Tuning Strings and Warming Voices

Every afternoon, students in the music department combines their skills to bring an older music piece to life. USF choir director, Dr. DeHoogh-Kliewer says that there are many challenges to learning the pieces, but it is important.

“We feel like our students should be exposed to the classics, so each year they choose something to collaborate upon with our instrumental and vocal students,” DeHoogh-Kliewer says.

The piece being performed is called Magnificat by an Italian composer from the late 1600s named Franchesco Duranté. The piece discusses the deeper meaning of Mary and her response to God’s plan.

“The translation is just very beautiful,it has a scripture related base,” Dehoogh-Kliewer says. “Our students have been learning Latin and doing an exceptional job with it.”

While the students prepare for the concert, the directors of the music department have to transition to other fields that they are not familiar with.

Being the director of Instrumental music, Jonathan Neiderhiser spends more time with the orchestra, but has enjoyed working with the different ensembles.

“It’s a bit of a challenge for both DK and I to swap fields, so to speak. I know he sometimes has to learn how to work with the strings and all their little technical things. I get to work with the choir,” Neiderhiser says.

In the midst of putting together two different ensembles, great relationships have evolved between both.

“Just making music with the students and sharing those experiences. It’s really a great group of students, I like our sense of community and just the little family we have there and we get to make music together,” Neiderhiser says.

The USF Masterworks concert will be performed on May 14th in the Meredith Auditorium in the Jeschke Fine Arts Center. There is no need for a ticket purchase, the concert will be free of charge.

Story by Ellie Herman & LaShe Tatum