Presents March 20, 2021 Macel Falwell Recital Hall MUSIC

presents

March 20, 2021 Macel Falwell Recital Hall MUSIC 305 2:00 PM

Dean Town Vulfpeck

‘Round Midnight Thelonius Monk (1917-1982)

Chameleon Herbie Hancock (b. 1940)

Bach Suite No. 2 in D minor J.S. Bach III. Courante (1685-1750)

How Insensitive (“Insensatez”) Antônio Carlos Jobim (1927-1994)

Autumn Leaves in E Minor Joseph Kosma (1905-1969) Drew Lafferty, voice

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) Hillsong United

Dean Town Written in 2016 by the band known as Vulfpeck, Dean Town is great funk tune with an emphasis on the lead line in the bass. This melody is a sixteenth note groove that is later shared with the guitar. The bassist for the group, Joe Dart, has become a renowned funk jazz player in this decade and has influenced many new musicians to want to play bass.

Round Midnight Thelonious Monk composed this song in 1944. He was a jazz pianist who was known for his expression in his writing. ‘Round Midnight is no different. Its smooth melody and minor key give the song a somber feel. People have said that the song paints a picture of a New Jersey city street at night where there are just one or two streetlights.

Chameleon Chameleon, written by Herbie Hancock in 1973, is a funk chart that has become a widely recognized jazz standard. Just like most funk style songs, the bass line is what gives this chart its character. Though it may be repetitive in some sections, the repetition allows for great opportunities for improvisation which was very prevalent at the time of Chameleon’s release.

Bach Suite No. 2 in D Minor J. S. Bach wrote Suite No. 2 as a 6-part piece was originally meant for the cello. This piece was composed in between. The years 1717 and 1723. These 6 parts include: Prelude, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Menuets, and Gigue. Courante contains a sixteenth note melodic line that shows the skill of the player’s virtuosity.

How Insensitive (“Insensatez”) This bossa nova style song was written by Brazilian musician Antônio Carlos Jobim. Lyrics were later added in Portuguese by Vinícius de Moraes and in English by Norman Gimbel. In Portuguese, the song is known by “Insensatez.” This roughly translates to English as “How Foolish.” The lyrics talk of the heartbreak of a woman and a man. The man looks away when the woman tells him she loves him, and he is pondering back to how he could be so insensitive.

Autumn Leaves in E minor This jazz classic was written by a Hungarian-French composer named Joseph Kosma in 1945. Lyrics were later added by Jacques Prévert and Johnny Mercer. This chart had a rise to fame from being recorded by singers like Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, and Frank Sinatra. Since its release in 1945, this song has been recorded over 1,400 times by mainstream musicians alone, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of musicians recording it for their own personal use.

This song is special to me because I marched in the Bluecoats in 2017. For those who do not know, the Bluecoats are a Drum and Bugle Corps located in Canton, Ohio. They, along with over 20 other top class drum corps travel across the country and perform for tens of thousands of people. I was lucky enough to march with them. Each corps has their own corps song that represents their history and culture as an organization. Autumn Leaves is the Bluecoats’ corps song. They performed this song in their production in 1987 and has been sung by the corps during pivotal and emotional times during the season every year.

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) Matthew 14 verses 22 - 23 talks of Peter walking on the water after being called to do so by Jesus. He began to lose faith, so he started to sink. He then had to call on Jesus to save himself. This song is a song about trust in Jesus when stepping into the unknown. Made famous by Hillsong United, Oceans has become a staple in modern worship, and rightfully so. The powerful lyrics paired with the beautiful melody and chords truly make this song a masterpiece in worship. I would like to thank first and foremost, my professor, Keith Cooper, for working with me for the past 3 years as my bass teacher. He has become a great friend of mine and I have grown immensly in my playing because of him. Secondly, I want to thank my beautiful and loving wife, Shannon Widger, for always believing in me. Her love and support has pushed me to become a great musician and an even better person. I also want to thank my parents Brenda and David Widger. I have grown up with the most supportive and loving parents on this Earth. Never once did they say to give up on my dreams of pursuing music. I am beyond lucky to have them as my parents. Lastly, thank you to everyone who has made my college experience as amazing as it was. These years at Liberty have been unforgettable and I will cherish them forever.

Jacob Widger is a student of Professor Keith Cooper.

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Commercial Music degree.

We would like to thank the Liberty University Administration for their faithful support of the School of Music.

Dr. Jerry Prevo, President Dr. Scott Hicks, Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Stephen Müller, Dean, School of Music The School of Music Administration, Faculty, and Staff