By David Reagan, Contributing writer
Courtesy photo
On Feb. 25, professional folk singer Austin Hartley-Leonard was flown out from Los Angeles to Durant, to give an interactive lecture at SE about the music industry, to hold a local singer/songwriter critique and to perform a concert for the public.
Dr. Stacy Weger, director of choral activities and professor of music, organized the occasion because a special donation was made for the students to have this specific type of educational experience.
The day consisted of three parts: a morning lecture which followed with a question and answer session, a singer/songwriter symposium in the afternoon and a solo concert by Hartley-Leonard that evening.
According to Weger, the other reason for booking the interactive workshop and the concert was that “It is a way to reach out and connect with students who are pursuing their B.A. in Music and encourage a more hands-on approach.”
In his lecture that morning Hartley-Leonard spoke about how to succeed in the music industry through giving examples of his progression as an aspiring musician when he was in their situation.
In regards to this aspect Weger said, “He’s a good person to learn from because he’s been there. In fact, right now he’s on the verge of some big things, but of course it’s a process. Nobody is an overnight success. There’s simply no such thing.”
According to Weger, Hartley-Leonard talked about having a game plan in place and going about it strategically instead of haphazardly.
He talked about marketing one’s music and its genre to a specific audience and geographical location.
Hartley-Leonard emphasized that a musician’s market is what actually makes them money.
Weger said, “Most musicians want to stay nearby their hometown, but the reality is that you’ll probably have to move.”
Hartley-Leonard said that he soon realized his geographical location was a big factor in his success as he moved from his hometown of Nashville, Tenn. to Austin, Texas and again to Los Angeles.
Later, at the singer/songwriter symposium that afternoon, Hartley-Leonard listened to and critiqued six different original student performances in the Fine Arts Recital Hall. Performances consisted mostly of individuals, but there was also one duet and one band performance.
As a talented local musician, student Kristal Wharry was asked to open up the performances with one of her original songs she had written. After listening to each following piece, Hartley-Leonard gave some general advice as well as advice specific to the student’s personal style.
Weger said that this setting was intended to be educational and entertaining. After the critique, Hartley-Leonard talked about his own songwriting techniques and explained his process.
Many of the students who played for Hartley-Leonard were not music majors as one might expect. Weger said, “I am excited that it reached across other majors and that it wasn’t just limited to our music department. It incorporated many other students throughout the school.”
Nicholas Vance, a student who attended the day’s events and picked Hartley-Leonard up from the airport, said, “I didn’t ever see myself as a singer/songwriter because I’m actually an education major, but I found his talks about the industry and how it works to be really interesting and educational. He was really very down to earth — friendly and welcoming.”
After getting back from the airport at 2 a.m., Vance sat down with him at Dandy’s Donuts and just talked. Vance describes him as an open and cool guy who’s verbal about the idea that he wants everybody in his field to truly succeed after him.
According to Weger, “The audience was very receptive to it (Hartley-Leonard’s concert that evening). He got everybody laughing and relaxed. They loved him!”
Many viewers of Hartley-Leonard’s concert have been unable to come to a unified agreement on exactly what his music genre should be classified as, including: indie, pop, americana, folk and country.
While Hartley-Leonard has yet to decide on any one description officially, Weger classifies him in his professional opinion as folk/americana with a pop edge.
Jocelyn Batts, a senior in music degree program said, “His style really incorporated an evenness and balance of theory, writing and performance. This is what I think he was trying to teach us.”
According to Weger, this educational opportunity was only possible through a financial contribution, saying, “An anonymous donor actually sponsored the entire event because he strongly believes in the students here and wants to invest in them. He has done much to support education at this university. Regardless, it was a fun concert, I know that much!”
Weger explained that the music program at SE is firmly rooted in performance and listening opportunities mostly in classical music and thinks it was good to have some balance for the first time. He notes that there were even students who stayed after the concert saying that they wanted him to come back every year.