UPPER CUMBERLAND – A Roane State tradition continues, but it’s now virtual due to pandemic-related restrictions.
The Roane State Faculty Recital – normally held near the start of the fall and spring semesters at the Princess Theatre in downtown Harriman – is now on the community college’s YouTube page at youtube.com/roanestatecc.
Dr. Geol Greenlee, coordinator of the college’s music department, said he was on the verge of calling off the in-person event at the Princess Theatre due to pandemic guidelines about social distancing and indoor gatherings.
Then he learned that the concert could easily be produced in a virtual format by the college’s talented staff and faculty.
Greenlee said he asked adjunct professors in the music department to video themselves performing. Also joining in was Roane State Music Department Professor Brenda Luggie, the college’s choral director.
Nine selections ranging from pop to classical performed by singers, pianists, guitar players and a clarinetist on the music department faculty are featured. Associate Professor Matt Waters assembled the video submissions into the 36-minute recital. The whole process took about two weeks.
The virtual recital “is certainly more convenient for the individual performers, but you miss the nuances of a live performance,” Greenlee said.
“It’s also very beneficial to the students who are required to watch a concert and do a report for their “Introduction to Music” classes, as they don’t have to leave their homes.”
Roane State’s Virtual Fall Faculty Recital can also be accessed directly using the following link: bit.ly/RSCCFallFacultyRecital. Additional information on the college’s Music Department can be found online at roanestate.edu/music.
Roane State is a two-year college providing transfer programs, career-preparation programs and continuing education. Founded in 1971, the college has locations in Roane, Campbell, Cumberland, Fentress, Knox, Loudon, Morgan and Scott counties as well as a branch campus in Oak Ridge. For more information, visit www.roanestate.edu or call (865) 882-4554.
Remember, eligible adults can now attend Roane State tuition-free with the new Reconnect grant. Learn more at www.roanestate.edu/reconnect.
