Every student who is a major in the D’Angelo Department of Music is required to present a senior recital. Any student who has chosen to declare a performance degree has to present both a junior and senior recital.

Junior Marie Karbacka presented a recital in early April. She says the most rewarding part of having a junior recital was “to go through the recital process once before my big senior recital.

“It helps to understand the time and effort that go into something like this. I’m really excited to learn new repertoire and present it next year, Karbacka said.

Most recitals are presented in the spring. They represent a complete four years worth of repertoire and skills the student has learned.

Not only are they an opportunity for the featured student to exemplify everything they have learned while studying at the music school, but student recitals also give a chance for younger students to watch their peers and learn from colleagues.

It is a great way to be exposed to repertoire, to watch performance practices and overall musicality. Sometimes, merely supporting students and classmates makes attending worthwhile.

“Attending recitals in the spring provides me with a living example of what comes from four years of work in developing your craft as an artist here at Mercyhurst,” said Freshman Natalie Pertz.

For students with different major concentrations, the length and repertoire included in the recitals can vary. Some students choose to focus on songs and studies, while other students choose to perform major works.

“Selecting the program for my recital was my favorite part,” said senior Veronica Joy, who presented her recital in March. “You get to look back and see how much you’ve learned and how much your voice has progressed. It’s amazing to think you have learned 50 or more songs until they are all sitting in front of you.”

With a large number of recitals given every year and in a variety of instruments, there is an unlimited amount of music to be listened to.

For a complete schedule of the remaining junior and senior recitals this year, visit the D’Angelo Department of Music’s Facebook page.