After a thoroughly beautiful afternoon for Campus Day this past Friday, we had a decent Saturday weather-wise and then yesterday it was a soggy rainy mess all day.  Looking out our windows, there is a storm that looks to be rolling in to town, and we’re predicted to have more rain today.  Hopefully the April showers will bring May flowers.

At the end of Campus Day, I went to a recital put on by the Music Department.  This was the first time I had gone to one of these in many years, but it will not be the last.  The department puts on a great many performances, and you can see their schedule here.  If your Deacs have not gone to a performance, they should.  Our student musicians are really extraordinary.

And let me qualify that description by confessing I am not a musician and know nothing about music (other than what I like).  But even a novice can see and hear talent.  The first student was a violinst, Luna Zhou.  She was playing a violin concerto by Mozart and I swear to you, from the moment her bow struck the first note, I was astonished at the sounds she could make and how the notes filled the room.  This concerto at the end had a lot of very high and very low notes, and she played a wide range of beautiful notes.

The next student was Kedi Zheng on flute.  The piece he was playing had some remarkable fast bits, and his hands flew over the holes in the flute at an amazing pace.  Some of the music was very light and jaunty, and I could almost imagine the notes spinning out of the end of his flute and circling the air throughout Brendle Recital Hall.

The third performers were a classical guitar duet by Nick Bennett and Lando Pieroni.  I was struck by how little they moved – not at all like rock guitar where the player is all over the place.  They were sitting, but relatively still, just their fingering and picking hands moving, with an occasional head nod to cue each other on timing.  They played a duet first, and I recall thinking that I wished this piece would go on forever, it was so gorgeous (Oriental, La Maja de Goya by Enrique Granados).  Then they did individual pieces afterwards.

Following the guitarists were two trumpeters.  Hana Choi came first, and I was surprised at just how loud a trumpet can be while still being melodic and harmonious.  Then came Jeremy Sexton, whose name appears on a plaque in the Brendle lobby for the Patricia Sloan Mize award.  Jeremy was playing a composition of his own, a trumpet sonata with three movements.  To my untrained ears it was a thoroughly modern classical piece, rich and complex.  There was even a point where he played some notes that almost sounded woodwind-like, and I had no idea trumpets could sound that way.  It was an impressive piece of music and like Hana’s and the others, it looked like it had a great deal of technical difficulty.

brendle recitalMy schedule was such that I regrettably had to miss the last two performers.  But it was such a treat to see these musicians.  They were amazing.  So please do encourage your students to look out for opportunities to go to Brendle and hear world-class music by people who might be in their calculus class or live on their hall.  You never know the talent that is lurking on this campus.  And Brendle Recital Hall is a beautiful place to spend an hour – all warm amber light on the stage,  purplish background, and cool air.

Finally, we close today’s Daily Deac with an invitation for you to participate in Pro Humanitate Day on May 9th.  Our motto means “for humanity,” and we are challenging alumni, parents, and friends of Wake Forest to join us for a day of service for the good of humanity.  You can see full information below – and watch this video.  It is excellent.

Pro Humanitate Day – May 9th

Do you realize that one in five American children lives without consistent access to adequate nourishment?  For these children and their families, summer can be especially hard, as they lose access to the school breakfasts and lunches that they rely upon.

This May 9, we can turn the tables on childhood hunger.

By joining fellow Deacs in your local community and across the nation, you can raise food and awareness to make a difference in the lives of hungry children and their families. Make the choice to connect with old friends and make a few new ones, while doing our part to make sure that no child goes hungry this summer.

Join me and other Wake Forest alumni on May 9 as we show the world that Good Wears Black as we come together in the fight against childhood hunger.

There are three ways to participate:

  1. Volunteer.  Visit Pro Humanitate Day 2015to register for your city.
  1. Collect Food.  Fill a bag with food items and take to your local food pantry and let us know about it! Check our websitefor a list of common needs and to see if your community has a drop-off location.
  1. Share photos and challenge classmates using #GoodWearsBlack. Be included! Sharewith Wake Forest Alumni Engagement about your experience.

You are part of the Wake Forest story – Be inspired: Pro Humanitate Video

 

— by Betsy Chapman

 

Recent Posts

Archives