The Optimist
You are here: Home / Arts & Culture

First show of semester displays seniors’ art

by

On Friday night the Shore Art Gallery will host an opening for the first senior art show of the spring, "The Fifth Dimension." Works will be displayed by Sara Beth Almquist, interior design major from Spring, Michael McCarty, graphic design major from Grapevine, Hannah Barnes, graphic design major from El Paso, Briana Dinella, interior design ... [Read More…]

Jazz drummer brings Grammy experience to campus

by

ACU will welcome jazz drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts for multiple performances and master classes early next week. Watts, a seven time Grammy Award winner, has played alongside the likes of jazz musicians Wynton and Branford Marsalis as well as Harry Connick, Jr. He has written and arranged music for groups as both a member and leader and also spent ... [Read More…]

M.A.Double: Sophomore steps up to the call of musical ministry

by

"I never really thought I'd be recording or producing music as a sort of ministry," said Matt Preston, sophomore ministry major from Abilene. But that is exactly what he has ended up doing under the moniker M.A.Double, derived from the spelling of his first name: "M-A-Double-T". "As far as my interest in hip hop it really goes back around middle ... [Read More…]

Alumnus plays concert on campus

by

ACU alumnus Dusty Woodruff revisited campus to perform in the music department's guest artist series Sunday and Monday. Woodruff, who graduated from ACU with a degree in music, now plays in The Athens Guitar Trio and heads the guitar department at Augusta State University in Augusta, Ga. "We have several [performers] throughout the year, and we ... [Read More…]

‘King’ succeeds through cast and craftsmanship

by

I grew up with the best of Broadway - The Sound of Music, West Side Story, Phantom of the Opera and countless others have all been etched into my mind since childhood. As such, it pains me to admit this, but I had never seen The King and I. However, my lack of prior exposure allowed me to view the ACU production with fresh eyes and no preexisting ... [Read More…]

Switchfoot, Anberlin to perform on campus

by

Switchfoot and Anberlin headline the October 23 concert in Moody Coliseum for the bands' first appearance on ACU's campus. The show, also featuring Atomic Tom, will begin at 7 p.m. on the Sunday night of Fall Break. General admission tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. Students receive a $5 discount with their student ID. Switchfoot is ... [Read More…]

Choir concerts to bring variety to WPAC

by

The ACU choirs will give their first major concert Tuesday. The performance will feature a wide variety of pieces sung by the music department's three choral groups. The University Chorale, the A Cappella Chorus and the new ACU Singers will repeat the performance the following Saturday at 11:45 a.m. for the Homecoming Choral Concert, a popular ... [Read More…]

Words of Wisdom: Forte credits character, poetry to his environment

by

Sheridan Forte stepped on stage in Chapel last Friday to perform a spoken word poem. Seven minutes after that, most of the students in Moody Coliseum were on their feet. Forte, a senior English major from Dallas, approached Mark Lewis almost two years ago with the idea. "Sheridan first approached me when he was a freshman," said Lewis. "We talked ... [Read More…]

Owsley seeks to further music career in Boston

by

As a child, Colton Owsley always knew that music was what he wanted to do. But his path to ACU and towards a career in music was never that simple. "My family wasn't very supportive of music so it was kind of hard to get playing," said Owsley, a junior music major from Naples, Florida. However, what began as a simple interest in listening and ... [Read More…]

You are here: Home / Arts & Culture