Musical performances light up Valley’s recital hall

The second concert of the semester showcased performances by applied music program students.

By Sayeh Saadat, Staff Writer

Connie Acosta (R) performing Caro Mio Ben by Giordani alongside Patricia Hannifan (L). (Joseph Acuna | Valley Star)

The music department continued its season of free concerts on Wednesday, Sept. 21 in recital hall M106 with performances from Valley College music students.

The second concert was called “Music for Storytelling: Sung and Danced Drama,” in which seven students performed musical pieces written by famous musicians such as Mozart and Giordani –– just to name a few. The theme of the concert was telling stories of ordinary people through music. The singers brought their stories to life. Two pieces that stood out the most were Non Piu Andrai, the story of a clumsy french soldier afraid of going to the battlefield, and If I sing, the story of a son remembering his late father. In an effort to provide free entertainment to the whole community, the music department has been organizing concerts for more than twenty years. Professor Christian Nova, the head of the music department, organized the concert and has been teaching at Valley College since 2005.

“The goal is to provide a mixture of styles,” said Nova. “Each [applied music program] student is required to audition. We select their parts based on their individual abilities. We make decisions based on what they can do.”

According to Nova, the event was the first concert past COVID-19 with full participation from students and audiences alike. There were close to fifty people in the audience.

“We had a lot of difficulties last semester,” said Nova. “People were nervous to go to public places. We couldn’t get the word out, and we had a lot of technical difficulties.”

There are twenty-eight students enrolled in the applied music program this semester. Each student is selected through an auditioning process. Depending on their vocal range or their familiarity with musical instruments, they are accepted into the program.

“There are so many songs I wish I could sing.” said Shareen Sayied, a second-year student who performed “A Quiet Thing.” “But I cannot, because they don’t fit my range. .Musicals are becoming more popular every day, especially with Disney. I think musicals can help us get through the tough times.”

The international tone of the songs made the concert more intriguing. Not all the songs were written in English. The seven student performers were required to learn the English translation as well, which combined with their great acting skills, made it enjoyable for audiences.