In 1992 I graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Arts degree with an emphasis in Classical Guitar Performance.
All music students were required to give a senior recital in order to graduate.
Sure enough, I tripped on it when I got up to leave for my first exit in my performance.
The recordings below are digital copies of my recital, which was originally recorded to cassette tape. The cassettes were then stored in a wood box for 25 years. I had 2 cassettes, and that was fortunate, as neither of them fared very well in that box. You can hear some of the degradation of sound quality on some of the songs.
These are recordings of the 24 year old version of me. I had only been playing classical guitar for a couple years, so what I was undertaking was a monumental task. I was incredibly nervous, and it shows in these recordings. I guess that’s why they call this “giving it the ol’ college try“!
Tracks 10, 11 and 12 below are performed as a quartet with some of my classmates; Jason Swain, Mark Ritter and Steve Rings. Those actually sound pretty good.
I also have a PDF copy of the program from the recital. You can download and take a look at that here.
One of the most remarkable things about this recital was the crowd. The auditorium was nearly filled to capacity. The faculty commented on what a rare thing that is. Usually just the family and a few friends will show up – those who are “required” to be there. However, because of the changes I had made in my life, and because of the church fellowship that I was a part of – and the campus ministry in particular, people came out in droves to show their support. If you listen to the end of the last song you can hear the rousing applause they gave me. In fact, it was a standing ovation, and they chanted for an encore.
The best memory I have of this recital is looking up at my dad after playing the last note. The man who had been so disapproving of my life choices over the years – particularly to pursue music – was the first one to be on his feet – clapping with his hands over his head – in enthusiastic approval.
At the bottom of the page is an interview I did for my 25th anniversary of graduating from the U of M.
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