By Jessica Booth
Sophomore George Hemcher seems to be made from a different breed then the typical college male-instead of sitting in his dorm room playing video games for hours, he spends the majority of his time in class or working in the music department. And instead of listening to only rap or alternative music, he is interested in a genre that most college students never even consider giving a chance: classical.
A music merchandising major, Hemcher, 19-years-old, has been playing the piano since he was about seven-years-old, but he only started getting very interested in the music when he was in high school. This was when he started seriously practicing and getting involved in many music activities at his school. His preferred music genre to play is classical, and his favorite composer is Liszt.
“I play too many things by him and not enough by anyone else,” he says.
Hemcher’s workload is far busier then a lot of college students can even imagine, as he combines his love of piano with schoolwork and the occasional odd job. However, despite all of this time consuming work, Hemcher seems relaxed and at ease.
“I do find free time,” he laughs. “Sometimes there is free time. It’s not always there though.”
Hemcher is the student assistant for the secretary of the music department, and is also the stage crew manager for the department. As the manager, he helps set up for recitals and get things organized for the vocalists. Outside of the University, he teaches piano lessons about two times a week to younger teens from areas such as Garden City and Bellmore.
He also takes on some side jobs such as accompanying students who are auditioning for NYSSMA and doing different performances on his own. Over the past summer, he worked at the American Cancer Research Center, where he was a telephone secretary. On top of all of this, Hemcher takes 18 credits every semester.
It seems like too much for any one person to handle, but Hemcher enjoys the work. “If I wasn’t doing all of this stuff, I would be so bored,” he says.
As if that weren’t enough, Hemcher spent the past month of winter break working instead of taking some time off. He worked for the music department as the piano accompaniment for the opera they put on.
“I got to work really closely with the director and conductor,” says Hemcher. “It was a fantastic experience because you got to consume yourself with the Italian language and the art of stage theater and opera. Even though it was technically a job, it didn’t feel like a job because it was so much fun. It was tiring but rewarding-I know that’s kind of a nerdy and clichéd thing to say.”
While working for the opera, Hemcher played the piano for the rehearsals since it is impossible for the full orchestra to be there performing everyday. He also helped to coach the vocalists and make sure they were pronouncing everything correctly in Italian.
This kind of work is exactly what Hemcher wants to do when he graduates from the University. He plans on going to graduate school for collaborative piano accompaniment, and from there he wants to work for different opera companies assisting vocalists and instrumentalists. But for right now, Hemcher is enjoying his days at the University.
“I’ve only been here for a year and a half, and I’ve gotten so involved,” he says. “It just amazes me that I have two more years left after this.”