Ending On A High Note

Finals are no fun. But imagine if instead of a term paper or
in-class exam you had to deliver a summary of all you’ve
learned at UCLA to a room full of professors, fellow students and
your family. Not only that, your delivery had to be flawlessly
organized and pleasing to the ear.

That is essentially what a senior recital is. Graduating
students in the music department have been performing throughout
this quarter, with the last student completing her performance next
Wednesday.

The senior recitals are considered the culmination of the music
students’ studies at UCLA. They require each student to
perform a piece of music solo for 50 minutes before an audience of
peers, professors and any other curious spectators.

The performances demonstrate how well the students have mastered
their instrument and are required of every music student planning
to graduate.

“The recitals are pretty intense for students,” said
Al Bradley, the undergraduate adviser for the music department.
“They can be pretty stressful.”

The students started preparing for their recitals many months
ago. All graduating students are expected to decide on the piece
they want to perform during winter quarter of their junior year
““ a full year before their actual recital takes place. Some
started working on their recital piece even earlier than that.

“You know when you start the major that you’re going
to have to do a senior recital, so some people begin working on
their piece two, three years before they have to perform,”
said senior Jeff Liao, who already had his recital.

Most students chose a piece from the standard classical
repertoire. Liao chose an old Russian concerto for his French horn
while cellist Vanessa Freebairn-Smith performed Beethoven’s
Third Cello Sonata.

“You have to decide on a piece that’s challenging
but is not going to be too difficult for you,” said
Freebairn-Smith. “Since you’re going to be working on
the piece for the rest of the year, you should like it and not get
bored of it.”

Working with a private instructor from the faculty, the students
practiced and refined their music until they were ready for the
final show.

But beyond private rehearsals, most students also tried to get
in a few practice recitals before an audience to prepare for the
final performance. Freebairn-Smith tapped the local retirement home
for an audience of attentive listeners.

Though the recitals can be stressful and challenging, they can
also be energizing experiences for the students, giving them a
chance to apply their understanding of music to a practical project
and demonstrate their skill to an audience larger than their
private instructors.

Once they finish their senior recitals, the music students can
focus on the finals for their regular classes and prepare for
graduation, turning in assignments and taking exams just like any
other non-music student. Looking ahead to after graduation, music
students’ career plans vary. Some have no intention of going
into music professionally.

“Finding a job with only a music degree is tough; you need
to have a back-up,” said Liao, who is also majoring in
psychology. He expects his psychology degree to be more useful than
his music degree as he goes out looking for a job.

Freebairn-Smith, on the other hand, expects to become a
full-time cellist as soon as she leaves UCLA. She has already been
performing live concert work for symphonies and has contributed to
the scores for movies like “The Sum of All Fears” and
“XXX.” She has always seen music as her career of
choice.

“I’m just ready to graduate and start
working,” said Freebairn-Smith. “If anything, I’m
being held back by this time I have to devote to school.”