On Thursday, Mar. 3 Jacksonville University’s Division of Music presented the “Orchestrated Voices”, collaboration between the JU orchestra and choir students and faculty.

The leadership of conductor Marguerite Richardson and choir director Timothy Snyder brought the individual talents of the many performers together into one great success.  The performers have been preparing since early this semester, and their hard work definitely paid off.

The first half of the show featured the musical talents of JU’s orchestra.  Ronald Samuel Lagarde and Ashley Thorns, violin, and Joseph Engel, violoncello, played key parts in Antonio Vivaldi’s “Concerto in D minor.”  Their highlighted roles in the first pieces were followed by a collaborative success in the several sub-sections of Benjamin Britten’s “Simple Symphony.”

The “Playful Pizzicato” was a crowd favorite.  Upbeat and fast-paced, as its name suggests, this piece was nearly entirely composed of plucking string instruments, giving it a whimsical feel.

“I enjoyed the concert and the choir,” said Isaac Kinman, senior at JU. “It was really good music.  I liked it when they all came on really strong.  The plucking song, the ‘Playful Pizzicato’, was really cool.  It was a lot of variety.”

After a brief intermission, the orchestra returned, this time accompanied by an equally impressive choir.  This portion of the show consisted of many of Vivaldi’s fast and slow paced pieces. The faster pieces characterized by a strong presence of the choir received the most favoritism amongst the audience.

Rachel Harding, Rachel Moore, Anesha Hines, Stephen Michael Johns and Keisha Gill all performed soloist parts, center stage, throughout the latter half of the show.

Sophomore Ciaran Sontag, a tenor in the choir, spoke highly of choir director Dr. Snyder.

“I really commend him for bringing this tradition of chorus and symphony orchestra both coming together for a collaboration of epic proportions,” Ciaran said. “It’s something that hasn’t been done at this school for a long time so I really commend him for that.”

Overall, the night was a great success.  The choir and orchestra complemented each other magnificently, and the audience thoroughly enjoyed their performance.

Courtesy of Liz Robbins

On Thursday Feb. 24 visiting Flagler College English professor Liz Robbins Ph.D., gave a poetry recitation and writing workshop in Gooding Theater. The accomplished writer and dedicated teacher moved through example after example of her own work, not only reading each poem but also explaining the styles and mechanisms with which she constructed the pieces.

Each member of the audience was handed a packet of poems, 13 in total, with a one-to-two-line writing lesson across the bottom of each page.

“Write from observation,” says the first line of instruction. “Don’t forget to examine all five senses when considering what imagery to use.”

Each lesson accompanies a poem in which that skill was applied. Robbins was able to bring the classroom and art form to the stage in a stimulating and informative representation of the author experience.

It is important for a writer to first understand their own perspective, or perspectives, and then to consider those of potential readers, Robbins said.

“Take a stand,” she said. “Issues that matter to you should be explored and then expressed.”

Following the workshop a brief question and answer period clarified thoughts lingering in students and faculty minds throughout the audience.

Professor Ed McCourt Ph.D., instrumental in bringing Robbins to JU, asked about a poet’s obligation to truth in writing. Robbins responded by admitting that poets have some license to exaggerate or, through the use of metaphors and other mechanics, to draw conclusions, but expanded the thought by suggesting that poets naturally bring to light truths often overlooked by the casual eye.

Robbins’ first memorable experience with poetry came in sixth grade when her teacher Ms. Millar put an E.E. Cummings poem titled “In Just Spring” on the board in her classroom.

Robbins, still able to quote the poem with ease, was inspired by the use of language. Other poets drawn on by Robbins for inspiration include Jane Hirshfield and Sylvia Plath.

Early in her writing career Robbins felt, as many writers do, like an outsider. She recounts her youth as a time when her urge to create and identify coincided with an underlying negativity, prevalent in youth as a source of angst.

“I finally gave myself the permission to be free, to be funny and light-hearted,” Robbins said.

