Behind the Scenes of Salve’s Hunger Concert

By: Devon Cormier
Posted In: News

Many would agree that music feeds the soul, but on Friday night it did much more than that, as proceeds from the annual Hunger Concert went to local Aquidneck Island soup kitchens.

At 8 p.m. on Sept. 24, Salve Regina students, faculty, parents and Newport locals gathered in the Great Hall of Ochre Court. The concert, sponsored by the Salve music department, featured a variety of musical talents in all genres. There was something for everyone at this concert. Students, faculty and Newport community members performed everything from show tunes, to folk rock, to jazz and popular music. There were even a couple original pieces written and performed by Salve Regina students.

Admission to the show was $5 for general audience and $3 for Salve students and senior citizens. Tickets sold quickly; there was a line backed up to the doors for a good ten minutes prior to the start, but it moved swiftly. It would have been hard to get a seat if one didn’t get there early enough, and although seats towards the front are always preferable, the acoustics in the Great Hall made for a great show no matter where anyone was sitting.

Backstage in what used to be Salve Regina’s chapel, performers gathered waiting for their chance to shine. Students stood in corners singing softly to themselves, testing pitches, tones and keys, all practicing for what would soon come. David D’Amico and Matthew Hagerty, Salve staff members and the accompanists for the show, ran through scales with students before the show. Others focused on “the tricky parts” of their songs, making sure everything was pitch-perfect. Like any show, some were more nervous than others, and could be seen taking deep breaths, trying to focus and shake their nerves off.

Not everyone suffered from pre-show jitters, however. Many were mingling, and getting to know one another, laughing and joking around. Of course, music was a popular topic of discussion. “How long have you been singing?” “How long have you been playing guitar?” “What song are you singing tonight?” and “I love that band!” were just a few of the lines heard repeatedly that evening.

The passion for music was clearly shared by everyone, and many had very interesting musical backgrounds. One in particular, was Jeremy Ventura, a sophomore at Salve, and a drummer in the Salve Regina jazz ensemble, which he would be participating in later that night. Jeremy had been playing drums for a very long time, and over this past summer he toured for three months with the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps. Based out of Wisconsin, Jeremy and the fellow members of drum corps would travel all around the Midwest, and up and down the East coast, performing shows similar to that of a drum line.”So much more went into it though,” according to Ventura. Ventura spoke of the costumes he would wear, the marches, and the intricate beats and rhythms that the show comprised of.

Ventura admitted that adjusting to being back at school took some time, but he was excited to start another year. Although school is nothing like drum corps, Ventura still manages to get plenty of practice in. On the weekends he donates his time to students at Dartmouth High School, in his hometown back in Massachusetts. There, he has a job teaching percussion to local students, which he loves.

Sophomore Mike Stankus, a friend of Ventura’s, would be covering “Times Like These” by the Foo Fighters. It would be his second time performing in front of a large audience. When asked if he was nervous, he confidently replied that he wasn’t. It had been a while since his last performance in May at Newport’s Empire Tea and Coffee, and he couldn’t wait to get back out there, singing and playing his guitar.

It was now about 10 minutes to show time, and in walked Ryan Hurley, a senior at Salve. He would be performing one of his original songs on guitar, but had originally been played on his mandolin, which he managed to break all of the strings on. He now had five minutes to learn the entire piece on guitar. Given that the song was his, there was plenty of room to re-master and recreate, luckily. The song was called “Family Hands.” He gave the mark of a true musician as he reworked the accompaniment. Five minutes was all he needed, and song was as good as new.

Shortly after, Don St. Jean, head of the Salve music department, and the producer of the Hunger Concert, came backstage and announced to everyone that the show was about to begin.

St. Jean came out and welcomed the audience, saying that “This concert comes very early, and the Salve students are just remarkable. They have come together in such a short amount of time.”

Third to perform was Hurley. No one would have ever known he just reworked the entire accompaniment in a matter of five minutes. The lyrics of “Family Hands,” rightfully titled, were about Ryan’s family and the memories of his childhood. The piece was beautifully poetic.

The show continued with a brief 15 minute intermission. When the concert started up again, the music filled up the Great Hall and bounced off the walls.

The concert ended with Salve’s jazz ensemble. Ventura took his seat behind the giant drum set. The sound could have literally blown away the audience. If anyone were walking down Ochre Point Ave. that evening they surely would have heard the jazz band, and stopped to listen. Loud and grand is the only way to explain the sound of Salve Regina’s jazz ensemble. Ventura carried the beats steady and strong throughout. It was a perfect, grand ending, to an amazing show. For something of which had such a great cause surrounding it, the ending could not have been better.