Five SFUAD studio artists preparing to graduate this term show their varied work in Arbitrary Ground.

For most students, December means finals exams and winter break; for Contemporary Music Program seniors like Spencer Vandevier, it means graduation and his senior show. The Arizona native had family and friends in attendance on Sunday Nov. 22, excited to see four years of hard work. “I’ve got some really exciting post-grad options,” says Vandevier. “There’s a promoter in Austin that I might be working with, a studio interview in Los Angeles or teaching lessons in my hometown.” The multiple job offers weren’t surprising after hearing what Vandevier can do on the bass. He started the show off with some jazz tunes on the upright bass accompanied by Mark Clark on the drums, Darrel Luther on the piano, and Samuel Armstrong-Zickefoose on the guitar. After a few covers, Vandevier switched to the bass guitar and they moved onto some songs Vandevier had written but never performed. “I’ve fallen in love with songwriting,” says Vandevier. “It’s the best way for me to get my emotions out.” While he wrapped up the night with “Penny Rose,” a tribute to his late grandma who passed away when Vandevier was young, there wasn’t a dry eye among his family. As he finished and dedicated the performance to his father, you could see pride in faces of his loved ones. Vandevier’s passion for music is powerful and inspiring. There’s no doubt he will go on to do great things in his...

As eerie organ music flooded the First Presbyterian Church, a somber and haunting presence filled the room. Organist David Solem finished his piece with his back to the audience while SFUAD and St. John’s chorus members prepared to take the stage.“Rejoice in the Lamb” by Benjamin Britten was the first combined song performed by SFUAD and St. John’s on Nov. 19. Programs that were handed out before the concert contained lyrics so the crowd could follow along. This was helpful because it was near impossible to make out what they choirs were actually singing besides “rejoice in God.” As the first chorus came to a conclusion, Elise Stoffer took the church by storm with a powerful treble solo. The opera sounds coming from this woman were surprising and impressive. With program in hand, it was easy to follow along because otherwise it was, once again, difficult to articulate what it was she was saying. After Stoffer’s powerhouse performance came a few more soloists, including Anna Evanitz, Sara Cunningham, and last but certainly not least, Emiliano Jaime. When Jaime opened his mouth to sing, the whole church was taken by surprise. Jaime’s extremely low octaves and dynamic projection were a near perfect combination to tie up the solos. As the chorus wrapped up its last verse the crowd went wild with applause. Director Seven Paxton took a bow and said, “you’re dismissed.” The crowd chuckled and began filing out of the...

Stepping into the warm gallery full of smiling faces on the evening of Oct. 30 was far from spooky—even with Halloween right around the corner. Bold colors and shining metal hang from the walls inside Janine Contemporary with admirers all around. Don Kennell, a former College of Santa Fe professor, is the mastermind behind the intricate metal work. Alongside Kennell is his right hand man, Zach Greer; they work together out of Kennell’s backyard studio. They’ve been working for months to create a gallery’s worth of top-notch work and they did not disappoint. A theme throughout ‘Truth & Beauty’ is animals and more specifically, birds. These large birds mostly made from steel, sheet metal or found signs are quite impressive. A personal favorite of Kennell’s is a smaller steel bird with accents of a deep red auto lacquer titled “Ruby.” It’s no coincidence Kennell has a daughter named Ruby and is also quite the family man. A crowd favorite is a piece titled “Composition.” The piece is made up of four separate puzzle pieces of welded steel, gears, chains and other car parts. Each of the four pieces also includes a main element of either a violin, bird, fish or turtle. “It was just one of those pieces that I didn’t know if it would work or not and it ends up being one of the best,” says Kennell. “I’m proud of it, that’s for sure.” One of Kennell’s more popular works is the Blue Gorilla that was set up in Santa Fe’s Railyard Park for a few weeks in February of 2015 before being relocated to the Philadelphia Zoo. Another one of Kennell’s more widely known pieces is Big Bear. After being commissioned by Coachella Music Festival, Kennel, Greer, and some other helping hands constructed the 20’ x 20’ x 15’ giant using steel, LED lights, glass eyes, a disco ball and a painted porch swing. It’s safe to say that Kennell’s work is inspiring for students and intriguing for all. See more at...

On Sunday night, Oct. 11, the Forum was grooving to the musical stylings of SFUAD’s new Afro-Cuban Ensemble and Vocal Jazz Ensemble. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the 21-piece group presented a free celebratory concert. Directed by Horace Alexander Young, Andy Zadrozny and Lina Ramos, the group performed various pieces of Latin jazz, salsa and traditional Cuban music. As an added bonus, it was also Family Weekend so parents and siblings from all over the country were able to witness their hard working children doing what they love most. As folks filed into the jam-packed venue, Fred Simpson took to the microphone to welcome student, parents and community members. He introduced the various musical sections and asked who was here as a part of family weekend. “The singers are over there,” says Simpson. “They live in a totally different world than the instrumental players.” The introductions continued and the group geared up for its first song while friends and family continued to arrive. The musicians kicked off the concert with Latin-music legend Tito Puente’s “Oye Coma Va.” The song was made incredibly popular by Carlos Santana, which made it a very inviting first taste. “Jazz is being re-born right here, right now,” says Simpson in between sets. The group continued on to perform a great range of toe-tapping numbers by Mongo Santamaria, CAl Tjader, Dizzy Gillespie and Horace Silver. Each piece was made up of different musical sections and singers. Watching fellow classmates play and sing their hearts out was truly inspiring. They flowed so well together it seemed almost effortless, though it likely took intense practice and patience to get where they are today. Without a doubt, they made their families and friends...

The newest buzz on campus is the upcoming EP Horizon from music producer Josiah Noray and director La’Charles Trask, featuring a variety of musicians.