Music Department Benefits Non-Music Major

Brainard Mwansa is able to express his passion for music at Southwestern.

(Edited by Jaime Baldwin)

Southwestern Adventist University’s music department held its first student recital on Thursday night, Sept. 18. Southwestern is made up of hundreds of students who each have a story to tell. For some, music allows them to share their story.

A few years ago at a high school recital, Brainard Mwansa, senior finance and accounting major, experienced a moment that changed his life. After taking years of piano lessons and competitions, somewhere along the way he lost his love for music. As he was sitting in the audience that afternoon with little intent on paying attention, he recalls hearing the most beautiful tenor saxophone and piano accompaniment. Almost in tears, he felt as though he was being called to minister with his talent. The pianist, Johann Dwayne Adap, now one of Mwansa’s musical mentors, told him something he would never forget. Adap said, “Never stop loving the music. It’s all we have.”

Mwansa has now gone on to display his musical abilities in various events and continues to be a regular performer in musical recitals held at Southwestern Adventist University.

There’s something about music that brings people together. Jonathan Wall, music department chair, began the year with a voice recital. The department plans to have several recitals over the course of the school year, with the next one scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 2. Dr. Rudyard Dennis, music professor, will perform at Wharton Auditorium. Hannah Marchok, another performer and observer of the programs, says, “One of the things that I like about recitals is the chance to practice performing…it’s a nice way to share different styles of music with the university.”

People from all different walks of life, nationalities, and languages gather in attendance for the love of one thing: music. “One of my favorite recitals was when a bunch of us pianists played a collection of 12 pieces together,” says Marchok.

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