The Faculty/Guest Recital will take place on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. at VSU’s Whitehead Auditorium on the first floor of the Fine Arts Building. The recital will showcase the classical stylings of several faculty members including faculty flutist Dr. Elizabeth Goode and faculty pianist Dr. Joshua Pifer.

Both Dr. Goode and Dr. Pifer are classically trained musicians that have been playing for over 25 years each.

Q. What sparked your interest in the flute/piano?

A. “When I was 12-years-old, my brother played the trombone in the band, “Dr. Goode said.  “My parents were chaperoning a trip to this honor band festival. I heard this girl play the flute and I just fell in love with it. It really just sparked my interest in it and I’ve been playing ever since.”

“My parents played me a lot of classical music LP’s as a young child, “Dr Piper said. “I fell in love with the sound and that’s probably the beginning of my interest with it.”

Q. What will you all be playing for the recital?

A. “We’re playing three pieces together–two short pieces by American composers and one by a Russian composer. Pifer will be playing two solo pieces by himself,” Dr. Goode said. “They’re all really nice, beautiful and easy to listen to pieces.”

Q. How do you prepare for a recital?

A. “I just have to take advantage of whenever I can find the time,” Dr. Goode said. “I try to put it in as part of my schedule, so I just schedule it around my teaching whether I have 15 minutes or 30 minutes.”

“How an athlete prepares for the Olympics or a big important meet or tournament, it’s the same approach, lots and lots of hours of practice,” Dr. Pifer said. “You practice your tail off. It’s just like preparing for anything. If you’re collaborating with someone it’s rehearsing.”

Q. What advice do you have for students with upcoming recitals?

A. “You have to really be diligent and consistent or else it doesn’t work,” Dr. Goode said.  “Practice a lot–don’t put it off.  You can’t cram for a recital– much more like an athlete than an academic thing.”

“Practice your music both with the instrument and away from the instrument– studying the score,” Dr. Pifer said. “It’s very important to spend time with the score and to practice very slowly. Before the concert, just spend your time running through the music.”

Q. What can the VSU and Valdosta/Lowndes community expect from the recital?

A. “They can expect a really enjoyable evening and beautiful music that won’t take too much of their time,” Dr. Goode said. “We’ll have them out of there in less than an hour. It’s all fun and easy to listen to music.”

“An enjoyment of the music, we’re doing a lot of contemporary music stuff that is not often heard and expansion of their horizon,” Dr Pifer said. “We’re having fun on stage playing so hopefully they’ll be able to spend an hour just enjoying and being able to place themselves from real life and somewhere good for a whole hour.”

Q. What would you all like for students to take away from the recital?

A. “I just hope they’ll get a good sense of what it means to collaborate together,” Dr Goode said. “He’s a really amazing pianist.”

“The enjoyment of the music and hopefully expanding their horizon of music they haven’t heard,” Dr. Pifer said. “Every time I go hear a concert I get inspired to practice a lot harder– that’s what I’m hoping for.”