In order to complete a BA of music performance at the University of Michigan's School of Music, Theatre, and Dance (SMTD), it is necessary to perform a senior recital demonstrating one's mastery of their instrument. Such recitals are typically a culmination of a student's artistic endeavors at the university, and therefore hold significant personal and professional magnitude. Senior recitals at SMTD tend to follow the traditional format generally accepted at institutions of higher musical education across the nation: the artist plays a selection of traditional repertoire in a formal setting and context. This format, tried and tested over decades of musical education, has assisted young musicians looking to demonstrate their understanding of classic works.

However, the modern musician now faces a creative industry that demands new skills unsupported by the traditional recital format including interdisciplinary collaboration, management of finances and personnel, and complex logistical problem solving. Non-traditional recital formats allow for the practice and demonstration of these crucial contemporary skills, along with the technical excellence and musicianship still integral to the aspiring musician. With this in mind, there should be opportunities for student artists to develop these contemporary skills through the production of non-traditional and interdisciplinary senior recitals.

Luckily, the University of Michigan has abundant technological and financial resources, multiple potential performance venues, and experienced production staff to provide support and guidance. These resources allow for the pursuit of innovative and boundary-pushing recital formats to a degree not realized by many students studying at the school. And unlike many other prestigious institutions of musical education, SMTD prides itself on fostering an environment where such boundary-pushing is both accepted and encouraged.

This website is the culmination of a year long project for the completion of my BA in Bassoon Performance at SMTD. With the help and guidance of Professor Lyman (the professor of Bassoon at SMTD), I have worked to produce an interdisciplinary senior recital that demonstrates my traditional skills as a bassoonist, showcases my ability to create in a contemporary musical landscape, and proves that senior recitals can do both. Due to the circumstances around the outbreak of COVID-19, my recital, along with countless other artistic performances at the University and around the world, had to be cancelled. Despite my disappointment, I am happy to have enough documentation of my production process to create a roadmap for student musicians who also wish to pursue a non-traditional recital format.

Many of the steps required during the production of this project, and of the production of non-traditional recitals more generally, are not common knowledge. In fact, it’s more like a work in progress. There’s no “right” way to do it. Still, the process of applying to grants for necessary funding, collaborating with other artists, and overcoming logistical hurdles are all potential stumbling blocks, among many others.

With this website, I hope to provide enough documentation and explanation to streamline the process of producing a non-traditional, interdisciplinary recital for aspiring students at SMTD, while also demonstrating the work I put in to produce my own. Although much of my experience and advice is tailored for students at the University of Michigan, it is surely applicable to other publicly funded music schools, and hopefully to smaller, private institutions as well.