Friday, April 30, 2010

Peru State College Appreciation Day



Brad Hoshaw and the Seven Deadlies from Omaha

Cotty's Restaurant Chicken Wings

On Thursday, April 20, CAB and Student Senate sponsored the Second Annual Peru
State College Appreciation Day.

Last year's festivities laid the foundation for this year's fun with entertainment provided by Brad Hoshaw and the Seven Deadlies and with chicken wings and other delights supplied by Cotty's restaurant which also hosted the event.

In addition to food and music, CAB and Student Senate thanked everyone for a tremendous and productive year with raffles throughout the three-hour celebration.

As the photographs I uploaded suggest, everyone from the band to the members of CAB and the Student Senate enjoyed a grand time in beautiful weather for a party.

Brad Hoshaw and the Seven Deadlies kept feet tapping, and I
recorded a couple of their songs for your further enjoyment.

Thanks to everyone for an excellent year at Peru State College.




Hoyt Street Jazz on the Green


Late morning on a windy but otherwise stunning Thursday, April 29, the Hoyt Street Jazz Ensemble performed "on the green," providing fitting entertainment to celebrate the end of the term's approach.

As the photographs I uploaded underscore, the event drew an appreciative and varied crowd of students, staff, faculty, community members, and future Peru State College
scholars.

What a fitting way to bring a busy and wonderfully successful year of music at Peru State College to a conclusion.

On Tuesday night of this week, Jane Henry and Blake Lofing sang a fun-filled duet, "Everything" by Michael Buble, for which I got some pretty good photographs.

This time around, I filmed the number for your viewing. As always, enjoy the music and the pictures. (The wind did cause some problems with the sound on the video here and there.)




Misty Blues and Hoyt Street Jazz Ensemble



On Sunday night, April 25, the Misty Blues and the Hoyt Street Jazz Ensemble shook the Peru State College Theater with uplifting dance and electrifying music.

In their final performance of the 2009-2010 year, the Misty Blues, under the direction of Dr. Tom Ediger, opened the show with over thirty minutes of non-stop song and dance.

For your enjoyment, I recorded three songs, numbers the group performed consecutively: "Grand Illusion," "When You're Home," and "Man in the Mirror."


And then the Hoyt Street Jazz Ensemble, conducted by Dr. Pat Fortney, took up right where the Misty Blues left off, putting on an inspiring show, setting the stage for their final performance of the year on Thursday, May 29, in front of the PSC Library: Jazz on the Green.

I uploaded the group's version of "Peg," the Steely Dan
favorite, and a world premier performance of Randall Snyder's "Doc P Funk." Composer Snyder presently teaches The History of Rock at PSC.

Enjoy the video.

Oh, and I also uploaded photographs from Tuesday evening's Show Choir and Jazz Ensemble Spring Show.





Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Spring Choral and Band Concert



Sunday afternoon, April 25, I attended the Spring Choral and Band Concert held in always busy Peru State Theater.

The afternoon's entertainment began with the Concert Choir.

They filled the theater with their wonderful voices, and I put together a
video of three pieces from their program, "Sing With Joy," The Last Words of David," and "Finale from the Gondoliers."


I also posted
photographs from the performances of both the Concert Choir and the Band.


After the Concert Choir's final number, the PSC Band took the stage and entertained with a wide range of music, some of which I posted on YouTube.

The video contains selections from the program: The band plays "March" by Alfred Reed; a selection from "Concert Piece for Winds and Percussion" by Robert Pearson--and then Pirates: "He' a Pirate" by Klaus Badlt.


The last piece, "He's a Pirate," comes from the Pirates of the Caribbean symphony, and pirates joined the band, which I enjoyed a great deal.

Yes,
I mean "Arrgh as in Pirates" such as Assistant Band Director Ken Meints pictured on the left with his Jimmy Buffet Puffin.



Check out the photographs and pick out your favorite pirate(s). And enjoy the music.

PSC Omaha Alumni Annual Meeting




This past Thursday, April 22, the Peru State College Foundation, headed by Kent Propst, took a bus load of faculty--both active and retired--and staff members to the German American Club in Omaha where the Omaha PSC Alumni held their annual banquet and auction.


As the following photograph indicates, the event drew a big crowd of Peru State College alumni. The "least recent" member of the group graduated in 1948


I enjoyed the chance to say hello to some familiar faces, including Paul Kruse, and Barb and Bob
Lewellen, pictured on the right.

The event also provided an excellent setting to connect with graduates from the past sixty years--and they shared some excellent stories about and memories from their years at the college.

I posted quite a few photographs of the banquet and the auction, which raised at least $7,000, putting the Omaha Alumni over $100,000 in funds raised for the Peru State Foundation and the College.

Check out the photographs and see if you recognize graduates and familiar faces.

I enjoyed the evening and hope in the future to bid on one of the vacation packages.





Thursday, April 22, 2010

Spring Fling Talent Show



Judges Seth Bingham, Elaine Hanson, and Josh Young


On Wednesday evening, April 21, I helped Dr. Bill Snyder host the Spring Fling Talent Show judged--and what a difficult job this year--by Seth Bingham, Elaine Hanson, and Josh Young.

The evening featured thirteen entertaining presentations, from original songs to step dances, from stand-up comedy, to slam poetry.

I posted photographs from each of the acts.

Choosing winners for best individual performer and for best group proved a daunting challenge, for the show attracted considerable talent.

The judges awarded top prize for a group to Xavier Gibson and Tristan Bassinger for their singing of "I'll Cover You" from the musical Rent.


And top honors for individual performance went to Amanda
Pearson-VanderBroek for her I slam poetry performance of her original work.

I enjoyed working with Bill Snyder and thank the folks at CAB for inviting use to take part in the fun.



The Winners: Xavier Gibson, Amanda Pearson-VanderBroek, And Tristam Bassinger



Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Momoro Ono Recital


This Tuesday evening, April 20, in the College Theater, Creighton University pianist and Music teacher Momoro Ono thrilled with his brilliant piano play those lucky enough to have attended this special event.

Momoro Ono opened his recital with a Johannes Brahms piece, a performance that stunned everyone, for he delivered the music using only his left hand.

You can experience some of the awe by watching the video that
includes three short selections from the piece "Chaconne von J. S. Bach." (Remember to click on 480 for the higher quality.)

I also recorded parts from two other works he presented,
this time using both hands, by Joseph Haydn and Robert Shumann.

Enjoy the second video and the photographs from this wonderful evening of music. Wow.

And to learn more about this superb pianist, just click on the following information taken form the program.