Music major Alice Browne performed her senior recital at the Redfern Arts Center Alumni Recital Hall on Sunday, Nov. 19.
Browne has been doing choir since she was nine-years-old but did not begin solo performing until declaring her major at Keene State.
She explained her senior recital was something that crept up on her, as it was, “Something that when I became a music major my freshman year I knew I was gonna have to do [but] it didn’t really set in [that] I was gonna have to do this solo recital until probably the last semester of my junior year. But that’s when I really started thinking about it and getting excited about it.”
Once the feeling set in, Browne got to work, stating, “I probably have been giving… at least an hour every day … Whether that be just going over the words in my head, listening to the songs I’m doing, or sitting in a practice room, working on the notes.”
Browne described the pressure she felt leading up to her recital as “a giant hurdle to get past but I’m really, really excited… the most I’ve ever sung at once… has been three songs, maybe like 10 minutes of music at most. And now I’m going to give a 30-minute recital on my own.”
The repertoire consisted of twelve pieces that she hand-picked from the works she had done in previous lessons throughout her college career with the addition of some works she had not done before. I … wanted to incorporate as many songs written by female composers as I could because historically female composers have not had the same success as male composers have… so it’s very important for me to highlight their work,” Browne said.
Eight of her chosen pieces were written by female composers which Browne hoped did not go unnoticed by her audience.
“I really hope they see the beauty in these composers,” Browne said. “I hope they leave questioning, ‘Why didn’t these amazing composers experience the same success that their male counterparts did?’”
The recital did not only consist of classical pieces, as Browne also chose pieces from the musicals “Into The Woods” and “Wicked.”
Vladimir Odinokikh, Browne’s accompanying pianist, said that Browne was “really active… She creates different images depending on the style of music, especially… Broadway… music… She even moves [around] the stage… which is… very important and [doesn’t] often happen to students… This balance between musicality but also… acting and art… a lot of time … inspires me.”
Odinokikh added that throughout his time working with Browne for her senior recital, what stood out to him was “her professionalism … She works hard, she is always organized in the process of preparation… It’s [a] pleasure.”
Browne took her bow to end her performance and began walking off stage as the audience gave her a standing ovation. She returned to the stage for one final bow, the audience’s applause never ceasing.
Benjamin Martins can be contacted at
bmartins@kscequinox.com
