Alex Schwartz wants students to know that the UB Piano Club is an open community that can help foster musical talent.
“We have our concerts to get the word out there,” Schwartz, UB Piano Club president, said.
On Tuesday, the UB Piano Club held its first official concert of the fall semester. The temporary club fulfilled one of its event requirements for SA by hosting the open recital in the Student Union Theater.
Schwartz, a junior electrical engineering major, came up with the idea for Piano Club about two years ago with the goal of providing amateur musicians and musical enthusiasts with a space to exchange ideas and share their love of music. The club is open to musicians of all types, not just piano players.
The concert perfectly embodied the club’s founding idea by showcasing an array of talents and instruments with many UB students, as well as students from neighboring schools, performing.
Munessa Bari, a sophomore chemistry major, opened the show with an original acoustic guitar composition called, “A Perfect World.”
Bari displayed more than just instrumental talent, as she harmonized her voice with her guitar beautifully through lyrics she wrote herself.
Austin Cadore, a junior biomedical engineering major and Piano Club treasurer, performed his own rendition of the “Game of Thrones” theme song on piano.
Paul Sottnik, a senior at SUNY Fredonia majoring in music education, was also invited to the piano club’s concert as a special guest.
Sottnik performed a medley of songs, including his very own pop composition entitled “Crazy.”
“I think what the Piano Club is doing is excellent. I’ve always been involved with a club on my campus called Art Forum and it’s always been about the community,” Sottnik said. “Everyone that comes gets to express themselves and I know a club like this will grow just as much.”
Sottnik, along with other Piano Club members, stuck around after the concert ended to give free piano lessons to any student interested.
“We offer free piano lessons and piano practice because we want this to be a place for people to spark and pursue their love for music. I feel like the music department is a little too exclusive when it comes to fostering students’ creative talent,” Cadore said.
The Piano Club has hosted a few unofficial but successful concerts so far, members said.
Schwartz sees his club continuing to expand as concert attendance increases and the growth of the club becomes more and more evident.
“In the future, we hope to have a full talent show open to everyone,” Schwartz said.
The UB Piano Club tries to meet every Tuesday in 220 Student Union, if it is able to reserve the practice space.
Gabriela Ortiz is an arts staff writer. Arts desk can be reached at arts@ubspectrum.com.
