Southern Utah University’s commercial music students will take the stage for their Fall Commercial Music Showcase, “A New Beginning,” on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. in Okerlund Hall.
The free concert will feature six student bands: Alternate Currents, Direct Currents, Commercial Breaks, Frozen Desserts, Batuque do Trovao and Backyard Arcade.
Audiences can expect a variety of musical genres throughout the evening, including punk rock, R&B, pop rock and traditional Brazilian music. Each band will perform for approximately 20 minutes, with brief transitions between performances.
This year’s showcase takes on a special meaning for the music department, as its theme, “A New Beginning,” celebrates the new George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Music Center that opened in September.
“There’s a lot of excitement in the air in the music department because of this,” said McKay Tebbs, director of commercial music at SUU. “These facilities are very much updated for us.”
The new building has also brought several additions to the commercial music program, including a recording studio with a control room, recording room and isolation booths that students previously did not have access to.
In preparation for the showcase, students have spent the semester rehearsing twice a week, selecting songs and working with instructors to improve their performances.
While many of the bands will perform covers of popular songs, some will also showcase original music. One group made up of singer-songwriters will perform entirely original songs written by its members.
Several of the groups also performed at SUU’s Battle of the Bands during Homecoming Week earlier this semester.
According to Tebbs, events like the showcase give students the opportunity to gain experience performing live, whether they’re seasoned musicians or just getting started.
“It helps them to have that experience of preparing for a performance and doing the performance,” Tebbs said.
Tebbs also hopes the showcase will offer audiences a chance to take a break from their everyday lives and enjoy live music.
“For people going through hard times, they could come to a concert like this and have it suspend the daily struggles of their life,” Tebbs said.
The Fall Commercial Music Showcase is free and open to the public.
Author: Charlee Steed
Photo by Abraham Flores
Editor: Payson Davis
arts@suunews.net
