By AARON KREIN
Arts Editor
The Saint Rose campus will serve as the host for Channel Albany’s “A Light Jazz Christmas Yuletide Celebration” special airing in December. Donald Hyman, American Studies professor and adjunct, is the head of the show “Albany Tempo Spectrum,” which has put this special together for the past six years.
After years of shooting the special in a studio, he decided to move the taping of the set to the Hubbard Interfaith Sanctuary on campus. He was looking for a place filled with the community-feel to enhance the program. With the help of Joan Horgan, Director of Campus Ministry, this special is being brought to fruition.
“The campus itself represents a diversity of beliefs. People celebrate the holidays in different ways,” said Hyman. “For example, we have students here from the Caribbean who celebrate Three Kings Day or Boxing Day. We wanted to get those perspectives too.”
The special is formed around the idea of “home for the holidays,” and Hyman is dedicated this year to getting the student’s perspective. Students from local middle schools, high schools and colleges will be involved. Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanza are among the multiple holidays that will be showcased in the special to show the diversity of the Albany community. Students from SUNY Albany will also be involved and Congressman Paul Tonko will close out the program with a New Year’s message.
“It’s focused more on younger people and students celebrating the holidays as opposed to just the older crowd,” said Hyman.
Saint Rose students Jake Lillman, Renee Kochinski, Vito Van Dunk and Alex Gibson along with UAlbany student Christine Bloecker opened the show with hostess Susan Roberts, who introduced segments.
Kochinski, who found out about the event from a Student Association meeting, was promoted at the last minute during the event.
“I did not come with intentions to be involved, but rather just support,” said Kochinski. “However, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to be one of the hostesses and I was able to introduce the men’s soccer team. I enjoyed it very much. Everyone was so nice and the event itself is a wonderful idea.”
There were many students and staff involved in the production of this special. Seven members of the men’s soccer team will wish a happy holiday to their families and the viewers on the air. Saint Rose alums Dan Milici, Steve Sullivan and Blaise Bryant will be performing individually as well as a capella group The Golden Notes. The latter group will be performing two songs, “Mary, Did You Know?” and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” The second song will be led by member Mackenzie Wright. Sr. Sean Peters, Director of Mission Experience, will also give a holiday message.
Besides performances, there will be a variety of segments such as interviews with people in the community. There will also be holiday gift suggestions and skits throughout the special. Bloeckers, who is also from Cornerstone Campus Ministries, will discuss the organization’s upcoming mission work. Opposed to the last couple of years, the majority of the special was taped in succession last Saturday at Hubbard. The Montessori Magnet School Choir’s performance was taped prior from their school and will be inserted into the special in post-production.
Hyman was influenced by the 1960s variety specials of Dean Martin and Bob Hope when putting this celebration together. Many of the decorations incorporated into the special are courtesy of St. Andrews Thrift Shop on Western Avenue. However, this time, the music and tone of the special will be “light jazz music.”
“The idea was to do the music in a different artistic format,” said Hyman.
The Stacks family, who play guitars and violins, will perform the “12 Days of Christmas.” Jayda Chance will sing “O Holy Night” and The Gazebo Effect will play “Winter Wonderland.” Bryant, a Saint Rose alum who will be playing two sets, thinks the inclusion of Saint Rose in the special is representative of a bigger picture.
“When people talk about Saint Rose over the past year or so, the main topic of conversation is, of course, the program cuts and the impact they’ve had on the College,” said Bryant. “This is a good way, not to necessarily change the conversation, but to realize there is still this sense of community throughout all of this.”
The special will be shown every day throughout the month of December on Channel Albany. Hyman says the special will probably be shown more than once on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. “Albany Tempo Spectrum,” Hyman’s show where he serves as the host and producer, is typically shown Monday through Sunday at 5 p.m.
For those who don’t have public access channels, the special will be posted online for the first time. The online posting will give families more chances to see the show. The idea was inspired by students whose parents don’t have these channels but want to see their kids participate in the special.
“If you don’t have public access, then you can go online to Open Stage Media on Demand and it will be there,” said Hyman.
Despite significant changes this year, Hyman is confident that families who tune into the taped celebration will be pleased.
“A lot of stuff will be new for people, but at the same time they’ll see that this is something special.”
