Phyllis Chen

            I had never actually seen a toy piano before walking in to the Sears Recital Hall on Wednesday night.  There it was: a miniature model of the large grand piano that towered over the little red baby piano.  It was quite a sight to see the two juxtaposed, one seeming almost obese in the toy piano’s presence.  The most interesting part was seeing the audience’s reactions.  Most entered the hall and laughed at the sight while others awed at the cuteness of the toy getting its moment of glory on the stage, dwarfing the beautiful grand piano regardless of its size. 

            Here is a great pianist, with a PhD in piano performance forced to sit on the floor in order to play her instrument of choice.  The evening was full of performances and interesting discussion.  I now know more about the toy piano then I ever would have thought possible.  Having played the piano for a few years, I understand how difficult it can be to master.  Her immense talent and appreciation for the instrument was what struck me the most during her performance.  I have never heard anyone speak so highly of his or her craft.  Piano really is her passion and she works tirelessly to find new and inventive ways to make piano new and more relevant to the world.  She has managed to create a community of toy pianists to help show the world what the instrument is capable of.

            Now, if anyone thought the sight of the toy piano was humorous when they entered the room, three seconds into her first performance, all funny thoughts were gone.  The sound that was produced from the dinky, red, comical piano was like nothing I’ve ever heard.  The initially high-pitched, clunky sound came together to create a song full of depth of sound and interesting melodies.  It was almost impossible to understand how an instrument with so few keys could create a song of such sophistication.  The way Chen approached the instrument also allowed for no giggles from the audience.  The way she played the keys, eyes closed, completely engulfed in her piano filled world, gave the childlike instrument a new maturity that I am quite sure no one else can accomplish. 

            My favorite performance of the night utilized the toy piano and a music box.  Two very childlike musical instruments blended together to create one of the best piano pieces I have ever heard.  She combined a music box song that she had created herself with a melody on the toy piano.  This blend made for a very interesting mix.  The youthful instruments mixed with the mature song gave the piece more depth than I ever would have imagined was possible walking into the theater.                   

Guitar? Yes, Please.

      This was hands-down the best Thursday Night Live yet.  There was not one specific thing that made this night stand out, but a perfect blend of circumstances that made this event more noteworthy than the rest.  It could have been the fact that I had absolutely no homework to be doing at the time, allowing me to invest my whole self in the performances.  I could have been that Thursday Night Live has become a weekly event that my friends thoroughly enjoy attending no matter who is performing.  It could have been my favorite green tea in my brand new environmentally friendly mug.  I could have been that a banjo and harmonica were involved.  I could have been the fabulous people watching that always ensues.  It could have the singing of some of my all time favorite songs.  It could have been one of the most lively, entertaining performers I have experienced at a Thursday Night Live.  It could have been the random poetry interjections that were thrown in to the mix.  Apparently, this is all I need for a very very enjoyable evening out.

            With each new Thursday Night Live experience, I seem to wish more and more that I could pick up a guitar and become a fabulous player and singer.  If only this were plausible.  One thing is for sure: learning how to play the guitar is, once again, at the top of my to do list.  It has always been something that I have wanted to do.  Sadly the unsuccessful piano lessons of 2004 did not seem to prove to my mother that investing in yet another expensive instrument was a good idea for my short attention span.  I consider myself a rather patient individual.  It was something about the three years of piano lessons with very few major results that got to me.  Maybe this time my parents can be convinced that a guitar will be a good investment.  We shall see.  Birthday present anyone?

            It may seem silly to those who know me, but learning to play the guitar relatively well has been on my bucket list for quite some time.  I will not back down.  Even if I am sixty when it finally happens, I, Rachel Hathaway, will learn how to play the guitar.  It may take me years to be good enough (let alone have the confidence) to play in front of an audience, but knowing that I have the ability to be good is all that matters.  So I know what’s going on my wish list this year.  Maybe someday I’ll be the one whipping out the humorous poetry at Thursday Night Live this time next year.        

Mary-Michael King-Sekulic

            Mary-Michael King-Sekulic.  Doesn’t she just sound like she should be a famous performer?  I have always believed that your name plays a major role in whether or not you are destined for famed greatness.  My name just is not conducive to being yelled by thousands of adoring fans.  Mary-Michael King-Sekulic just looks like it should be scribbled across an album cover in an artistic manner, with her fiery red hair and guitar working to sell copies.  Don’t mind the fact that I might be a little bias, being a friend of hers as well as a huge fan of a strong folk singer.  Thursday Night Live proved to many other people that she would someday be that funky folk singer that guitar players destine to emulate. 

            I have attended many a Thursday Night Lives, but this was my first time behind the scenes.  Seeing as she lives across the hall, there is no way to avoid listening to her perform.  After our first Thursday night excursion, she knew she needed to showcase herself at some point in the very near future.  From that moment on, all spare time was dedicated to the set list.  From unknown folk artists to nineties boy bands, it seemed as though no song was overlooked.  Our lounge was constantly filled with onlookers suggesting songs they believed to suite her.  In retrospect, it is a very easy way to make friends, and that she did.  Who knew you could acquire that many friends through the use of song?

            I have to admit that this was the first time I fully paid attention to the goings on of the performances.  Normally a fan of Thursday Night Live for the ambiance, people watching, and student music, I have never invested myself in the show as much as I managed to this week.  Seeing how much work each performer puts in to preparing their acts makes me appreciate what they do so much more.  Mary-Michael King-Sekulic was, by far, the best performer of the night.  Having seen the painstaking process that she went through, she deserved the applause that she got (yes, we did make sure it was loud and boisterous).  Whether she continues on with her music or not, I am quite sure that I would purchase one of the sultry redheads albums any day.  From the University of Dayton’s Thursday Night Live on Art Street to indie folk singer, it’s nice to know that I was there for the dorm room practice days.