Billy Pickus

Music as Global Culture

3 October 2017

Prof. Fry

An Observation of Costa Rican Memories

The night of September 13th, one of the Vanderbilt student brass quintets consisting of

Jeffrey Keever and Allie Bridger (trumpets), Samantha Hartsfield (horn), Isaac Johnson

(trombone), and Logan Owens (tuba) gave a recital entitled Costa Rican Memories. This recital’s

purpose was to showcase music they performed during the summer of 2017 while on a brief tour

of Costa Rica, which they spent giving masterclasses to students at the local schools and

performing several concerts. The music programmed revealed how the quintet tried to connect

with their Costa Rican audience; in addition to traditional, classical music such as the “Adagio”

from Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, they played music such as Dentro De Azul to connect more

personally with their audience. Similarly, the chamber group also performed “Bess You Is My

Woman Now” from Porgy and Bess to represent American music and show where the music

tradition they come from. Regardless of the personal significance tied to music, the programming

was arranged to form a traditional, formal brass quintet recital.

The recital took place in Turner Recital Hall, but the lobby set a serious tone before any

performing happened. It was mostly bare, with the exception of a table being prepared for a

reception and stage crew holding stacks of programs. The audience made light conversation

while waiting for the doors of the hall to be opened. Eventually the doors were opened and the

crowd spilled into Turner, picking whichever seat was next to somebody they knew. Some began
skimming through the program and performer bios while other carried on with their

conversations. The venue itself continued the feel of a traditional performance – a bare stage

except for the chairs and music and instrument stands. The lights eventually dimmed and most of

the audience checked their phones to ensure they were either silent or turned off. Everybody

burst into applause after the quintet took the stage.

Before sitting down, the performers stood next to their chairs and took a group bow. Each

member of the group would take turns between pieces to talk the audience; they would introduce

themselves before explaining what significance the music had and it was selected. About

halfway through the recital, the musicians left the stage and the lights brightened. As the

audience began to take full advantage of the intermission, a projector lowered from the stage and

a short film began to play. The video highlighted the quintet’s brief tour through Costa Rica, and

it included pictures of the students traveling, eating, rehearsing, teaching, and performing. The

audience chose not to the leave the hall but instead remained seated to watch the light-hearted

presentation. The tone of the room changed to be much brighter and happier, complete with

outbursts of laughter and the occasional sound of fawning over the picture of animals. The mood

quickly felt more serious once the projector went up, the lights dimmed, and the musicians

returned to finish the program. When the recital ended, the audience gave a standing ovation and

cleared the hall as soon as the lights came back on. Waiting outside was the packed reception,

but nobody ate or drank until the performers came out from the backstage area to join in.

As I had expected, the recital was traditionally formatted. Audience members entered the

hall, turned off or silenced their phones, and remained still and completely silent throughout the

duration of the performance. The quintet came onstage in uniform dress attire, consisting of all

black. The program was arranged so the musicians could have the chance to discuss their tour of
Costa Rica in an organized fashion. However, it was clear through the night that there was a

hierarchy in place. The audience was at the bottom; they were being informed about a topic they

were uneducated about and were listening to music they likely hadn’t heard before. Next were

the musicians. From least to most important was the tubist, trombonist, horn player, the second

trumpet, and the first trumpet. At the top of all of these were the two living composers in the

room who were having their music performed. Before their pieces were performed, they were

given the opportunity to stand on stage to deliver their personal notes on the music. After it was

performed, the composers were acknowledged by the audience with applause. Interestingly

enough, it seemed as though the stage crew were not a part of this hierarchy because they do the

“behind-the-scenes” work – they were present to set up, break down, and monitor the event, but

receive no recognition.