Student to give organ recital
When most people think of a pipe organ, images of a masked phantom singing to the music of the night often dance through their head.
This is a conception USU organist Clayton Roberts hopes to eliminate at his recital Tuesday at 7:30 in the Kent Concert Hall.
“I think the organ is often thought of as being evil, but it really isn’t. You can create massive sounds but you are also able to make ones quiet like the distant song of a bird. I think the organ is one of the most versatile instruments available to a musician.
The university owes Dr. James Drake, head of the music department, for Roberts’, a Boulder, Colorado native, presence in Logan.
“The woman I studied organ with in Boulder studied with Dr. Drake, and introduced me to him. I decided not to go to BYU
and to come here instead,” said Robert.
Roberts got an early start in the world of music, taking piano lessons from age 8. At fifteen he moved to the pipe organ.
He says it’s rare to find him not practicing in his cubicle, perhaps working on his favorite piece, “The Pageant” by Leo Sowerby. “A virtuosic piece, it shows off the feet,” he says.
However when Roberts isn’t honing his craft he enjoys the great outdoors and other hobbies.
“Mountain biking is awesome.” Roberts said. “I enjoy cooking and then eating the things I cook, to my detriment probably.”
The modern Renaissance man also named skydiving as a future ambition.
He also provides a tease for his upcoming recital, remarking “[The organ] is often thought of as being so serious, but that isn’t the case as you’ll see with some of my pieces.
-grahmn@cc.usu.edu