One student sang her final solo on a university stage Saturday when she gave her senior voice recital, completing one more step in her road to graduation.
Non-traditional student Bonnie Hill showcased the skills she honed during her years at Baker when she sang 15 songs in five different languages, all of which were selected to display the depth and breadth of her knowledge.
“They show all the versatilities of all the different music genres,” Hill said.
She said her selections included a Broadway tune, Hebrew spiritual and an opera excerpt, ranging from the Elizabethan period up to contemporary music.
“It kind of gives you a potpourri of western music,” Hill said.
Assistant Professor of Music Susan Buehler said all music majors are required to do a senior recital in their area of focus.
“The senior recital has to show development of vocal technique and growth that has developed over the past four or five or six years,” she said. “Students have to demonstrate knowledge of the different eras of music, the different historical periods.”
Buehler said the recital gives the students the chance to show they can work with someone else.
“I try to pair them up with at least a cellist or maybe put in a flute,” Buehler said. “If you’re a solo singer, you’re used to doing things your own way.”
Hill said she was accompanied by junior Abby Burnett on the piano, sophomore Taryn Anderson on the cello and Professor of Music Trilla Lyerla on the piano.
“My accompanists just did wonderfully,” Hill said. “Their tempos were perfect.”
Burnett said as Hill’s accompanist, she practiced separately but attended all of Hill’s weekly lessons.
Buehler said song selection is important, and it varies from person to person.
“The timber of the voice dictates what is selected for the students to sing as well.”
Burnett found the variations important.
“I really liked the variety of the song selections, especially from an accompanist’s point of view,” she said. “It went from really fast to really melodic.”
Buehler said the recital and the recital documents are graded by the entire full-time faculty. The recital documents contain the research Hill has done on all the pieces selected for her program.
For Hill, the most touching part of the recital was the last song, a “Kum Ba Yah,” “Peace Like a River” medley sung with her husband David Hill.
Hill commutes to Baker from Bonner Springs. She said she plans to graduate in the spring with a music education degree, but she still has a lot left to do, including taking 21 credit hours this semester and finishing her LA 401 paper. Hill said she plans to go into vocal education.