DANA SHOWCASE Music to fill the air at YSU concert

11th annual show to be preform throughout the day on Sunday.
By DEBORA SHAULIS
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
YOUNGSTOWN -- Jim Boyce's guitar students at Youngstown State University will have less than five minutes Sunday to connect with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of listeners. Talk about a challenge ...
"It creates an amazing excitement, though. When channeled correctly, it can make a big impression," Boyce says.
They won't be the only ones feeding off that energy at the 11th annual Dana Showcase Concert.
About 250 students from YSU's Dana School of Music will participate in the mega-show at 4 p.m. Sunday in Beeghly Center. They will appear with ensembles large and small -- hence the time limit -- and perform en masse in the grand finale.
The concert is one way Friends of Music Association supports aspiring musicians. Proceeds will go to the group's scholarship fund for needy students, said Fran Greenberg, president of the independent association.
Friends of Music awards about $10,000 annually, which benefits 10 to 12 students, said Dr. Ted Perkins of the Dana faculty.
If YSU's Guitar Ensemble and Friends of Music have anything in common -- besides love of music -- it's a desire to increase their public profiles.
Friends of Music was founded in the 1970s by retired Dana voice teacher David Starkey. Besides scholarships, the group has helped students to pay for private coaching and trips to Europe for performance and educational opportunities.
"We love to see young kids have a chance," Greenberg said.
Friends of Music has about six active committee members but as many as 200 contributing members, Greenberg said. The Dana Showcase Concert and annual Madrigal Dinners at YSU are its largest fundraisers.
The association wants to expand its membership and thus its scholarships. "We would like to turn out more and better string people," Greenberg said.
Boyce was a part-time guitar instructor at Dana for four years. He "wanted to make a big impression" in his first year as full-time faculty, he said. He went looking for performance opportunities that don't come naturally for guitarists in YSU's other ensembles.
The group played last weekend at the university's Afro-Cuban Arts Festival and performed with Mike Cervone earlier this week at Borders Books & amp; Music in Niles. YSU Guitar Association sponsored a guitar weekend with performances by guest artists earlier this month in Bliss Hall.
At the Showcase Concert, the Guitar Ensemble will play a composition by Michael Reola, who wrote the piece especially for his friend Boyce's students.
It's a classical guitar piece with modern flair. "I wanted to have something very exciting. I feel this piece has tremendous energy to it," Boyce said.
Describing himself as the concert "impresario," Perkins strives for a fast-paced show.
Besides the Guitar Ensemble's appearance, another Dana Showcase concert first will be a percussion piece that three students will perform with matchboxes, Perkins said.
In addition, Friends of Music will honor Pearl and Cy Ulicny for years of service to the organization and to Dana School of Music.