I’m nervous and stressed, but at this point, there is little point in stressing,” Peterson said about his performance. “I’ve worked hard to get to this point. The recital will happen, there will be some mistakes, but there are mistakes in every recital. I just have to remember to tell the story of my music, perform it and put on a show.”

A bass player for more than 12 years, Peterson said he is happy with his choice in pursuing a music degree at Butler.

“I chose to pursue music in college because that is what I really enjoy doing,” Peterson said. “Music had been such a large part of my life for so many years. I had the calling to continue with it.”

Students are in charge of deciding what to perform and how to present the music.

“I listened to a bunch of different pieces and picked one that I either really enjoyed or I thought was cool,” Peterson said. “Then I discussed with my professor about which ones he thought I should pick. We took into consideration the difficulty of each piece and the time I have to prepare.”

Peterson has benefited from preparing and getting ready for his senior recital.

“I have learned management skills and how to use my time effectively. I have also learned how to work through difficult music,” Peterson said. “I’ve learned more about not getting frustrated with my work and how to overcome stress and be productive.”

Professor David Murray has worked with Peterson in preparation for his recital and has helped him along his way.

“He has had weekly lessons all four years at Butler, and we have a studio class for bassists once a week,” Murray said. “Patrick is a very diligent and responsible student, but I know he feels more comfortable playing in an ensemble. He has had to build his confidence playing solo in front of people.”

Murray said he believes senior recitals are one of the most important things to accomplish for students in the School of Music.

A senior recital is the top accomplishment in a student’s college performing career, Murray said.

“It also instills greater confidence and makes you a stronger player so you would be a better ensemble player,” he said.

Murray said playing an instrument well requires a lot of discipline, with the performer being in charge of making the technical and artistic choices for the entire repertoire.

“Making all these decisions requires more intellectual thinking than just doing what someone tells you to do,” he said.

Peterson said he agrees that a senior recital prepares you for the real world.

“I think the purpose of a senior recital is to give the student exposure playing for a public audience,” he said. “This is an opportunity to give the student real experience performing, which is what they will potentially be doing for the rest of his or her life.”

Of the many senior recitals this month, most take place in Eidson-Duckwall Recital Hall, located in Robertson Hall.

The full schedule is available online at www.butler.edu/jca under the “calendars” tab.

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