Vocalists Evelyn Walker and Maya Levanon are in their last semester of Oberlin and with the journey coming to an end, they are putting on a recital that is a culmination of all they have learned. On April 11 at 4pm they will take the stage at the Cat in the Cream to put on a genreless program ranging from a jazz trio to a thirty person orchestrated piece. They have taken no shortcuts and are prepared to have one of the best shows on campus.
As Musical Studies majors, a recital is not required for their degree. However, a big reason why this show means so much is because they want to set an example of how to create your own performance space. At a school like Oberlin where music and performance is very rich and diverse, it is easy to be worried about how you could fit into it. When asked what they would tell their first-year selves, they both agreed that there is always a space for a person to perform. Sometimes that means creating the space yourself.
One major theme of their performance is community and their biggest piece of the recital is an example of just that. Their arrangement of “All Delighted People” by Sufjan Stevens will consist of a string quartet, trombones, flutes, bass, guitar, drums, a choir, and some spots for soloists as well. The stage will be filled with around thirty of their friends. Trying to get a band of this size together can be frightening, but Walker and Levanon do not let that stop them from making this piece come to life. Not only will the band be playing in this, but they will also get the audience involved as well to really hone in on the theme of community and how important that is in music.
All in all this concert is not to be missed. Walker and Levanon have cultivated an amazing space that will be an inspiration to all future Oberlin students and music students in general. They help to ask a key question that is important for every musician in this ever-changing world: “if you feel like there isn’t a space for you, why don’t you try to make one yourself?”
thecounterpoint.org 