March 20, 2009
Contact: Sara Leonard
Concert and Production Manager
413/542-2195
AMHERST, Mass.—Amherst College Senior Scott Smith will present his senior thesis in music composition on Saturday, April 4, at 8 p.m. in Buckley Recital Hall in the Arms Music Center at Amherst College. Titled The Fall, the piece is a single-movement “tone poem,” or instrumental narrative, that addresses the experience of coming of age in post-9/11 America under the Bush administration.
Written under the advisement of Professor Eric Sawyer, Smith says The Fall “endeavors to explore the profound effect that growing up during these no-less-than-traumatic times will have on his generation. Fusing elements of classical/chamber music, jazz, popular and folk music, the piece is simultaneously an introspective journey, a piercing indictment and a musing on the future of America.”
The Fall will be conducted by Daniel Curtis ’08 and performed by an ensemble of some of the college’s best musicians: Elisabeth Baseman ’11 (flute); Bruce Diehl, jazz director and senior lecturer (reeds); Terence Lee ’09 (bass clarinet); Benjamin Gold ’11 (French horn); Deidra Montgomery ’10 (trombone); Alicia Ciccone ’11 (violin); Floyd Oliver ’11 (violin); Joseph Bobman ’12 (viola); Kimberly Kim ’11 (cello); Yasu Suzuki, adjunct faculty (bass); David Wadden ’10 (piano); Scott Smith ’09 (acoustic guitar); Benjamin Bresler ’11 (percussion) and Max Suechting ’11 (percussion).
Smith is a music major. He plays electric and upright bass, as well as guitar. This will be his first major performance on the guitar.
The concert is free and open to the public.