In order to cultivate the minds and talent of young pianists, the WSC Music Department hosted the third annual Piano Day on Saturday.

The event invited high school and junior high students from the area to the college to hear others who are studying piano and college students who are seriously studying piano at a higher level.

“It really was about having these kids gain experience and exposure to piano,” Piano Professor Dr. Angela Miller-Niles said.

The 12 students who attended prepared a piece and then played the arrangements for Miller-Niles. She then gave them different ideas and tips for improvement. The WSC piano students also performed a small, low-stress concert for the attending students, just so they could see and hear how a piano concert is executed. The 12 were also given the opportunity to play simultaneously together in a group piano-playing exercise.

“It was nice to have the college students involved,” Miller-Niles said. “And they got a low-key performance under their belts, too.”

The event was created a year before Miller-Niles came to WSC. It started out as an idea to bring young pianists together, and has only grown since then.

“Essentially, this is a recruitment opportunity for our department,” Miller-Niles said. “But it really was a chance for the students to meet other people who are studying piano in the area.”

Although it does serve as exposure for the WSC Music Department, Miller-Niles was more concerned with spreading and encouraging interest in continuing to study the piano.

“It was fun to hear the variety of pieces, and variety of students. It was especially fun to hear the younger students,” Miller-Niles said. “There just aren’t very many piano students or teachers around here. So we have to kind of get them interested and grow the numbers of people who play, even if it’s just for fun.”