Students swing into new season

Crystal Arnall, sophomore secondary education vocal music major, and David Wallace, senior music major, sing for Southern Exposure during their Oct. 19 performance, their second of the season.

Crystal Arnall, sophomore secondary education vocal music major, and David Wallace, senior music major, sing for Southern Exposure during their Oct. 19 performance, their second of the season.

With two performances completed, Southern Exposure is starting its season earlier than usual.

It began Oct. 15, when the show choir performed for the Southwest Division Music Teachers meeting in the Billingsly Student Center.

At the performance, several different areas of Missouri Southern’s music department were highlighted. Soloists and ensembles from vocal, instrumental and keyboard areas were performed for the teachers at the meeting.

Southern Exposure also performed Oct. 19 at Joplin Memorial Hall. The group performed for Area Agency Vantage Point with seven songs which include: “That’s What I Like About You,” “Blue Skies,” “Let it Roll,” “I Will Survive” and “Almost Over You.”

Bud Clark, director of chorale studies, wrote a script to go with the collection of pieces Southern Exposure performed that night. Some of the songs were tied together and some had breaks for script, while others were cued by a key word in dialogue.

“We tried something different that had never been done before,” Clark said. “It was good to see the whole thing put together. Everyone was wired and anxious to see how it would work.”

He said he was proud of the group’s first performance. He also said they learn something from every performance and now they only have to fine-tune their performance for the Fall Chorale Concert.

Clark said performing in Southern Exposure is similar to performing in a musical. Entertainers break into song and over exaggerate their actions.

However, Clark said while the exaggerations are larger than life, the quality of the voice is as good as normal, as good as they can make it.

“I enjoy the reactions of our crowd to performances,” said Andrew Ralston, freshman vocal and instrumental music education major.

Ralston sings tenor for Southern Exposure.

The element of movement is what Clark said mostly makes Southern Exposure different than the concert and chamber choirs.

“You have to have a really outgoing personality and not be afraid to get physically involved in the music,” Clark said. “Not everyone can do that. To find 28 kids who do it well is quite a task. They also all get along and work well together.”

Southern Exposure will perform with the concert and chamber choirs in the Fall Chorale Concert Nov. 4 in Taylor Performing Arts Center. Admission will be free to all.

Southern Exposure will also be performing at the Webb City Show Choir Festival Nov. 6 at Webb City High School.