The College of Public Health and the Mary B. Martin School of Arts will partner to present the Fourth Annual Evening of Health, Wellness and the Arts for students to learn about life experiences through music at 7 p.m. on March 5 in the D.P. Culp University Center Auditorium.
Prior to the event, there will be a reception at 6 p.m. for Robin Spielberg, composer and celebrity artist spokeswoman for the American Music Therapy Association.
Spielberg will host the evening and recount her personal story about the healing power of music, while offering a solo performance.
She grew up outside of New York City taking a number of music and ballet lessons.
“We were able to see a number of Broadway musicals,” Spielberg said. “For me, composing music is my way of keeping an emotional scrapbook or diary.”
She said she has always had a passion for writing music that is inspired by people, events, and her favorite topic: love.
“Music is not just part of my life, it is entwined into my life completely,” she said.
In the past, Spielberg has relied on influences from various genres including pop, folk, rock and the occasional Broadway show tune.
“I would say that my own compositions are melodic like pop music, but share the structure you would find in classical music,” Spielberg said.
After signing a record deal in 1994, Spielberg said this was a turning point in her career.
“I signed with an indie label in Rhode Island and they signed me to a six record deal,” Spielberg said. “This really put my attention on composing, arranging and recording on a schedule, and because the recordings did so well a demand was created for concert tours.”
Most of all, Spielberg said she enjoys playing to a live audience and looks forward to making meaningful connections with ETSU students.
“It is hard to understand how someone goes from playing piano at home to having recordings and concert tours,” she said. “I work to demystify the process and to talk about the many opportunities available in the field of music outside of performing on stage.”
Along with music, Spielberg strives to promote the use of music as therapy and has teamed up with the American Music Therapy Association.
She will be conducting a workshop for both participants and auditors in “Overcoming Performance Anxiety.”
“So many times talented musicians are not able to do their best in front of audiences because of varying degrees of anxiety, stage fright and worry,” she said.
ETSU music and health students have the opportunity to learn useful tools to help prepare for future careers.
“Anxiety free performances are more free, open and error free and a whole lot more fun,” Spielberg said. “I feel very fortunate to be doing something I love so much.”
With a new CD coming out in April, called “Another Time, Another Place,” Spielberg will also be making an official music video for the first time.
