A Showcase of Student Talent.
Some say that music is what feelings sound like, and few musicians are likely to disagree. The hills (bluffs) will be alive with the sound of music April 24-26, as the WSU Department of Music presents the seventh annual Music Gala.
The Gala itself is an incredible meeting of the minds, instruments, and voices that come together to produce some of the most amazing music.
“In the music arts, the idea of working together pretty much permeates everything we do,” stated Dr. Rich MacDonald, Director of Jazz Studies. “We have a built-in cooperative environment in which the students, with guidance from the ensemble directors, form a bond of mutual trust and respect, requiring that they all play their parts in leading to a successful performance. I like to use the phrase with my group that we are a well-oiled machine – sort of tongue in cheek, but true!”
The WSU Department of Music will present four concerts during Music Gala, featuring the four primary performing ensembles in the department: Jazz Ensemble, conducted by Dr. Rich MacDonald; Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Paul Vance; Concert Choirs, conducted by Dr. Harry Mechell; and Symphonic Wind Ensemble, conducted by Dr. Donald Lovejoy.
Jake Runestad ’09
A special feature at this year’s Gala will be award-winning composer Jake Runestad ’09, who is noted for his versatility and wide range of expressive capabilities with music.
Runestad is a bit of a WSU prodigy, having accomplished more in the not quite six years since his graduation than most musicians achieve in a lifetime. He has received commissions and performances from such leading ensembles as Seraphic Fire, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, VocalEssence, the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, the Drayton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble, Cantus (Minnesota), and the Rockford Symphony Orchestra.
He was named a finalist for the American Prize in Composition in 2013 and his music has been performed around the world at prestigious concert spaces such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, and the National WWII Museum in New Orleans.
Runestad will be working with WSU students while he is on campus – truly a rare opportunity for these young musicians. He will be attending rehearsals with the Jazz Ensemble, Choirs, and Symphonic Wind Ensemble, providing feedback, and working together with them to provide the best possible rendition of his pieces.
“As a composer, Runestad is totally dependent on a group to ‘realize’ his composition,” said MacDonald. “This really is a team effort. We also try to celebrate the ‘arts process’ of making music together, so that it is not all about the performance, but also about the journey.”
For more information regarding the WSU Music Gala, please visit see the WSU Music Calendar or call 507.457.5250.
