People of all ages gathered in the McKay Auditorium awaiting music of a different time period. The lights darkened, but the lights were shining on the Seaside Ragtime Band. The moment Darren Duerden struck his xylophone, silence prevailed in the auditorium as the band’s fun and fast-paced musicians played tunes from the 1920s.
Darren Duerden, a professor of music in the Faculty of Culture, Language & Performing Arts, said the performance was done in a format that has never been done before at BYU–Hawaii. He performed a classic style of music known as “ragtime” along with his wife, Jennifer Duerden, an adjunct faculty for the Faculty of Culture, Language & Performing Arts, and a small group of other musicians. The group also played accompaniment, in the form of music and sound effects, to two short silent films during the Oct. 7 performance.
Darren Duerden explained ragtime is “fast-paced and derived from 1890s African American music [and] was seen as very low class and vulgar.” He added the name of the style originates from the “syncopated or sloppy rhythm that was characteristic of this kind of piano music.”
Jennifer Duerden, a piano teacher and pianist, said she, her husband and her son transcribed both of the short films. “In the beginning, it was hard to tell if we were together with the video,” she said. “I would listen to it every single day [to get] the templates in my head so the next rehearsal [would go] smoother.”
She said even with all that transcribing and practice, she still needed to improvise her performance throughout the rehearsals. “I had notes written out, but in spite of that, I would still have to make adjustments on the spot,” she said.
Jennifer Duerden added, “I think it’s always nice when you enjoy the people you work with and it really makes a difference since we’ve spent many hours [together] in person.”
Joseph Powell, a sophomore from Arizona majoring in TESOL and music, said he was so amazed by the combination of music and silent film he thought the sound effects were part of the movie. “I didn’t know they were doing the whole performance beforehand. ... It was amazing to see all of their talent put into use.”
Elder Matt and Sister Diane Bjarnson, senior missionaries from Utah serving at the Polynesian Cultural Center, said they didn’t know what to expect out of the performance, but were amazed by what was showcased.
Sister Bjarnson shared, “I loved it when he was providing the sound effects with the silent film. It was amazing he came up with the correct sounds for the exact moments when that was happening.”
Elder Bjarnson said he enjoyed seeing both the musical and theatrical elements of the lively performance. “It was enjoyable hearing music from the 1920s. It [took me] right back to that era, and I was reminded of those silent films I enjoyed. ... [They] made that era of music really entertaining.”
Darren Duerden expressed joy in preparing music that could stir people’s emotions about the 1920s. “I organized this program to encourage people to dress like the 1920s … and to be able to transport people back into the 1920s, an era of silent film, when America was a different place,” he said.
At the beginning of the show, Darren Duerden dedicated the performance to one of their band members, Mark Wolfersberger, dean and professor in the Faculty of Education & Social Work, who wasn’t able to perform due to medical reasons. Wolfersberger’s son, Alex, performed in his place.