March 1, 2021
By Will Ferguson, WSU News
Award-winning WSU saxophonist Greg Yasinitsky takes a little time each year to sit down at his computer and digitally mix a birthday song for his daughter.
His nearly 20 years of experience integrating self-recoded vocal and instrument tracks into an ever more seamless rendition of ‘Happy Birthday to You’ paid off big last March when the coronavirus pandemic hit.
It helped prepare the Regents professor and jazz studies coordinator in the School of Music for the challenges of finishing his latest album, “YAZZ Band: New Normal,” in an environment where he and his fellow performers couldn’t actually perform together.
Greg Yasinitsky, professor and coordinator of Jazz Studies in the Washington State University School of Music, recently released the CD “Yazz Band: New Normal” on Origin Records, a top jazz
Almost nothing went as planned for senior Joel Roeber going into this semester, but that hasn’t stopped him from working toward earning his degree.
Roeber, who will receive his Bachelor of Music in Music Education next semester, recently completed his senior recital in a non-traditional way because of limitations caused by the pandemic. The senior recital is pivotal to music students’ progress and ability to graduate, so he said the setbacks he faced were overwhelming at times.
“The story of my senior recital involves a lot of COVID taking away opportunities, and persevering anyway,” Roeber said.
Initially, he said his recital was scheduled for April 2020, which got canceled due to the breakout in COVID-19 cases. He couldn’t practice with any of the other people who were involved and had to reschedule for December.