S TU D E NT AC TI V ITI E S
J U LY 2020
Shining a virtual BY L ANCE SCHWARTZ DIREC TOR OF INSTITUTIONAL COM MUNICATION
Shows Must Go On Nothing about the Spring 2020 Semester was normal or easy in the shadow of a worldwide pandemic. When the campus closed in late March, and classes moved to online format, other aspects of learning needed to be adapted and revised. During a normal Spring Semester at Bethany, many students will participate in a wide variety of end-of-year shows and events. These events include things such as the Music Honors Recital, Spring Play, and Senior and All-Student art and theatre capstone events. With the campus shut down, the natural question was— What would become of these time-honored events and traditions? In the case of the Music Department’s Honors Recital, the performances took on a very different look in a variety of venues. Chosen by the faculty, the Honors Recital participants represent the best work being done in private studio lessons on the Bethany campus. Private lessons are available to any student at BLC, regardless of major, and there are many majors represented among those taking lessons. The Honors Recital normally takes place in Bethany’s beautiful Trinity Chapel where the entire campus is invited to enjoy the music these talented performers make. Before closing the campus, the students taking lessons had been working as hard as ever, and the faculty felt it was important to give these musicians an opportunity to perform. The answer was to host a virtual Honors Recital. All of the performances were submitted via video recording by the students. Some performers were accompanied by family members, others utilized pre-recorded accompaniments, and some just did without. The ingenuity, creativity, and musicianship of the performers was evident in all of the performances. Professor Ann Frederickson contributed to this article.
VIEW THE 2020 SPRING VIRTUAL HONORS RECITAL: BIT.LY/2020SPRINGHONORS 16
Video stills from students participating in the virtual Spring Honors Recital from top: Mizha Overn, Noah Gernander, and Kathryn Matzke.
