Students fascinated by visiting artist’s lecture
By Ford RasmussenA composer engaged his audience as the Caine College of the Arts hosted the year's final visiting music scholar this week.
Michael Buchler, an associate professor of music theory at Florida State University, began his lecture by inviting the audience to sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” a song, he pointed out, that ends on a high note. That’s what Buchler is currently researching, “things that go up,” he said.
We usually descend to the cadence in western classical tonal music, Buchler said, but theater and Broadway music often use songs that end on a high note. Buchler showed the audience several examples of sheet music and played songs from his digital device.
“I was fascinated that he found so many songs that end on a high note,” said Elizabeth Rawls, one of the many music students in the audience.
Another music student, Hunter Bergman, said he appreciates the opportunities to hear the visiting scholars. The classes he has taken teach broad theories and topics, he said, but the lectures usually dive into a specific topic.
“It’s super micro-analyzing,” Bergman said.
Madison Archibald, who is a freshman studying acting, said the lecture provided her an opportunity to learn theory about a topic outside of her current classes. She wants to study music and acting, but as a freshman in college hasn’t had an opportunity to focus on the music part.
“When I heard about this event, I was so excited to come,” Archibald said.
Timothy Chenette, a music professor at Utah State who hosted Buchler during his visit, said Buchler is well known in his field, “so it’s pretty cool to have him here.”
Buchler was the final visiting music scholar of the year, but the college will host one more visiting artist with the theater department.
