The Fine Arts Department frequently has masterclasses about different topics. Tuesday, the low brass studio participated in a masterclass with a military musician where students were able to ask questions and four students performed for feedback.
The director of athletic bands, Todd Cranson, asked Dr. Patrick Nyren to teach this masterclass over Zoom. Nyren has played the euphonium for 22 year, joined the United State Army Field Band in 2019 and previously served almost six years in the regional Army Bands.
Cranson said this masterclass is an opportunity for students to play for an expert besides himself and get a different point of view and feedback on their work. He also said this provides students insight to a different musical career path besides performing for education.
The USD Faculty Ensembles in Concert will feature two faculty ensembles: the Faculty Brass Quintet and the South Dakota Chamber Winds. This will be the first concert the two wind groups perform together. Both groups will perform separately and at the end they will perform a piece together.
Assistant professor of horn Dr. Amy Laursen has been playing the horn for 24 years. She said the main function of both groups is to be a recruiting tool when they perform at schools, but they typically do not give a whole recital. Not only do the ensembles act as recruiting tools, they also provide a way for USD students to learn more about what their teachers do outside of the classroom.