HIGH POINT, N.C., Sept. 20, 2016 – High Point University will host the following events in October as part of the Community Enrichment Series. All of these events are open to the public. Tickets are not required unless otherwise noted.
Triad residents can sign up to receive email updates from HPU about events throughout the year at www.highpoint.edu/community.
HPU Department of Music Presents: How To Make Your Voice Last a Lifetime, to be held at 11 a.m. on Oct. 1 in the Pauline Theater of Hayworth Fine Arts Center. Singers and career speakers are vocal athletes: They require their voices to be in peak condition to accomplish super-human vocal feats. As a result, they are at high risk for developing vocal injuries. Performing Voice Specialist Leda Scearce from the Duke Voice Care Center will reveal how the voice works, illustrate typical voice problems that can result from misuse, and provide strategies and guidelines to help maintain optimal vocal health and avoid vocal disasters.
Phoenix Reading Series: Sarah Hogan, to be held at 7 p.m. on Oct. 6 in the Plato S. Wilson Commerce Building Ballroom. Hogan is an assistant professor of English at Wake Forest University. She is currently completing a book of Renaissance literary criticism, “Island Worlds and Other Englands: Utopia, Capital, Empire (1516-1660).” Her writing has appeared in The Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies, The Journal of Early Modern Cultural Studies, Upstart, The Collagist, and The Rumpus.
HPU Theatre Presents “The 39 Steps,” to be held at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 6-8 and Oct. 10-12 in the Empty Space Theatre. A limited number of complimentary tickets will be available for the general public by contacting the HPU Campus Concierge at 336-841-4636 or [email protected]. Adapted by Patrick Barlow, the play is a fast-paced whodunit that mixes the elements of a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel and a bit of Monty Python. The New York Times calls it, “Theatre at its finest … Absurdly enjoyable!”
Outdoor Movies: Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” and “North by Northwest,” to be held at 8 p.m. on Oct. 7 in the Alumni Avenue Amphitheater. HPU will host a special outdoor screening of two classic Alfred Hitchcock films, “The Birds” and “North by Northwest.” Nicknamed “The Master of Suspense,” Alfred Hitchcock received AFI’s Life Achievement Award in 1979 for his directing in more than 50 feature films. “The Birds” and “North by Northwest” present two sides of his genius for the thriller. “The Birds” begins as a story of romance that soon twists into darkness when a peaceful village is attacked by masses of birds. “North by Northwest” is Hitchcock at his most entertaining, delivering a gripping yet humorous tale of mistaken identity and international intrigue.
Mazzjazz, to be held at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 8 in the Hayworth Fine Arts Center, Pauline Theatre. Department of Music faculty member Mark Mazzatenta (guitar) along with his twin brother, Michael (piano), write original music for the band, which combines classical, jazz, improvisation and cinematic elements. Mazzjazz also plays rearrangements of songs such as “Over the Rainbow” and “Pink Panther.” The band includes Wolfgang Planz on bass and guest artist Max Wood on drums. They also will host a free drum workshop from 1-3 p.m. on Oct. 8 in room 116 of Hayworth Fine Arts Center.
Symphonic Band Presents “Pops in the Park,” to be held at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 10 in the Alumni Avenue Amphitheater. The band is excited to offer a fun, varied program of popular music since 1960. Featuring songs by the Beatles, hits from the ‘80s, and “Harry Potter,” this concert is certain to offer something for everyone. Bring your lawn chair and enjoy an evening of music outdoors.
Gender, Politics and Election 2016, to be held at 7 p.m. on Oct. 12 in Phillips Hall, Francis Auditorium. Dr. Alixandra Yanus, assistant professor of political science, will discuss the role of gender in voting habits and candidates’ decisions to run for elected office. In addition to looking at the role of gender in the 2016 Presidential election, Yanus’ talk will explore the source and scope of gender barriers in government participation, as well as what can be done to narrow the gender gap in politics for future generations. The YWCA High Point will conduct a voter registration drive at the event.
Film Screening and Panel Discussion: “Can You Dig This?” to be held at 7 p.m. on Oct. 26 in Phillips Hall, Francis Auditorium. As part of an urban gardening movement taking root in South Los Angeles, people are planting to transform their neighborhoods and are changing their own lives in the process. Calling for people to put down their guns and pick up their shovels, these self-titled “gangster gardeners” are creating an oasis in the middle of one of the most notoriously dangerous places in America. “Can You Dig This?” follows the journeys of four of these unlikely gardeners and the transformative power of community. After the screening there will be a panel discussion with representatives from some of High Point’s community gardens.
Phoenix Reading Series: J. D. Daniels, to be held at 7 p.m. on Oct. 27 in the Plato S. Wilson Commerce Building Ballroom. Can civilization save us from ourselves? That is the question J. D. Daniels asks in his first book, a series of six letters written during dark nights of the soul. Working from his own highly varied experience as a janitor, night watchman, adjunct professor, drunk, exterminator and dutiful son, he considers how far books, learning and psychoanalysis can get us, and how much we’re stuck in the mud. Daniels is the recipient of a 2016 Whiting Award and The Paris Review’s 2013 Terry Southern Prize. His “Letter from Majorca” was selected for The Best American Essays 2013.
HPU Chamber Music Recital: “Euphonium Euphoria,” to be held at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 27 in Charles E. Hayworth Memorial Chapel. Brian Meixner, associate professor of music, will perform a faculty chamber recital featuring himself on euphonium, Ben Blozan on piano, and several other colleagues in various combinations of instruments.
Percussion Ensemble Concert, to be held at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 29 in the Hayworth Fine Arts Center, Pauline Theatre. With the variety of sounds the percussion ensemble can produce, this concert will offer something for everyone. Trios, large percussion orchestra and soloists will captivate both the eyes and ears of audience members.
North Carolina Youth Brass Band Concert, to be held at 3 p.m. on Oct. 30 in the Hayworth Fine Arts Center, Pauline Theatre. The North Carolina Youth Brass Band, under the direction of Associate Professor of Music Brian Meixner, is an auditioned ensemble composed of high school brass and percussion students from across the region. In residence at HPU, the NCYBB provides an opportunity for young musicians to develop their skills and musicianship while playing fun and exciting music in a 20-plus member brass band. This first concert of the NCYBB’s 2016-17 season is titled “Brass Around the World” and will feature a wide range of repertoire from various world cultures.