On Wednesday, November 11, at 6pm Heather Laurel of the music theory faculty will give a talk in the Iger Lecture Hall, room 2105 in the James J. Whalen Center for Music.  Laurel will focus on Ani DiFranco's most recent political songs demonstrating how DiFranco's recording techniques, in conjunction with her musical, lyrical, and performative choices, embody DiFranco's musical-political persona.  DiFranco will be appearing at the State Theatre on Friday, November 13 at 8pm.  www.stateofithaca.com

The Ithaca Brass will present a free concert on Monday, November 9 at 7 p.m. in the Hockett Family Recital Hall in the James J. Whalen Center for Music.  The program spans the musical centuries from Sweelinck to Ravel to Andre Previn and Victor Ewald.

The Ithaca Wind Quintet’s fall concert will take place on Thursday, November 5 at 8:15 p.m. in the Hockett Family Recital Hall.  The free concert will include a wide range of music, including Ligeti, Paquito D’Rivera, Liadov, and Steven Stucky.

The Ithaca College Brass Choir will be joined by brass-playing students from Boynton Middle School for a free concert at 7 p.m. on Thursday, November 5 in Ford Hall.  Besides playing with their respective groups, the two ensembles will join together for part of the program, giving the middle schoolers the rare opportunity to make music with advanced players.  Keith Kaiser and Michael Allen will conduct.  Music of Bach, Vaughan Williams, Sousa, Tschesnokov, and others is on the program.  

The Ithaca College Contemporary Chamber Ensemble will present a free concert  on Wednesday, November 4 at 8:15 pm in the Hockett Family Recital Hall in the James J. Whalen Center for Music.  Under the direction of Jeffery Meyer and Richard Faria, the ensemble combines faculty and student musicians for music of our time by Saariaho, Adès, and Stucky.  The second half of the concert will be Arnold Schoenberg’s “Pierrot Lunaire” led by graduate conductor Jesse Livingston and with sopranos Katie Cohen, Sarah Toth, and Ashley Carver.