Ithaca College’s School of Music faculty will perform in the After Dinner Mint faculty showcase recital at 7 p.m. Feb. 9 in the Hockett Family Recital Hall.
Patrice Pastore, recital coordinator and performance studies professor, said the event allows faculty to perform in a more casual setting. She said they have the ability to choose a song they may not be particularly familiar with.
“It’s a piece they may have just wanted to kind of give a try out to, but they don’t have to do a whole recital in order to try it out,” Pastore said. “It’s a great way to try out some new things or bring back something that they’ve done a while back but weren’t particularly fond of and wanted to give another go at.”
As part of the show’s committee, Pastore said her goal is to attract more people to attend the performance. She said she has seen an increase in attendance over the past two years, since the committee was first formed. Pastore said she decided to join the committee because she wanted to unite the music community.
“I wanted to see more collaboration between — or among — faculty members,” Pastore said.
Pastore said the After Dinner Mint allows the faculty to connect even with their busy schedules.
“When you’re finished at the end of the day and you know somebody has a recital, you would love to go and support them in their recital, but you may not have enough energy to go,” Pastore said
Diane Birr, a participant and performance studies professor, said she appreciates being able to share this experience with other music professors.
“It’s always a great pleasure to work with my colleagues and to offer some new music in these programs that feature faculty,” Birr said.
One performer, Pablo Cohen, associate professor of performance studies, has taken this opportunity to connect with a former student of his. He will perform a duet with Michael Caporizzo ’10, a performance studies professor at the college. Cohen said he is overjoyed to be performing with Caporizzo, whom he referred to as one of a kind.
“That’s what is special,” Cohen said. “For me, former students are almost like family.”
Another performance, by the trio Troica, will feature the world premiere of the song “FiascoI.” The trio includes performance studies professors Birr, Kim Dunnick and Steven Mauk. Australian Composer Brendan Collins wrote the song for Troica after meeting Dunnick and listening to a sample of the group’s music.
Birr said she hopes people will feel both excited and moved throughout the show. For Troica’s piece specifically, she hopes the audience will feel alive.
“For this piece with the trio, I think it probably shows an exuberance for life, and I hope that that is what’s communicated and felt by the audience,” Birr said.
The theme for February’s performance is “Carry as You Climb.” Pastore decided on the theme after reading “Be The Miracle” by Regina Brett. One of her essays stressed the importance of helping others become successful.
“[The essay] just talked about how important it is for, as a person becomes more experienced and is ascending in their career that it’s really important to turn around and help people who are less experienced, who are coming up in the same career that you are and making sure that your provide them with help,” Pastore said. “I just thought, ‘Oh, that’s a really cool thing.’”
