Music Students Prepare for Senior Recitals

Senior Music Therapy student Jazmyn Yates performs at her senior recital on March 16. Yates is one of several music majors performing their senior recital this year. Photo courtesy of Brendon Yates.

By Hayden Rensner

Each year, Concordia seniors majoring in music put on a senior recital to showcase their talents and fulfill class requirements. Students collaborate with their music instructors to select pieces from various genres that they will perform at their senior recitals.

Students either participate in a 25-minute or 50-minute recital depending on the music degree they are pursuing. No matter the length of the recital, they are required to memorize all the music they choose to perform.

Seniors Melody Niemoth and Jacob Roggow said that they started preparing for their senior recitals almost a full year in advance. With several different pieces to memorize, Roggow said it was challenging to keep making progress on all of the pieces.

“There was the challenge of organizing your practice time and keeping all the pieces moving in the right direction,” Roggow said.

Niemoth also said that time management was a struggle that she faced throughout the process of preparing for the recital.

“In January, I didn’t have some of the songs memorized, and it seemed like time was going really quickly all of a sudden,” Niemoth said.

Roggow and Niemoth tried to stay focused on the task before them as their recital dates approached.

“I recorded myself and listened back through the recording so I could notice details within the music,” Roggow said.

When the event finally drew to a close, Niemoth said that it was initially hard to process that it was over.

“It felt great to have it over with because it went well and I was happy with it, but it was also something that I was looking forward to, and I had been pushing towards it for years,” Niemoth said.

Student recitals take place each year, and provide a way for music students to showcase their talents.