For Amelia Teri, a music education major from Bristol, Tennessee, the path to performance excellence is paved with countless hours of dedication and meticulous preparation.
As she prepared for her junior recital on Nov. 12, Teri maintained a rigorous practice schedule, dedicating four to five hours weekly to practice on top of her regular academic commitments.
“The process has been quite arduous,” Teri admits, “but I’ve had a wonderful teacher, accompanist and support system who encouraged me through every step.”
The program showcased her versatility as a vocalist, being graded on stamina, note accuracy, rhythmic accuracy, memorization, attire and stage presence.It represents a major milestone in her education as a musician at Milligan.
She started practicing her least polished pieces, which included memorizing the translations of the six foreign language pieces, with pieces in Italian, German, Latin and Spanish.
Music students are also required to perform a hearing before their recitals, when they sing their entire program for the music faculty and get comments and the final approval to go ahead with the public recital.
After her hearing, Teri spent the next month refining each piece, putting the finishing touches on her 30-minute performance.
After performing her junior recital, Teri was followed by performances from other music students, both vocal and instrumental.
“I was excited to see two things,” Professor of Music Dr. Noah Delong said afterward. “Seeing the bookends: students just starting their journey and those nearing the end.”
About The Author
Gabrielle Jones is a sophomore from Elizabethton. She is a Multimedia Journalism major and a Filmmaking minor. She is the Social Media Manager for Stampede. She enjoys horror media, reading, and film.