World-class trumpet player, instructor organizes the FIU Music Department Recital

Kieron Williams/Staff Writer

In between faculty and student meetings, Trumpet Instructor Jim Hacker takes a moment in his office to check on the most recent submissions for the School of Music: Department Recital.

“I’ve been coordinating this for about four years now,” said Hacker. “This is gonna be just like an evening concert, only it’ll be happening at 3:30 p.m.”

The concert on Nov. 21 will be held twice a semester and is free for University students. It will feature premier students from all different music disciplines, including jazz, winds, percussion, vocals, piano and classical guitar. Each department in the School of Music chooses all-star students to represent them that have satisfied the requirements and have displayed extraordinary talents.

The performances for next week include a vocal performance, a classical guitar piece and a trio which consists of a piano player, a violin player and a cello player.

Students invited to play in the Recital must first have already performed in an area forum within their discipline, exhibiting their talents to an audience of peers and teachers within their focus. In these area forums, the performer and the audience have a back and forth; the audience says what they like, what should be improved and the performer continues based on their criticisms.

“In these forums, we give the students that are listening an opportunity to make comments,” said Hacker, who is also director of the University Brass Choir. “It gives everyone an opportunity to learn; from a performance standpoint, they learn how to play in front of people and from a listening standpoint they learn to make observations that will help them in their own performances or for the students they may have in the future.”

Hacker is a world-class trumpet player, receiving his degree in Trumpet Performance from University of Miami in 1989 and traveling around the world as a studio musician. He has worked with everyone from Frank Sinatra, Madonna and Celia Cruz to James Brown, Aretha Franklin and Gloria Estefan. He is also the director of the FIU Studio Jazz Big Band and performs with them a day before the Recital.

Hacker has been teaching at the University for 18 years and has always had a hand in the Recital since 2009.

“This is kind of their chance to shine,” Hacker said. “No responses from the audience for this. One or two students from each area get to perform and showcase their talent. It’s kind of a way to reward them for their preparation and their good performances at the area forums, getting to perform for all the music students and most of the faculty.”

-news@fiusm.com