Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University’s Division of Music will host Tyler Kemp in his senior composition recital Thursday, April 12, at 7:30 p.m. in Mabee Fine Arts Center’s McBeth Recital Hall.

Kemp, a senior music theory and composition major from Bolivar, Mo., composed all of the pieces that will be performed during his time at Ouachita. Several Ouachita students and faculty members will participate in the recital as vocalists and instrumentalists.

During his time at Ouachita, Kemp has been involved in OBU’s wind ensemble, string ensemble, jazz band and marching band, playing the string bass. He has also helped accompany vocalists during the spring musicals and operas at OBU.

“In my compositions, I am interested in taking motives and short ideas and developing them into a longer arrangement,” Kemp said. “I try to create compositions that are approachable compared to the modern concert music which is sometimes viewed by the public as very harsh, abstract and hard to understand. My goal is to write music that is intellectually stimulating and also enjoyable to listen to.”

The recital will begin with the upbeat “Facing Reality” featuring Alex Goff, a senior instrumental music education major from Nashville, Ark., on saxophone; Chris Hogan, a freshman instrumental music education major from Bartlesville, Okla., on marimba; and T.J. Bailey, a sophomore church music major from Fort Smith, Ark., on piano.

John Tneoh will then perform the piano piece “Adaptation,” a song named after the movie of the same name. Kemp said he struggled with writer’s block while composing the piece, an issue also faced by the protagonist of the film. “Coming through writer’s block can bring some of the most rewarding ideas and it did with this piece,” Kemp noted.

Following this performance, the Ouachita Singers, under the direction of Dr. Gary Gerber, chair of OBU’s division of music and director of choral activities, will perform two selections, “The Presence of Love,” which was inspired by a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and “A Dream within a Dream,” inspired by a poem by Edgar Alan Poe.

Kemp said he is anxious to see the audience’s reaction to these selections. “I’m not sure what they’ll like but I’ll be excited to see,” he said. “It’s hard to know how to connect to your audience because you never know exactly who your audience is going to be. Because of the diversity of musical tastes and the critical opinions, trying to connect can be an abstract, vague and risky process.” 

Emily Tucker, a senior piano performance major from Hot Springs, Ark., will then perform “Ulysses’ Pact,” a piece inspired by the Greek epic. “The idea of this piece is that a person wants something so bad but is not able to get it, and in a way is intentionally keeping themselves from getting it,” Kemp said. “It shows the madness and insanity that ensues from that.”

The final performance, “Streams of Consciousness,” will feature Elyse Senteney, a senior instrumental music education major from Plano, Texas, on the flute; Megan Massey, a sophomore instrumental music education major from Weatherford, Texas, on the bass clarinet; and Glenda Aldridge, adjunct instructor of music, on the piano. “This piece is my favorite,” Kemp said. “I was really inspired by the combination of instruments and wanted to write for them.”

The recital is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the School of Fine Arts at (870) 245-5129.

By Breanne Goodrum