the pendulum
STYLE
WEDNESDAY. SEPTEMBER 21. 2011 // PAGE 17
Piano composition tests professor’s mettle
An hour is a long time to do
anything, but performing a
single piano piece is among
the most trying persuits one can
attempt during that time. Assistant
professor of music, Omri Shimron,
performed his first solo recital at
Elon on Thursday, Sept. 15 in Whitley
Auditorium.
The recital featured a single
composition, but one that lasted for a
full hour. Frederic Rzewski composed
“The People United Will Never Be
Defeated!” in 1975 around the theme
of a Chilean protest song. The tune
goes through 36 iterations of the
original tune. It also references other
protest music and political songs.
Shimron will be performing the
piece at Duke University, Virginia Tech
BRIAN ALLENBY | Staff Ptiotographef
University and Winthrop University
later this year. Shimron said in a
previous interview that modern piano
compositions may be overlooked in
favor of more traditional, classical
music.
“This piece is a really good glimpse
of the 21st Century and all the styles
it went through in classical music,” he
said.
Acorn’s open mic night showcases student talent
Cassie Grimm
Reporter
Acorn Coffee Shop’s familiar
smells of brewing coffee and toasting
sandwiches mingled with sounds of
student performers. Acorn hosted its
first ever Open Mic Night Thursday, Sept.
15. The event was hosted and set up by
Acorn employee Eddie Talley, who was
assisted by junior Katie Nelson. Talley
said the purpose of the night was to bring
entertainment into the coffee shop.
“I’ve worked here for six years and
there’s never been entertainment, just
yelling,” Talley said.
Nelson agreed.
“We hope to create a nice atmosphere
in the shop. We want students to come
and engage in the activities, to notice
what’s going on,” she said.
The night included various acts which
showcased the diversity and talent in the
Elon community. Not only singers and
guitarists performed, but also sophomore
mandolin player Mills Gorrie, senior
stand-up comic Jay Light, freshman poet
Christina Lewis and senior rapper
Rawal.
Light said he decided to perform his
stand-up routine at the open mic night
because “stage time is everything no
matter the venue. It’s experience.”
Lewis csaid that, while it may seem
unconventional to some, she perceived
open mic night as a perfect opportunity
to showcase her poetry.
“I love to write,” Lewis said. "I want
to write poetry as a career and I had a
fun time tonight. My best friend came
to support me which helped give me
confidence.”
The event brought business into
Acorn, and by the end of the night,
every seat in the house was occupied.
Talley concluded the night by awarding
a grand prize of 100 food dollars to be
split between the winner and runner-
up. The grand prize winners were singer
and freshmen guitarist Patrick Dinnsen
and singer Leah Greene who performed a
duet of “Hallelujah” originally written by
Leonard Cohen. The runner up was fellow
freshman singer Hunter Brown (also
accompanied by Dinnsen on guitar) who
performed “Yesterday” by the Beatles.
Dinnsen, Greene, and Brown are all
musical theatre majors. Dinnsen said
he has met so many talented people
through the program, and when he
heard about Open Mic Night he wanted
to
come and sing with his friends for
others. Throughout the night, Dinnsen
performed a couple of songs including
the winning number “Hallelujah,” and
an original composition titled “Is There a
Love There?”
“I had a good time tonight,” Dinnsen
said. “It was cool to get to share my stuff
with people, especially from other states.
I don’t know what I would do if 1 didn’t get
to perform for the rest of my life.”
Brown also had positive things to say
about the evening. He said he decided
to sing “Yesterday” because he loves the
Beatles, and the song has always been
meaningful to him.
“I think tonight went well,” Brown said.
“I had a lot of fun, and there’s nothing I’d
rather be doing than singing.”
Greene said she had been trying to
find open mic nights on campus, so she
was excited when she heard about the
Acorn’s event.
“I’ve been singing since I could talk,”
she said. “Winning felt really awesome. It
was cool to see how much talent there is
at Elon. I’ll definitely come back next time
with my ukulele.”
Due to the success of the evening,
Talley has decided to make Open Mic
Night a monthly event.
