Kicking off the performance is the Piano Ensemble Concert, directed by Naoki Hakutani. The concert promises an evening of refined piano performance, highlighting the artistry and dedication of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 piano students. The event begins April 20 at 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the event page or contact Naoki Hakutani at nxhakutani@ualr.edu.

Just three nights later, on April 23, the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Jazz Ensemble takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. for a 90-minute concert under the direction of Michael Underwood. Jazz enthusiasts can look forward to an energetic evening of live jazz performance from one of the university鈥檚 most dynamic student ensembles. For more information, visit the event page or contact Michael Underwood at mpunderwood@ualr.edu.

Rounding out the lineup is the Spring Percussion Concert, directed by Justin Bunting. The concert takes place on April 25 at 4:00 p.m. This year鈥檚 concert is set to be a standout event featuring two exciting guest artist appearances: Lamon Lawhorn, a percussionist from Virginia State University, and the Blue Line Duo, the dynamic husband-and-wife percussion duo of Justin and Cassie Bunting. The addition of these guest artists promises to make this an especially memorable concert. For more information, visit the event page or contact Justin Bunting at jbunting@ualr.edu.

All three concerts will be held in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 premier performance venue. The 320-seat hall has a rich history tied to Little Rock philanthropist and Arkansas Symphony Orchestra founder Stella Boyle Smith and has recently undergone enhancements, including upgraded audio and visual systems, making it an ideal setting for these performances.

All concerts are free and open to the public. Come out and support the talented musicians of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock this April.

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The Percussive Arts Society is the largest percussion ensemble organization in the world, with just over 6,000 members. Bunting describes the Percussive Arts Society International Convention as Disney World for percussionists.

It is the largest percussion convention in the world, 鈥渂ringing together over 5,000 people in Indianapolis for four days of performances, clinics, workshops, competitions, and other educational opportunities. One minute you are watching one of the top percussion ensembles in the country perform and the next you are sitting in a masterclass by a world-renowned marimbist.鈥�

Bunting decided to commit to the competition in November 2023. He had seen rapid growth in the ensemble and knew they could be successful at such a renowned convention. On May 1, the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Percussion Ensemble was among the first groups to register for the Concert Chamber Percussion Ensemble Competition. Once confirmed, Bunting said he was extremely excited for his students and ready to get to work.

Four percussion students participated in the competition: Omar Delgado, Alexia Minzel, Ethan Nooner, and Cameron Thompson. The students performed 鈥淲atercolor Sun鈥� by Ivan Trevino last school year, so the process with that piece was crafting the interpretation and performance. Over the summer, the students learned, practiced, and memorized the second piece, 鈥淭he Gilded Cage,鈥� by Susan Powell.

Throughout the semester, there were weekly rehearsals. Bunting noted that the students truly took ownership of these pieces, scheduling their independent rehearsal times without his guidance. They also had coaching sessions with Ivan Trevino and Susan Powell, the composers of the two pieces. Bunting said it was an incredible amount of hard work put in by these students.

At the convention, they were judged by three world-class percussionists and competed against 29 other ensembles from across the United States. They placed 19 out of 30 in the competition, ahead of quite a few ensembles from much larger programs and universities. Bunting said he was thrilled with this result, which spoke to the students’ dedication and hard work.

The experience was rewarding for Bunting and reminded him of his own experience in college performing at PASIC.

鈥淲hen I was a second-year, undergraduate percussion major at Ohio State, our ensemble performed a showcase concert at PASIC,鈥� Bunting said. 鈥淚t was truly life-altering for me. So, when we came out of the performance room, and I saw the release of emotion and energy from the students, I knew they had a similar experience. Also, from a studio culture perspective, the bar has been raised. Big time. The standard for 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Percussion is now on the international stage!鈥�

This story was written by Rian Newman.

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This semester鈥檚 concert features special guest Chris Thompson, also known as , who will be performing pieces from his album 鈥淢usic Desegregation.鈥�

鈥淢aster Christopher composed the music and lyrics for the album, which aims to blend classical styles and classical percussion instruments with hip-hop,鈥� said Dr. Justin Bunting, director of instrumental activities.

