On May 1, in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall, Fatima Imani Smith presented her senior recital.

The recital featured a mixture of performance styles including opera, jazz and some ensemble pieces.

“I wanted to make it a big thing, so I’m doing a lot of different types of music,” said Imani Smith. “I’m starting off with Operatic music like Rossini and Bizet.”

Ricky Ian Gordon is another opera composer that Imani Smith presented at the recital. She enjoys how his work makes the audience think by using the poetry of Langston Hughes.

“He [Ricky Ian Gordon] focused a lot of his music on Langston Hughes and he loves his poetry, and he thinks that music should evoke an emotion with the people and he thinks that Langston Hughes has that down,” said Imani Smith.

Imani Smith is excited to be a music major graduating from Ashland University and is especially happy to be on the path to achieving her childhood dream.

“I knew I wanted to be a singer since I was in elementary school. I knew I wanted to be a musician,” said Imani Smith.

After graduating from AU, she hopes to go on to study at a graduate school to expand her music education.

Imani Smith was very eager to present her recital to the community, and she hoped that spectators were able to connect with her songs.

“I think that if people can go to a recital, and think ‘I felt something,’ like if they felt like crying when I sang about a poor girl struggling or if they start laughing when something’s really funny,” said Imani Smith. “If I can evoke emotion out of them or if they become really invested in characters then I think that I did my job well.”