Students perform classics at Fall Showcase Music Hour

Cal Poly students showcased their talents last Thursday playing musical pieces from Bach, Beethoven and Chopin among other artists at the Fall Showcase Music Hour. The showcase was the first of the year and was directed by Dr. Susan Burns. A great range of musical instruments was featured at the event, including piano, baritone saxophone and the mezzo-soprano, which made for a diverse show. "This is my first year [at Cal Poly], and [my] first concert here. I enjoyed it very much. Dr. Shpanchenko signed me up for it and I kind of just got in," said Charles Parsons, a first-year computer engineering and music student. Parsons said that he picked his material last June for the week's showcase performance, for his first performance "With music, basically it is more of an obligation on my part because I feel since I have this talent, I have to develop it, but I get much enjoyment out of appeasing the audience so to speak," said Parsons. Phillip Pitcher, a fourth-year computer engineering and music student, played a familiar Beethoven piece. Despite his musical talent, Pitcher said he mainly plays music to support his church. "My goal for music is I want to help out the church. I go to a church in Riverside [and] I help them out a lot. I also like to help out other churches too," said Pitcher. "Computer engineering is more for a practical purpose. It is more practical to support a family." Some might remember Pitcher from last spring's Showcase Music hour performance, where he performed Beethoven's "Piano Sonata in F minor." The purpose of the concert was to provide students with performing experience. Many of the performers agreed, but Pitcher said there is much more to the event. "The purpose of the concert is for the audience to enjoy the music, so I try to compensate whatever music they think is boring or different. I try to understand what the world thinks. That is what I want to get out of the end," said Pitcher. Several of the students will be performing senior music recitals and utilized the showcase as a means of practice. Reanne Pfeifer, a third-year music education student, and Ed Carlo Arafiles, a fifth-year computer science and music education student, performed a duet that took them close to a month to prepare. Their duet will be a part of "The Feminine Voice," a vocal scholarship fundraiser show which will be held Nov. 21. The show will consist of female-composed musical pieces, lyrics and poems. The next U-hour musical performance will feature Dr. Nadia Shachenko's master class and will take place on Thursday Nov. 13 in the Music Recital Hall.

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