Community Calendar

The Southeast Department of Music will present Ashley Watkins, Bassoon on January 21.

The free recital will feature the varied world of bassoon music with works by Bertoni, Brandon, Bennett, and more. Dr. Ashley Watkins, adjunct instructor of music, will showcase classical, contemporary, and innovative styles that highlight the versatility and depth of the bassoon.

Ashley Watkins, Bassoon will take place on Tuesday, January 21, at 7:30 p.m. in the Shuck Music Recital Hall at Southeast’s River Campus.

Three Rivers Patrons of the Arts will present “The Piano Men” on January 30.

The concert will feature award-winning Canadian musician Jim Witter and his band’s musical celebration of the timeless 1970s music of Billy Joel and Elton John.

More About the Piano Men
Award-winning Canadian recording artist Jim Witter and his incredible band lead an expertly crafted tour of an entire decade that begins with “Your Song” and winds us along on a musical time machine, saluting two of the century’s most popular contemporary songwriters—Billy Joel and Elton John.

Utilizing spectacular visuals on a giant screen behind Witter and his band, we return to the newspaper headlines, the automobiles, the people, the events, the toys, and even the TV shows that shaped a decade. Along the way, the sounds of “My Life,” “Candle in the Wind,” “Rocket Man,” “Just the Way You Are,” and many more classic hits create an evening that’s so much fun, you won’t want it to end. By the time you hit 1979, you’re begging these musicians to move back to 1970 and start all over again. With Witter at the grand piano and his incredibly talented band mates, the music is not an attempt to “recreate” or “mimic” the evening’s long list of familiar hits. Instead, Witter unleashes his golden tenor on hit after hit to recreate fully-formed mental and emotional return visits to specific landmarks in a pop culture timeline.

If you can remember where you were when Elvis may have died, this show’s for you. If you can smell the interior of your 1973 VW Beetle, you’ll recognize every song. If you watch re-runs of Gilligan’s Island or Green Acres, you’ll find yourself singing along.

Now in its 16th year of touring, “The Piano Men” has enjoyed sold-out performances, return engagements, and rave reviews in theaters across North America, Great Britain, and Dubai.

“The Piano Men” will take place Thursday, January 30, at 7 p.m. in the Tinnin Fine Arts Center at Three Rivers College. Tickets are available at the Three Rivers Student Accounts Office, the Tinnin Center Art Gallery, and online.

Come revel in the historic French tradition of the King’s Ball! Youngsters, spirited teenagers, and adults of all ages don French colonial costumes and crowd the floor to dance reels, squares, and other old-time dances to the music provided by fiddler Dennis Stroughmatt and L’Esprit Creole with caller Deborah Hyland. To choose a king for the year, a bean is hidden in a cake! Proceeds from the King’s Ball benefit the Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Genevieve. Come swing your partner in old fashion fun on the first Saturday in February and relive the French tradition of the King’s Ball.

The Southeast Department of Music will present An Evening of Brass and Percussion on February 11.

The program will showcase the varied sounds of brass and percussion and feature SEMO faculty Deborah Caldwell on trumpet and Shane Mizicko on percussion. The concert is free and open to the public.

An Evening of Brass and Percussion will take place on Tuesday, February 11, at 7:30 p.m. in the Shuck Music Recital Hall on Southeast’s River Campus.

The Southeast Department of Music will present the 25th Annual Clark Terry / Phi Mu Alpha Jazz Festival Concert on February 14.

The concert will feature jazz saxophonist Charles “Chip” McNeill, professor and chair of jazz performance at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, and the Southeast Missouri State Jazz Ensembles.

The Clark Terry Jazz Festival Concert will take place Friday, February 14, at 7:30 p.m. in the Bedell Performance Hall. Tickets available online or at box office.