Arachnophonia: Rap On Trial

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student worker William (class of 2021) and features a new book by UR faculty member Erik Nielson and Andrea L. Dennis of the University of Georgia School of Law entitled Rap On Trial: Race, Lyrics, and Guilt in America. Thanks, William!

(Please note that this piece was concurrently published in UR’s student newspaper The Collegian as well!)

Rap On Trial: Race, Lyrics, and Guilt in America
by Erik Nielson and Andrea L. Dennis

Rap On Trial

Five Deeply Concerning Takeaways from UR professor Erik Nielson’s new book Rap On Trial: Race, Lyrics and Guilt in America

In their new book, Rap On Trial: Race, Lyrics and Guilt in America, University of Richmond professor Erik Nielson and Chair of Law at the University of Georgia School of Law, Andrea Dennis, rebuke prosecutors’ use of rap lyrics as evidence of a defendant’s guilt in U.S. criminal trials.

In doing so, they document how the U.S. criminal justice system’s policing of hip hop and rap music has evolved, and elucidate the dire consequences and First-Amendment concerns of using rap lyrics to convict and incarcerate young men of color.

Here are five deeply concerning takeaways:

1. Rap lyrics are almost always permitted as evidence to prosecute serious crimes like murder, robbery and drug trafficking

Throughout their research, Nielson and Dennis have identified more than 500 cases across the U.S. in which rap lyrics were used as evidence in a criminal trial. In some cases, the prosecution introduced a defendant’s lyrics as substantiating evidence of the defendant’s guilt in some crime. Other times, the lyrics were the crime.

According to the New Jersey ACLU, rap lyrics were permitted as evidence in 80 percent of cases that considered their admissibility. But Nielson and Dennis say the number, according to their research, is significantly higher.

2. Police and prosecutors target young, black and Latino amateur rappers

In roughly 95 percent of cases involving rap lyrics, the defendant is a young, black or Latino man with a local fan base, if any fan base at all. Because of their social status, amateur rappers, in the eyes of police and prosecutors, are not real artists.

3. Rap lyrics are used to convince jurors of the defendant’s “true character”

By Dennis and Nielson’s analysis, police and prosecutors nationwide interpret and present to jurors rap music as autobiographical. A training manual written by a California prosecutor says that, through music lyrics, prosecutors “can invade and exploit the defendant’s true personality.” The manual tells prosecutors not to be fooled by the defendant’s nice court attire.

“The real defendant is a criminal wearing a do-rag and throwing a gang sign,” according to the manual.

In the hands of prosecutors, rap lyrics are taken out of context and construed as accurate depictions of the defendant’s real life, despite the art form’s well-known tradition of hyperbole. Because of this, defendant’s will often plead guilty in exchange for a lesser sentence, knowing their lyrics, presented by prosecutors, might significantly bias the jurors.

To introduce lyrics as evidence, prosecutors often argue that the lyrics they wish to introduce are evidence of the defendant’s motive, knowledge or ability to commit the crime in question. If a defendant is being accused of murder, for instance, prosecutors will cherry-pick from the defendant’s rap lyrics the lyrics most evocative of murder, and argue before the jury that the rap lyrics at least prove the defendant is capable of murder.

Prosecutors have used rap lyrics to argue for harsher sentences. Dennis and Nielson have identified thirty cases in which prosecutors used a defendant’s lyrics to argue that the defendant’s “true character,” as exposed in his lyrics, was so beyond any hope of rehabilitation that he should be sentenced to death.

In at least one case, prosecutors used a defendant’s lyrical abilities to argue that he was mentally stable and intelligent enough to be executed.

4. Rap lyrics and videos are used to warrant “gang enhancements”

If prosecutors can show that the crime the defendant is standing trial for was committed on behalf of or in association with a gang, prosecutors can request a “gang enhancement,” which can double a defendant’s sentence. In some states, gang enhancements allow for juveniles to be charged as adults.

Prosecutors regularly use rap lyrics to seek gang enhancements. If a defendant references gang themes in his lyrics, or even just mentions certain neighborhoods, prosecutors will use those rap lyrics to connect the defendant’s crime to gang activity.