That shift has permitted her to more freely explore herself as an artist and allows her to connect with her students in the classroom.

Liz Robbins is in her sixth year at Flagler and is continuing to grow as an artist. In April she will travel to Nanjing, China for a creative writer’s expo at the New York Institute of Technology. She is active in St. Augustine’s community of writers and continues to inspire those with the urge to create.

Ten Jacksonville University musical theatre students placed at the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) regional conference. The singers competed against students from University of North Florida, University of Florida, Florida State College of Jacksonville, and other private voice students from nearby counties.

The students who were awarded are proud of their accomplishments.

Maggie Moore, a junior at JU, won first and third place in two different categories.

“It was truly an honor to win,” Moore said. “It especially meant a lot to me that I placed in upper women’s classical since my main study of focus is musical theater.”

NATS is the world’s largest association of teachers of singing and gives students the opportunity to compete nationally. The winners are eligible to contend in the Southeastern Region Student Auditions in Georgia in March.

Erick Crow, Junior at Jacksonville University, earned first place in the third year music theatre men category despite a peculiar distraction.

“During one of my pieces the fire alarm went off, but I didn’t stop singing,” Crow said. “I had to remain focused. You’ve always got to remain focused when you are performing.”

The participants truly valued the feedback from the judges.

“Getting feedback from people who are hearing your voice for the first time is the best learning tool you can get,” Crow said.

The students prepared for the conference by practicing for hours a day in addition to their private voice lessons. They were asked to sing five songs from various genres.

“In a contest you have to prepare what you are going to sing so you don’t look like an idiot,” Crow said. “It is a competition and everybody in every category is good.”

Jet Thomas, third place winner of the category of second year music theatre woman and sophomore at JU, said that the NATS conference is a really good opportunity to see where she stands in comparison to other girls her age from all over the state.

“I was certainly hoping to win but I didn’t think I was going to,” said Thomas via email exchange. “I didn’t get a chance to see any of the other girls sing so I didn’t know if they were all better than me!”

“Any chance to audition, perform or compete is a chance to grow because it lets you become more comfortable singing under pressure,“ Thomas said.

The students look forward to using the feedback to continue working toward furthering their musical careers.

“The feedback that I received from the judges is really helpful going into this next semester,” said Thomas. “I have the perspective of someone who isn’t my teacher, and it gives me new things to think about and work on. Winning third place will be a nice thing to have on my resume and it gives me some new perspective and the incentive to work even harder for next year.”

Krave Entertainment Jacksonville LLC, the promoter of Tera Nova and Rain, have started promoting yet another late night venue, Club Karma. The feature night, Monday, has advantages unseen before. If gentlemen arrive early, by 10:30 p.m., they are admitted free of cover charge.

Ladies have the classic Krave promotion, free drinks and free admission until 12:00 am. Bigger and better than the old Monday night feature club, Climax, Club Karma is their new focus after Climax was flooded.

The opening night, Valentine’s Day, was packed. Advertising a $200 Victoria’s Secret giveaway and a free weekend vacation to Orlando, plenty of people showed up to party. There is no dress code, but the Little Red Dress Contest had all the ladies dressing accordingly. The bars seemed to manage the crowd without much waiting and the special, $5 long island pitchers, kept a drink in everyone’s hands all night.

The VIP area was full of neon lights and bottle service. The bottle service was sub par, however, but curtains add a slight touch of class that other Jacksonville University favorites, like Rain, lack. Seating is not a problem either, so there should be no worrying if your feet get tired from dancing the night away on the rave like dance floor.

Overall, Club Karma is a perfect alternative to staying in on Monday nights. It’s exciting and its loud. If you are looking for a fast-pace environment, Club Karma is for you.

Everyone 18 and up can enjoy the new place to party. One downfall for Dolphins going out to party though is the lengthy drive all the way to 1770 Saint Johns Bluff Rd S.

However, it’s closer to University of North Florida and Florida State College of Jacksonville, so plenty of new faces are present.

