Saturday, Sept. 30, the Rozsa Center hosted an event designed to showcase all of the major music ensembles involved in Michigan Tech’s Visual and Performing Arts Department. The event included performances by the Keweenaw Symphony Orchestra, Superior Wind Symphony, Jazz Lab Band, conScience: Michigan Tech Chamber Singers, Michigan Tech Concert Choir, as well as music by student composers and students in smaller musical ensembles. The performances were a delight to audience members.
Clive Pinto, a Mechanical Engineering graduate student in his second semester at Tech, had nothing but positive things to say about Music-o-Rama. “There was a really good amalgamation of music,” he said, referring to how the performances were artfully linked, with groups performing in different areas of the hall. “It was really incredible. The sound and melodies and harmonies were really awesome. We just had shivers…” Pinto, who participated in Holi Night as a musician last year, takes great pleasure in playing music, both in formal and informal groups. “I would encourage people more and more to go to these kinds of events,” he says.
For those who missed the big event, there will be many more opportunities for participating in musical events on campus and around the Keweenaw. There are surprisingly more performances up here than you would think.
The Younce Guitar Duo, a father-son pair, will perform at the Orpheum Theater in Hancock on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 8:30 p.m. Composed of Jerry Younce and his son, Ryan, the pair creates instrumental music inspired by Latin, Jazz and World Music. Before pairing up in 2008, both father and son had been active in Michigan’s music scene. Jerry Younce pursued a Jazz Studies degree at Wayne State University and played the Midwest Resort Circuit for a couple of years. When his two sons were born, he made sure to introduce them to music and his passion. Soon, Jerry Younce and his son Ryan started to play together and formed the Younce Guitar Duo.
Music is something that everyone enjoys. Hearing it live is a completely different experience than listening to a recording of it. Michigan Tech’s many ensembles provide a way for everyone to hear live music often on campus, while the surrounding towns provide other various live music experiences for students and locals.
