Music on the Lawn returned to campus Friday, Sept. 20 on Prince Lawn with the first concert of the semester featuring Coastal Carolina University’s (CCU) Commercial Music and Jazz faculty ensemble.
The eclectic ensemble includes bassist Emilio Terranova, guitarist McKinley Devilbiss, guitarist Zachary Patton, pianist Jesus Fuentes, drummer Jesse Willis, trombonist Chris Connolly, saxophonist Michael Duva, trumpeter Marrisa Terranova and vocalist Cole Davis. Each band member, all of whom are faculty members of the Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts, selected a piece of music for the group to perform during the free event.
Assistant Professor of music Jesus Fuentes, who has performed in this concert three times before, selected an original composition of his for the show entitled “RSVP.” He emphasized the diligent practice needed to perform and expressed what it is like to play in the show, especially keeping the beat without the use of a metronome, a device which helps musicians keep rhythm.
“The metronome is our soul; we really all try to develop our sense of time so that when we are playing together, our sense of time is strong enough individually that when it comes together as a collective, it is even stronger; it is all in the heart,” Fuentes said.
Jesse Willis, department chair of music, invited senior music education major Grey Dieguez to be a guest student performer for his chosen piece, “Café con Azucar.” He chose Dieguez after learning about his work studying the congas, providing the piece’s distinctive rhythm and comfortable style.
Dieguez critiqued himself after the performance, both thrilled to have received incredibly positive feedback but understanding there are still a few concepts to work on to avoid future confusion.
“For me, it was challenging as a music educator and someone that played a lot of really academic music for a long time; I had to rely on what was on the paper a lot more than what was in my ears and what I was listening to around me,” Dieguez said. “It is up to me as a musician to listen to the recording, understand the source material, and try to play along with it best I can.”
Members of the community, young and old, grabbed blankets, lawn chairs and their undivided attention to enjoy the show. Newcomers Carmella Danus, freshman marine science major, and Malachi Beck, junior theater major with a minor in music, quickly became fans of the event and jazz music, promising to return to see more performances soon.
“It was a lot of fun, it was a really cute setup,” Danus said. “[Me and my friends] have already talked about coming back to the next one.”
Concertgoers can catch the second day of the two-day Commercial Music and Jazz Mini Festival on Thursday, Oct. 3. Country and rock bands performed on Wednesday, followed by the R&B ensemble and jazz combo on Thursday.
All future Music on the Lawn performances will take place at 6 p.m. on Prince Lawn, but there is no word on whether or not the event will serve food or beverages like they have in the past. However, the event will remain free and open to the public.
“It was very entertaining, and I loved how the whole community came together to see everyone perform,” Beck said. “I think there should be plenty of events like this for the campus community. It is really fun and brings everyone together, and I hope to attend a lot more in the future.”
The concert series will conclude with its last performance of the fall 2024 semester on Friday, Oct. 18, featuring Elise Testone, a CCU alumni and former 2012 American Idol finalist.
