Gold Company's student-produced spring show will celebrate Women's History Month with special guest Rosana Eckert this weekend. Shows are at 8 pm Friday and Saturday and at 2 pm Sunday, Mar 25-27, in the Dalton Center Recital Hall at Western Michigan University.
Head producer Candace McMurray and assistant producer for PR and marketing Faith Quashie, both Gold Company members, talk about their roles in creating Songbirds in Spring. It takes months of preparation and organization on top of learning their vocal parts for the show. There's a lot of room for creativity and input as the show comes together.
Rosana Eckert shares some key experiences in her life, including discovering jazz as a French horn player on her way to a future in classical music. She now teaches vocal jazz at the University of North Texas, and knows GC director Greg Jasperse through a network of festivals and workshops around the country. In her songwriting, she tells personal stories that bring out her natural tone and improvisation. Her knowledge of rhythmic styles comes out of an appreciation of groove, she says.
