College News

Eight students recorded artists in the program’s recording studio on the Northeast campus here as well as on location over the past several months.

This is the 27^th year the department has produced an album. Timothy Miller, who began the audio recording technology program in 1983, supervises the sophomore student projects and acts as executive producer of the album. Students in his classes are actively involved in the recording and producing of the disc, which includes both vocal and instrumentals.

Anthony Beardslee, audio recording instructor, said they choose selections for the album by looking at a list of holiday songs that are available in the public domain while original compositions are also considered.

“Once all the recordings are finished, the students will listen to all of the entries, make critiques and notes, and decide which songs will make the final cut,” he said.

Beardslee said work on the production begins over a year in advance.

“We actually start discussing the project with students during the spring semester of their freshman year. But the real work begins at the start of the fall semester for sophomore students. Depending on the complexity of the song, it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to record and produce one selection.”

One selection on the disc has a heartfelt meaning. Abby Uecker, known by her stage name as Abby Nicole, provides the vocals on O Come, All Ye Faithful. It was recorded before she was killed in an accident on the Thayer County fairgrounds in Hebron this past summer.

“This is a re-release and a remaster of the recording that Abby and the Northeast Concert Choir performed in our studio in November 2016,” Miller said. “Ben (Viergutz) created the instrumental background tracks and sophomore students from that class recorded the vocal tracks. Although it appeared on last year’s CD, we wanted to include it again this year as a tribute to Abby.”

Northeast students who worked on the album are Elliot Aliewel, Norfolk; Joshua Brooks, Lincoln;
Ezra Broderson, Wayne; Jonathan Dean, Henderson; Justin Jones, Norfolk; Benjamin Viergutz, Norfolk; Josh Talbott, Lincoln; and Hannah Wick, Grand Island.  

The CD is only $5. Beardslee said to save on production costs, they only release the disc itself in a sleeve and duplicate the discs themselves, rather than sending to a replication plant. Proceeds are used to allow students the opportunity to attend the National Association of Broadcasters convention.

The 2017 Northeast Community College Holiday Album may be purchased by contacting Beardslee at anthony@northeast.edu or at (402) 844-7364.

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                               2017 Northeast Community College Holiday Album Track Listing