Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts | 501 S. Sapodilla Ave, WPB, FL 33401

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Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts | 501 S. Sapodilla Ave, WPB, FL 33401

THE MUSE

Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts | 501 S. Sapodilla Ave, WPB, FL 33401

THE MUSE

IMPROM9TU CONCERT SELLS OUT THREE NIGHTS IN A ROW

IMPROM9TU+CONCERT+SELLS+OUT+THREE+NIGHTS+IN+A+ROW
Hannah Baldwin

A night at Impromptu is anything but a typical piano performance, as it includes the following quirks: not one, but two Elton Johns wearing brocade jackets and chunky rhinestone glasses, Thor playing the cello, a five-piece rock band playing the iCarly theme song, and piano junior Izumi Yasuda playing completely blind—under a Darth Vader mask.

 

Hannah Baldwin Piano juniors Selina Lin, Izumi Yasuda, and Madison Yan played a trio titled “Classical Mashup.” Halfway through the song, however, Yasuda slipped on a Darth Vader mask and transitioned to the Star Wars theme song.

 

After opening night on Oct. 3 at 6:00 p.m. in the Brandt Black Box Theatre, the spirit of the concert remained vibrant throughout its ninth anniversary run. Tickets sold out on all three nights.

“It really stays true to the spirit of what we wanted,” Impromptu founder and piano alumna Savannah Flak (‘13) said. “There’s something for everyone in the audience. There’s at least one song that they can really connect to.”

Piano sophomore Kenneth Prochette enjoyed Impromptu because it allowed him to play music without the pressure of a classroom.

“Everything else [beyond Impromptu] is technical in music,” Prochette said. “You have to make sure everything is perfect. [At this concert,] you can just choose to express yourself however you want. You’re not graded on what you want to do.”

For piano junior Cristina Lindner, Impromptu was an opportunity to try a more modern musical style alongside piano junior Mariele Sabat. Together, they performed a medley from “Mamma Mia,” ending the piece with a spinning disco ball that cast golden light around the theater.

“It’s not just classical music and music that no one knows,” Lindner said. “Everyone gets really into it, and it’s also a surprise since you don’t [always] know what songs people are playing.”

Hannah Baldwin
Piano juniors Cristina Lindner and Mariele Sabat played a medley of “Mamma Mia” songs, wearing bell bottoms and chunky shoes. When the instrumental “Dancing Queen” portion began, a disco ball descended from the ceiling and illuminated the audience.

Lindner’s father Richard Lindner was “very proud” when he saw his daughter perform and plans to attend Impromptu every year.

“[I liked] the creativity, variety, and how the kids read in their own style,” Mr. Lindner said. “It’s just amazing [how the students] use their skills to make [the songs] better.”

Hannah Baldwin Piano junior Nicholas Scalzo raced between the synth keyboard and piano in his duet with piano senior Jacques Coury. Both dressed as Elton John to perform “Funeral for a Friend.”

The closing performance of “Super Smash Bros” by piano juniors Ethan Cheung, Jason Ibalarrosa (who composed the piece), David Liu, and Keandre Monleon, began developing as early as last summer. Each year, the group has performed together. 

“I hope that [the audience] realizes that music can do a lot of things,” Liu said, “and that you can have fun playing music as well. I hope that people were inspired.”

This year’s Impromptu closed on Oct. 5, though students like piano sophomore Maxine Nguyen are already planning on performing at the concert “every year.” 

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About the Contributor
Emma Garrett is a third-year staffer and the co-editor-in-chief on The Muse. When she’s not writing, she’s reading whatever she can get her hands on, listening to musicals, and coaching students as an executive of the Slam Poetry Team. She believes in the power of words and good journalism. Above all else, she asks “Why?” relentlessly. If you would like to contact this editor, you may reach them at [email protected]
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