Ashland University seniors Abbie Brady and Deric Dove will present their senior recitals on Nov. 20 in the Elizabeth Pastor Recital Hall. 

Dove is a baritone and will be assisted by pianist Deb Logan and fellow baritone Michael Cowan. His concert will begin at 3 p.m. and feature music from the Classical and Romantic periods, as well as a few musical theater pieces. 

Brady’s recital begins at 7:30 p.m. She will also be accompanied by Deb Logan and mezzo-soprano Andrea Disch. Her performance will mostly consist of art songs and operetta. 

Emily Minns, a senior who will receive an applied music minor on flute, performed a recital last year and described the extensive time and work that goes into preparing for a recital as a music student at AU. 

The concert must first be approved by the music department chair, Dr. Reed. After that, several hearings take place from a jury of faculty members to confirm that the performer is prepared. Senior performers must also prepare their own program notes. 

According to Brady, vocal students have added pressure in preparing their recitals. 

“Instead of singing two pieces for a grade at the end of the semester, you have to have every piece you’ve studied performance ready by your recital date, which for me is almost a month earlier than a jury would be,” Brady said.

Brady said that she chose her performance pieces from her past repertoire or from songs that she has always wanted to sing. 

“The music is usually chosen to be a good variety,” said Minns. “Different styles of music, different time periods, and different difficulties. You can’t do all super hard music or else you’d probably get too tired by the end of the recital, so you alternate between really technical stuff and less crazy stuff.”

From there, musicians will practice throughout the remainder of the semester and perform a mock recital for faculty members to ensure preparedness.  

“It takes a ton of practice and preparation,” said Minns. “You have to practice a lot since you’re playing a lot of music, and you have to work with your piano accompaniment or any other accompanists you have, so it’s pretty extensive preparation wise.”

Brady and Dove have both been coached by Professor Stephanie Sikora who is being released from tenure at the end of the semester. This is why both seniors chose to have their concerts during the fall semester. 

Brady spoke highly of Sikora, describing the countless hours of preparation they have shared and the strong support she has provided. 

Brady is incredibly proud of all that she has accomplished while at AU. Alongside preparing for her recital, she is a working double major, president of the choir, and queen of the Madrigal Feaste.

 While she would be interested in pursuing opera after graduation, she understands the difficulty in entering the field for a career. She plans on going to grad school to pursue her doctorate. 

“I remember being a freshmen and being told that I would spread myself too thin, but I’m still standing,” Brady said. “I’ve genuinely enjoyed everything I’ve been a part of throughout my four years.”