Arts Voices: Classical music proves surprisingly relatable to modern sensibilities

Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: all great composers in history who, even though their music isn’t playing on most music stations today, are still recognizable to most people. What about the composers Eric Whitacre, Sir John Taverner and Philip Glass? These are just a few of the 20th and 21st century composers who have less recognizable names unless you’ve performed or listened to their music. But why must it be that way? What many don’t realize is that choral and orchestral music are still vibrant in culture today; they might not be as pervasive in our culture, but they are certainly still widely respected around the world.

Some may argue that there is a lack of musical groups performing these composers’ music, which fortunately isn’t the case. While there is a decline in concert attendance and funding, there are plenty of major symphonic orchestras and professional choirs to go around; there are even amateur orchestras and choirs that perform in local areas for which anyone can audition. Rochester has its own symphony orchestra and is one of approximately 20 professional orchestras in New York State.

Others may argue that our generation cannot relate to orchestral music. In actuality, these genres of music have similar themes to popular music today, especially in choral music. Lyrics to most modern choral pieces come from poems or Bible verses about love, loss and frustration. Rene Clausen’s “Set Me as a Seal” is based on the Bible verse Song of Solomon 8:6-7 portraying the strength of love.

Like popular music, modern – and even older – choral and orchestral pieces are used in popular movies to set the mood for a scene; There Will Be Blood used Estonian composer Arvo Pärt’s “Fratres for Cello and Piano.” Composers also have the option to specifically become film composers, like Hans Zimmer, the composer for The Dark Knight and The Pirates of the Caribbean film scores.

Why, then, is it harder to find performances of modern works or even classical works? Why is it that the popular music of today is actually more popular? It is necessary to expand our musical horizons outside of the Top 40s comfort zone. You don’t need to become a modern choral or orchestral fiend, but like today’s popular artists, these composers are making their living by creating music for the world to hear and enjoy.

Incidental Amusements

It’s not unusual to see overtired or overcaffeinated students frantically writing papers, reviewing flashcards or reading over PowerPoints at this time of year. Maybe you’ll even see someone yelling at their friends because they asked, “How are you doing?” Now these people aren’t doing this for their health; my friends, midterms are upon us.

While midterm literally means the middle of the term, I think it is safe to proclaim that October is midterm month or “the month from Hell.” My friends at other colleges have just one week when they have to worry about their imminent failure and stress, but Geneseo so kindly decided to give us one whole month of sleepless nights to worry about these tests and papers that decide the fate of our oh-so-precious GPAs.

Why are we so stressed about these tests anyway? How professors calculated that we should be studying two to three hours for every hour spent in class is beyond my mathematical expertise. But there just aren’t enough hours in the day if you want to study for all five of your classes, participate in “activities” on the weekends and even get a somewhat decent night’s sleep.

Let’s not forget about the audacity that professors have to even make us remember all the way back to what we discussed in class on the first day of the course in August. If they wanted us to remember back to that insignificant day, they should just repeat themselves every single day until the midterm to make it stick in our brains.

If you failed your midterm or paper, there are a few possibilities that factor into this unfortunate outcome, but none of them are your fault.

One of the reasons you failed might be because, quite simply, your professor didn’t teach the material that was on the midterm. Maybe they went on too many tangents or screwed you over by adding the miniscule details in the textbook that you weren’t supposed to read but regardless neglected to enlighten you with the riveting test material.

If you failed a paper, it’s probably because your professor didn’t like your thesis, didn’t agree with it or didn’t give you enough time to write the paper; when professors grade papers, they obviously only grade subjectively rather than objectively. They clearly just love to use their pens to mark up your paper and tell you how much you don’t know compared to their omnipotent knowledge.

Let’s face it, my fellow peers: We just can’t succeed in the month of October. No matter how many hours we spend in the library or how many people read over our paper, we are just set up for failure, and there’s nothing we can do about it; it’s simply out of our control. I wish I could do more to give you advice, but I’m out of words. The only thing I can say is, “May the odds be ever in your favor.”