Increasingly common is the use of rap music videos to justify gang enhancements. Dennis and Nielson have identified cases in which prosecutors used rap music videos to justify a gang enhancement for defendants who were seen in the background of a music video.

5. “Gang experts” routinely use rap music and videos to surveil entire communities

Nielson and Dennis make clear that, although “Rap On Trial” is focused on the use of rap lyrics as evidence in criminal trials, police and so-called “gang experts” nationwide use hip hop, rap music and videos to surveil communities, to identify suspects and to justify arrests, all before rap enters the courtroom.

Michael Render, also known as “Killer Mike” from the Atlanta, Georgia, hip hop duo “Run The Jewels,” is a close friend of Nielson’s and wrote the foreword to Rap On Trial.

“Right now, aspiring rap artists need to know they are being targeted by the authorities,” Render wrote, “and they need to balance their right to free speech–and their desire to push the envelope of free speech–with the reality that police are watching.”

Arachnophonia: Frank Ocean “Channel Orange”

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student worker Gabi (class of 2020) and features Frank Ocean’s 2012 debut album Channel Orange. Thanks, Gabi!

Frank Ocean

Channel Orange

Frank Ocean - Channel Orange

Pitchfork recently released one of their most famous lists, “The 200 Best Albums of the 2010’s.” Although these kinds of lists and rankings are subjective, and can even be controversial at times, they open up conversations about the cultural relevance of albums, and how they may shape and define a generation. While several artists appear multiple times throughout the list, the only artist with two albums to appear in the top 10 of Pitchfork’s list is Frank Ocean. Ocean scored the number one spot with his most recent full-length album, Blond (2016), and the number 10 spot with Channel Orange (2012). As Ocean has seen additional media coverage lately for hinting at new music releases coming soon, and opening an ongoing queer nightclub event in New York City, I wanted to revisit his first release, Channel Orange, available in the Parsons Music Library.

Frank Ocean

Channel Orange was Ocean’s debut album, and his firm establishment as one of the most prominent figures in the R&B genre. Days prior to its release, Ocean posted a note on tumblr revealing that stories told through the songs on his album were about a boy, and took public ownership of his sexuality in a manner that also established him as a queer icon in the music world. The rawness and personal tone of the tumblr note is reflected in the tone of the album itself. After the album’s intro, “Start”, its first full-length song is “Thinkin ‘Bout You,” Ocean’s most famous single to date. This song evokes the emotions of longing for someone, and a lingering, unrequited love, in a simple way. Ocean sings that he’s “lyin down” thinking about this person, and creates a relatable image for the listener, who’s probably been there before. My best friend says that this song reminds her of Christmas-time, and sounds how winter weather feels.

Frank Ocean

My two other favorite songs on this album are “Super Rich Kids” and “Pyramids“. “Super Rich Kids” evokes a sense of nostalgia for me, as it reminds me the type of culture that surrounded me at a private high school in a big city growing up, and that continues to surround me at a private university. Ocean talks of materialism, and how it can cloud real emotion and “real love,” and lack of parental supervision for coming of age children that leads them to live dangerous lifestyles. As I came of age, I watched certain people around me live this kind of life, and in a strange way, this song reminds me of home. “Pyramids” is an epic standout as it is the longest song on the album, coming in at 9 minutes and 52 seconds. In this song, that can work well as a casual listen or a dance-floor hit with its electronic breakdown, Ocean uses ancient Egyptian imagery and figures like Cleopatra to depict the view of black women throughout history. As they were once appreciated as African queens, they are now objectified by pimps, which is the point of view Ocean takes on the second half of the song. The second half of the song drastically juxtaposes the first, being more rhythmic and hip-hop-esque, which reflects the pimp character’s attitude that Ocean is portraying. To me, this song is to Channel Orange as “Nights” is to Blond; a personal favorite with dynamic mid-point switches that take the listener by surprise and keep them interested the entire way through. Channel Orange remains a modern classic even 8 years after its release.

