Students share their experiences of being part of BYUH's Salsa Orchestra
Multicolored lighting, a shimmering wardrobe and musical rhythms filled the McKay Auditorium stage on April 6. Under the direction of Dr. Darren Duerden, the BYU–Hawaii Music Program presented the BYUH Salsa Orchestra with “Mambo & Rumba & Zouk, OH MY!” as its theme. As the singers swayed their Cuban rumba dresses, children joyfully danced along on the side of the stage.
Only happy vibes
Blake Peterson, a senior majoring in computer science from Washington who has been participating in the Salsa Orchestra for two years, said the happy vibes were not only shown on the stage but also during every rehearsal. Before he joined the orchestra, he said he decided to come to the orchestra’s rehearsal to observe. He said he found joy within the music, environment and interactiveness of the group and decided to join.
When he first joined, he said he played guitar, but over time explored more instruments such as trumpet, keyboard and bass. At this concert, the whole orchestra played a song he arranged entitled “Cuando Hay Amor,” meaning “When There is Love.”
A freshman music student from the Philippines, Steven Tee, said this concert was his debut as a BYUH Salsa Orchestra singer. He said, “Something that helped me the most during the rehearsal was the people I worked with. They were so encouraging, whether it was my singing, rhythm or choreography. The fact that we are open to feedback made a huge difference.” Unlike the two other singers who learned Spanish prior to joining the group, Tee said, “I only speak Tagalog and English, so I learned a lot from them.”
Off stage
Tee shared what happened behind the curtains, saying, “[While we were] backstage, we were talking about how nervous we were about the choreography, lyrics and everything, but on the stage, the energy from the crowd pumped us up to give the best performance for everyone.”
Jared Uyehara, a Laie community member, said he always makes time to come to this concert, not only because he knows several of the performers, but also because it is worth watching. He said, “I love the energy they brought to the stage, the music and their talents.” He pointed out how serious they are in designing outfits and the stage and said, “Dr. Duerden did a great job collaborating with the students.”