“I think the night went wonderful,”
Talley said. “It was so hard to determine
who won the food dollars because in my
mind there was no worst act.”
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Guitarist Patrick Dinnsen accompanied both the
winner and the runner-up of Acorn Coffee Shop’s first
open mic night. Dinnsen and singers Leah Greene and
Hunter Brown are musical theatre majors.
O ^
Hosted By Eddie from Acorn!
WHEN: Thursday, 9/15
TIME: 7:00* 10:00 pm
WHERE: Acom Coffee Shop
AH are welcome!
Pmeswilt be given to the best
and worst pertonneri
TRACY RAETZ \ Staff Photographer
and host Eddie Talley said the open mic was so successful, there may be another one next
monthTve^ seal in the store was full. Falling around Halloween, the next theme is tentatively a costume contest.
Don’t touch that dial:
what to expect on TV
this upcoming season
Asha Michelle Wilson
Columnist
Fall is great for one important
reason. Sure, the leaves change,
sweaters come out of drawers, and
coffee shops start serving pumpkin
spice lattes. None of that compares
to the real reason autumn is golden:
fall television season. During the
next few weeks, everyone’s favorite
old shows — and plenty of new ones
— start airing once again, each like a
tiny Christmas present you’ve been
waiting all summer long to open.
The New...
The 2011 fall lineup is chock full
of new television shows to watch.
Two actresses that have been missed
from television sets, Rachel Bilson
and Sarah Michelle Gellar, both
return with their own shows. Bilson
stars in “Hart of Dixie” (Sept. 26) and
Gellar, in her first television show
since “Buffy,” stars in “Ringer” (Sept.
13). Fans of Zooey Deschanel can
tune in weekly to watch the actress
be socially awkward and obviously
adorable on “New Girl” (Sept. 20).
Those who like fairytales should
try “Once Upon A Time” (Oct. 23),
created by “Lost" writers Edward
Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, about a
town frozen in time with fairy-tale
figures, like Snow White and Prince
Charming, who have no recollection
of their real identities. “Mad Men”
enthusiasts should check out “Pan
Am" (Sept. 25), to see a .show about
the glamourous, and surprisingly
sexy, lives of airplane stewardesses
in the 1960s.
The Returning...
Many shows ended their previous
seasons w’ith a lot of unanswered
questions. Returning Sept. 22, “Parks
and Recreation.” “Community" and
“The Big Bang Theory" all left fans
on the edge of their seat, but “The
Office” definitely takes the cake
with anticipation. Since Steve Carell
left and took the lead of the show
Michael Scott with him, everyone is
wondering if this season will be any
good, with actor James Spader taking
over “The Office.” And popular
comedy-musical “Glee,” (Sept. 20)
is losing Sam, played by Chord
Overstreet.
In the world of drama, “Fringe,"
(Sept. 23) and “Gossip Girl" (Sept. 26)
also have characters not returning.
“Fringe" last saw the disapperance of
Peter Bishop, and Vanessa and little
Jenny Humphrey have officially left
the "Gossip Girl" building. On the
other hand, both in their respective
final season, “Desperate Housewives”
(Sept. 25) and “Chuck" (Oct. 21) bring
in new faces to stir up the drama:
“Housewives” has new love interests
and "Chuck" brings in Mark Hamill
of “Star Wars” fame as the new
villain.
And the Exciting...
Not to say that all the old and
new shows aren't exciting, but there
are three series that definitely have
people talking. “Terra Nova," (Sept.
26) the new dinosaur show, is the
most buzzed about series for the
fall, in large part because it’s being
produced by Steven Spielberg. “The
Vampire Diaries” (Sept. 15) left fans
with more cliffhangers than almost
any other show on the air. Good
guys turning bad, vampires coming
back from the dead and romance
blossoming in new places — the new
season is a must see.
Lastly, “Two and a Half Men” (Sept.
19) will get a spike in viewership,
with Ashton Kutcher permanently
joining the cast. After the premiere,
though, curiosity will probably wear
off. With so many other great shows
to watch, this one might hit the
bottom of the barrel.