Phi Mu Alpha Recital: A Night of Entertainment

Jessie Ragland

ENGL 336.001

On October 18, 2011, the members of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia performed in their annual Probationary Member Recital. The event took place at 8:00pm in the Pealer Recital Hall of the Performing Arts Center. Each semester, the probationary members that are pledging the fraternity are required to put on a concert on their own. “They have to memorize all of the brother songs, perform a pledge song, perform a solo piece and display their lyre” says Kienan Lewis, the president of Phi Mu Alpha. The Gamma Alpha pledge class of the fall 2011 semester consisted of Austin Jacobs, Andre Wilson and Joel Watson. As the audience entered the recital hall, the stage was decorated with three golden lyres, made by the probationary members themselves. The members of Phi Mu Alpha, along with the probationary members entered the stage and harmoniously sang “The National Anthem”. Phi Mu Alpha is known very well for their arrangement of this piece and have been asked multiple times to perform at several other events such as football games, charity events, etc.

Each probationary showed off their magnificent talent as they performed their solo pieces. Austin Jacobs, a sophomore, performed the song “Santa Fe” from the Disney musical “Newsies”. Accompanied by Adam Pomeroy, who played the piano, Austin not only performed this song musically, but theatrically. Andre Wilson, a junior, filled the entire room with some soul as he performed “I Believe in You and Me” by Whitney Houston. Being a tenor in the Chamber Choir and the University Chorale, Andre sang this piece smoothly and without any difficulty. This song also helped him to win first place in Sigma Alpha Iota’s “All Campus Sing” competition. Joel Watson, also a sophomore and the final probationary member, played his guitar while he sang “The Scientist” by the British group Coldplay. Joel, unlike Andre and Austin, is not a music major at Frostburg State University but is a natural at guitar and has a very nice singing voice. One could tell that he was very nervous at the beginning of his piece but as the song progressed, Joel’s shoulders relaxed and he began to enjoy his own performance.

The members of Phi Mu Alpha also performed pieces as an ensemble throughout the recital. Musical selections included “V’iva La Mour”, “Sinfonia Motto”, “Hail Sinfonia”, “Sinfonia Hymn”, “Sing of Sinfonia”, “Red and Black”, and “The Parting Song”. One special song that is sung at every recital is the “Serenade”. A lucky girl is chosen and is seated in a chair on stage in front of the brothers of Phi Mu Alpha. This year the grandmother of Evan Schutz, a member of the Fraternity, was chosen. “I couldn’t look at her while singing because it made me nervous and I had to focus on conducting the entire time.”

Overall, the Phi Mu Alpha Probationary Member Recital was one of the best performances put on so far for the semester. Each member had something special to bring to the recital and the Probationary Members gave a wonderful, talented and exciting performance both individually and as a group. If you would like more information about the brothers of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, you can visit their website at http://www.sinfonia.org/.