Hillsdale students are often given the opportunity to hear musical recitals from their peers. But this weekend, they will have the opportunity to hear the musical stylings of those responsible for teaching their peers.
At 8 p.m. on Saturday in McNamara Rehearsal Hall, Lecturers in Music Kristi Matson and Karl Schmidt will be joined on piano by Teacher of Music Debra Wyse for a faculty voice recital.
The recital will feature songs from various Broadway musicals that have their roots in literary classics, including “West Side Story,” “Man of La Mancha,” “Les Miserables,” and many more.
“We took note of the fact that a lot of the best musicals come from classic literature,” Schmidt said. “At Hillsdale College the classics are so important, and we want to help people make these sorts of connections.”
For Schmidt, the recital is an opportunity for students to understand the importance of respect for various genres of music.
“Plenty of famous artists have tried to cross into another kind of music and failed because they didn’t learn how to sing it authentically,” he said. “What we’re going to do is sing each genre authentically, with good vocal technique, and in the correct style.”
The basis for the faculty recital comes from shows the music department puts on for Road Scholars at the Michindoh Conference Center in Hillsdale.
“Karl and Kristi are both very into the concerts at Michindoh, and I have been able to be a part of some of them,” Wyse said. “So we took some of the things we do there and added in some group numbers for this recital.”
For the group numbers, students will join the faculty to perform songs from both old and new plays.
According to Schmidt, this is a great opportunity for other students to see their peers perform in a way they don’t often have the chance to enjoy.