Chilly weather brings warm rhythm to campus

FREDERICTON — While the chilly weather might have kept most people home on Feb. 7, those who braved the storm were in for a musical delight.

Dozens of folks packed the recital room at St. Thomas University’s Margaret Norrie McCain Hall for an hour-long recital with Argentinian pianist Demian Schwarcz and the STU Songwriting Ensemble.

The songwriting ensemble is made up of students from the songwriting and arranging class, taught this semester by Martin Kutnowski, a fine arts professor, musician and composer.

Kutnowski said the goal of the class is to survey music, in terms of genre, through experiential learning. Students have the chance to focus on writing lyrics, creating musical harmonies and arranging. The final project involves each member of the class composing and performing an original song.

“I don’t lecture in this class,” he said. “The other day, I lectured for about five minutes and for the rest of the time, we play, and as we play, we learn.”

Kutnowski said for some students, performing in front of a crowd can be intimidating. As a musician with over 40 years of experience, he said he makes it a point to learn with his students to make them feel more comfortable.

“I put myself in their same position,” he said. “I’m a pianist, but today I played on the clarinet because I’m a beginner in the clarinet.

“It’s important for me to be in a position where I am really challenged out of my comfort zone.”

Schwarcz, a world-renowned concert pianist and composer, opened the concert with a selection of Latin American piano instrumentals. The class later joined him in the second act to sing three contemporary pop songs.

For Sarah Williamson, a third-year fine arts student, performing in front of a crowd is something she’s still getting used to. Yet despite being nervous, she said it was an enjoyable experience.

“It was an amazing experience, especially for all the students to get to meet somebody who is so good at piano and all the other instruments,” she said. “I got some one-on-one time [with Schwarcz] to practice my singing, and it was really nice to experience that with my own class.”

Williamson, who hopes to go into education, said she thinks students must immerse themselves in music and performance. She said many people, like herself, rely on music for therapeutic reasons.

“It’s something that can come as valuable in life,” she said. “Music, for me, is something that makes me happy.

“I find if I’m in a bad mood and I come into class and sit down to play and sing, it really makes me feel better.”