Students gather in song at Slosberg Student Coffeehouse

By: Rebecca Brooks

Posted: 9/15/09

At the incredibly successful, first-ever Student Coffee House held in the Slosberg Music Center on Sunday, Sept. 13, Brandeis students shared their talents as well as their eclectic music tastes with their peers. Organized by the Music department, the event showcased six different Brandeis groups, which performed a variety of musical selections, ranging from catchy folk tunes to soothing classical pieces. Each performance lasted 10 to 15 minutes, with easy and smooth transitions between groups.

Singer Austin Auh '10 performed the first piece of the evening-"Epiphany" from the musical Altar Boyz-accompanied by Jae Han '10 on piano. Auh did justice to the song's snappy, comedic lyrics through his constant hand motions and animated expressions, and he sang with spirit and enthusiasm. In his second song, "Nobody Needs to Know," a selection from the off-Broadway musical The Last Five Years, Auh put every drop of his energy into his performance, showing off his ability to hit a wide range of notes.

Aimée Birnbaum '10, the second performer of the night, chose to sing a variety of folk tunes. Although she warned the audience that she was recovering from laryngitis, her voice was sweet and melodic. She began her set by singing "Chelsea Morning" from the Joni Mitchell album Clouds, and her next three songs were all pieces by Bob Dylan. In "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright," Birnbaum demonstrated her ability to be an engaging singer, drawing the audience in quite effectively. Next, she sang "It Ain't Me Babe," a soft folk tune that showed off her talent as a musician as she strummed expertly on the guitar while singing the melody. Birnbaum finished with "Fourth Time Around," which did well by the Bob Dylan original.

Jared Field '11 performed next on the clarinet, and Han returned on piano. The duo performed the second and third movements of Paul Hindemith's Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, a dynamic piece that the two musicians played with ease. The second movement was upbeat and showed how passionate the two musicians were, while the third movement started out slowly and was more relaxed than the second, creating a smooth and rich sound.

Han performed some solo pieces in addition to his many accompaniments, and his crowning moment that evening was his rendition of Johann Sebastian Bach's French Suite in D Minor. Prior to playing the piece, Han noted to the audience that he had switched works and decided to go with Bach instead of playing Mozart as he had originally planned. As Han's fingers danced across the piano keys, he made the music look simple and effortless, and although his talent and skill as a pianist was evident throughout the night, he shone as a soloist in his rendition of Bach's famous suite.

The penultimate performance of the night was sung by Nick Brown '10 and accompanied by none other than Han. The two admitted to the audience that they were sight reading The Messiah by George Frederic Handel, and the piece turned out to be dark, mysterious and a fun counterpoint to the many upbeat pieces played earlier in the night. Brown sang extremely well, and Han's performance was just as spectacular as his earlier ones.

The final group of the night was the all-male a cappella group VoiceMale. The group is composed of nine Brandeis males, all of whom donned matching black suits and collared shirts for the coffeehouse. They sang four songs, including two popular favorites: "Stand By Me" and "In the Still of the Night." The men were entertaining and enthusiastic; they jumped, clapped, snapped and tapped their feet to the beat throughout their entire performance. VoiceMale ended the night with a hip hop-styled song, which included a portion by a beatboxer and a special shout-out to its newest members.

The Music department's Student Coffeehouse was a successful compilation of Brandeis musicians and singers. It encompassed a variety of musical genres, including songs from off-Broadway musicals and songs from the 1960s folk era. All of the performers were extremely skilled and enthusiastic. The Student Coffeehouse was an enjoyable event that showcased the talents of the Brandeis musicians.