By Angel Cleveland, Staff Writer

Student recitals are a common event that music majors must participate in to complete their degree. Oct. 3 was Chreanna Byrd’s time to shine at the oboe recital in Armstrong’s Fine Arts Hall. She completed the performance as a fulfillment for her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education.

Byrd has been practicing every day since last semester in preparation for the recital. She began playing the oboe in sixth grade after a suggestion from her band director. She recalled how long she’s played the instrument.

”I think it has been 10 years,” Byrd said.

Ms. Byrd personally researched and chose the musical pieces that she performed. She played a total of three works with assistance from Elizabeth Van Hoy on piano. The pieces were: “Sonata in A Minor” by Georg Philipp Telemann, “Ballade” by Hendrik Andrissen, and “Sonata for Oboe and Piano” by Francis Poulenc. All pieces are heavily dramatic with drastic changes in mood. They can be found for listening pleasure on Youtube.

Musicians know the difficulty in playing the oboe. According to Chreanna, reading and reeds are the hardest aspects of playing the instrument.

Overall, the event was formal and classy. Byrd wore a beautiful navy blue satin dress with gold decorated sleeves. Her hair was braided in a crown-like up-do that reflected elegance. The stage was fully lit as Byrd and Hoy took center stage. Each player was attentive to her music sheet. Byrd signaled that she was ready for the next piece with a head nod to Hoy. At one point, Hoy smiled back at Byrd as if to say, “You got this.”

The audience watched in respectful silence at the performance. Chreanna Byrd played each piece with grace. At the end, she re-entered the stage by herself and received a well-deserved standing ovation.