3 minute read
Audience helps soloist soar at his senior recital
BY HADLEY WRUTZ
Photo from Unspalsh by Bruno Emmanuelle
The energy and cheering from the crowd, says J.T. Stokes, helped him to 'leave everything on stage' and give it his all
After months of practicing for two hours a day leading up to his senior vocal recital, J.T. Stokes said when he walked into the spotlight shining brightly on center stage, in the McKay Auditorium, he felt the audience's support for him. With the audience cheering in front of him it gave him the confidence to raise his level of performance. "The audience had a lot of energy, and it felt like they were invested in the performance." Stokes emphasized how "awesome" that was for him and helped him to perform better. Because of this, he said, "I left everything on stage and gave it my all.” Stokes is a senior from New Jersey majoring in music with an emphasis in vocal performance.
Stokes’s lineup of songs consisted of what Eden Uyehara, a junior from La'ie studying music with an emphasis on piano performance, considered empowering pieces ranging from musical numbers to modern pop music. A commonality between all the songs he performed was the message to push past barriers, encouragement, and making it to the top. Some of the songs he sang were from the musicals “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and “Sweeny Todd”. He also sang the modern pop song “Animal” by Neon Trees.
Michel Pedron, a sophomore from Tahiti studying exercise sports science, shared the power he felt from Stoke's vocal performance. "Although I don't know him personally, I feel that all of the songs he sang were sharing a message about his life, what he has gone through, and his vision for the future.” Stokes shared his recital performance was a surreal moment since he had never done a solo performance of such magnitude before. He said, "I am most proud of seeing how much I've grown as a vocalist and musician." Stokes continued to share that many of the songs he performed were very personal, and he's proud of the vulnerability he was able to share and display. Uyehara shared she felt the message and vulnerability from his performance. She said the impact of Stokes's performance on her was a powerful one. "It was really touching to see his emotions come out so strong on stage.” Uyehara continued to share how inspiring it was for her to witness all a student could accomplish through their musical education at BYU—Hawaii and see Stokes as a product of the supportive music department.
Uyehara and Pedron both included their favorite parts of the event was the connection between Stokes and the audience. Uyehara shared she loved seeing a bunch of music, choir, and other students come together and support him. Pedron said of the connection, "I got chills several times during the performance. For me, that happens only when there is a close connection between the singer and the audience." He continued to say he could feel Stoke's gratitude to the audience after each applause. Stoke's shared how emotionally and physically draining recitals are. He said he put in over two hours of practice each day and was even learning some of this music before studying at BYUH. He expressed his gratitude to all who supported him, especially the music department and faculty. Uyehara also recognized the music department's influence in the putting together of the recital. "I learned that there was a lot of support from the music program at the school, the students and faculty, who work together to make it happen." She said she could see, through this event, that the BYUH music department truly cares. Because of Stoke's successful performance, Uyehara shared she is looking forward to all she can accomplish in her time at BYUH and in the future. The recital ended with a standing ovation and the crowd flinging roses onto the stage toward Stokes. With the support he received and with his proud performance, Stokes said, "I feel like my hard work definitely paid off.” •
