Percussion Ensemble to Present Concert at Lebanon Valley College on Nov. 12

Program includes music from Cirone, Beethoven, Grusin, and more

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LVC's Percussion Ensemble in Lutz Hall

ANNVILLE, PA (10/23/2014)(readMedia)-- Lebanon Valley College's Percussion Ensemble will present its fall program on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m. in Lutz Hall of the Blair Music Center. The concert is free and open to the public.

The program will open with "Dichotomy" by Anthony J. Cirone followed by Tomaso Albinoni's "Adagio in G Minor." Robert Nowak, adjunct professor of music and director of the show, arranged the Albinoni composition for keyboard percussion instruments. The program will feature the slow movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's "Piano Concerto No. 5 in E Flat Major, Op. 73," arranged and conducted by Kandice Tanner '15 for keyboard percussion instruments.

"We have a great group of players that enjoy the music, especially the freshman class," said Kandice Tanner '15, a music education major from Danville, Pa. "I'm glad to have been able to work with them before I leave to student teach."

The ensemble will also present "Equali VI" by Daniel Kessner. Nowak performed in the world premiere of this piece in 1978 at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Tempe, Ariz. The show features "March from Serenade for Strings" by Dag Wiren performed by the keyboard percussion instruments and "Re: Disaster" by Susan Powell using five different sized drums. Two songs by Dave Grusin–"River Song" and "Mountain Dance"–will follow, and the show will conclude with "First Circle" by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays.

Robert Nowak has been at the College for 26 years and takes great pride in the students' work ethic. "Each student brings their strengths to the ensemble and they each improve their weaknesses to have a strong ensemble able to play many styles of music," Nowak said. "We spend a lot of time working on little details to perfect the concert."

Nowak notes that percussion is a unique form of music that highlights the strengths of the performer and allows for creative freedom. "The students use these instruments to make music without any of the other musical families. With percussion you have rhythm, melody, and harmony and the students can create almost any type of music."

Students, faculty, community members, and anyone who enjoys the sounds of things being shaken, struck, scraped, rattled, or dropped are encouraged to attend. Lebanon Valley College offers numerous public performances by students, faculty, and guests of the College throughout the semester. For the list of recitals this fall, visit http://www.lvc.edu/music/student-recitals.aspx.