Taking fund-raising to a whole new (musical) level

Music department faculty will perform Sunday to raise money for student scholarships

By Joshua Bacon

“Those who can't do, teach,” is a saying that plagues teachers, but Fresno State's music department faculty is doing its best to the disprove it as they prepare to show off their talents at a concert this weekend.

A wide variety of musical styles will fill Fresno State's Concert Hall starting at 3 p.m. on Sunday as more than 20 faculty members from the music department help raise funds for student scholarships.

Those in attendance can expect an array of musical styles from the faculty that includes instrumentalists, chamber groups, vocalists, and a jazz group, said professor of music Tom Hiebert, who will be playing the horn at the concert.

Some of the faculty even wrote pieces that will be played at the concert, Hiebert said.

Other pieces include a section from Beethoven's “Fidelio” and Irving Berlin's “Always.”

“It's a potpourri of different types of music,” Hiebert said.

Beyond the variety of styles, Hiebert said there are two reasons why he likes this concert.

First, it gives the faculty an opportunity to raise money for scholarships for music majors, and second, it gives him a chance to listen to the other faculty play music.

He also said the concert gives the community a chance to get an idea of the talented professors who are at Fresno State.

Assistant professor of music Benjamin Boone agrees that the concert allows for an exhibition of the faculty's abilities.

“[It's] one time that we can present all of our talents to the community,” Boone said.

Boone, who plays saxophone, also said that what makes the concert fun is the variety of music.

He said that from solos to playing as a group there is much more variety than any other concert during the year.

Getting the faculty together and out of the classroom is another important aspect of this concert, which has been going on for more than five years.

“The most enjoyable part is working with other faculty members,” Boone said.

He said that it is hard to find time to meet with other faculty.   “We always love the opportunities to perform,” Boone said.

Boone will also be hearing the world premiere of his composition based on a poem by vocalist and music professor Helene Joseph-Weil. She will also be performing the piece.  

“It's an honor to have one of my compositions performed by one of my colleagues,” Boone said.

Joseph-Weil has been a part of the music faculty concert from the beginning, and she sees it as a chance to share the joy of making music with the faculty.

She said that the performing faculty is such a wonderful group that there's no single best part to the concert.

“The best part [of the concert] is whoever is performing at that moment,” Joseph-Weil said.

  As a vocalist, Joseph-Weil will also sing a song dedicated to Luis Costa, the former Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State who recently retired.

The entire faculty concert is, in fact, a tribute to Costa, who served as dean for 14 years.

According to Joseph-Weil the music department faculty saw Costa as a lover of not only music, but of all the disciplines in his college.

“He just so believed in all the arts,” Joseph-Weil said.

Boone said that Costa loved music   and was very supportive of the music department and a lot of different music programs.

“He loved all of the arts and humanities, and that's what made him special,” Boone said.

Hiebert said this is a way to honor Costa and show appreciation to him for his interest in the music department and his service to the College of Arts and Humanities.

“He's going to be a very hard act to follow,” Joseph-Weil said.