An unusual instrumental matchup should make for beautiful music during an upcoming joint junior recital.
Juniors Bryce Lathrop and Eric Loux have been planning to do their junior recitals together for about a year. Lathrop will be playing the saxophone while Loux performs pieces on his cello and drums.
Many students decide to team up and do their junior recital together. Lathrop said he is excited about the combination of instruments for their performance.
“The contrast will make the recital all the more interesting,” Lathrop said.
He is preparing four pieces, ranging from contemporary to classical. Lathrop said he and Loux will perform their last song, “Yakety Sax,” together.
Lathrop said doing a junior recital will help him prepare for his senior recital.
“It is a whole different monster playing alone than it is playing as part of a group,” Lathrop said. “(The recital) gives you the experience of putting together a set of songs and gives you that stage time.”
Loux also is preparing to play four pieces, three from the Romantic era and the final contemporary song with Lathrop.
Family and friends are invited to attend the recital. Loux said he and Lathrop have different groups of friends, which will give both of them the opportunity to share their music with new people.
“It is a good way to practice for a senior recital and it is a lot less stress because we only have to prepare half as many pieces,” Loux said.
Lathrop is a student of J.D. Parr, associate professor of music, who said even though juniors are not required to do a recital, the faculty encourages them to.
“Most students do them because there is no pressure,” Parr said. “It is like a warmup for their senior recital.”
Parr said it is practical for the juniors to do their recitals in pairs instead of solo. He said it doesn’t really matter if the instruments compliment each other.
“(The recital) is a chance to try it out before it really matters,” Parr said.
The recital is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. April 11 in McKibbin Recital Hall. The event is open to the public.
