Performances |
Growing up, I had some terrible stage fright; even during elementary school musicals. The sweaty and shaky hands are something I have dealt with. With my interest in learning guitar, my stage fright was something I had to conquer (and still have to sometimes!).
Part of being a musician, is also being a performer. I used to think that I could get away with playing guitar for just my mom or the privacy of my own room, but now I truly appreciate the art of performing for people. I didn't always think of it as an positive experience, but now I see it as a wonderful opportunity to share music with people. The picture to the left is a picture of my senior recital at JMU. It is one of the most exciting/stressful parts of being a music major. Senior recitals are created to showcase the pieces of music that the student has learned over the years. Family, friends, professors, etc. are invited to attend the formal performance. I prepared a recital of memorized classical guitar music. I practiced hours upon hours daily for my performance. Even my housemates knew all of my pieces by heart. When it came to my performance, I cannot say I played the recital perfectly, but I was proud and ecstatic to perform the pieces I worked incredibly hard on preparing. Whether I am playing Villa-Lobos in a concert hall or playing Taylor Swift songs for a four-year-olds birthday party, I am thrilled to be sharing music with people. Below are a few of the different places I have performed and groups I have been a part of. |
Young Life WorshipI have led worship for several different Young Life events over the past few years. I have led worship for small gatherings and large leaderships of over a hundred people. The experience of leading worship was completely different than my classical concerts. I loved the beautiful simplicity in the music and powerful meaning behind it. This was just another way to share music with people in a different setting.
Other PerformancesSome of my other performances include, middle school movie nights, chiropracter office grand opening, coffee shops, bars, worship sessions, birthday parties, etc. Needless to say, I have performed for people of all ages, shapes, and sizes, and loved it!
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JMU Guitar EnsembleI have been a part of the JMU guitar ensemble all throughout college. We played a variety of music in the Forbes performance halls at JMU. I have had quartet, small group, and large group ensemble experiences including all 18 of our guitar majors.
PFHS Guitar EnsembleMy first guitar ensemble work began in my seventh grade guitar class. We played simple four-part pieces (and even some Stairway to Heaven meadlys). Going into high school, I began to play with the PFHS guitar ensemble. I played in three of the ensembles they offered at my school over the years. We performed in New York churches, masterclasses, Chicago music competitions, various colleges, and wherever they would let us play. It was an incredible experience to be a part of the large ensemble with 50 other guitar players.
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JMU Guitar QuartetI participated in the guitar quartet two semesters and performed at Anthony Seeger Hall at JMU. One particular time we performed Tchikovsky's Nutcracker suite. My collegues that I performed with, I also graduated with. Some of them are getting their masters to teach, or seeking a performing career.
PAVANI attended the regional governor school the summer after my junior year. It was a two week long program that taught the arts to advanced students in the Loudoun County Schools. From my audition to the last performance, I grew musically as well as a player in this program. I still keep up with many of my peers that I attended PAVAN with.
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