Arachnophonia: George Ezra “Wanted On Voyage”

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student worker Colin (class of 2021) and features Wanted On Voyage, the 2014 debut studio album by British singer-songwriter George Ezra. Thanks, Colin!

George Ezra

Wanted On Voyage

George Ezra - Wanted On Voyage

I’m fascinated by the vocal talent of musicians and for some reason, I discover a lot of artists that I enjoy through listening to covers of their songs by a cappella groups on YouTube. I had no idea who George Ezra was until I listened to the Trinitones perform a mash-up of “Barcelona,” “Budapest” and “Paradise” over a year ago. The all-male group surprised me with their impressive talent, but also with the arrangement of the songs. I was familiar with the song “Budapest” because it had been playing on radio stations at the time, but the artist behind the song had escaped my familiarity. After listening to Wanted on Voyage however, George Ezra has become a frequent artist on my Spotify playlists.

Wanted on Voyage is Ezra’s debut album released in the UK in 2014. He had first been discovered by Columbia Records in 2012 from his videos on YouTube performing his own original songs. After being contracted to work for Columbia Records, Ezra found inspiration for his album in 2013 when he traveled by train across Europe, writing about the places he visited and the people he met. From this collection of memories, Ezra sat down and penned the songs for the album, immortalizing his journey.

George Ezra - Budapest

The album gained many positive reviews on release, attributing the success to the relatively simple composition of the songs that are dramatically enhanced by Ezra’s ability to sing. A vital characteristic to Ezra’s music is his voice, which is naturally lower than many popular artists. The pitch of his voice adds flavor to his songs that make it appear as if these songs only fit the register that Ezra is able to perform in. Some highlights of the album for me are “Budapest” and “Barcelona,” which is not a surprise considering these are the songs that led me to George Ezra’s music. The mix between Ezra’s incredible voice and the instrumentation and production on both tracks really drives home the idea of why I enjoy his music so much. Another track I enjoy is “Did You Hear The Rain?” which was released as the first single from the album.

Wanted on Voyage is a fantastic album that does not try to create complicated music. The purity of the instrumentation and vocals shine through on every track. George Ezra actually filmed a Mahogany Session video for “Budapest,” which is a video series that allows artists to acoustically perform some of their most famous songs for the world to gain a more intimate view of the artist. This particular video is great, because I honestly cannot tell the difference in the quality of Ezra’s singing between the video and the recorded song from the album. Wanted on Voyage truly shines as Ezra’s first step into the musical world and it manifested a popularity around him that still holds true to this day.

George Ezra

Arachnophonia: Why Karen Carpenter Matters

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student worker Cole (class of 2021) and features a hybrid biography/memoir about the life and legacy of 1970s pop star Karen Carpenter. Thanks, Cole!

Why Karen Carpenter Matters by Karen Tongson

Why Karen Carpenter Matters

“Why Karen Carpenter Matters” book cover
(image: University of Texas Press)

2019 marks fifty years since the release of the Carpenters’ debut album Ticket to Ride (1969; originally released as Offering). Over a fourteen-year career, the Downey, California based brother-sister duo of Karen and Richard released ten albums and were best known for their runaway hits “(They Long to Be) Close to You” (1970), “We’ve Only Just Begun” (1970), and “Top of The World” (1973). Richard handled much of the writing and all of the arranging of their songs, blending easy listening, adult contemporary, and classical stylings together, despite the popularity of hard rock at the time. Richard crafted their songs to bolster the uniquely low and rich voice of his sister. The Carpenters’ signature sound was characterized by the use of multi-tracking to back Karen’s voice with itself to provide harmonies, a technique known as overdubbing. Indeed, it was Karen who was eventually forced out from behind her drum set to become the reluctant star of the group.

The story of the Carpenters is ultimately one of tragedy. As their fame grew, so did the demands of a near-constant touring schedule. This, coupled with increased scrutiny from the media, is speculated to be the cause of Karen’s development of anorexia nervosa. Around the same time, Richard developed an addiction to Quaaludes, a sleeping pill. Although Richard cured his addiction through rehab, little was known about eating disorders at the time that any treatment Karen underwent was dubious at best. She died from complications from anorexia in 1983 at the age of thirty-two.