Billiards, better known as pool to many, is a game that is played more often than one might think here at Jacksonville University. In the Buccaneer Room in the Davis Student Commons building, the first pool tournament sponsored by Dolphin Productions was held Feb. 9.

The event, planned by Weekly Event Coordinator Zach Schacter, was the first of what he hopes are many more competitions.

“I really want to do more events like this,” he said.

The tournament had three brackets: novice, intermediate, and advanced. The winner of the novice bracket earned a bye to the intermediate bracket, and the winner of the intermediate received a bye to the advanced bracket.

T.C. Carroll, sophomore, cleaned out the tournament, moving from his starting position in the novice bracket all the way to overall tournament winner.

“We hadn’t originally planned on an overall champion, so I only got three trophies,” Schacter said. “But at least he got the novice trophy.”

T.C. Carroll technically won all three brackets, but to be fair the trophies were given to the original winners of each bracket. Dylan Kosten won the intermediate bracket and Wendell Baldwin won the advanced bracket.

Professors, composers, and composer-turned-professors got the chance to showcase their skills in Terry Concert Hall at the Composerfest Concert on Sunday. A variety of selections were both arranged and performed by the people who show students how to perfect their crafts.

“It is a wonderful feeling to know that your colleagues have that kind of trust to give you their piece and not tell you how they want you to play it,” said Scott Watkins assistant professor of piano.

Watkins wore the hats of both a performer and a composer during the show.  The work he composed, Walking Through Fires, tells a story with six movements that were selected from a motion picture.

“It was great,” said Alfred Memeses, Junior at Jacksonville University. “When reading the notes from the program I could see the scenes in my head as the music was playing.”

Thomas Harrison, associate professor of music business, composed Piano Trio in honor of his wife. Involving a violin, violoncello, and a piano, the piece was an intricate performance for everyone involved.

Kimberly Beasley, assistant professor of voice, serenaded the audience with a children’s story-turned-lullaby and two millennium-old Chinese poems.

“I always feel honored to be asked to participate in the Composerfest,” said Beasley. “The music has to give a certain mood and a certain type of style. Never before have I sung an old school Dr. Suess piece and ancient Chinese poetry. I think it was new music for me and for everybody else.”

Jianjun He artistically set the Chinese lyrics to music and also wrote Song of the Himalayas, an energetic Tibetan-inspired piece that excitedly explored the gamut of piano keys.

“I love Tibetan culture,” He said. “It’s a region where people have belief; that is why the music sounds so pure and happy.”

Besides the interpretation of Dr. Seuss’ Goodnight Moon, William Schirmer composed The Fallen Warrior and Four Piano Pieces. Schirmer’s feelings about hearing his compositions performed were memorable.

“It is a high you cant match any other way,” Schirmer said. “How should I put it; it is a powerful rush without any terrible after affects. It is addictive but harmless.”

Photo by Grace Singer

Graduating dance majors had the opportunity to showcase their talents in their own individually choreographed pieces from Feb. 10-12 in the Swisher Theater.  The seniors and casted dancers have been rehearsing since early August for the first Winter Dance Concert to include work from every senior in the dance program.

Choreographers were given complete creative liberty outside of basic parameters, such as the length of the piece and the representation of their proposal on stage.

Photo by Grace Singer

Photo by Grace Singer

The show opened with a lively piece choreographed by senior Kaitlyn Denzer titled “Woke up today and all I could say is…” Her piece depicted the fondest moments in college: those spent partying with your friends.  The dancers were dressed in paint speckled t-shirts and blue jeans as they represented the best parts of college life.

Next on stage was “Abandoned truths,” a conceptual selection choreographed by senior Olivia Jordan.  The dancers came on stage in silence, and the piece began with the highlighted dancer, Ginny Goodman, ripping off her over shirt, and during a dance with D-andre Smith his shirt is slipped onto her.  It concludes with the dancers exiting the stage and Goodman standing alone.

