Songwriters share work at virtual roundtable
seabertson
As many artists have done in the face of crisis, Joel Roeber, a songwriter and music student at WSU, turned to his art as a way to process his thoughts and feelings about the coronavirus pandemic and to help others cope.
Roeber’s new composition, “Crown of Fear,” is a gently unfolding instrumental jazz tune written in response to the anxiety and hardship brought by the virus. He also named the song in reference to the virus – “corona” means “crown” in Spanish and Latin.
“I’ve been working on it throughout this whole social distancing thing,” he said. “It’s meant to be a reflection of » More …
Humans have been experimenting with all kinds of sounds, lyrics, and instruments for thousands of years. There are hundreds of genres of music, so while you might like one kind, a friend might like something completely different. Or maybe you became friends because of your similar taste in music.
WSU tuba professor Chris Dickey recently released his third solo album, titled “Inventions,” under the Emeritus Recordings label. The album was recorded in the WSU Recording Studio by recording engineer David Bjur. Karen Savage, Sarah Miller, and Martin King joined Dickey for the project.
The first thing you might notice about the Washington State University recording studio is the silence. It starts when Dave Bjur, studio manager and chief engineer, closes the hallway door, sealing off the random din of the Kimbrough Music Building’s top floor. Then he closes a second door and a weird sensation settles into the ears that, when you think about it, is rare in the modern world.
As the patriotic fervor from World War I began to subside, students at then-Washington State College found themselves uninspired by the songs associated with the school. Two senior music students, Zella Melcher of Spokane, Wash., and Phyllis Sayles of Lapwai, Idaho, took on the task of writing new music to energize the student body.
The WSU School of Music’s annual Holiday Concert, “Joy to the World: A Global Holiday,” held on Saturday, Dec. 1, featured five different student ensembles:
Practicing music has many mental health benefits for both adolescents and adults, and promotes a diverse education.