On Oct. 3, the “First Steps: Original Composition” tuba recital will spotlight the compositional work of students performed by ETSU students and faculty members. The origins of these pieces span from Johnson City to Wisconsin.
These compositions and their composers all have one thread that connects them all together: Stephanie Frye-Clark. Going into her 7th year as a professor at ETSU, she has also served in other capacities at other schools that explain this connection.
“Before I started teaching at ETSU, I taught at a couple of small schools in Wisconsin,” Frye-Clark said. “It is a recital of student compositions starting from students I had.”
One student of Frye-Clark’s is from the University of Wisconsin, one from the University of Wisconsin Platteville and two students from ETSU.
The program will showcase current ETSU students Nicholas Fisher, Benjamin Borders and Christian Fitzgerald. Fisher serves as a composer on two of the pieces.
“I have a lot of good ideas running around in my head, and I am excited to get those on display,” said Fisher, a junior and instrumental music education major. “It is also my first step into becoming a published composer, so I am just excited about that.”
His two compositions for the performance were inspired from or dedicated to people in his own life. The idea for his duet titled “Child’s Play” came from his friend Zachary Compton.
“I wrote [the duet] for him in November or December of last year,” Fisher said. “He asked me if I wanted to play something with him on his recital, and I said, ‘Sure, just send me some ideas.’ We call him Bubba, by the way. I said, ‘Bubba, let me write about something that captures your spirit.’ He is just a big, goofy, good-hearted, country boy honestly.”
“First Steps” is set to be a program with lots of variety, according to Frye-Clark.
“I think they will be surprised at the abilities that both of the students in my studio have,” Frye-Clark said. “In addition, it is always a surprise for people when they go to a tuba recital … what the instrument itself is capable of. That is probably the biggest thing.”
Fisher encourages students to attend and experience something different from their typical music or instrument of interest.
“I think this recital will be good to show students at ETSU that it is okay to branch out into different areas of music, because it’s all student compositions that are being played,” Fisher said.
The recital will start at 7:30 p.m. in the Mathes Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.
