Author: Jill Marucut
Despite lightening and rain showers, the Occidental College Music Department presented this semester’s first Music on a Friday Afternoon (MOFA) at Bird Studio. This past Friday, MOFA ushered in the beginning of October with the first of six informal recitals to occur this semester. Music students performing in MOFA have the opportunity to display their progress to an audience, allowing them to grow more comfortable with performing in front of other people.
MOFA, run by Associate Dean of the College for Academic Affairs and Music Department Chair Irene Girton, provides a wonderful opportunity for music students to display their work without the pressure of being judged or criticized as they would at a formal recital. “The point of these recitals is for students to become comfortable with performing for their peers – and others – without any grading or evaluative expectations. It’s also an opportunity for us in the Music Department to show the rest of the campus the variety of musical styles and genres our students are interested in,” Girton said.
While the first MOFA was brief, featuring only two instrumentalists and two vocalists, a typical MOFA consists of performances by eight to 10 students and runs for approximately an hour. Well-attended, the first MOFA already had about 30 people in the audience five minutes prior to the beginning of the performance. Many audience members had notebooks and pens in hand, prepared to take notes to give feedback to the student musicians post-performance, but all were concentrated and intent on watching the performance with their undivided attention.
MOFA maintains the laid-back vibe of an informal recital while still emulating the structure of a traditional production. “No one’s there to judge the performance, just to be supportive. I perform in MOFAs because I appreciate having the opportunity to get performance experience before a more important recital,” said Alyson Melzer (senior), a violinist who performed last Friday.
Creating an encouraging atmosphere for the students, MOFA strives to facilitate a space for anxious and uncertain students to express their musical talents. “This won’t be my first time singing in a MOFA. I’ve been taking voice lessons with Diane Thomas for three years now, but I still always get nervous before I sing. I love the fact that the music department has these, because it is such a great, informal way to practice performing songs you’ve been working on in front of people,” said vocalist Sienna Beckman (senior).
In addition to creating a warm and comfortable surrounding for the performers, MOFA is meant to help all students recognize the importance of performing in front of an audience. Melzer played the “Violin Sonata in A Major-Allegretto ben moderato,” with such grace, despite frequently using the tough technique of vibrato. Commenting on how thrilled she is to see students passionately perform, even if they aren’t thinking of being a part of the music industry, Melzer said, “I also really enjoy seeing my peers perform. If we didn’t have MOFAs, we would never get to see how talented non-music majors are.”
Each piece set a different tone. Andrew Chang (sophomore), a pianist who played a piano sonata, amazed audience members with the fiery passion with which he played. He performed an extremely fast-paced Beethoven piece, so it was no surprise that when I surveyed the crowd, many were awe-struck watching him play. His concentrated pose, his aggressiveness with the piano and his fingers furiously moving across the 88 keys seemed to impress the audience members I spoke with.
On the other hand, Beckman, who sang a French piece titled “En Sourdine,” did Faure justice as she sang with such delicacy. Another featured vocalist, Zoe Rudman, excited the crowd with her enriching voice. Singing two jazz numbers – “I’m Beginning to See the Light” and “Skylark,” both of which are composed by Duke Ellington – she defeated the stereotype of being a first-time MOFA performer. Her animation and stage presence was anything but novice.
MOFA ultimately gathered together many students, and it was greatly appreciated. “I really enjoy watching all these students perform. MOFA brings students together for very different reasons, and it’s so interesting to see everyone here – whether music major or non-music major,” said Ramiah Dash (first-year).
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