Student exhibits musical, theatrical compositions

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After four years of schooling at MSU, Nick Strong feels he has something to show for his hard work.

The music composition senior will host his first ever exhibition featuring his own musical and theatrical works from 8-9 p.m. Saturday in the RCAH Theatre.

“This is just my way of putting on one big last concert that kind of encapsulates everything I’ve been working for,” he said. “It’s got the songwriting I do, (and) it’s got some of the more compositional stuff, but mostly it’s just going to be a good show.”

The multipart exhibition, titled POP=>ART, focuses on a theme of combining two genres of music — pop and classical ­— which Strong said are very different.

The songwriter composed numbers for the exhibition using inspiration from both pop and classical music. He also used those same inspirations to create a theater piece about a street performer living in Austria.

“Through the lyrics of the songs that (the artist is) singing on the streets, you hear this story of how he first came over (to Austria) just to get away and gradually becomes more disenchanted with his former life and decides to stay over there and cut off all his connections,” Strong said.

In middle school, Strong was in a pop-punk band and has since developed a more varied taste in music as well as a love for theater. He said he wants this show to be representative of the combination of his new and old interests.

“It’s been a struggle to reconcile my love for punk music and rock with the more artistic, classical side of things,” he said. “I think there’s way too big of a divide, not just at this university but everywhere, between pop music and classical music. My main goal as a composer is to try to combine those in a way that is accessible to both sides.”

In the past, Strong has done many solo performances at local venues and posted recordings of his work online. He also has performed with the College of Music and hosted a show featuring all Lansing-based bands of various genres.

Strong has been planning for this show for almost a year now and has been holding rehearsals since November. He recruited several students studying music and theater who he has befriended during his time at MSU to perform alongside him.

Music education senior Byron Valentine, who has performed for Strong once before, will play violin in a string quartet at Saturday’s show.

Once Valentine heard Strong’s work years ago, he said he instantly was impressed.

“I always liked his music,” he said. “He’s very modern, and his music is very in-your-face and always evokes a strong response.”

Throughout the many weeks the pair has spent rehearsing with one another and the other performers, Valentine said he and Strong have become much closer.

“We’ve definitely become better friends because of it,” Valentine said. “Some things in life you can’t go through with someone else and not become better friends, and making music is one of them.”

Theatre junior Sadie Pappas, who met Strong through the Department of Theatre, will be performing in his theatrical piece, which Pappas said she has been in love with since Strong first told her about it.

“I thought it was beautiful,” she said. “The subject matter is really different and really interesting.”

Strong said during his time at MSU with the help of his peers and professors, he learned what it takes to be an artist and how to expand his creative horizons. He said without their help, his exhibition would never have been completed.

“It’s nice to have people guiding you when you’re creating something bigger on you own,” Strong said.

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