Have an idea for a story? M arts@theotherpress.ca Spring concerts from the Music Department > Upcoming performances by Douglas students and ensembles Caroline Ho Arts Editor he Douglas College Music Department is holding several concerts in the next few weeks as part of the Spring 2017 Concert Series. These events will showcase the artistry and dedication of Douglas music students and community members. The upcoming concerts will take place in the Laura C. Muir Performing Arts Theatre, and with the exception of Arts at One, all shows will begin at 7:30 p.m. Arts at One Arts at One concerts are held almost every Thursday at 1 p.m. during the Fall and Winter semesters, and the shows coming up at the end of the term are especially worth checking out. March 30 is the first Student Showcase Concert, April 6 is the Student Ensemble Concert, and April 13 is the second Student Showcase Concert, which also includes the Long & McQuade Fist’: Bad, but@ddly > ‘Iron Fist’ show review Greg Waldock Staff Writer News Tron Fist might be the most contentious Marvel show yet. Mired in controversy surrounding race politics, poor casting, and extremely negative early reviews, the much- maligned series was finally released to the general public on March 17. Danny Rand is the only child of the billionaire CEO of Rand Enterprises. He and his family crash land and Student Recognition Awards. These three concerts, and all Arts at One concerts, are completely free, giving audiences a chance to appreciate the countless hours of learning and practice put in by talented music students over the past few months. Choirs in Concert (Saturday, March 25) Unfortunately, this event is already over, but this lovely show was performed by the Douglas College Chorus and Chorale vocal groups, directed by Eric Hannan. The concert included a broad selection of beautiful works, including Arvo Part’s haunting and evocative Salve Regina, the harmonious Missa Brevis by Benjamin Britten, and many more musical pieces. This event took place off-campus at the Queens Avenue United Church. Awards Benefit Concert (Friday, March 31) Featuring the Douglas College Choirs and Concert Band, this concert is held yearly for the Douglas College Award 3 ie presumably die in the Himalayas, but Danny is rescued by monks of K’un-Lun, a mystical interdimensional monastery that only appears on Earth every 15 years. He is trained to become the legendary living weapon, the titular Iron Fist. The show kicks off with Danny reappearing 15 years after his crash in New York, seeking his company and his friends. The series is, undeniably, the worst Netflix-produced Marvel show to date. Following in the astounding footsteps of shows as complex as Daredevil, Jessica Fund for Music Students. The concert is free for students, $10 for general admission, and $5 for seniors. The proceeds go towards supporting the students of the Music Department. Current Sound Waves VI (Thursday, April 6) The sixth annual Current Sound Waves recognizes the skills of students in the two-year Music Technology Diploma Program directed by Blair Fisher, and the Douglas College Midi Ensemble directed by Robert Caldwell. Students in Music Technology develop expertise in areas like audio recording, studio maintenance, sequencing and sampling, and developing music for film, video, and other media— skills that are sure to show up in the compositions and recordings performed at this event, which is free for all audiences. Student Composition Concert (Friday, April 7) Presenting a collection of freshly-written s of ‘Iron watchable Jones, and Luke Cage, Iron Fist was an opportunity to introduce magic and the mystic arts to the “street-level heroes” that will eventually become The Defenders. It flubbed, and it flubbed hard. But damned if there isn’t something so incredibly fascinating about the unorthodox character archetypes in this show. In fact, “unorthodox” is pretty much the best word for this show. A character based entirely around stylish kung-fu has the worst fight choreography of all The Defenders. Cliché and poorly- (Y War of the words (¥Y YouTube music video classics: ‘Green Light’ by Lorde ¥ A faire deal And more! works, the Student Compositions Concert directed by Doug Smith showcases original pieces created by Douglas music students over the past semester. Last semester’s concert featured a stunning variety of songs, from moving piano solos to full-on musical numbers with vocals and small ensembles. This term’s edition of the concert is sure to be just as riveting, and it also has free admission. An Evening of Jazz (Monday, April 10) Fans of Big Band are sure to have a fantastic evening listening to lively performances by Douglas College’s Night Band and Dues Band. The Dues Band is largely made up of full-time music students, while the Night Band contains both talented Douglas students and experienced music professionals, and has performed across the country. An Evening of Jazz is directed by Blair Fisher and John Van Deursen. General admission tickets are $10, and admission for seniors is $5, while the show is free for students. acted villains become fascinating and poorly-acted villains. The music score features a heavy synth bass that has nothing to do with China, New York, or the lead character. It’s just an odd show fill with odd choices. If it were a better show, I'd be calling it “daring and risk- taking” instead of “terrible and weird.” More and more articles and interviews are revealing an incredibly rushed production and some messiness behind-the-scenes. Poor Finn Jones, who plays Danny Rand, could have been a really interesting and creative casting choice, but he allegedly had only a handful of minutes to memorize fight scenes. The writing is so sloppy it could only be the result of scripts being hastily rewritten while shooting. Whatever recipe for success Netflix and Marvel had for the previous three shows, it just doesn’t exist here. If the series weren't so integral to the incoming The Defenders miniseries, I would recommend skipping it entirely. Only a die-hard MCU fan could get much enjoyment out of it—more casual fans should alternate between Iron Fist and a Daredevil palate-cleanser. Hopefully this isn’t a sign of things to come for The Defenders and Punisher.