Senior recital an experience in preparation, performance

Come springtime, senior recital fliers begin smothering the
hallways of Schoenberg. The senior recital is required of all music
composition and performance majors before graduation so they can
showcase what they have accomplished while studying at UCLA.

Students are typically paired with another student for the
recital, most of which take place in the Jan Popper Theater in
Schoenberg Hall, with each student’s performance lasting
about 30 minutes.

Roger Bourland, a professor in the music department as well as
the chair of music composition, oversees the senior recitals.

“For a composer, (the senior recital) is an opportunity to
get your music performed,” Bourland said. “And for
performers, it’s getting concert experience which you
don’t really do in class.”

Bourland, who has been teaching at UCLA since 1983, has mentored
students from their entrance to UCLA through their senior recitals.
He has helped them mature as members of the UCLA music community,
and delights in watching their successes.

“I find it very gratifying to see them make progress,
especially when they do well,” he said.

Composition students work diligently long before their recital
composing music and finding musicians, usually fellow students, to
perform their work. Time spent preparing for the recitals
varies from person to person. For some this may mean a year, and
for others it may mean a quarter.

Steve Coy, a graduating music performance student, started
working on his material last year and has worked on it every day up
until the recital.

“By sophomore year I was already looking forward to it. I
spent the last four years thinking about it,” said Coy.
“(The recital) gives you the experience of preparing for an
entire concert by yourself ““ getting over the nervousness and
logistics.”

Kenny Wood, a graduating music composition student, prepared the
whole quarter for his recital.

“I guess it depends on how quickly you write music,”
Bourland said.

Wood’s senior recital on June 6 featured 30 minutes of
original music. Wood showcased a variety of talents, playing
trumpet and piano, and also conducted a small orchestra to a
film.

Students are given a performance grade based on their recital.
Some students feel the pressure of evaluation.

“I know other people feel that way, but I was just trying
to make it as fun as possible,” said Wood.

From a practical standpoint, the recital gives students a taste
of what their professional lives will be like after leaving UCLA.
By choosing to focus on what they were gaining from the experience
rather than their hard work, the students managed to keep an upbeat
attitude throughout the process.

“I had a great time doing it. I didn’t think about
what grade I was going to get,” Coy said.

Both Wood and Coy felt relieved after finishing their recitals.
Soon they will graduate from UCLA and continue out into the real
world, with their recitals playing them out. After graduation, Coy
wants to be a chef.

“Music was just a fun thing for me to do,” said
Coy.

But Wood would like to continue making music. He plans to go
into the film and television industry.

Wood feels that studying in the music community at UCLA has
prepared him for what he wants to do.  He was able to
incorporate his aspirations to work with film and television into
his recital by conducting an orchestra to a film.

“A lot of what you learn is advanced techniques on what we
already know,” said Wood. “By getting better at these
things, we do better in life.”