The MTSU Singers Perform with the MET Singers

By Corrie Wunder

MTSU Raiders Shakedown Reporter

            MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Middle Tennessee State University Singers performed with a group of student singers from Nashville metro schools at 7:30 p.m. on April 12 in Hinton Music Hall, bringing in a packed crowd, singing jazz songs, and improvising their own songs.

            The MET Singers, second to 12th^_grade students, joined the MTSU Singers to gain experience in a university setting. The students come from private, public, charter and home schools. The MET Choir is directed by Margaret Campbelle-Holman.

“My favorite part about singing with the MET singers was the mutual bonding,” said MTSU singer Luke Judkins. “We encourage them just as much as they encourage us.”

The 15-member MTSU Singers is led by Director Cedric Dent and Assistant Director Ashley Kimbrough. The vocalists perform with a jazzy style, unlike most choirs. They include improvisation, jumbled mixed sounds, and made-up words.

            The Music Hall had almost every seat filled with approximately 300 people attending. Many of the audience members were the parents of the MET Singers.

“The thing that touched me the most was seeing so many supportive parents,” said MTSU Singers Director Cedric Dent.

            The improvisation part of the concert was referred to as “The Circle Song”. Bobby McFerrin, 10-time Grammy Award winner, popularized circle songs. His unique vocal techniques and jazzy style is what inspired Assistant Director Ashley Kimbrough to lead the MTSU and MET Singers in this improvisation experience.  All the singers came together and carefully followed the creative, on-the-spot instruction from Kimbrough. A brand new song was performed for the first time. The MTSU singers begin every rehearsal with a circle song. It teaches the students the skill of mimicking and using nonsense syllables. In the beginning of the semester students are hesitant in learning this new technique.

            “By the time we get to the end of the semester they are taking leadership rolls,” said Dent.

“The hardest part about improvising is making sure you’re being expressive with what you’re wanting to do without violating what’s actually going on in the music,” said Judkins.

          

            For more information and upcoming performances about the MET singers visit http://choralartslink.org/. For more information about the MTSU Singers visit http://www.mtsu.edu/music/.

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MTSU Chorus Gives Stand-Up Performance

By Desmond Johnson

MTSU Raider Shakedown Reporter

MURFREESBORO, Tenn.—The MTSU Singers gave a wonderful performance on the night of April 17 at a concert in the music hall of the Wright Music building at Middle Tennessee State University.

The concert was made up of nine singers and five instrumentalists. A total of eight songs were performed, including a circle song that volunteers from the crowd used to display their vocal skills. The concert lasted an hour and a half with a crowd of about 150 people in the audience. The crowd was very connected and cheered and clapped after each song was finished. Soprano Jenny Mills and alto Nikki Elias both gave outstanding solo performances. Jenny Mills sang “Cherokee” and Nikki Elias sang “Wave”. Saxophone player Tristan Gordon also gave a great solo performance during Jenny Mills solo.

“I’m usually nervous before the concert,” said Gordon in an interview following the concert. “But when it’s time for my solo, I seem to zone out, for a minute it is just me and my saxophone.”

MTSU Singers Director Cedric Dent was satisfied with the performance of his chorus and praised them afterwards. Dent has been part of the MTSU music program since 2011. He did his undergraduate work at the University of Michigan where he is originally from.

He is responsible for selecting and narrowing down the singers from the fall audition held every school year. Students who make it in are asked to stay in the chorus at least one full school year.

Dent had a career as a singer before becoming a music coordinator. He sang in a gospel jazz group named “Take 6” for 25 years.

“There are always things that we can work on and improve on but they did a great job,” said Dent when asked how he felt about his MTSU Singers overall performance.

The MTSU School of Music has a history of providing education to students who have gone on to have successful music careers. The school invites supporters of music education to make tax-deductible donation gifts to the School of Music. Donations will make a big impact on current and future students, pushing them to become composers, conductors, educators, historians, industry specialists, performers and music theorists.

 For more information on how to support the MTSU School of Music, contact School of Music Director Michael Parkinson at (615) 898-2469 or College of Liberal Arts Developments Officer Meredith Kerr at (615) 898-5223. You can also visit www.mtsu.edu/supportMT.

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