On Thursday, Oct 17, the music department at Elizabethtown College put on a recital in the Zug Recital Hall, featuring the hard-earned skill and talent of guitarist and music therapy major Michael Weir, aided by fellow music therapy major Rebecca Sauder. Weir, a senior, has studied guitar at Etown for the entirety of his college career and, at the recital, played a total of six major pieces with impressive variety, ranging from a classic Bach prelude to the classic hymn Amazing Grace by John Newton. Sauder, also a senior, is a classically trained soprano vocalist. She intended to share this recital for her degree but eventually rescheduled due to an accompanist’s conflicting schedule. Luckily for those present in the audience, she decided to perform alongside Weir regardless.
As the performance time of 7:30 p.m. inched closer, family and friends began pouring in, beaming with pride at the prospect seeing their loved ones display their abilities. Fellow music majors attended with friends, looking to support the seniors of the department and to see for themselves what a senior recital could look like. The lights dimmed, the crowd descended into reverential silence and Weir stepped onstage and began to work his magic with guitar in hand.
Prior to the show, Weir and Sauder opened up on the significance of the night for the both of them. Weir viewed the night as a way to give back…