Bray to present recital

Senior Sean Bray, trombonist at the University of South Dakota, will present his senior trombone recital Feb. 17 in Colton Recital Hall.

Bray, a music performance major, hasn’t always wanted a music degree.

“I started out as a biology major, but after four years I decided to pursue music,” Bray said.

Bray said he has always been involved in band because it’s a part of his family.

A senior music recital is a culmination of what a student has been studying, Bray said.

“It’s challenging with a mix of different styles,” Bray said. “It’s a big wrap of what you’ve been doing in college.”

Bray said senior recitals are important to music majors because they are studying to be performers.

“It’s really hard to sit and study and not really learn,” Bray said. “With recitals, you learn to be a performer and show people what you’ve been studying for the past four years.”

Bray said senior recitals do not receive a lot of attention from students.

“They are something not a lot of people attend,” Bray said. “But they’re not going to give a recital unless its going to be a good show. If someone is giving a senior recital it’s going to be a good performance.”

Junior John Matthews, trombone performance and pre-medicine major, has performed with Bray on a number of occasions and he will be apart of Bray’s senior recital.

“As a part of graduation he (Bray) has to play in an ensemble and I’m playing in the trombone quartet,” Matthews said.

Matthews said Bray plans to continue his musical education in graduate school.

“I always thought Sean has had a wonderful ear for music and he will be a great professor,” Matthews said.

Matthews said senior recitals are important especially from a performance major’s standpoint.

“You can only do so much in the classroom,” Matthews said. “Ultimately it comes down to playing.”

All music performance and music education majors are required to participate in a senior recital for graduation.

“It’s a very major part of the creative process,” Matthews said.

Reach reporter Payton Randle at

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