Women showcase their talents during free concert
Women’ voices, thoughts and talents were brought together into one showcase on Tuesday to help celebrate National Women’s History Month.
The concert titled the same as the national theme, “Showcase of Women’s Talents,” featured three solo artists, one duet and one group that performed in the showcase. Aside from musical performances, two people read poetry and artwork was displayed.
The performers did so acoustically with guitars, fiddles and a banjo. The majority of the music was original, but some music by recording artists was also incorporated into the night. The group that performed, Sassafras, is comprised of four women who have been performing together for the past two years.
“We rehearse once a week and perform once or twice a month,” said Sarah J.B. Jones, a senior majoring in liberal arts and sciences and piano pedagogy. “We perform at several different places.”
Jones was also part of the committee that put the showcase together.
A flier in the showcase said, “The USU Women’s Center and the Women’s Leadership Institute Class want to recognize women and their remarkable talents and contributions to our society.”
“At the beginning of the semester they announced it and we all brainstormed ideas and decided to do women’s talents from the community,” Jones said. The showcase was put on as a class project for the Women’s Leadership class.
Janet Osborne, the director of the Women’ Center, said, “I think it’s important for the women in this class to find and identify women in this community who are creative. The creative side of leadership is important, and not just the technology side. The balance is important and we ought to celebrate that.”
The artists who performed at the showcase were either contacted by someone in the class or heard about it through fliers for the event, Jones said.
“We advertised around campus and in the community,” she said. “Everybody else was a friend on someone on the committee.”
Osborne said, “I am always amazed at the talents people have. It’s really quite remarkable. It’s important for those artists to have a venue.”
The showcase was free to the public and is part of several other activities that are part of National Women’s History Month.
“I like seeing everyone come out here and share what they have to give,” Jones said.
-rbarlow@cc.usu.edu