By Foster Conner
Assignments Editor
Members of Amarillo College are getting ready for a new season of the arts with the “Keep Us Live” Arts Performance Series, a five-event series designed to unite students, faculty and the community through music, theatre and visual art.
Dr. Bruce Lin, director of piano and one of the organizers, said the series began in 2021 as the AC Piano Series. “There’s a theme for each event – for example, the first one is centered around Gospels and Gershwin.”
The first performance, From Canvas to Concert: Gospel & Gershwin, will take place in the basement of the Amarillo National Bank College Union Building, at 6 p.m on Tuesday, Oct. 7. Guests can explore student art exhibits, enjoy live demonstrations, and participate in interactive, hands-on art activities. A Raku pottery firing will take place in the Kiln Yard, and artwork created by both students and faculty will be available for purchase.
A reception will be held afterward, and then the public is invited to the Amarillo College Concert Hall Theatre at 7:30 p.m. for a free concert by Lin and adjunct faculty member Jayson Bishop. The two will perform a program that blends the swinging rhythms of George Gershwin with the uplifting energy of gospel music.
The “Keep Us Live” series is funded through donations and memberships that support Amarillo College’s fine arts, theatre and music programs. Dr. Bruce Lin, director of piano and one of the series’ organizers, said the series offers students valuable opportunities to perform while giving the Amarillo community access to high-quality, no-cost performances.
“Free does not need to be second-best,” Lin said.
He added that donor support helps sustain the series and allows students to continue learning and performing in front of live audiences.
“We’re trying to bring arts, community and music to Amarillo,” Lin said. “Our donors kindly assist in funding us to be able to do that.”
The second concert in the series, Nov. 11, will honor veterans with music. The Veterans Day concert will feature performances designed to honor service members and their families, bringing together student and faculty talent in a community-wide tribute.
The third concert, known as the Honor Recital, will feature top-performing Amarillo College students. Lin said the event gives standout performers a chance to gain experience in a professional concert setting.
From there, the series will move into a wide-ranging program featuring musical diversity. “The fourth concert is entitled “Bach to Rock and everything in between,” Lin said. The concert will feature a number of different genres and styles, showcasing the versatility of AC’s music program and the range of expertise its students acquire during their studies.
The fifth and last performance in the series will feature the theatre program. “Our last performance is a theatre production of ‘Spring Awakening,’ Lin said. The play will conclude the 2024–2025 series in May, which will be the culmination of a year’s worth of work in putting the spotlight on the performing arts in a diversity of disciplines.
“The arts are what bring us together,” Lin said. “Through visual art, music and theatre, our students learn to express themselves and our community gets to see the value of what we do here at Amarillo College.”
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