Geneseo Alumni reminisce as part of GOLD workshop

Regardless of what year you are, you may wonder, “What will life be like after Geneseo?” or “Am I doing the right things now to get ahead later?” Alumnae Rejoyce Owusu '11, Elizabeth Lawrence '12 and Krista Muscarella '12 reflected on their involvement at Geneseo on Sept. 27 as part of a workshop held by Geneseo Opportunities for Leadership Development and the Alumni Leadership Lessons. They said their co-curricular involvement mainly contributed to the success in their post-Geneseo lives.

After pursuing double majors in psychology and sociology, Muscarella moved to Los Angeles for 10 months to work for City Year, an education group dedicated to working with diverse, under-resourced schools.

While Muscarella said she never expected she would go into the field of education, she said the GOLD program prepared her for this unexpected experience.

“[City Year] is a very diverse group,” Muscarella said. “When I was having my phone interview, they asked me about diversity. I learned a lot about diversity through the workshops and I was able to take what I learned … and apply it to [the job].”

Owusu used her bachelor's degree in business administration to work for Target in managerial operations in Penfield, N.Y. for a year and a half. Now she is pursuing her master's of business administration degree at the Simon School of Business in Rochester while working for ESL Federal Credit Union.

Owusu said she attributes much of who she is today to her experiences at Geneseo.

“I don't think I would change anything [I did at Geneseo],” Owusu said. “Yes, we were really busy … but at the end of the day I look what I gained from that; I can plan anything and execute it because I've been there before.”

Lawrence currently works in a finance program at Bank of America in Charlotte,

N.C. She said that the GOLD program helped her sense of navigation through her career.

“You're in the driver's seat with the GOLD program, so you can really tailor it to what you want to get out of it,” Lawrence said. “That's been [an] important aspect early in my career, knowing that there are so many things where I might be afraid to ask for a different opportunity … but it's about you saying 'I'm here, do you need anything?'”

While all three alumnae said they are happy with what Geneseo taught them to get to where they are, they also said it is nice to come back.

“This was a second home for us for four years,” Owusu said. “It feels good to see people we've been on campus with. It's still going to be our second home.”

Incidental Amusements

It began Sept. 27 when Geneseo experienced a most wonderful time of the year. Main Street was absurdly crowded and you saw people over the age of 25 frolicking around campus – people who aren’t your professors, employers or President Christopher Dahl. I am speaking, of course, about Homecoming Weekend. Unfortunately, Homecoming Weekend is just a regular weekend for my circle of friends, confidants and random acquaintances. The only thing that is different is that the lines at off-campus eateries are just as long as the line for Lotus at Fusion Market.

You would think that I, as a junior, have ties to at least some of the 2013 graduates. This is a true statement, but I know only one alumna who fits that description and also participated in homecoming. Most of the other alumni are busy, ya know, being back at home, which is where I would like to be right now.

The alumni that do come to visit, however, typically have ties to an organization or sports team. Or they donate a boatload of money to the college and like to make an appearance now and then. I’m not saying that any of these ties are negative – their money and time are surely improving my life as a Geneseo student with every passing day.

Another reason these people with time and money come back to campus is to “connect with students” and to do this thing called networking. Have there been students who successfully met alumni that eventually pave the path for their future? Absolutely. Have I been as successful? Not quite. As an undergrad with social quirks, trying to talk to a bunch of fancy alumni all in the same room literally has me riding the struggle bus.

Let’s talk about the children of the alumni for a second. It’s like they bring those chubby little thunder thighs as a ploy to get undergrads to talk to them: “Oh yes, we did make undeniably cute children … want to ask us all about them?” Does it work? My maternal instincts can probably answer that for me, but my social fears totally try to deny it.

As I nag about the tidal wave of alumni that come to visit each semester, I also must realize that I will be an alumna in just a few semesters. Will I come back to visit? Well that depends: Will I have money to pay for gas and food or even for an endowment for a scholarship? Will I have underclassmen friends that can house me for free? Will I have undeniably cute children to use as a conversation starter? Maybe if the alumni now can help me achieve these things, then I’ll be gracing my presence across the whole valley

Incidental Amusements

When I first applied to Geneseo, everyone who thought they knew a thing or two about Geneseo always commented about one thing: the weather. They told me, “Get ready for the cold,” and “You’ll see a lot of snow.” People even warned me about how I would barely see spring-like weather until I left for summer. These so called “Geneseo experts” neglected to warn me about the weather mood swings that I would encounter in the next few years! A warning would’ve been nice for my wardrobe, especially in regard to what to bring at the beginning of the semester. When I first packed for Geneseo, I made sure to have all of my cozy sweaters and my oh-so-warm and fashionable Ugg boots ready to go for September, leaving behind my denim shorts and overworn flip flops. But during my first year, I learned that Geneseo actually experiences summer until late September, so I continued to bring more shorts and less warmth.

