Soul ensemble performs smooth rhythms, cover songs at concert

The Kellogg Soul Music Ensemble electrified the Music Recital Hall last week Mar. 3 by bringing back the vintage sound of the 1960s.

Soulful ballads like "I Heard it Through the Grapevine," and "You Keep me Hangin' On" lifted the audience to their feet.

Felipe De Orozco, a fifth-year music student had the challenging role of performing to songs that were from soul legends Marvin Gaye and Isaac Hayes.

"Marvin Gaye hits notes that are beyond my register, it was fun trying to squeal out those notes," said Orozco. "Isaac Hayes has a voice that's richer and fuller than anything I can hope to achieve. I was just hoping to fit in with the style of the song."

Besides strictly focusing on soul music the Soul Ensemble ventured off into other genres, covering the songs of John Mayer, Adam Levine, Corinne Bailey Rae, and the late Bob Marley.

The Soul Ensemble cleverly incorporated rap lyrics to Isaac Hayes', "Do Your Thing," which grabbed the audience's attention.

"'Do Your Thing' really stood out to me. It turned out great and ended up being a real crowd pleaser," said Brett Woods, a fifth-year business student and vocalist.
"One of the most important and fun aspects of soul music is improvisation. We'll be running through the songs and someone will come up with a cool idea or a new approach to presenting the music, which keeps things fresh and fun."

Despite having a limited time to practice and having a new director, the challenges that were behind the scenes were overshadowed by a brilliant performance from the entire cast.

"I never performed this type of music before, being able to channel my energy to the audience was a challenge," said Kari Cheng a sixth-year music student and vocalist for the Soul Ensemble.

Mark Anthony Chubb, who was hired as an assistant music professor in 2007, encouraged his students to perform well on stage and taught them the values of life.

"He is always encouraging the group with ways to get better in both our understanding of music and performance," said Woods. "He has inspired me personally and constantly reminds me to strive to achieve my goals in music and life."

Chubb emphasized to his students elements of soul music including groove and rhythm, improvisation and showmanship.

"I try and convey my enthusiasm for the music," said Chubb. "I really felt great about the performance and I am very proud of the students."


Reach Martin Dinh at
lifestyle@thepolypost.com

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