School of Music students play pop-up music performance

Last Friday afternoon, as 20 or 30 students lounged on the couches in Norm’s Cafe and Bakery, MSU School of Music student Al-Ghi Choi plucked tenderly at his guitar, preparing for his imminent pop-up performance.

Norm Asbjornson Hall (NAH) routinely hosts artists — audio and visual — to perform or display their art. On Nov. 8, music students showcased their talents in a pop-up music performance which serenaded students in NAH between classes.

Rob Maher, an electrical engineering professor who also teaches in the music technology program, explained that the program — which has been going on for five or six years — was conceived to make NAH feel like more than just an engineering building. “The thinking was to try to have artwork, and so you've probably seen some of the student art walls and things in the building, and also to have music available,” he said.

Choi studies classical guitar and composition in the School of Music. He explained that this performance was his first in NAH, saying he felt “a little weird” before the event. But if Choi was feeling nervous, the students who were about to enjoy the music couldn't tell. As he began to play a soft classical guitar piece, the voices that filled NAH overlapped and blended, lending a background to the melody. Soft applause filled the silence after he finished his first piece and began the second.

The next piece was bright, with a sweet vibrato that echoed playfully in the small cafe. Light streamed in through NAH’s floor-to-ceiling windows on the first floor, framing the comings and goings of students like a picture. The scene was a short moment of calm in the chaotic bustle of the school day.

The program brings music to NAH during the afternoon gap between classes from 12:50-1:10 p.m. Maher explained that performers are usually from the School of Music, but anyone can perform. “They sign up for one of the weeks and most of the time, we set them up on the second floor by the big atrium there,” Maher said. “But if it's a single player or songwriter or something like that, or like [Choi] today, we'll play the guitar. It's kind of cool to just have it in the cafe.”

Sean Feeley, a music technology major, accompanied Choi and planned to perform second. He described his area of study as different from Choi’s. “We do more like recording [and] production. We do a little bit with videos, making weird effects, visual effect videos, stuff like that,” he said. “And we do composition as well, but definitely more of the electronics.”

Maher explained that pop-up music programs do not occur exclusively in NAH, as there are similar events which happen periodically in Jabs. “Two or three years ago, the School of Business also thought it'd be nice to have some things in Jabs Hall,” he said. “So on Wednesdays, a few times during the semester, they have music over there. The clarinet ensemble played there this past Wednesday. It's just kind of supposed to be a surprise.”

Music is not the only artwork that students can help contribute to NAH. “I also coordinate the student art wall competition, so that's coming up too,” Maher said, referring to a number of large walls on each floor of NAH that display various student artworks.

“The winner then puts in their artwork and it stays for three years. And so every year we replace one of the walls. Right now the third floor is getting installed,” Maher said.

Submissions for this year's art contest go from Dec. 1, 2024  to Jan. 17, 2025, according to the contest’s page on the MSU website. To learn more information or submit a piece, visit https://coe.montana.edu/art/.