By Sam Desatoff
Senior Katherine Simmons singing during her vocal recital on Tuesday night inside the Wahlberg Recital Hall.
Fresno State student Katherine Simmons held a vocal recital in the music department’s Wahlberg Recital Hall on Thursday night.
Simmons, who plans on graduating summa cum laude in music, said the recital was “a culmination project featuring musical works I studied throughout my degree.”
“I had been preparing for this recital since my first voice lesson with my studio professor, Dr. Anthony Radford,” Simmons said. “In fact, the first song that I ever studied at Fresno State was featured in the program.”
Simmons attributed much of her college success to professors in the music department. In addition to Radford, Simmons credits professor Helene Joseph-Weil, and music accompanist Hatem Nadim of the Fresno State music department.
When asked if she had any advice for incoming music students, Simmons stressed a number of steps to alleviate as much stress as possible.
“Go to class [and] dress for success,” Simmons said. “Your peers and professors will take you more seriously and this will help you in the long run.”
Organization is a key component of Simmons’ college career. She suggests that students use a planner.
“This was the single most important tool for me to get those 4.0s.”
Simmons also believes networking is an important part of college life, and credits the support of her sorority with helping her at Fresno State. “Join a student organization or club,” she said. “It was important for me to have a balance during college and I am so glad that I got involved, because it got me scholarships, friends and a rounded university experience.”
Simmons’ recital also featured the music department’s collaborative pianist Hatem Nadim and Maelyn de Fede, Simmons’ fellow music-major classmate and sorority sister.
While music remains an important part of Simmons’ life, she intends to pursue a degree in law after graduating from Fresno State.
“I plan to continue working and start a small voice studio while I prepare law school applications,” she said. “Music is a sincere passion of mine, but I am also very excited at the possibility of going to law school and becoming an attorney.”
Simmons hopes audience members appreciated the variety of songs presented in the recital.
“There [were] songs that some audience members…have never heard of,” Simmons said. That’s the exciting part for me — to be able to share the music I love so much with others.”