That plan screwed me over this semester when it was cold during the second week of classes, and I only had one hoodie to spare; as a busy college junior navigating academics and cocurricular activities, I spent many days chilled as I walked through the valley because I didn’t have time to do my laundry. Do I blame my lack of time management or my inability to realize when I have too much going on? Absolutely not. I blame my so-called “friends” who told me about the weather in the first place.

While on the topic of clothing, I’d also like to point out how I was not told in advance about the weather changes within the same day. When I wake up in the morning, I always make sure to consult my all-knowing iPhone 4 for the day’s weather. If I see it’s going to be 54 degrees, I’m automatically going to throw on a pair of jeans or sweatpants and a sweatshirt. As I go through the day, the temperature goes up 20 degrees or so; this leaves me to sweat all the calories I consumed the day before.

Another thing I would’ve liked to know is how the weather would affect my academics. No one ever told me – until I got here, of course – how hot Welles Hall gets when it’s hot out or when the heat is turned on. You’ll find yourself sitting in the middle of a political science lecture or a literature discussion, and all of a sudden you’re overcome with so much sweat and heat that you can no longer focus on the class. How am I supposed to pass when all I can think about is getting out of that sauna?

As I lament over my qualms of the rollercoaster that is the Geneseo weather, I wonder why I chose this school in the first place. Had anyone warned me about the weather, I might’ve considered another school where all four season are present 25 percent of the year. But I guess it’s too late to transfer now, so instead I will remain angry at all those fools who had no clue about the Geneseo weather.

Invasion of Privacy: Junior Wendy Xia crowns top chess title

After a two-year break from the chess scene, junior Wendy Xia returned to the game that brought her many successes both in addition to her choice in major and independent lifestyle.

Xia started chess at age 8, which in China “is not so early like other child prodigies,” she said. Her dad pushed her to play chess after speaking with someone at her town's local chess center.

“I didn't like chess at first … but my dad heard that it is really good for your brain development, spatial abilities, analysis reasoning,” she said. “He really wanted me to do it. He asked me, 'Do you want to learn chess?' I said no, but luckily he didn't give up on me.”

To motivate her to play chess, her dad bought many chess books and a new chess set so the two could practice together.

“He would lose to me on purpose, and I would say, 'Yeah, I beat my dad,'” she said. “After half a year he couldn't beat me anymore.”

Xia said her dad continued to spark her interest in chess to the point at which she entered various chess tournaments around China and eventually went to a junior high school in Beijing that focused on academics for the first part of the day and chess for the second part.

By attending this junior high school to be on the National Junior Chess team, Xia said she gained a lot of her independence, living almost three hours from home.

“I had been constantly involved with chess tournaments [around China],” she said. “I got used to it - it helped me apply to American colleges and motivated me to live away from home.”

At the end of junior high school, Xia had the option to become a professional chess player but declined the offer to stay in high school because she said she enjoys chess but enjoys many other things as well.

Through chess, Xia found her love for psychology and added it as her second major in addition to biology.

“Chess has a lot of psychology in it,” she said. “It has a rational side … but there's a less rational side, which is psychology. Sometimes top players intimidate people by making pretty aggressive moves and looking confident when, really, they aren't that confident.”

While she still played chess recreationally, Xia didn't return to chess tournaments until the Geneseo Chess Club hosted a tournament last semester. She won first place. She also attended the New York State Championships in Albany over Labor Day weekend and won for her under 2,100-points group.

Xia said she attributes much of her success in to her persistence because she “doesn't easily give up” regardless of the skill level of her opponent.

“I think I actually play better against really good players,” she said. “It brings out potential in me to play really well. Sometimes when I play someone worse than me … I make reckless moves. I tend to make a lot of chances in those games because I assume [my opponent] is not as good as me.”

Xia is now waiting on her national rank but knows she will be in the top 100 females in the United States.

Xia said chess has been “a blessing and a curse” in the ways in which she thinks in both academic and social settings.

