Jazz students end semester with funky tunes

Pierce College Thursday Concert Series showcases performances by students from the jazz improvisation class

MARITZA SERRANO Reporter @MSerranoRU

Jazz tunes filled the air as Pierce College students performed for the second student concert of the semester.

The weekly Thursday Concert Series usually consists of paid professionals that come in and perform, but for this particular event music students got the opportunity to perform.

The event was was organized by Dr. Wayne Skipper Perkins. This was a special event because the performers were all students from a jazz improvisation class that Dr. Perkins instructs on campus. Dr. Perkins decided to have his very own jazz students perform.

“The others are all professionals that we pay to come in. These are Pierce College students,” Perkins said.

At the start of the show, some Pierce musicians performed solo pieces. Student Jacob Zuko performed an original composition.

The Pierce College Choir spread some holiday cheer as they sang carols on different parts of campus.

The choir warmed up in their room as they got ready to go out and perform Christmas classics.

Carols sang included: Silent Night, Feliz Navidad, among many others.

The first stop for the choir was the quad in front of their room. Few people were in attendance as they heard classic carols that they were familiar with. Each member of the audience had lyrics to sing along to.

Dr. Garineh Avakian-Akkus who is the Instructor of Music made it interactive with the audience as she told to clap and sing along with the choir.

The second stop for the choir was in front of the student store. As the choir began to sing, students got their phones out and recorded. More people gathered to witness the show

The choir performed in front of the Great Hall. People inside who were attending a luncheon came and witnessed the choir perform.

The last stop for the choir was on the steps of the library. After their performance, students gathered around the instructor and members to take photos.

“It’s to spread the cheer of the holiday season, to get people more involved, and to let them know we got a big music department up here on this hill that no one really comes to, and to spread the word,” Garineh said.

Stephanie Jones is a Music therapy major and a current member of the choir. She loves the class and she says she learns on a daily basis.

“Dr. Garineh is an amazing instructor. She makes it fun. This is a good way to let students know that we are here. To let them know that we have a huge performance coming up. It also gives us a good practice performing especially in public,” Jones said.

Amanda Carreon is a Music major and she was excited to sing carols.

“I really enjoy holiday music,” Carreon said. “I’m excited about all the songs we are going to do. We also want the people to get excited for the holidays.”

The holiday concert will take place Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Building.

“I thought I did really well, actually in the solo of my original. I think a lot of people liked it towards the end a lot of people started clapping,” Jacob said. “I actually wrote my solo here in the practice room. It was about my girlfriend at the time. That song was my response to it.”

Other performances consisted of “His Eye is on the Sparrow” by Donna Hemans and Christina Aguilera’s “Hurt” by Celeste Benitez.

Faces lit up when Albert

Cabrero adeptly executed “Mister Cellophane From Chicago.” Perkins seemed particularly proud of this piece.

“I thought the audience was into it,” Perkins said. “They were nodding their head and bobbing their feet. Usually people sit in for 2-3 minutes and leave but this time they stayed through the whole thing.”

The entire student lineup was happy with the turnout and reaction from the audience.

“The quality of the performers is much the same. We hold it to the same standards as professional performers,” Zuko said.

Audience members joined the consensus on entertainment satisfaction.

“It was the first concert I’ve come to and the jazz band was really good,” said student Griffin Greenhut.

“As a whole band, we probably balanced everything. as dynamics, we got everything done. As far