GENTRY: And now Great Arts at Eastern from the Portales Campus of Eastern New Mexico University. I'm Jeff Gentry, Dean of the College of Fine Arts here on KENW, Your Public Radio Network. Today my guest is Cameron Colson, a student in the Eastern Department of Music. Thank you for joining me today.
COLSON: Of course, no problem.
GENTRY: Great. Now, Cameron, you must be the busiest student on campus. Tell our listeners some of your roles at ENMU.
COLSON: I am the current student body president; I'm also a hall director at Curry Hall. I am in-in on. I am in all of the ensembles on campus, choir ensembles. I mean, I'm in codirector with the Swanee Singers. And then. I feel like I'm pretty active as much as I can be in all the activities that happen around campus.
GENTRY: Great, and I'll just add music education major, dancer, choreographer. And you were on the search committee for the athletic director.
COLSON: Oh yeah, yeah.
GENTRY: Those are just a few things that might slip your mind when you're as busy as Cameron Colson. So recently, I spoke to Liam Hurley about the. Choir trip to Spain. How do you Characterize that experience?
COLSON: A wonderful magical, Relaxing, and romantic. It was super romantic. I just the worst place to be not with somebody you love, you know.
GENTRY: Right?
COLSON: So, it's good to be with a group of people I did love.
GENTRY: Yeah. Great, yeah, of course. Spain being a romance language, country and all the tradition all the history. That's wonderful stuff. So, the men's choir festival Is next Tuesday, including a public performance? Are you helping doctor Jason Polk with the- with the festival?
COLSON: Yeah, all of them in- in the ensembles are helping out as just members of- of the-the big production. We kind of peer-peer mentor while all high schools come and- And come to listen so we sing next to them. We sing with them and then on the performance will be singing with them as well. We also just help facilitate everything that goes on during the day.
GENTRY: Great. So, these are high school men from all over the state. Or where do they come from?
COLSON: Yeah, well, it's all over the region. It's outside of the state sometimes. I believe. Right now, though, it is. Most, I think we just have one from out of the state, but all from the state. All high school men coming from. Just to learn about how to practice in their voice, 'cause most of the time the men in the choir or the ones that have had the most- or the least experience in a choir, right?
GENTRY: And it's nice just to lift up the men singers. You know, because sometimes they seem to be marginalized a little bit culturally or something like, you know, it's nice to- to put them in together on the stage and have that big sound.
COLSON: Well, Yeah, a lot of high school men are finding themselves in choir. Maybe not by their own choice. And so, this provides an opportunity to show them just how awesome it can be. And- and it kind of shows them- How- How cool it can be, at cool is a silly word, but how powerful that brotherhood of singing can be.
GENTRY: Right? I- I think cool is a good word for it.
COLSON: I think that is too.
GENTRY: Yeah, you know if we go back another couple of decades and nifty, keen, swell, all of that is great. I've really enjoyed the Men's choir festival and the big performance which will be Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. In the Cub Ballroom, this time?
COLSON: Yeah, that's just to help with our social distancing numbers. It's usually one of our biggest performances, ah here on campus just 'cause it houses so many people. There's usually a ton of men. I believe there's 124 men singers, which is a huge choir.
GENTRY: Taking on the stage.
COLSON: Yeah,
GENTRY: I love it.
COLSON: Usually, we're all packed in Buchanan. But this time, we will be in the CUB.
GENTRY: Great, and then you have the Fall choral concert in October. Can you reveal one of the song selections that are planned?
COLSON: Oh, we're doing a really exciting piece that keeps hitting my brain every time the Chamber singers are doing. One called: I am The Great Son and the composer skipping my brain, but it is one to look- look at- or one to listen for.
GENTRY: Great, fantastic. Thank you, Cameron Colson, for joining me on Great Arts at Eastern. The Men's Choir Festival will perform on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m., not in its usual location but in the Campus Union Ballroom. Find all the Great Arts at Eastern at enmu.edu/FineArtsEvents. Thanks for listening on KENW, Your Public Radio Network.
- Men's Choir Festival
- Jason Paulk, conductor
- with Miles Massicotte, accompanist.
- Campus Union Ballroom, Campus Union Building (CUB)
- Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021 | 4 p.m.