The School of Music held its third performance celebrating its 50-year anniversary at NIU.
At noon Wednesday, two members of the World Music Graduate Program, Ethan Cowburn and Gabriel Roethle, performed part 2 of their “Sounds of Fusion” performance on the first floor of the Founders Memorial Library.
Ethan Cowburn, a music graduate, values NIU’s music program and loves using music to give back to the community.
“The program here at NIU is historic,” Cowburn said. “There is nothing quite like it anywhere in the United States. So being able to be part of the celebration is important. I think everyone in the program really loves it and you sort of give back to the teachers and everyone that plays with it.”
Before each performance, Cowburn and Roethle explained the backstory of each instrument and its significance in culture. Both musicians were greeted and applauded by a decently sized crowd, despite the afternoon hours.
Gabriel Roethle, a masters student in world music, strives to reach more and more people and get them interested in world music education.
“I personally feel like it’s important to expose more people to this music,” Roethle said. “Even if it’s just a handful of people, you have that exposure. I mean, I feel passionate about spreading world music education throughout the U.S. and I think doing outreach like this is a good starting point.”
The first song was performed by both Cowburn and Roethle which included a smooth combination of Venezuelan maracas and the guitar.
The song slowly picked up speed and was complemented with the hypnotic shake of maracas and the elegant, practiced lull of the guitar. The maracas added a sort of spice to the song that gave it a romantic vibe.
The second song was rapid and light with rigid taps to achieve the right sounding notes. The instrument itself sounded very similar to a xylophone. The song gave off a childish, playful vibe with the tunes ringing through the air and reverberating the soul that eventually came to a soft conclusion.
The third tune sounded similar to a wind chime that kept the same pacing throughout the entire song. Played by Roethle, he used a series of light and oddly satisfying notes that stayed consistent until the end of the song where it came to a slow conclusion.
The fourth tune, played by Cowburn, was skippy and cheerful. Although it was considerably short compared to the previous melodies, it was still somewhat hypnotic.
The final performance was an improvisation with both Cowburn and Roethle using instruments from their previous performances. The song was reminiscent of a harmonica paired with an excited pace.
Austyn Menk, music admissions coordinator, recommended that others join if they are interested. All majors, not just music, are accepted.
“You don’t have to be a music major to play,” Menk said. “So basically, if you’re interested in joining, we can teach you the basics and go from there.”
The next performance will be on Mar. 19 by the NIU Mariachi Ensemble as they demonstrate the “Sounds of Mexico.”
