The School of Music depends on co-sponsors to help bring in visiting artists or recitals and master classes.
Several trombone players gathered in room 494 in Glidden Hall to learn and listen from the advice of Justin Cook, a visiting artist from Arkansas University.
“It’s great because a lot of the time you have someone come, and although they’ll be saying the exact same thing that your professor is saying, they give it a fresh spin,” said Erich Haller, a senior studying music performance on bass trombone. “You hear it differently and it makes you pick something up you didn’t the first time.”
Throughout the year, the School of Music hosts free recitals in Glidden Recital Hall featuring visiting artists. Sometimes these artists even teach lessons and give master classes to students.
The master classes are sponsored partially through the School of Music, but also can be co-sponsored or done through an exchange, Lucas Borges, assistant professor of trombone, said.
Cook performed Wednesday night and visiting pianist Dmitry Rachmanov will perform Sunday at 4 p.m., in Glidden Recital Hall.
“As classical musicians, we truly believe in the transformative power of this great music,” associate professor of piano, Christopher Fisher, said. “It’s very special to have these artists who do such a good job of engaging with these audiences and for many, opening their eyes and ears to this great music, that perhaps, they never have been exposed to before.”
Fisher said he looks for musicians who are not only outstanding performers but also have the ability to engage the crowd.
Last year, pianist Sean Chen filled the entire Recital Hall for the performance and additional chairs had to be put on the stage to accommodate the audience, he said. Chen was dynamic and charismatic while providing commentary to capture the audience’s attention, he added.
Rachmanov will give a lecture about the music of Alexander Scriabin and later will have a master class where he will give feedback to two student pianists.
Master classes are not comparable because each artist brings different ideas and philosophies to the class, Haller said.
Cook said he approached the master class the same way he approaches his studio in Arkansas.
“Intense is good. Being as good as possible is really important, but there has to be an element of fun and an element of ‘I’m allowed to fail to be successful,’ ” Cook said. “That’s part of it and I try to crack as many jokes as I can.”
In his studio, the tricks he uses to teach articulation were not working for a student, Cook started calling anyone he knew that played trombone and taught to ask and find new ideas for teaching. During a master class, it’s a similar concept because he’s teaching the same things the students know but in a different way.
Colton Allen, a freshman studying biology, said it was his first master class and he enjoyed getting a different take on playing.
“(It) was pretty informative. … It’s basically a new perspective, something different than what I can teach myself,” he said.
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