This Friday, Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Alumni Hall in the Student Center, attendees will experience a show of “ever changing pools of light” with the “many facets of our music program including the Central Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, University Singers, Sinfonietta and more,” according to the CCSU Music Department.

Central Connecticut’s very own Department of Music is hosting its seventh annual PRISM Concert, “A Sonic Showcase” of the talents that make up many of the Blue Devil music ensembles.

“When we started the PRISM Concert seven years ago, the goal was to bring more visibility for all of the ensembles,” Chair of the Department of Music, Dr. Carlotta Parr, said. “This is a great way to showcase the many talents in our Department to the community, and to show potential music majors and the level of music-making within the Department of Music all in one sitting.”

This showcase serves the purpose to allow those who may have not seen all the ensembles live to do so. The night will begin with a spotlight on the Jazz ensemble, bouncing over to the Sinfonietta then to the University Singers. Closing out the first half of the concert will be The Wind Ensemble, setting up the second half for the larger ensembles to perform with some of Central’s chamber ensembles.

But not only is this an exciting night for its students and faculty within the Department of Music, it does bring numerous unique challenges for those involved. According to the department, the setting of the showcase is ideal for the audience to experience an “all-around” show, it makes it more of a challenge for those who are performing.

“As the performance is meant to be executed seamlessly, moving from one group to the next without pause, the musicians have to be ‘on their toes’ and ready to begin performing at a second’s notice,” Parr stated. “Many of our students perform in multiple groups, which means they have to ‘sneak’ from one area of the hall to another throughout the performance.”

The ensembles also faced the challenge of preparing their music in such little time. With second semester classes beginning in Jan. 22, most of the ensembles have been challenging their time crunch and practicing when they can to prepare for this following Friday.

Tickets for the showcase may be purchased in person in the Student Center, online at ccsu.showare.com or in person at the door on the night of the show. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and veterans and $8 for students with a BlueChip. There are also a limited number of free tickets for high school music students with a valid student ID. Attendees can arrive early for a brief reception at 6:45 p.m. with light refreshments.