PRESS RELEASE
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS
COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS AND COMMUNICATION
October 9, 2013
CONTACT: Christian Carichner, (501) 450-5759; ccarichner@uca.edu
OCTUBAFEST RETURNS TO BRING IN HALLOWEEN SEASON
By Holly Morrison
College of Fine Arts and Communication Media Office
CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas’s Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall will be filled with the sound of tubas and euphoniums at the end of October.
Octubafest, a scary celebration of all things tuba, happens over two nights in “Octuba”—Oct. 29 and 31. Both concerts are in the Snow Fine Arts Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.
The performances, composed primarily of tubas and euphoniums, will include music and skits. Octubafest aims to highlight the diversity of the tuba and ways that it can be melodic and even virtuosic.
Christian Carichner, assistant professor of tuba and euphonium in the UCA Department of Music, encouraged people of all ages to come enjoy the concerts.
“These two concerts are a great chance for people to see the tuba and euphonium in a different light,” he said. “Usually, we’re stuck in the back of the band playing ‘OomPah’ but now we get to sit at the front of the stage and play the melody.”
Tuesday night’s performance will feature several soloists from the tuba euphonium studio as well as student quartets. Thursday night is the traditional “Octubaween” performance that features soloists, quartets and some skits — all done in costume with free candy.
“Octubaween is in its sixth year on campus, and the students have enjoyed the performance so much we decided to add a second night of performances,” Carichner said. “The quartets have been working really hard on some challenging music so the performances should be exceptional—and there’s free candy.”
Jessica Parker, a student in the UCA Department of Music, said she was very excited to perform in Octubafest for a third consecutive year.
“It is so much fun, and everyone in the show is talented,” she said. “We sound great together.”
For more information, contact Carichner at (501) 450-5759 or ccarichner@uca.edu.
The UCA College of Fine Arts and Communication includes the Departments of Art, Communication, Mass Communication and Theatre, Music and Writing. The college’s primary mission is the preparation of the next generation of artists, educators and communicators. For more information about CFAC, visit www.uca.edu/cfac or call (501) 450-3293.
– 30 –