Photo by Grace Singer

“The apple doesn’t fall far,” choreographed by senior Kyla Schult, was a more fast-paced piece.  The lead dancers assumed instructive roles for the others.  The energy of the dancers was displayed in well-executed lifts. The choreography included extensive partner work, which was demonstrated wonderfully by the casted dancers.

In senior Elizabeth Concilla’s piece “R.E.M,” the quote in the program is quite revealing: “How many of our daydreams will darken into nightmares?”  This piece was a brilliant combination of concept and skillful execution.  The highlighted dancer is beaten and battered by the other dancers, and throughout the selection pieces of her garment are torn off until she is left bare and vulnerable center stage, scrambling to gather the remnants of her dress but ultimately pulled back into the darkness.

Photo by Grace Singer

Photo by Grace Singer

Photo by Grace Singer

In the final dance of the first section, senior Brittany Harlan choreographed her dance titled “Madhouse” to depict a situation embodied by Akiro Kurosawa’s  “In a mad world, only the mad are sane.”  The piece depicted an insane asylum in which the “sane” person became the insane and abnormal one.  The dancers did a fantastic job of getting into their roles; so well that in parts their screams left the audience in a stunned silence.

Photo by Grace Singer

Photo by Grace Singer

Senior Lauren Baroch choreographed “Intrinsic Value,” a beautifully executed piece.  Beginning with a single male dancer, Kyle Wynn, alone on stage, dancers trickle onto stage and freeze. Each one Wynn touches animates and dances off stage.  He comes upon the final girl, however, and is completely captivated by her.  The rest of the performance depicts their inherent connection.

Photo by Grace Singer

Photo by Grace Singer

“(Un) tied,” choreographed by senior Jared Koceja, was a biographic depiction.  Lisa Brott played the roll of Koceja.  She is bound and thrashed around by several other dancers.  In the final moments she is struggling to break free, but at the very last second she is pulled back and dragged off stage.  Koceja gave special recognition to his dancers who worked so hard to fulfill his vision, especially to Jenna Knight, who was originally the highlighted dancer but was injured and could not perform, and Brott, who bravely took on the role and learned the entire piece in just two short weeks.

Senior Shakira Ballantyne choreographed “Intimate Choas,” which depicted the difficult situation of her best friend.  Hurt by the loss of his mother and struggling with his father’s relationship with his stepmother, friction came between father and son.  Ultimately, his father also passed.  Ballantyne’s main focus was to show “the route people take in life when something happens that you don’t like and you’re really stubborn and really head strong so you tend to resent that person or that situation, and that is the portrayal of my friend.  All he really wants is that time back, and he can’t get it.”

Photo by Grace Singer

Photo by Grace Singer

“Heart of Darkness,” choreographed by Ginny Goodman, was a crowd favorite.  The music creates an atmosphere of high drama and a theme of darkness.  The dancers appeared masked, and throughout the performance their masks are removed.  Ultimately, only one man still wears his mask as countless attempts are made by the other dancers to remove it.  He throws off another attempt as a female dancer stalks behind him.  She leaps on him from behind and grasps the mask then – close curtain, lights out.  It was the perfect ending for a dramatically suspenseful piece.

The final piece of the evening, “Life Unfolds,” choreographed by senior Chelsea Glenn, was the perfect conclusion for the event.  The dance depicts the ups and downs of life and the changing and evolving relationships over time.  It is concluded with the dancers removing their long-sleeved over-shirts, revealing tank tops with numbers one through twelve on them as they form a circle, and a dancer moves her arms like the arms of a clock, representing time.

Photo by Grace Singer

Photo by Grace Singer

The show was a huge success as the audience roared in appreciation and gave they graduating dance majors the chance to show off all they have learned before they carry it with them out into the world.

Sophomores Kat Ramsey and Alexander Bulgin referred to the show as “amazing” and “different, yet enjoyable,” respectively, and the opinions seemed to be echoed throughout the audience in its entirety.