The WSU School of Music will be hosting an Atrium Recital Series from noon – 1 p.m. every Friday in the Terrell Library for the rest of the semester.

Christiano Rodrigues, School of Music assistant professor, said the Terrell Library got a donation of a piano a while ago, and it is currently sitting in the atrium. 

The piano was what sparked some of the inspiration for the concert series, Rodrigues said. A lot of music programs at WSU feature a piano, and the motivation for the concerts came from having a set space to perform. 

These concerts are mainly combined performances from different artists, some of whom are preparing for upcoming recitals, he said. 

“Most people aren’t really aware that these are actual artists that come through the School of Music,” he said. “Some of them are students and some of them could be star artists that just chose to come in.”

Rodrigues said the people playing in the concerts usually perform in a formal context, but this series is more laid back. 

“I like the informal aspect of it. It’s not often that we in the School of Music get to interact with folks in a way that is relaxed,” he said.

Typically their concerts would require a ticket, but Rodrigues said there are no rules to these types of performances.

Throughout a typical concert, there would be certain times for people to clap and times where it would be unacceptable to clap, he said. 

“This is a little bit different in the sense that the performer shows up and they may choose to engage with the audience,” Rodrigues said. “It’s just one of those situations where students roaming through the library hear something and then show up and find something they like.”

There are performances from different genres of music each week, he said. Last Friday, the percussion ensemble performed. 

Percussion instructor Christopher Wilson said the percussion ensemble usually performs at the Kimbrough Music Building, so the atrium is a new setting for the ensemble to experience. 

“What I love about this setting specifically in the Terrell Library is getting to get away from the music building and reach other people,” Wilson said. “It’s also a beautiful setting and the room really speaks and it’s just a really great environment to play in.”

All of the solo pieces in the performance were original, and most of the chamber pieces were arrangements, he said. Everyone who performed was either pursuing a music major or a music minor, with the exception of one recent graduate. 

Rodrigues said creating more awareness of these concerts around campus would be ideal because a lot of people do not know about them unless they happen to walk through the library. 

“This is a free-form concert series,” he said. “It’s just music for folks to enjoy in whatever way they feel that they should.”