Concordia’s Commercial Music ensembles showcased their hard work at their fall concert at Campus JAX this semester on Tues., Dec. 3. Commercial Music students have been working diligently to prepare for this concert for months.

Professor Steve Young, Director of Commercial Music and Worship Bands, said that “We’ve been working on these songs since late August. We don’t get a lot of rehearsal time each week so it puts a lot of responsibility on each student to prepare outside of rehearsal time.”

Each band had a unique song selection process. Young said, “We try to choose repertoire that represents the best of each genre. We also choose songs that challenge our students in order to help them grow.”

Majo Insuasti, a senior Commercial Music major, added that Young looked at the styles of both individual soloists and the sound of the entire band. Insuasti said, “He picked songs that were challenging for us, that could take us out of our comfort zone as vocalists and band, and some songs that we are super comfortable singing and playing. At the end we have a very contrasting set list that helped us grow lots as performers.”

Students involved have learned so much throughout this process. Amy Held, a junior Commercial Music major, said, “I’ve learned that it is a blessing to work with those you love and trust. At the beginning of the semester, there were people in the band who were total strangers to me. Now, we’ve all bonded over music and can confidently call each other not only bandmates but friends.”

Insuasti added that what she enjoyed most about the Campus JAX concert is seeing their growth as a band. “I think we don’t really see it until the concert, with all the lights and the eyes on us. It’s wonderful to see that we were able to do things that we weren’t able to do before,” she said.

Students have particular songs that they’re most excited to perform. Held said, “Our opener ‘Your Smiling Face’ by James Taylor is my personal favorite. I pitched it to our director because I wanted to take a stab at performing a song that I’ve spent ample time jamming out to in the car. The band has enjoyed playing the arrangement’s seamless key changes and supporting the keyboard and saxophone improvisation at the end of the song.”

Insuasti is incredibly excited to perform “How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore” by Prince. Insuasti said, “I think it’s great because it has lots of energy and tension for a mid-to-slow tempo song. It is the tension of a heart break song in a very cheerful groove, which somehow makes it even better! It is very soulful and simple. I think sometimes simple is very refreshing for the ear, so I hope it is that way for the audience too.”

The Commercial Music department has a long history of partnering with Campus JAX. Young said, “Jack Jasper, owner of Campus JAX, used to own a restaurant called Jack Shrimp, which was one of my favorites. I’ve been enjoying Jack’s food for 25 years. When he opened Campus JAX and I heard it was a music venue, we approached him and he welcomed us with open arms. It’s been a wonderful partnership.”

Young continued, “Not only do we do two concerts per year there, our students participate in their monthly songwriter nights and have been opening acts for many of the headlining artists. There isn’t a month that goes by without a Concordia Commercial Music student performing there!”

Insuasti and Held encouraged students to come to their spring Campus JAX concert on April 22. Insuasti said, “We put a whole semester of heart, soul and dedication to this concert. Every detail was thought for the audience and for our growth as artists, so if you are a music lover, familiar or not with contemporary music, I recommend getting in touch with different styles of music and cultures, because they are also made with love and they have a wonderful story of human development behind them.”

Held said, “If you haven’t been to a Campus JAX concert yet, you’re missing out on one of the most exciting events Concordia puts on. You’ve got to see the musicians in Commercial before they’re all famous and charging $100 per concert ticket!”

Tags:

---

About Bella Sagum

More articles by Bella Sagum