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A different kind of art for The Butler
Student from Dana School of music provide lunchtime
YOUNGSTOWN
Vocal and visual arts merged at the Butler Institute of American Art when six musical theater students performed Wednesday afternoon.
The Youngstown State University students sang a number of songs from various plays including Andrew Lippa’s “Raise the Roof,” Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s “Getting to Know You,” Wendy Stewart and Gary West’s “Like it Here” and Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond’s “I Think That He Likes Me” during Music at Noon, a Dana School of Music collaboration with the institute.
The concerts are free and open to the public.
Each Wednesday, music students entertain beginning at 12:15 p.m. at the institute for the collaborative program. The performances showcase one department of the school per semester.
Nancy Wolfgang, YSU musical theater assistant professor, said the people who come to the shows enable her to hone her students’ skills.
“It’s nice for me as an educator to gauge their performance by watching them perform in front of a different kind of audience,” she said.
Katie Jerome, a senior from Westlake, enjoys the experience as well.
“We’re always really excited for community to come see and have the opportunity, because it’s free to come and listen to what we’ve been working on,” she said.
Jerry Woods of Niles routinely comes to see the performances at the Butler.
He said he used to attend because his granddaughter was a student and has continued to love it since she graduated.
“I’m always looking forward to it,” he said. “The variety is just great.”
Woods wasn’t the only one looking forward to the performance.
Jerome said many of her fellow musical-theater students take every opportunity they get to expose their talents to an audience.
“Any chance we can get to perform is good practice for auditions to do everything better,” she said.
Senior student Stefon Funderburke, of Farrell, Pa., mirrored Jerome’s enthusiasm.
“We love being able to share what we do and how hard we work with people,” he said.
In addition, Funderburke said he appreciated being able to sing in the beautiful atmosphere of the institute.
For information about Music at Noon call the Office of Community Engagement and Events at 330-941-2307.