“After you're really good at chess, how you think is kind of different,” Xia said. “I tend to overanalyze stuff in social situations. I tend to think a lot and not just speak whatever I think. It's part of how I play chess - before every move, I have to think, even if it's obvious. I like to think deeply.”

Incidental Amusements

As college students at Geneseo, we often have a lot on our plates that tear us in all different directions. When you add the end-of-semester workload, however, the stress levels go from about a three to an eight in a matter of days, depending on the severity of the workload and outside activities. Everyone deals with stress differently, but it’s important that they combat it in a healthy way. Nothing is worse for someone than bottling up their stress and not managing it properly. As a resident assistant, I often give my residents advice on ways to de-stress, such as taking a nap, watching something on Netflix or getting ice cream.

One form of de-stressing common to the college student is venting, commonly referred to as ranting. Each person takes ranting into their own hands and can either be harmless or annoying to everyone that comes into contact with the person.

Some ranting is beneficial to the individual in terms of stress relief. This is a time at which the person ranting describes their current struggles in hopes that they can find a way to get past them or to blow off some steam to later return to the struggle.

In this situation, the person ranting is sincere in their motives because they are asking their friend or audience for their suggestions or just to lend an ear. If a person is close to the stressed individual, they are invested in what is being said and want to give advice to help the person in need.

The next category is the “woe is me” rant, or ranting just for the hell of it. We all know someone who loves to go on Facebook or Twitter and write an extensive list of all the problems in their life. These are usually done for attention and don’t receive the anticipated sympathy. Typical responses include, “Seriously?” or “They’re at it again!” This ranting style is not socially acceptable unless it is humorous in the sense of schadenfreude, if you’re into that.

Speaking of schadenfreude, some rants that are truly meant to humor their audience often get confused with the “woe is me” rant. These people often mimic the “woe is me” rant to be sarcastic and satirical. These are the rants that, when posted on Facebook, get the most likes. With these rants, you must know the person well enough to differentiate between the satire and the woe.

Now I’m not saying that ranting should be your last resort to de-stress. If that’s what works for you, do it up! My point is that, as a collective, we should be mindful of our ranting craft and be mindful to the ears and eyes that must endure our rants.

Alpha Phi Omega's second annual Mobile Food Pantry to benefit 300 local families

Alpha Phi Omega, the coed service fraternity, is hosting the second annual Mobile Food Pantry on April 7 at the Interfaith Center to provide food for families in Livingston County.

Junior Sherry Leung said that she and Alpha Phi Omega started this project last year as a need to provide for those less fortunate in the surrounding area.

“This event came out from this need that I saw in the community after doing a bunch of volunteer projects all over Livingston County,” Leung said. “One of the biggest things I saw was that families were struggling to make ends meet. One of their biggest struggles was making sure that there was food on the table.”

Leung said the Mobile Food Pantry is a project she introduced to the brothers and worked on the event planning with a small committee. The committee includes Alpha Phi Omega president junior Christopher Pike, junior Rachel Eisenman and sophomore Cameron Houser.

According to Leung, Geneseo Wegmans donated $500 to Alpha Phi Omega to give to Foodlink, the organization that will provide the food for the Mobile Food Pantry.

According to its website, Foodlink “is the regional Feeding America food bank” to 10 counties in western and central New York. Foodlink has several programs, such as a farmer’s initiative to help people grow their own food and partnerships with local grocery stores to ship out food for various pantries.

Leung said that Alpha Phi Omega’s partnership with Foodlink began a few semesters ago through various service projects preceding the Mobile Food Pantry.

According to Leung, on the day of the event families will register and then wait to choose their food. The amount of food each family receives is based on the typical amount of food a four-person family would need.

Leung said about 300 families will benefit from the Mobile Food Pantry based on the amount of food Foodlink will provide.

In addition to the brothers from Alpha Phi Omega, Leung said that other volunteers include Coordinator of Student Volunteering and Service Learning and Geneseo Town Supervisor William Wadsworth.

“I think it’s easy for us as college students to very absorbed in our daily lives,” Leung said. “It’s sometimes hard to take the blinders off to see … what’s happening around in the community. There are a lot of families in Livingston County that need our help. I’m really glad I can help families in this way.”u