Carpenters_1974

The Carpenters, 1974
By A&M Records – Billboard Magazine, page 2, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75866990

In the decades since Karen’s death, the Carpenters’ catalog has been critically re-evaluated several times over, amassing further acclaim alongside greater examination into the Carpenters’ personal lives and a paradigmatic shift in understanding of anorexia nervosa. One such re-evaluation comes in the form of Karen Tongson’s Why Karen Carpenter Matters, released earlier this year. Part-biography, part-autobiography, and part-musicography, it charts not only the life of Karen Carpenter, but Karen Tongson (the author — named for Carpenter) and her lifelong relationship to the music of the Carpenters. A Filipino-American immigrant, Tongson draws inspiration from her own life to examine why the music of the Carpenters endures for people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and anyone else who has craved the “white normalcy” that middle class suburbanites Richard and Karen seemed to embody. Tongson emphasizes Karen’s well-documented tomboyishness as a form of queer identity, and highlights how Karen, like so many minorities, obsessed over achieving a “white picket fence lifestyle” as a form of validation. Tongson’s writing put to words an understanding I first suspected while watching Fresh Off The Boat with my Japanese-American mother: though their children may only want to escape it, for many immigrants, white suburbia is the dream.

If it wasn’t already obvious, I’m a fan of the Carpenters. Their arrangements were superb and Karen was a generational talent. But even for those who find their music ‘too soft and too white,’ I recommend this book. At 138 pages, Why Karen Carpenter Matters is a brief and pleasant read that challenges some of the predominant assumptions we hold about why we love the music we love.

The Carpenters’ fifth studio album, Now & Then (1973) is also available for check out from the Parsons Music Library.

The Carpenters - Then And Now

Arachnophonia: Jim Croce “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim”

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student worker Molly (class of 2021) and features Jim Croce’s 1972 studio album You Don’t Mess Around With Jim. Thanks, Molly!

Jim Croce

You Don’t Mess Around With Jim

Jim Croce - You Don't Mess Around With Jim

The first time I listened to a song on this album was my first time visiting New York, again after moving to Connecticut. Fittingly, I was sitting in a deli enjoying New York’s finest bagels and Jim Croce’s “New York’s Not My Home” came on. Soon I was engulfed by Croce’s lyrics and every sense of nostalgia. I guess you could say, my similar feelings towards New York made me first start listening to Jim Croce.

In 1968, Jim and his wife, Ingrid Croce, were encouraged to move to New York City by a record producer. They recorded their first album in the Bronx and drove around playing in small clubs and colleges. After being disappointed by the music business in New York, the couple sold all of their belongings except for one guitar to pay their rent and moved back to the countryside of Pennsylvania. Here, Croce was forced to pick up jobs like truck driving and construction work to pay the bills while he continued to write songs. What I like most about Croce’s songs is that many of them tell the stories of these odd times in his life that I find very relateable.

This album carries an array of songs that tell stories in a folk style like “New York’s Not My Home”, “Box #10”, and “Walkin’ Back to Georgia”, while others like “Operator (That’s Not The Way It Feels)”, “Time in a Bottle”, and “A Long Time Ago” portray love songs of different sorts. This eclectic mix of songs are very warm and it is an optimistic album I recommend to many.

I also enjoy Croce’s style which I view as a mix of character, humor, and love that creates the most heartfelt and relateable material, especially in this album. In my personal opinion, this album is the best to listen to after a long day to help unwind. The common man feel to this album drops the crypticness of most of today’s folk songs but paves poetic lyrics that tells us a story.

Arachnophonia: Hollywood String Quartet “Kodály, Smetana, Dvořák”

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.

All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student worker Madeline (class of 2019) and features the Hollywood String Quartet’s 1958 recording of works by Zoltán Kodály, Bedřich Smetana and Antonín Dvořák. Thanks, Madeline!

