By Jill Dougher
Mu Phi Epsilon, an honor music fraternity, will collect canned goods for the West Texas Food Bank during the Canned Food Jive at 8 p.m. Tuesday in the Williams Performing Arts Center.
The Canned Food Jive will consist of both vocal and instrumental performances by members of Mu Phi.
Entry to the recital costs two canned food items per person. Donated cans will be taken to the Food Bank to help feed people during the Thanksgiving holidays.
Mu Phi’s president, Jill Nelson, junior vocal music education major from Fort Worth, said past audiences were composed of mostly music majors because it was an opportunity to gain needed recital credits.
“This is the first year we’ve advertised,” Nelson said. “I’m hoping people that aren’t just music majors will attend.”
Members of the club are given the opportunity to perform a piece of their choice. Most performances are vocal solos, with the exception of one duet, Nelson said.
Mu Phi’s recording secretary, Arielle Collier, sophomore vocal performance major from Mesquite, said she is glad to be participating in something that will give back to the community.
“It’s a great way to help out the less fortunate people of Abilene,” she said. “It’s one of our most successful activities that Mu Phi sponsors.”
Other activities include singing for the elderly at the Christian Village Retirement Home, Nelson said.
Meredith Morgan, sophomore vocal music education major from Arlington, said she is looking forward to the recital. She said students should take advantage of opportunities to get into the holiday spirit and support a good cause – especially when organizations make it affordable.
“It’s easy to blame cost issues as a factor for not attending school events, but there are no excuses now,” Morgan said. “There’s bound to be Ramen packages lying around somewhere.”