Jazz student presents junior recital
Eric Kearney, junior music major and philosophy minor at Maryville College, presented his junior euphonium recital on April 23 in the Harold and Jean Lambert Recital Hall at the Clayton Center for the Arts. According to Kearney, within his recital, he integrated three years of his music studies as a student into a 45-minute performance that audience members described as both “diverse” and “expressive.”
“Junior and senior music recitals, unlike other performances undergone in the fine arts department, involve full student organization,” Kearney said.
“Having a junior recital is an entirely new experience for me. Everything is on you, including the performance, as well as concert hall preparation and making programs,” Kearney said. “I was glad to have the help and support of my family and friends for this entire process. The biggest difficulty is playing all of my songs consecutively. If I played them individually it’d be no problem. Continuing through fatigue is what really tries my stamina. Luckily, the hardest piece is first.”
The performance showcased featured pieces of a variety of musical styles.
Kearney began the recital with Arthur Pryor’s playfully themed piece “Thoughts of Love,” accompanied by pianist Alina Rosevear. Kearney concluded the first half of the performance with an upbeat four-movement “Sonata No. 3 from Six Sonatas for Trombone and Piano” by J.E. Galliard.
The second half of the performance brought a change of style. Kearney, upon reentering the stage was joined again by Rosevear for “Romanze,” a romantically styled piece that received an energetic reaction from the audience.
“I could tell that he was playing some really technically advanced music,” said Laura Barnes, a freshman. “I really enjoyed how involved and expressive he was with each piece.”
“His expression and clean articulation made the music enjoyable,” said Adam Loo, a junior.
Kearney has worked extensively with the recently retired Maryville College brass instructor Dr. Larry Smithee and current, adjunct instructor of brass Tom Lundberg, who have both seen him mature as a musician.
“I am thankful to all my professors and instructors that helped me to shape my talent and techniques as well as reminding me to always enjoy the music I perform,” Kearney said. “I was glad to gain experience from this recital. When the time comes around for my senior recital I will know exactly what to expect. Being better prepared for future recitals will make performances even more enjoyable for me as well as the audience the next time around.”
Kearney will return to the stage to perform again in the following spring semester for his senior recital.