School of Music faculty members showcase talent in first performance of 2011

• Tweet
• 

The human voice and classical piano filled the air Tuesday night as Central Michigan University faculty practiced what they preached.

The CMU Music Department held its first faculty recital of the semester 8 p.m. Tuesday in the Staples Family Concert Hall. School of Music Associate Professor Eric Tucker, Instructor Zhi-hua Tang and guest singer Antoinette Torres Tucker performed for a crowd of about 250 students and faculty.

Tucker and Torres Tucker  sang poetry by German poet Richard Strauss in bass baritone and soprano respectively. Tang accompanied them with piano and also performed solo pieces by Chopin.

“It’s two different flavors to the evening,” said John Jacobson, director of music events. “One voice, the other piano.”

Jacobson said the music department holds almost 320 programmed events every year.

“They do this because it’s really important to their art and craft,” Jacobson said. “It’s like a science teacher who keeps researching or a literature professor who writes a book.”

East Lansing senior Monica Sheets said she was impressed with Tang’s ability to play such an improvisatory Chopin piece. She said she enjoyed the way the music wrapped her up in the moment and left the audience holding its breath.

“I like the fact that you can stay active in listening to it,” Sheets said. “There’s not a moment where you can let yourself be lulled by it. It keeps you engaged all the time.”

Tang has been playing the piano since she was 5 and has performed all over the world. She too felt overcome by the power of the music while playing, she said.

“Sometimes I do forget I’m performing,” she said. “The ultimate goal we try to accomplish is to forget ourselves. It feels like something more wonderful than anything.”

Jonathan Schott, a junior from Dundee, the performance was fantastic. Schott is in two of Tucker’s classes, and said he was impressed that the professor was able to practice what he encouraged his students to achieve.

“I’m really glad that as a teacher, he puts himself out there to show us how it’s done,” Schott said. “He is a role model.”

The final songs of the evening were in the style of spirituals, written personally for Tucker by his old professor. Tucker said the songs were very meaningful to him and dedicated the final song, “If He Changed My Name,” to the Coptic Christians recently attacked in Egypt.

“The whole point of the song is that the world will persecute you if you’re a Christian,” he said. “And there it is.”

Tucker said he wanted the night to be filled with solely romantic music, specifically spirituals, which he said were the ultimate kind of love.

“I thought it was the most touching part of the event,” Schott said. “He seemed to fill the room with emotion when he said that.”

Many fans came behind stage afterwards to thank both Tucker and Tang for the performances.  Tucker said it is not all about praise but about teaching.

“I want students to realize that there are some world-class performers at this university,” Tucker said. “The arts keep us from becoming intellectual vegetables.”