Dedication and Diligence Presented at TAMIU Student Recital Nov. 11

On Thursday, November 11 at 6:30 p.m., Texas A&M International University student Daniel Garcia, Jr. will perform his Senior Recital (on piano) at the Center for the Performing Arts Recital Hall. This event is free and open to the public. (photo)

In a performance that is the capstone to more than two years of dedication and discipline, Garcia will perform the Prelude and Fugue in C Minor from J.S. Bach's Well Tempered Clavier, Book I; the Sonata in C-Sharp Minor, "Moonlight", Op. 27, No. 2 by Ludwig van Beethoven; the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 by Franz Liszt; and the Prelude in G Minor, Op. 23, No. 5 by Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Dr. Fritz Gechter, associate professor of music, said Garcia is an ideal student.

"He is very talented and is one of our department's most serious students. He practices on average between four and eight hours a day, often putting in 10-12 hours a day! Garcia is very musical and is very easy to work with. He wants to learn as much as possible, loves music deeply and is willing to work very hard to develop his talent," said Dr. Gechter.

Garcia started studying at TAMIU more than two years ago and has made great progress in his technique and musicianship, Gechter said.

"He came to TAMIU with only one year of applied piano study at Laredo Community College and before that he was self-taught, except for six months of study with his grandmother. But he was already attempting advanced works," said Gechter, "He needed a bit of technical work in terms of how to phrase, voice chords, et cetera, but today he has learned to greatly minimize muscle tension and is thus able to play with more ease, grace and fluidity."

According to Dr. Gechter, this recital will showcase Garcia's accomplishments, and demonstrate what can be accomplished with abundant, daily practice.

"You really have to be so passionate about music and love practicing and developing it to get past the intermediate and into the advanced levels of music performance. You also have to have discipline, and very few people have enough of it to really get to the higher levels. I am very proud of Daniel, for this recital will show that he has now begun to enter these higher levels," said Gechter.

For more information, please contact Gechter at 326.2639, visit offices in the Center for the Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall, room 233D or e-mail fgechter@tamiu.edu.

University office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.