Playing Pop Culture

Impromptu allows piano students to play music aside from classical pieces, including music from popular culture

Playing Pop Culture

Impromptu allows piano students to play music aside from classical pieces, including music from popular culture

A pink disco ball drops down from the ceiling of the Brandt Black Box theater as the chorus of Dance the Night Away by Dua Lipa from the Barbie soundtrack blares out on the keys of pianos. 

The annual Impromptu concert provides piano students with an opportunity to pick whatever pieces they want to play, whether it’s pop music or video game soundtracks, a departure from many other piano recitals where students can only play classical pieces. 

“I personally love Impromptu because it's different from the other concerts and what you would normally play as a classical pianist,” piano junior Hannah Zimmerman said. “As a pianist, especially going to school for piano, you might play mainly classical pieces, but Impromptu gives you a chance to perform some of your favorite songs or favorite movie themes.”

This “freedom” in the choice of pieces allows piano students to explore different facets of music and try out different styles of music that they otherwise would not usually get the chance to play, giving students “a chance to play what they like,” as co-president of the piano department and piano senior Christina Wang puts it.

“Some people just feel passionate about certain pieces that aren't necessarily classical,” piano sophomore Anthony Stan said. “So this gives them the opportunity to choose what they want to do… It gives students the opportunity to try something new (or) to try a piece that they really like that's not necessarily classical, so there's no restrictions.”

Aside from being able to pick their own pieces, piano students also set up the stage for the concert and dress up in different costumes to match their pieces, with some students dressing up in all pink for the Barbie soundtrack and others dressing up as pirates for their Pirates of the Caribbean Medley. 

“Everything is student driven, so we're in charge of picking our pieces when rehearsing and making sure we make the appropriate cuts and put it together so it sounds nice. People dress up (so) we also choose our own costumes because it's not a formal recital.”

Because the concert is less “strict and rigid and traditional,” as Wang says, it invites a wider audience to watch the show, since they are familiar with more of the music being performed.

“Pop culture music is generally more recognized and accepted within our school population,” Wang said. “Not only is it fun for us to perform, but it's also fun for the audience because with traditional recitals, there's not much audience interaction, but with Impromptu, everyone joins in and everyone's laughing and having fun. It definitely encourages more people to come.”

Story by Priya Gowda
Photos by Aiden Velez