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Music Student’s Live, Virtual Recital Performance is a Hit

By Nick Ward

Fourth-Year Student Rebecca Cowal has completed an extraordinary Graduating Recital performance under extraordinary circumstances.

During Ontario’s third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, a stay-at-home order meant Cowal would be conducting her live performance virtually. 

“The opportunity to have a virtual grad recital was an incredible experience. It was an authentic reflection of what I have learnt this year about performing in a virtual environment,” says Cowal.

Thanks in part to the innovative technology of the Kanata-based company syncspace, Cowal delivered a tremendously powerful performance that hundreds of people have enjoyed over social media.  

“I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to perform live with such brilliant musicians and an extraordinary tech team,” she says.

“During the performance, it was remarkable to experience the musicians, technicians, and hosts all working together from separate locations in real-time to curate what the audience saw.” 

“The fact that we were not physically together that night made our virtual connection that much more special.”

Rebecca Cowal

Cowal says the enthusiastic response to her performance has been ‘surreal.’ 

“The amount of positive and encouraging messages that came through the live chat and social media has been overwhelming.  “I am touched that so many people tuned-in to the show and were so supportive of the virtual recital.”

Graduating Recital Course

Rebecca Cowal and Mike Tremblay

Often, strong performers (like Cowal) in the Bachelor of Music program choose to take the Graduating Recital course. The course, by nature, includes a public performance of music that each student has studied throughout the year. Their performance is meant to meet an early professional performance standard.

Cowal performed alongside talented musicians Mike Tremblay, Mark Ferguson, John Geggie, Jamie Holmes, Ed Lister, Dan Marano, and the Raven Saxophone Quartet. Crucially, she was also supported by John Rosefield, Mike Giamberardino, Colin Elliott and the team at Carleton University Event Support – Instructional Media Services.

Given the inherent nuances and complexities of holding a live, virtual music event, Supervisor of Performance Studies, James McGowan, was thrilled with the outcome of the recital. 

Those behind the Graduating Recital course had to move quickly, as the stay-at-home order came only days before the Music program planned to host safe and distanced, in-person recitals on stage at Kailash Mital Theatre and the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre.

“Despite many challenges – most unseen by the audience – in producing this unprecedented show, Rebecca, the other musicians, and the tech team kept their cool. Everyone’s professionalism exceeded expectations despite many stressful moments!” says McGowan.

Many hours were spent designing visual layouts, organizing a detailed timeline for the show, preparing pre-recorded content, working through the tech demands, delivering the proper equipment to those who needed it, and dress-rehearsing the music. 

“What has come out of this, though: Rebecca, with her commitment and resilience, has completed a remarkable performance achievement,” says McGowan.

“She is now extremely well situated to be a professional musician in the digital world, and thanks to the new skills acquired by people in the Music Program through this process, we are now fully ready to embark on future innovative programming and plan to put all of this experience to use for the August Grad Recital Festival.” 

For the majority of students who chose to postpone their recitals, they are planning to perform over three days this coming August 12-14 at the Grad Recital Festival. These recitals will be widely accessible as a live broadcast on Music’s YouTube channel.  

What’s next for Cowal? She intends to wrap up her final undergraduate credits in the Fall of 2021 before applying for her Master’s in Music.

“I look forward to further developing my own voice as both a performer and composer. There is much more music to come!” says Cowal.

Follow Rebecca Cowal:

IG: @rebeccacowalmusic
FB: https://www.facebook.com/rebeccacowalmusic 
Twitter: @RebeccaCowal