From Gershwin to Shakira, vocal and instrumental students from TRC’s music department performed their Spring Showcase on Tuesday evening at the Tinnin Fine Arts Center.
TRC music professor, Cindy White said the showcase is a capstone sort of event for music students who study privately or are involved in the department’s musical theater ensemble.
“We have a choral piece at the beginning and again at the end. In the middle, we have several vocal solos, singing a variety of music, it could be classical literature or Broadway songs,” White said. “And we have a couple of instrumentalists who are instructed by William White, also a professor of music here at TRC.”
Sheri Mitchell, an adjunct vocal professor at TRC said while the spring showcase is not exactly thematic, the solos presented by the music students display their voice lessons.
“It’s a wide variety of things, because we encourage our students to embrace a wide variety of styles of vocal music,” Mitchell said during an interview on Tuesday. “And then the music theater ensemble starts and finishes up the show.”
For the majority of the music students performing on Tuesday, this was their first time on stage at the college.
“Most of them come from smaller districts and to a certain extent, this is the first time they have ever been on a stage like when they come to Three Rivers. They are full of energy. Their voices are starting to come through and they blend so it’s really nice,” Mitchell said.
Despite the new range of talent showcasing their work on Tuesday evening, several sophomore students returned to the stage.
Macy Webb, an alto voice studying music education, performed the songs “Nella Fantasia” and “My Simple Wish.”
Webb said she finds her inspiration in music because it is the one thing that brings everyone together regardless of nationality or ethnicity.
“Music is everywhere, and it is a universal language that everyone can speak and listen and understand,” Webb said.
Webb plans to eventually move on to Southeast Missouri State University, where she will pursue a degree path as a vocal instructor.
She says music has always been something that has come naturally to her.
“I have always enjoyed being in the choir and it gave me a safe space in high school and in college. It’s a stress-free zone that can bring people of all different hobbies together — from jocks to cheerleaders to nerds — it doesn’t matter,” Webb said. “It (music) brings everyone together and they can all do something and make something for others to watch.”
Another sophomore student returning to the stage and showcasing his rich bass voice was Ben Maynard. Maynard said his advice for music students is to put time in early, especially when it comes to the performance aspect.
“I am very much a person who likes to push things off until the very end but I learned that with these types of performances, you really have to be present all the way through. It’s not that difficult and once you put your heart into it.”
Both Maynard and Webb play the lead characters in the upcoming musical “The Pajama Game.” The musical is 7 p.m. April 28 and 2 p.m. April 30 at the Tinnin Fine Arts Center at TRC. Admission is free to the public and attendance is highly encouraged.