The joint will be jumpin' when the Lake Michigan College Visual & Performing Arts Department presents Swingin' in the Spring at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 24. The concert will feature the LMC choirs and jazz band during a free public performance on the LMC Mendel Center Mainstage located on the College's Benton Harbor Campus, 2755 E. Napier Ave. Tickets are not required.
LMC Vocal Chamber, under the direction of Rebecca Derbas-Selvidge, will interpret a variety of jazz styles through the swing tune "Orange Colored Sky" arranged by Dave Barduhn, "A Quiet Place" by Ralph Carmichael from the jazz group Take 6, and a funky and driving arrangement of the Ray Charles classic "Hallelujah, I Love Him So."
Students in the Vocal Chamber include Wyatt Arms, Andy Beeson, Evan Cook, Miah Fannon, Connor Farr, Brandyn Gifford, Val Heppler, Alyssa Hyska, Danielle Jacobson, Andrew Lunn, Danny Mannel, Landon Mitchell, Elisa Sypian, Emma Stoppenbach, and Mel Weber.
Also directed by Derbas-Selvidge, the LMC Concert Choir will present several arrangements by Dr. Steve Zegree, including "Blue Skies" and "Route 66" along with "Like Someone in Love" by April Arabian Tini.
LMC Jazz Band, directed by Danny Lopez, will showcase the talents of graduating music students with a setlist of classic swing and Latin jazz pieces that capture the genre's diverse nature. Planned selections include "Spain" by Chick Corea, "Jumpin' at the Woodside" by Count Basie, "Trofeo de Bolos" by Craig Skeffington, and "It Don't Mean a Thing" by Duke Ellington.
The Jazz Band is comprised of students and community members. They include Tammy Crowner, alto saxophone; Rodger Payne, alto saxophone; Kendell Fowler, tenor saxophone; BethAnne Kunert, tenor saxophone; Gunter Ansinn, trombone; Brian Malone, trombone; Dan Ward, trombone; Joey Hayman, trumpet; Jim Marquess, trumpet; Dan McCaffrey, trumpet; Tristan Ficks, piano; Andy Lunn, guitar/bass; Nathan Dokter, guitar/bass; Jim Allen, percussion/drums.
About the ensembles
LMC Vocal Chamber is a dynamic student ensemble that performs frequently in concert each semester. Selections are drawn from the standard choral repertoire, including madrigals, motets, folk songs, spirituals, and jazz. Ensemble membership is comprised of LMC students by audition.
LMC Concert Choir is a mixed-voice choral ensemble comprised of LMC students and community members throughout Berrien County and beyond. The group performs regularly on the concert stage at the Mendel Center and throughout Southwest Michigan.
LMC Jazz Band focuses its repertoire on classical jazz styles, big band/swing era music, and the occasional rock arrangement.
For more information about the LMC Visual & Performing Arts department and performances, visit lakemichigancollege.edu/arts, email mmccaffrey@lakemichigancollege.edu, or call 269-927-8876.
About the Lake Michigan College Visual & Performing Arts Department
The Visual & Performing Arts Department allows students to reach new levels of excellence through classroom instruction and public performance. Many programs, including theatre, instrumental and vocal music, and dance, are based in the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center, the only performing arts center of its kind in Southwest Michigan. Here, LMC students have opportunities to study the performing arts in a venue that attracts thousands of patrons annually. Programs including drawing, painting, and graphic design allow students to explore the possibilities in the visual arts.
Auditions are held for select ensembles that perform on the same stages as world-renowned touring acts. Students in any major also have opportunities to audition for Broadway musicals and plays and join two different vocal ensembles, string and wind ensembles, a pop-rock ensemble, and jazz band. One of only two colleges in Michigan to carry the prestigious All-Steinway designation, LMC has a team of highly qualified faculty that bring real-world expertise to the classroom.
###
Posted March 22, 2024