On November 11th, Caleb Vester performed his senior recital in the Newman Recital Hall. Caleb’s performance showcased his four years of piano lessons at College of the Ozarks. The audience was packed with Caleb’s friends and family all there to cheer him on. The program began with J.S. Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in D minor and ended with a jazz piece called “The Girl from Ipanema” by Antonio Carlos Jobim.
Caleb followed the intermission with one of his own compositions, “Night Air.” Caleb’s flawless performance of his piece portrayed the magnificence and ambiance of the evening air with two contrasting themes throughout the piece. A small jazz ensemble joined Caleb for the last piece. The ensemble consisted of Dr. Kevin Powers on trumpet, Taylor Dodson on guitar, Eric Green on bass, Dalton Jewsberry on tenor saxophone, Thomas Miller on baritone saxophone, and Isaya Disayakarin on drums.
In his program notes of the recital, Caleb acknowledges his former piano teacher, Dr. Huff: "When I came to college, I intended to end my music education. I did not believe it was practical to pursue, nor did I believe that I had the talent to be successful. I wouldn’t say that I am completely shaken of this belief; however, in my short time in your studio, you made deep inroads in changing my life course from what I had. You pursued me; literally, once you heard I was in the building, you would try and find me, but I would leave the practice room before you would get there. And then you caught me, and I am so glad you did. You cared enough about the students that you would pursue them without hesitation. You loved the students here so much that, when you saw talent, passion, ideas, dreams, or a calling on their life, you wouldn’t let them walk away easily. Thank you for not letting me walk away.”
Concluding his recital, Caleb also acknowledged his current piano teacher, Dr. Christian, thanking her for challenging him to go further than he even thought possible. In his Program Notes, Caleb wrote, “You set new standards and expectations when you taught that never wavered, and it was frustrating trying to reach for something that seemed so far away. However, once you reach what you are striving for, you have the satisfying privilege of looking back at where you were and feeling proud of how far you have come. You gave me that satisfying feeling of coming so far in just a short two years. The growth as a musician that I have experienced under you was unexpected surprise. Thank you for allowing me to surprise myself."
Bravo, Caleb! The Music Department is proud of your accomplishments, and can’t wait to see where you’ll go after graduation!
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