Reaction to William McNally Piano Concert Essay

I attended the Music concert at the Lefrak Hall, Queens College on Wednesday 23rd October 2013. The event was scheduled to kickoff at 12.30 pm. The guest artist of the event was William McNally a piano specialist and musician. He has won several awards in recognition of his good works and contribution to rag time music. Rag time music incorporates piano beats with a varying rhythms leaving within one composition of a song. The event was organized by Queens College.
There were several performances by William McNally. He began with performing ‘Stop time Rag’ by Scott Joplin, ‘Top Liner Rag’ by Joseph Lamb, ‘Kitten on the Keys’ by Edward Elzear ‘Zez’ Confrey, ‘Toccata sur La Shimmy “Kitten on the Keys ” ‘ by Irwin Schulhoff, Igor Stravinsky’s ‘Piano Rag Music’, William Bolcom’s ‘Three Ghost Rags’, Arthur Schutt’s ‘Piano Puzzle’ and “‘Bluin’ the Black keys”, Vincent Matthew Johnson’s ‘88 Reasons to Love the Piano, and Ten Reasons You Can Love Me Too’. The last event of the concert was his song ‘Black Unicorn’. The event was attended by more than 450 students.
The event was completely successful and the organizers had considered every aspect of any successful concert. The stage, the aesthetics and the computer controlled lighting on stage coupled with the high quality sound was really a compliment for them. William did not fail the crowd. His performances were utterly amazing. His masterly of the piano and ability to change rhythms within each performance was beyond mere professionalism. Despite the fact that the event was only organized to present rag music, the audience was never bored for a second. The excitement was just awesome from the first performance to the very end with the crowd left reeling for more once William was out of stage.
William McNally’s movements while playing the piano added the extra bite of romanticism in the event. His attire and the setting of the stage around the piano with several sound receivers around him were completely amazing. He did not strain a moment throughout the performance. When he played my favorite ‘88 Reasons to Love the Piano, and Ten Reasons You Can Love Me Too’, I was totally moved by the emotions. The same reaction could manifest itself from the crowd as everyone gave him a standing ovation towards the end of this particular song. This event was attested the immense talent that William McNally possesses as a vocalist and as an instrumentalist. His awards are a manifestation of his ability to combine and balance his vocals and instrumentals. The crowd could not question how he has won so many wards at the end of this event.
For anyone who has passion for ragtime music, I would recommend attending such an event especially when William McNally’s name comes into the fold. You will not only be entertained but also learn the skill of navigating smoothly between vocals, instruments and body language to deliver the content and still move the crowd. For music students, it was an awesome event that brought into life, the theoretical skills we have all along learnt in the classroom. Of all the music concerts I have attended in the Lefrak Hall, I cannot recall one that can compare to this. It will remain etched in my memory. For me, William McNally is already a legend as a pianist. Such talent is rare. The organizers couldn’t have done better. It was a concert to remember.