EWU Faculty Bring Music to Life for Middle Schoolers

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Faculty musicians from Eastern's acclaimed music program took to the stage at EWU's Music Recital Hall in a performance meant to entertain and inspire both Eastern students and visitors from Spokane's Shaw Middle School.

Jody Graves, music program director and professor of piano, organized the event, held on Oct. 29. She was joined by other music faculty members who took the stage to share their passion for music and performance. Faculty performers include Jody Graves (piano), Professor Kristina Ploeger-Hekmatpanah (voice), Tomoko Kimura (instructor of piano), Lynne Feller-Marshall (instructor of bassoon), Professor John Marshall (cello), Scott Rednour (instructor in piano and vocal), Tom Shook (instructor in music theory and piano), lecturer Nicole Sonbert (voice) and Professor Michael Waldrop (percussion).

"We're hoping to inspire our students," John Marshall, director of orchestra and cello studies, said about the importance of being a professor who is also a performer. He added, with a laugh, that while the goal of these faculty performances is to showcase EWU's talented staff, it's also to make students want to be like them; that is, musicians with a passion so great that it exceeds the limitations of the classroom and the stage combined.

"Students need to see us being vulnerable," said Sonbert, director of voice studies. Sonbert, accompanied by Scott Rednour on piano, sang "Empty Handed Traveler," an aria from Gian Carlo Menotti's opera, The Consul, during her afternoon's performance. Sonbert also spoke about the importance of intentionality in music, explaining how for her singing has always been a way to weave meaningful storytelling into her work. That musical storytelling, she says, fosters better connections with both students and public audiences.

Lynne Feller-Marshall, instructor of bassoon at EWU, began her own musical as a middle-schooler - the same age as many of the students visiting from Shaw. At Wednesday's concert, Lynne and her husband played one of their original pieces: Impish Imp.

After the performance Sonbert and Marshall both spoke of the inherent value in taking up an instrument at an early age, saying the rawness and vulnerability of their young students brought often represents the very essence of music and music performance. The musicians agreed that when students are given the opportunity to perform, be it in a solo or a group performance, it can be "life-changing" for them, particularly when it provides a safe place to experiment, fail and try again. These "risk-free" circumstances are often unique to the artistic communities that musicians like Marshall and Sonbert are constantly striving to create.

The same is true not just for the beginners, they say. EWU students who see their professors performing in the Spokane Symphony or at a showcase like this, for example, benefit from having a safe space to take stock of what life as a professional musician really looks like.

"When we can reflect on ourselves, then we have a lot to give to others," Sonbert said. Connection, she added, is always at the forefront of the musicians' minds. And the more of themselves they showcase, the more of their passion they can impart on their students.

Upcoming Events:

Free Convocations Hour events are held every Wednesday at noon in the Music Recital Hall (MRH). Each features students, faculty and guests in concert. Ticketed events will be marked with $: $10 general admission, $5 senior admission, EWU students are admitted free with ID.

Nov. 12 | Noon | Convocation in MRH

Nov. 18 | 7:30 p.m. Composer's Forum in MRH

Nov. 19 | Noon | Convocation in MRH

Nov. 21 | 7:30 p.m. | EWU Music Technology Concert

Nov. 24 | 7:30 p.m. | EWU Orchestra Concert in MRH | $10 general/$5 seniors

Dec. 2 | 7:30 p.m. | EWU Jazz Concert | $10 general | $5 seniors

Dec. 3 | Noon | Convocation in MRH

Dec. 3 | 7:30 p.m. | EWU Wind Ensemble Concert in MRH | $10 general/$5 seniors

Dec. 5 | 7:30 p.m. | EWU Choral Concert in MRH | $10 general/$5 seniors

**Story written by Rachel Weinberg.