Story by Bridgette McAuliffe, Staff writer

Photo by Bridgette McAuliffe/The News

Murray State music students received class credit for going to a local bar.

The Blue and Gold jazz combos performed at Tap 216 on Monday, Nov. 12. Murray State music students who are enrolled in Recital Attendance and Assembly received class credit for watching the ensembles perform.

Ensembles within the department perform off-campus at conferences and high school tours often, but many of the music students said they have never before received recital-attendance credit for going to a commercial gig.

Tanner Bertram, from Murray, was a member of the Jazz Orchestra and one of the jazz combos when he attended Murray State and is excited that the students are gaining commercial
gig experience.

“It’s really cool to see them get off campus and actually get to experience the real world,”
Bertram said.

Though performing in front of peers on campus is a required part of a music degree, Bertram, who is a professional DJ, said it’s totally different than commercial gigging.

“So many of the students have very minimal real-world experience playing outside of the University,” Bertram said. “University-sanctioned events are totally different than grinding it out on the streets and
playing gigs.”

Jake Powderly, senior from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, heard about the event when the ensemble director, Todd Hill, told him about it in class.

“You can see the students’ reactions on stage and how they enjoy performing out of the traditional setting,” Powderly said. “It’s an easier-going venue than a recital hall.”

Tesla Like, junior from Murray, came out to support her many friends that play in the jazz combos.

“It’s going to get their names out there and allow them to gig on their own,” Like said. “It’s going to get them exposure.”

Like is excited that people like her roommate, Kevin Kortz, junior from Paducah, Kentucky, are getting real-life experience from commercial gigging.
Kortz, a music business major who hopes to make performing his full-time career, values the experience of getting off campus and exposing himself to a new audience.

“I think students are so used to playing in recital halls and this gives us a different experience and atmosphere,” Kortz said. “We’re out in the public and that’s really fun.”