Gesteland’s annual Studio Showcase made their first appearance since COVID-19

Tracelyn Gesteland, a voice and opera professor, brought back the annual studio showcase on April 9 this year. This was the first time she has been able to hold this event since 2019.

“We’ve had a studio showcase every spring since I began teaching at USD, with the exception of 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. It was really nice to be able to return to tradition this year,” Gesteland said.

Gesteland’s Voice Studio Showcase is a performance involving the students studying singing. At her voice studio, the students take voice lessons and engage with each other throughout the year.

“My voice studio is not only the physical place where voice lessons occur, but more importantly, it encompasses the group of people who are studying singing with me. The studio is our voice family and community.” Gesteland said.

The showcase boasted a variety of songs including classical and musical theater pieces. The students were able to choose from songs they had been working on all year. Practice for the grand finale piece began after spring break before the showcase.

The students sang “Beautiful City” from the Broadway show “Godspell” for the finale. 

“We chose a variety of classical and musical theater pieces. We wanted to highlight each singer in a manner that would also entertain the audience and provide a mix of tempo, languages and emotions,” Gesteland said.

By incorporating many different styles of music, Gesteland was able to bring in a mixture of people from different areas in the Vermillion community. 

“We had an excellent turnout for the event, including not only friends and family of the performers, but also a number of community members who came to enjoy the performance and show their support,” Gesteland said.

Gesteland and her students worked hard this past year to be able to showcase their talents to the community.

“I am so proud of these young artists and all that they’ve achieved this year.  It was really nice to be able to showcase their work to an appreciative audience,” Gesteland said.