Went to two more graduate recitals today, both percussion. Yesterday I also attended two, one harp, one guitar.



This is a great opportunity as graduation approaches each year. The undergraduate and grad students must put together a recital as part of their music studies program. The events draw surpirsingly small audiences, with the recital hall being perhaps five percent full. All performances are open to the public and free. Most of the people attending appear to be students fulfilling educational requirements or family members (some from far away). Forgive me for saying so, but I fear the greater American public prefers to sit on the their sofa eating Cheez Doodles and watching Nascar...



After several performances, I have been facinated by the pieces that were chosen for the recital, and found that even the most obscure or avant-garde is likely to be on YouTube. An amazing musical education repository. For example, the piece piece the guys are playing above is called Rain Tree, by Japanes film score composer Toru Takemitsu. Here it is, performed by an ensemble at the University of Alaska...

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