Lynelle Johnson has been traveling the world for years. Now, after performing across Europe and the United States, the AU alum will be returning to perform at her alma mater with the Anderson Symphony Orchestra Saturday, April 29 in Reardon Auditorium. Johnson, who studied voice performance at AU, has spent most of her time travelling throughout Europe, particularly in Germany, where she toured, singing everything from Mozart to Freddy Mercury, showing the versatility of her instrument. Looking … [Read more...]
Doubt: A Parable spring play opens next weekend
AU’s spring play, Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley is about so much more than a vague lack of certainty. It is about where our questions come from and where they take us. The play takes place in 1964 in the St. Nicholas Church School, a fictional private Catholic school in the Bronx, where the kind, progressive and popular Father Flynn comes in conflict with the severe, mistrustful and rigid Sister Aloysius. Though already suspicious of Flynn’s demeanor, Aloysius enlists the help of … [Read more...]
D.C. trip for Black History Month harvests new perspective
Diversity concerns are an important part of some of the most pressing and difficult conversations our country and our campus are having right now. Seeking to address these issues, a group of almost 30 AU students participated in a Tri-S trip to Washington D.C. While in D.C., they visited the African American History Museum and reached out to AU alums and connections to learn about how people are addressing diversity issues in the nation’s capital. The focal point of the trip was the museum, … [Read more...]
Weekend opera: “Down in the Valley” and “The Old Maid and the Thief”
Lovers and performers of opera often feel the need to defend it to outsiders, but AU’s productions of "Down in the Valley" and "The Old Maid and the Thief" need little defense. With a single full-length production, an audience might only get one take on the art form, but with the pairing of these two one-act works, clocking in at about 30 and 75 minutes respectively, audiences have the chance to see the kind of thematic and musical range opera can have. Kurt Weill’s "Down in the Valley," the … [Read more...]
Students reflect on NAMM conference in California
Though success in any industry involves an ability to network, it is especially critical in the entertainment business. That is why, every year, AU takes a small group of students to California for the annual National Association of Music Merchants, or NAMM, conference to meet industry professionals and gain insight into what is next for their field. The NAMM show floor offers students unique opportunities to meet the names behind some of music’s most important record labels, instrument brands, … [Read more...]
Student Juried ehxibition on display in Wilson Gallery again
One of the most important steps for an aspiring artist is to have their work seen and critiqued by professionals, and that is exactly the purpose of the new Wilson Gallery installment of student works and the accompanying exhibit titled “The Judges.” Students from every class of the visual communications major submit works or groups of works for adjudication by outside professionals who decide what works will be featured in the final exhibition. Visual communications faculty, Tai Lipan, who is … [Read more...]
AU-based band, Watson, to release EP in coming month
Oftentimes in music, it's how the artist comes to a conclusion that adds an extra layer of meaning to their work and is just as important as the work itself. This is the case with AU band Watson. The band, getting its name from the name of lead singer-songwriter Ben Watson, has been busy since the summer of 2016 collaborating with writers, playing concerts and recording music to get off the ground. But before the folk-rock outfit was formalized into the four-man effort it is now, Ben was … [Read more...]
Movie review: ‘Moana’ tells the story of a powerful princess
If you haven’t seen the new Disney animated picture Moana yet, do yourself a favor and do so, even though finals are fast approaching. This tale of an adventurous, young heir to village leadership who runs away to find herself and save her people may not seem terribly original, but the way that the story is told definitely is. The film carries a powerful message about being true to oneself, and has made great strides in terms of how women and non-western cultures are portrayed. Good lessons and … [Read more...]
Alumnus Kyle Lacy adds to increased chapel variety
Under the direction of campus pastor Tamara Shelton, AU’s chapel is being shaped toward incorporating new and differing voices. Wih speakers like Becky Tirabassi, Dr. Anne Smith, Mike Clifford and Nina Barnes, the chapel leadership is doing the hard work of introducing speakers and topics that can speak to every part of our diverse campus community and to open students’ eyes to new points of view. Some of these perspectives hit closer to home, as with upcoming speakers and AU alumnus Kyle … [Read more...]
Campus bands, The Wldlfe and Dream Chief, find success
The average college band usually forms around a charismatic lead singer, experiments with some grungy garage sounds as a three-piece and then slowly vanishes over the period months after their first EP release. Every so often, however, a group of artists with mutual interests and equal investment manage to turn their talents into an actual following. This is precisely what’s happening with AU bands Dream Chief and The Wldlfe. With an ear to the ground of the industry and some fresh, … [Read more...]