Pops concerts and recitals to be shared digitally

The highly attended Pops Concert hosted by the University of North Georgia's (UNG) music department will return for the spring 2021 semester after being canceled last year.

The annual concert will be at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 25. It will be pre-recorded and streamed on the music department's YouTube Channel.

"If you want to hear a little bit of everything, this is the show to watch," said Dr. Benjamin Schoening, department head and professor of music.

All of UNG's choral and instrumental ensembles will be featured in this concert. They will perform everything from well-known classical pieces to songs heard on the radio, Schoening said.

Another slight difference between this spring's concert series lineup and previous ones – aside from them being pre-recorded and broadcast online – is the increase in junior and senior recitals.

"Usually we have two to three students performing, but this time we have eight or nine," Schoening said. "That's really exciting."

He also pointed out the variety in those recitals.

"We will have our first-ever harp recital," Schoening said. "It's been nice having a harpist in the department as a major. We hope to recruit more down the line."

Other instrumental concerts scheduled for spring 2021 are "A Little Night(hawk) Music" series, the UNG faculty jazz piano night, and the jazz band concert. The vocal performances of the UNG Singers, Le Belle Voci, UNG Chorale, and the Patriot Choir will round out the music schedule.

Schoening said a few of the concerts, such as the piano recitals and musical theater show, will be live instead of pre-recorded events.

"We livestreamed a couple of events in the fall, and we will do a few more in the spring," he said.

While virtual recitals and concerts continue to showcase the caliber of talented students and faculty, the music department is parlaying its digital acumen into a recruitment tool. Among the many concerts this spring, music faculty and students will host a virtual visit Saturday, Feb. 13. Interested students may register online.

"We haven't been able to recruit at the high schools because of the COVID-19 pandemic," Schoening said. "We are using this virtual visit to inform high school students about program."

In fall 2020, the music department launched its new Bachelor of Music degree, which offers musical performance, music education and musical arts as areas of study. Students will learn about them during the virtual visit. They will also meet with faculty, talk to current and former students, and participate in a mini-class.

"They can get a chance to know who we are and what we can offer for them," Schoening said. "We also can tell them about scholarships available to majors and non-majors who participate in the music program."

For more information about the program, visit the music department website. For a full list of the concerts, visit the upcoming music events webpage.