In addition to special guest Master Christopher, the ensemble and band will also be joined by 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock voice, saxophone, and piano students, along with 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock string faculty Meredith Maddox Hicks on viola.

The Trojan Steel Band will open the concert with 鈥淛ean & Dinah,鈥� 鈥淛amaican Farewell,鈥� 鈥淪teampipe Rhumba,鈥� 鈥淭ry Jah Love,鈥� and 鈥淚 Melt With You.鈥�

Pieces featured in the Percussion Ensemble portion of the concert are:

• 鈥淗umming Chorus鈥�
• 鈥淭he Gospel鈥�
• 鈥淔别补谤濒别蝉蝉鈥�
• 鈥淐aged Birds The Most Heard鈥�
• 鈥凌别惫别濒补迟颈辞苍蝉鈥�
• 鈥淢补蝉迟别谤辫濒补苍鈥�

Admission to the event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Bunting at .

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The event will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 15, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Fine Arts Building on campus.

鈥淭he 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Music Major for a Day program welcomes Arkansas high school musicians from all over the state to experience a typical day as a music major,鈥� said Dr. Justin Bunting, director of instrumental activities, 鈥淭he day includes observing Music Theory, Ensemble Literature, and Studio classes, as well as participating in Wind Ensemble or Concert Choir rehearsals.鈥�

Attendees will also have lunch in a campus dining hall with current music majors and go on a campus tour.

鈥淚nterested seniors have the opportunity to audition for admission to the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Music Program and a music scholarship for Fall 2024,鈥� Bunting said. 鈥淢any of our current music majors came to Music Major for a Day in high school, and we cannot wait to meet more future Trojans.鈥�

The itinerary for the day is as follows:

• Welcome/Q&A with 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock music faculty, 9 a.m.
• Music Theory I class, 10 a.m.
• Instrumental – Studio Class; Vocal, Concert Choir rehearsal, 11 a.m.
• Instrumental – Wind Ensemble Rehearsal; Vocal, Studio Class 12 p.m.
• Lunch at Trojan Cafe with current music majors, 1 p.m.
• Campus Tour, 2 p.m.
• Ensemble Literature class, 3 p.m.
• Scholarship Auditions for interested seniors, 4 p.m.

Contact Bunting at jbunting@ualr.edu for more information.

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Both the Percussion Ensemble and the Trojan Steel Band are directed by Dr. Justin Bunting, the music program鈥檚 Director of Instrumental Activities in the School of Literary and Performing Arts.

鈥淭hese students have worked hard to prepare our largest program since my arrival in Fall 2019,鈥� Bunting said. 鈥淭he Percussion Ensemble portion of the concert consists of six pieces representing a wide variety of percussion repertoire. We are excited to showcase the diversity of the percussion ensemble genre, as well as the talents of our students.鈥�

Works to be performed include 鈥淥pening Remarks,鈥� a marimba quartet by Jeffrey Dennis Smith, 鈥淒rums of Moria鈥� by Nathan Daughtrey, and 鈥渕emory鈥� by Evan Chapman for children鈥檚 desk bells (emulating a wind chime) and live, electronic accompaniment.

The program will also include 鈥淢补蝉迟别谤辫濒补苍鈥� and 鈥淔别补谤濒别蝉蝉鈥� by Chris Thompson, also known as Master Christopher. These two pieces are a preview of the ensemble’s March 2024 concert where Thompson’s album “Music Desegregation” will be presented with Thompson on stage as both a guest artist and soloist.

The Trojan Steel Band will close the concert with a mix of tunes including “Mary Anne,鈥� a traditional soca tune by Roaring Lion, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” originally by Elvis Presley, and “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon.

鈥淲ho doesn鈥檛 like Steel Band music?鈥� Bunting said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fun to listen to and, perhaps, even more fun to play. This group is musically challenging but also a way to put aside your stress and enjoy playing these beautiful instruments. You will see students rotating from one type of steel drum to another between tunes. This is because I want as diverse of a learning, and musical, experience as possible for them.鈥�

Admission to the event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Bunting at jbunting@ualr.edu.

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