Hollywood String Quartet

Kodály * Smetana * Dvořák

This CD is perfect for those who enjoy string instruments and/or Central European music. Kodály is Hungarian, while both Smetana and Dvořák are Czech. All three of the works have an overall lively and lighthearted sound. It is intricate enough to serve as training for active listening, but also pleasing to listen to in your free time.

Of particular interest is the last piece, String Quartet No. 12, “American” by Dvořák, which was written during his time in the United States. His works during this time were greatly influenced by both Native American folk music and contemporary works of African Americans and other immigrants. His most famous piece, Symphony No. 9, From the New World was written during this period. The musicians of this recording, the Hollywood String Quartet, are considered to be the first American based classical group to have an international reputation. They accompanied pop singers in the mid-1900s, most notably Frank Sinatra. Fans of older movies may also recognize their work in cinema. Before HSQ was formed, many of the members provided the orchestral soundtrack for early 1900s Hollywood movies, hence the name of the group.

Hollywood String Quartet

Arachnophonia: Vampire Weekend “Modern Vampires of the City”

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about items in the Parsons Music Library‘s collection. All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by Music Library student worker, Griffin (class of 2019) and features Vampire Weekend’s 2013 album Modern Vampires of the City. Thanks, Griffin!

Vampire Weekend

Modern Vampires of the City

Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City

Vampire Weekend’s most recent, ableit already five years old, album entitled Modern Vampires of the City takes a leap away from the band’s quirky, Africa-inspired rhythmic playfulness. The album feels more emotionally powerful than the band’s previous work, but it hasn’t completely abandoned the playfulness that may have been the key draw to past listeners. Songs like “Step” and “Don’t Lie” both fit into more mainstream-sounding emotional pop tunes, while the band rekindles old sounds with new twists in “Diane Young”, “Worship You”, and “Unbelievers.”

Vampire Weekend band photo

2013 promotional photo of the band members
L-R Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Baio, and Chris Tomson

Deeper cuts into the album get into some of the songs which bring out the band’s famous unique sounds even more. Each song on this 12-track album is worth a listen, as each one provides a brand new experience for the listener. I come back to it time and time again because each time I listen to it, I end up interpreting stanzas or choruses or the entire song in a different way. Whether you want rhythmic, wild, and carefree or if you are looking for something to listen to as a break from studying, this may be your ticket.

Arachnophonia : Jean Sibelius “Symphony No. 5, op. 82 in Eb major”

Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about items in the Parsons Music Library‘s collection. All links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.

Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by Music Library student worker Janis (class of 2021) and features Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’ 5th Symphony, which was originally composed in 1915. Thanks, Janis!

Jean Sibelius

Symphony No. 5 in Eb Major

Sibelius Symphony No. 5

“It is as if God Almighty had thrown down pieces of a mosaic for heaven’s floor and asked me to find out what was the original pattern.” – Jean Sibelius in a 1915 personal diary entry during the composition of his 5th Symphony

Several weeks ago I visited New York for the weekend, and I got to do something I had been dreaming of since I was a kid– seeing the New York Philharmonic live. (Special shout out to student rush tickets for making this possible). I was especially excited because the Philharmonic would be paying tribute to one of my favorite composers, Jean Sibelius. My excitement only grew as I realized they would be playing Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5 in E-Flat Major, one of his most iconic and one of my personal favorite works by Sibelius.

Jean Sibelius 1913

Composer Jean Sibelius in 1913 *

The symphony was inspired by a flight of swans witnessed by Sibelius in his later years; as he aged, his compositions became increasingly inspired by the connection between the earth and music.

Swans in flight

The ethereal opening of Symphony No. 5 reflects the quiet spirituality Sibelius found in nature, describing it as “…God opens His door for a moment and His orchestra plays the Fifth Symphony.” The symphony itself is divided into three movements, with a slow opening that evokes the sunrise and culminating in 6 separated chords; the finale itself was intended to transform the call of swans at sunrise into music. It is remarkably triumphant, dramatic, and transcendent. As Jeff Counts says in a review of Symphony No. 5, “Just like the absolutely transcendent sounds of the “swan hymn” in the finale, Sibelius was merely acknowledging his fortunate ability to gather the mysterious world around him into music. As an experience, Sibelius 5 is neither modern nor quaint, only lasting.”

