Last week the Student Activities Board (SAB) held another Noon Tunes session, this time featuring two of Waynesburg University’s very own students, junior psychology major Tess Marlin and senior biochemistry major Andrew Gordon.
“I had jokingly brought up the idea to a member of SAB and they discussed it with Pat Bristor, and she then asked if we would want to perform in February,” Marlin said.
This isn’t the first time student musicians took over Noon Tunes. Last semester, SAB had two WU students perform at Noon Tunes with senior communication majors Joshua Hughes and Silas Mays. Marlin and Gordon are both actively involved with music-related activities on campus.
They both participate in the Lamplighters choir and the spring musical. Gordon is also the drummer for Upper Room, but for Noon Tunes, he played the keyboard while singing as Marlin sang alongside him.
“I love being able to make students’ days brighter with music. Just being on stage and knowing everyone was interacting and having a good time, partially because of our simple love for making music, was exhilarating,” Gordon said.
They performed many of their favorite songs, according to Marlin, which included “The Bones” by Marren Morris, “You Were Good to Me” by Chelsea Cutler and Jeremy Zucker, “Fingers Crossed” by Lauren Spencer Smith, and more. Marlin said that the common theme of these songs was “love” which was fitting for Valentine’s Day.
The two students performed on the Beehive stage during lunch on Wednesday, Feb. 9, and not only performed for fellow students, but friends. Not to mention, Noon Tunes is an untraditional performance format, as the audience is generally not paying as much attention as they would for a recital or concert. Students would stop by for several minutes before heading over to class, while some would eat lunch while doing homework or socializing.
“It was kind of nerve wracking,” Marlin said. “I have been performing my entire life but doing it in front of people while they are walking in and out is a new thing. We had to gauge whether everyone was enjoying our songs or not, but it was a lot of fun.”
Marlin said has been singing her entire life, and her mother jokes that she sang before she spoke. She notes that music runs in the family and it is a major part of her life.
“Most of my friendships and relationships started because of either band, choir, or theater,” Marlin said. “Being able to sing with someone that means so much to me just makes this opportunity that much more special to me.”
Gordon, too, has been singing since he was young, mainly through his church. He attributes much of his musical involvement to worship in Christian ministry.
“To me, music represents an astounding gift that God gave to us, which also provides a glimpse into what heaven might be like,” Gordon said.
The pair expressed their graciousness in being given the opportunity to perform for their fellow students, but also noted how great it is to see music bring people together.
“After all, there’s no feeling quite like singing together with the people you love,” Gordon said. “There’s something about music that unites us as humans.”