Humber vocal night student showcase concert left faculty members proud and students bittersweet.
The performances took place at Humber’s Lakeshore campus on Thursday, April 9.
Bachelor of Music student, Carson, performed lead vocals to Helpless by Neil Young as part of the pop/folk vocal ensemble.
The showcase had two groups. The Vocal Jazz Ensemble was directed by Dylan Bell and the Pop/Folk Vocal Ensemble was directed by Yvette Tollar.
Carson said he looked forward to his performance in the show most of all.
“I'm a little biased. I am singing that one,” he said.
Program coordinator for the one-year certificate Foundation in Music Performance Program, Kelsley Grant said he thought the night went successfully.
“People come out and the community is pretty supportive,” he said. “Most of them have been rehearsing since September, so they're usually in really good shape by this time of year.”
Carson said he believed the show would go smoothly, considering how far they are into the end of the school year.
“The more you do it, the better you get at it,” he said.
Part of the Vocal Jazz Ensemble was 33-year-old Mackenzie Kundakcioglu, a first-year Bachelor of Music program student.
They said that as a mature student who tried and failed to get their education, they are excited for all the possibilities the program will bring.
“I feel like I'm on top of everything and I've learned a lot,” they said.
Opening the night was barbershop-style acapella group, The Dukes of Harmony.
The group provides a scholarship for music students and is funded by the city.
One of the singers, Rob Siddall, said he did not know about the future of The Dukes of Harmony’s partnership with Humber.
“We may or may not be able to continue our scholarship, unfortunately… we get a lot of money from the city, and they control things,” he said.
Grant said the partnership was a nice way for Humber and The Dukes of Harmony to support each other.
Kundakcioglu said once they heard about the support this group offers the program and the time and musicianship they donate, they thought it was cool.
“We love to have the opportunity to present our style of music to a new audience,” Siddall said. “Of course, we're always hoping somebody will say, hey, that sounds like a great group. I think I might be interested in doing that.”
Despite a promising night that fulfilled Grant’s expectations, Carson said his fellow student performers did not want to be interviewed.
He said he believed this was due to a lack of interest in “promoting a program that cannot uphold its promises.”
He said he has witnessed many cuts within the Bachelor of Music program, and it does not promise a great future for the program.
He argues that the recent announcement of the cut of the Intercultural & Creative Music Fellowship was one example of many he has seen.
“Many students find themselves unsure about whether their professors will still be here to teach them, which classes will still be running, or even if the education experience they were promised when they enrolled will still be intact,” Carson said.
When asked about the student’s concerns, Grant said these feelings might stem from changes made post-pandemic or from the many forms of entertainment coming out right now.
“I don’t want to say it [live music] is dying,” he said.
Grant said he feels it is something that can never be replaced.
He said many colleges have had to change structures just to keep up with how the industry is shifting.
“We’re still here, and we still love to support the students,” he said. “What we are seeing from our end is growth and stability.”
