Written by Jessica Ingram

The Valdosta Symphony Orchestra, VSO, held a French festival family concert on Sunday afternoon at Whitehead Auditorium in the VSU Fine Arts building.

According to Howard Hsu, music director of the VSO, the French theme of the festival was to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the French composer, Claude Debussy’s birth.

The event was unique– not only did the VSO play, but art students from VSU were incorporated in to the program. The artists were asked to draw what the music inspired from them, as the orchestra played Debussy’s La Mer “The Sea”.

Hsu described “La Mer” as a piece written by Debussy from his memory of the ocean while he was landlocked. The piece was completed in 1905.

The six artists created art as the orchestra played the piece of music and there were three projector screens and cameras set up to show the audience what the artists were creating in real time.

“It’s a great way to express yourself,” Meredith Williams, junior philosophy major who participated in creating the inspired art, said.

Williams also said that creating art along with the music is great because you are able to show how you are directly feeling.

The artists used a variety of different materials to complete their art. Some of the supplies even included tape and a spray water bottle. The participants also switched places within the three people at each table to use teamwork to complete their pieces of art and give new spins on each person’s piece.

The VSO also played other pieces of music by French composers, such as Maurice Ravel and Fernande Decruck.

The featured saxophone soloist was Joren Cain, an associate professor of saxophone and director of the New Jazz Ensemble at VSU.

The first song Cain plays in is “Noel,” a song that is inspired by a French Christmas carol.

According to Cain, the saxophone was first shown and played in France.

The VSO does not usually collaborate with other departments.

“We will usually create a concert program based on a common theme,” Hsu said. “However, it is a special occasion to collaborate with a group such as VSU’s art department and create a special concert that combines the musical and visual.”

After the concert was over the audience members were able to go to the front of the stage where the drawings were, and take a closer look at what was created and inspired from the music of Debussy.

The orchestra was made up of majority string instruments, with a handful of wind instruments and percussion. The VSO played three different pieces with two of the pieces having subsections in with the piece.