* fi:Daniel Nyblin (1856–1923) – What We Hear in Music, Anne S. Faulkner, Victor Talking Machine Co., 1913.
Composer Jean Sibelius

How to Start Your Own Studio (For Free)

Editor’s Note: This guest post by one of our student managers, Matthew Gizzi, relates the fun he’s had experimenting and working with audio recording. He uses the Zoom H2, which is available for checkout at the Music Library, to record demos for later use in his studio projects. Read on to learn more about the ways to use the Zoom H2.

For the better part of a year, the music library has had a small collection of H2 Zoom recorders, which are available for purposes ranging from recording private lessons to large concerts to more studio oriented recording and demoing.  Personally I’ve used them and relied on them heavily to aid my songwriting process.  They are incredibly versatile and I’d definitely recommend taking them out for a little while just to experiment with.

Originally, adding them to the library collection was a move to bring the music library into modern times.  Before the H2, we had a collection of boom boxes and tape recorders that add some recording capacity, though the quality and practicality left much to be desired.  Now though, the recorders come in a carrying case that is less than half the size of the tape recorders and still carry enough tools to help out with most jobs you’ll encounter.

H2 in use for singer-songwriter with guitar

The H2 is handy for recording your singer-songwriter demos! The stand is included with accessories for the H2.

As a musician and songwriter, I’ve noticed a number of ways the recorders have helped me.  First, I’ve learned a lot more about the instruments I play and how it is they produce sound.  Using the H2 as a 3rd ear of sorts that I can place anywhere in the room, I’ve learned how my acoustic guitar, for example, sounds from different angles.  I’ve learned how to focus the microphone to get the fullest range from Booker’s pianos, and I’ve learned how to mike an amp to get the best tone for both clean and overdriven sounds.  Through experimenting with a recorder I can use for free, I’ve learned a lot that has certainly come in handy now that my studio has grown to include more professional equipment.

H2 buttons, dials

This is the Zoom H2, front display with buttons, and the inputs and other controls on the sides.

Also handy was the fact that I could really break into multi-instrument songwriting.  Once I had one track already recorded, I could easily play over that to come up with whatever harmonies, solos, extra instruments, or choruses I thought I liked.  As a result, my music began to become much more epic and larger in scope, something that I have certainly enjoyed playing around with.  The recorder comes with a built in metronome with count in, so you will have a good reference point to make sure all your tracks line up.

piano recording via Zoom H2

Need to recording acoustic piano in a practice room? Try the Zoom H2!
Rights to photo belong to kevinselby.com.

The last thing I’ll mention about the H2 is that is has a lot of flexibility.  It is great at recording acoustic guitar, but you can also widen the recording area to capture a full band rehearsal, or record a music lesson so you can always return to some good advice.  It is unlikely that you will check it out and find it cannot do what you want it to.  So I’d say: challenge yourself.  Check out the H2 recorder and record that demo for use in your portfolio, write a multi-track song or grab some friends and cover a great tune.  You have quite a few options when it comes to the music library’s Zoom.

Hear and see our own Richuan Hu in action!

Editor’s update (1/17/13): Here is video of our student assistant, Ruiquan (Richuan) Hu performing with the UR Orchestra last semester. Bravo, Richuan!

As a part of the upcoming concerto performance that features the Music Library’s own Richuan Hu, we’d like to present a previous blog submission that Richuan wrote about his thoughts on studying a famous piano work by Franz Liszt. Please come out to the UR Orchestra concert on Wednesday, December 5 at 7:30pm in Camp Concert Hall, so you can hear Richuan in action as he performs the first piano concerto by Chopin. Richuan is the winner of the 2012 concerto competition!

UR orchestra and Richuan Hu

UR orchestra and Richuan Hu


 

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