Going for Baroque Going for Baroque Los Angeles Baroque Players reunite for Pierce audience

instruments focus mainly on tonality and fewer keys, while more contemporary versions of these instruments focus on accentuation and numerous keys to stand out in orchestra environments.

The Los Angeles

Baroque Players cut through a dry autumn afternoon like a smooth breeze on Oct. 2, performing a number of classical compositions in MUS 3400, using instruments of time-honored tradition.

The quartet, comprised of baroque flute player Anthony Brazier, baroque violin player Adriana Zoppo, baroque oboe player Paul Sherman, and harpsichord player Jeffrey Lavner, took the stage with momentous presence comparable to 16th century instrumentalists.

Host of the Thursday Concert Series and Adjunct Music Instructor James Bergman paid his respects to the group which perform each semester, and begin the show with a little explanation about the type of music displayed for the audience.

“As music has changed overtime, the instruments have changed over time,” Bergman said. “Today we’re going to hear some of the old instruments.”

The most basic definition of Baroque style music is classic Western Art that came just before the renaissance era. Baroque

By using fewer keys, the Baroque players can dictate the emotion of each instrument without the need of an entire orchestra. This style is better for smaller groups.

Baroque oboe player Paul Sherman went into more detail about how the emotion is influenced by the pauses and breaks in Baroque compositions.

“The instruments are quite different, and the music is quite different as well,” Sherman said. “There is a lot of pause for emotion.”

“The idea for the audience is to either throw tomatoes, or clap wildly,” Sherman jokingly added. Ironically it turned out most of the audience misinterpreted that line, because they immediately started clapping after the first pause in the composition, almost completely interrupting the performance.

After the group had finished their first musical piece, a timeless Baroque piece titled “Sonata IV op.34” by Joseph Boudin de Boismortier, it was apparent that most of the audience had never heard this style of music before. Even still, the novice crowd was more than gratuitous, giving ovations after every composition with some of the audience humming and even tapping there feet along to the music.

The group followed the Sonata with four more compositions, with each member of the group explaining a little bit about their instrument before playing a new piece.

Baroque flute player Anthony Brazier explained the main differences between modern and baroque flute playing styles.

“The [baroque] flutes were actually softer,” Brazier said. “The modern flute was invented to cut through live orchestra.”

Baroque music was often played in open environments with small groups of musicians who memorized there notes rather than reading sheet music due to the limited choice of keys.

This unique niche of classical music offered concert-goers a little taste of tradition as well as a subtle mix of variations, tone changes, and passionate emotion.

The upcoming Thursday Concert Series will feature the dynamic Eshagi brothers, performing Persian compositions with specialty percussion instruments on Oct. 9 in MUS 3400.

Identifying themselves as Latino, not Hispanic, Fernando Oleas Chair of Modern Language Department, and James McKeever Assistant Professor hold a viewing of the documentary “Which Way Home” in the Great Hall.

The documentary follows children on their 1,450 mile journey trying to escape Central America in hopes of making it to The United States. Children as young as 9-years-old travel to be reunited with their parents. assitant professor of sociology James McKeever explains the difficulty migrants face.

“The family here is struggling, they send $100, it’s a lot there but not alot in the U.S,” McKeever said.

Children hop the trains, which they call “The Beast” through rocky terrain, thick forests, and dry desert lands.

Here they will keep a watchful eye out for border patrol who will beat, and rob them of their few valuables.

Desperately trying to stay awake, as they can slide off and plummet to their death and ducking down not to get struck by upcoming tunnels, the migrants make there way to the U.S.

Two boys were struck, and killed instantly, spilling body parts all over the train tracks.

A red Beta pick-up truck patrols along side the train. Beta is an organization that is made up of federal, state and city officers who protect migrants from robbers, crooked cops, and to give a helping hand.

“Be careful, and never trust a smuggler,” Beta officer said.

Continuing their journey with sleeping mats strapped to their backs, begging for food, and smoking cigarettes.

Sometimes lucky enough to get into a privately run shelter which is a safe haven, and renovates to migrants what dangers to expect.

“Many of you will die on the way to America, some of you will never see your families again, some of you will never return to your country and few will make it,” founder of House of migrants Memo Ramirez Garduza said.

The two boys meet new friends on the train and decide to travel together.

Jairo 14-years-old, and Yurico 16-years-old. He tells the route they will take on the beast to reach The United States.

“We will go from here to Ixtepec, Medias Aguas, Tierra Blanca, Orizaba, Mexico City, Lecheria Station, Irapuato, San Luis Potosi, Monterrey, and fi nally The United States,” Yurico said .

As the journey comes to an end Kevin is picked by American border agents in Texas and deported back to Honduras.

Some have died from dehydration in the deserts, fallen off the trains, or mysteriously disappeared.

Mexican train companies do not allow riders on freight trains, but many undocumented Central Americans will make several attempts to reach the United States border by way of the beast having the same goal of making it to America.

After the documentary ended there was a discussion with Professor Oleas, Assistant Professor McKeever, and nearly 20 Pierce students.

They dig into why this documentary is so important to show.

“This phenomenon has been going on for more than 100 years. Latin America is the richest land in natural resources, but migrants are still coming to the United States because of lack of opportunity,” said Oleas.

“It’s Hispanic Heritage month and we want to awaken the students what goes on world wide.”

Pierce College will be hosting its second free Science, Imaging and Astronomy Expo for all ages with new exhibits like Zooniverse, several Planetarium shows and ending the day’s events with a night sky star party.

The SIA Expo is free except for a few planetarium shows that are $3, and will have representatives from many of Pierce’s career and technical education programs as well as exhibits put on by the robotics club.

Although it is an event about astronomy the astronomy club will not have its own exhibit but its club members will be scattered in various areas assisting with other exhibitions.

“Some of us are going to be volunteering at a bunch of different exhibits,” president of the astronomy club Felipe Cabello said.

Carolyn Mallory is an instructor of astronomy at Pierce College and is the woman who brought so many people and organizations together to make this expo one