Percussion Ensemble Performs a Striking Concert
Written by Michael Ragan
McNamara Music Hall was hardly prepared for the sounds that boomed through it at the annual Hillsdale College Percussion Ensemble concert last weekend. Led by Stacey Jones, ten musicians—students ranging from freshmen to fifth-year seniors—performed a variety of pieces by some of the biggest names in modern percussion composition. From the serene melodic interplay of a marimba version of Francisco Tarrega’s Recuerdos de la Alhambra, to the thunderous rhythmic tension of Nebojsa Zivkovic’s Uneven Souls, the concert featured works running the gamut of the musical spectrum.
Unlike the more traditional concerts generally performed at Hillsdale, the audience was often left guessing what form the next piece would take. Despite the presence of a program detailing the night’s works, familiarity with the musical itinerary was close to non-existent. Even the elements used in creating the music were far from orthodox; recorded whale song, homemade drum heads, and re-purposed children’s toys all made an appearance in the concert.
The night also served as a sort of senior recital for soon-to-be graduates Seth Hendrickson and Ian Ostaszweski. Both were featured as soloists at one point in the concert, and together with Professor Jones they performed the evening’s most technically impressive piece, Trio Per Uno. As the opening number, the coordinated drum rolls and simultaneous start-and-stop syncopation of Trio left the audience breathless right at the start. After just over an hour of varied performances, the concert ended on a note as intense as it began. The politically charged Uneven Souls, featuring Professor Jones as a marimba soloist, served as the ten-minute capstone to a night unlike any other in Hillsdale’s musical calendar.
Michael Ragan is a member of the class of 2015 at Hillsdale College. A resident of Toledo, Ohio, Michael is majoring in Economics and minoring in Music. He is a member of the Beta Kappa Chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, the club golf team, and the Aliaga Foundation on campus.