The Department of Music at Ashland University hosted the semi-annual Honors Recital showcasing the exceptional work by selected vocalists and instrumentalists on Monday night, April 15.

The best of Spring 2019 concert was showcased at the Honors Recital in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. Students who accomplished exceptional musical work during the semester performed their vocal and instrumental talents in front of their professors, family and fellow peers.

Performers included vocalists Michael Cowan, Maggie George, Alli Lange, Maya Rickard and Rebecca Young. Instrumentalists were Kailyn Buyok (violin), Ariane Hill (flute), Jed McFadden (piano), Jacob Moses (clarinet), Christine Shelton (piano) and Eric Watts (composer, tuba).

These students were selected to perform by their private teachers. Sophomore Music Performance major Jed McFadden was one of the students that were selected to perform.

“I had received an e-mail from the head of the Music Department, Dr. Reed, informing me I had been chosen to perform on the honors recital. Dr. Reed had asked me to perform the Beethoven Sonata I had prepared for a previous area recital.”

Maggie George, a Music Education voice primary major, has been singing her whole life but recently started taking voice lessons this year.

“I’ve sung at my church all my life, I’ve been in every choir that I’ve been offered, and I’ve had my fair share of musicals,” George said. “My voice teacher originally chose me to perform a solo, but she added my friend Maya to the performance because we have that scene in the Opera Scenes show at the end of the year. My voice teacher also directs that so she thought it would be a fun addition to the spring honors recital.”

The Ashland Music Department is one of the smallest programs on campus, but the small class sizes and individual attention gives students an environment which is both challenging and supportive.

“I like that the AU Music Department is smaller and more personal. It is nice that the faculty is smaller and knows students by their first name,” McFadden said. Also, the faculty is easily accessible and willing to help with students’ question.”

The next AU Department of Music event will be the Spring Choral Concert with University Chorus, Chambers Singers, and Women’s Chorus on Sunday, April 28th at 4 p.m. in the Jack and Deb Miller Chapel.