The duo began their performance with the first track on their EP, titled “Cómo Fue.” Zenón began the piece with a saxophone solo that demonstrated his dulcet tone and wide range of dynamics, while Perdomo joined on the piano. It’s clear Zenón possesses phenomenal control over his instrument, employing highly advanced scalar manipulation — the kind that elicits admiration from instrumentalists and untrained onlookers alike. The two performers complement each other extremely well, together having established a harmonious relationship that simultaneously showcases individual talents and their shared, unique blend. Perdomo played the piano with such grace, lightly grazing the keys with dexterity, but maintaining a strong command over them. The two musicians have mastered the opposing ends of their dynamic ranges, even making seamless transitions from pianissimo to fortissimo, very soft and very loud dynamic markings. The piece left me in awe and with a single question: how creative of a mind does it take to generate so many melodic ideas from one scale?

Zenón and Perdomo moved onto a medley of songs, which of course continued the night’s theme of unimaginably creative composition. Although my favorite aspect of Zenón’s playing is his ability to gracefully prance through scales, all the while ensuring each note works perfectly, he also excels at sustaining notes. This skill may sound simple, but its employment had, in fact, caused me to look up from my notepad several times in pure astonishment. Perdomo and Zenón both integrated runs into their melodic ideas perfectly: never showy or self-indulgent, but always supplemental to the art, supplying any given portion of a piece exactly what the audience didn’t know it needed. Additionally, it’s worth noting that neither musician had any sheet music in front of them. Still, both played with such confidence and expertise that, having never heard their music before, I had no way of knowing what was being played as written or completely improvised. 

The artists played another assortment of pieces that was tender, very poignant, and just screamed “soul.” At risk of sounding like I’ve seen “La La Land” too many times, this is the kind of music that makes you appreciate jazz more. Zenón and Perdomo seemed to be in musical conversation with each other. Perdomo casually spanned half of the piano in approximately two beats and Zenón played with the tonguing and articulation every saxophonist dreams of (No, really, I will be booking a practice room after this). During “En La Soledad,” a dreamy, whirring piano introduction led to a controlled chaos in the middle portion of the piece. By the conclusion of the piece, urgency gave way to tranquility, all while maintaining the same passion that defined the night. The concert ended with “Silencio,” a groovy piece with a lively, fanciful feel and a funky time signature — boy, did this piece make me wish I paid more attention in MUS 220!

In between pieces, Zenón thanked the audience for “supporting live music,” and I couldn’t agree more. These kinds of concerts are what keeps music alive, as it’s not just notes on a page, or a song downloaded to a phone, but an experience with palpable energy shared among everyone in the room. Being able to visually see the music flowing through artists is rare, but I can say without a doubt that I saw it in Miguel Zenón and Luis Perdomo.

The 75-person choir filed out onto the risers in their rich, purple velvet robes, which the audience would soon learn are a visual reflection of their polished and professional sound. The concert began with the first portion titled, “We Sing of Praise and Supplication.” I was immediately struck by the choir’s uniformity in their pronounced constants and dynamic range all while holding hands and swaying in rhythm. Each section contributed a unique sound: the basses had a round warmth, the tenors a sweet and bright sound, and the altos a rich, resonant depth. As an alto at heart, I typically listen for the inner harmonies, but I was stunned by the sopranos’ ability to land on their high notes with ease and remarkable intonation, never overbearingly or shrilly, but with a supreme blend and dolce resonance. The alto section balanced out the sopranos well, adding warmth to their vibrancy, while the tenors and basses grounded the sound with tenor harmonies and bass pedal notes. The choir tackled suspensions and dissonance effortlessly, proof of their hard work and scrupulous rehearsing.

The second segment, “We Sing of Birth, Peace, and Grace,” included “The Lord is the Everlasting God,” by Kenneth Jennings, which the choir executed perfectly and with great intonation, even despite the crunchy chords and tritones. They followed that with what became my favorite piece of the night, “This House of Peace,” by Ralph M. Johnson. This piece featured oboe soloist Lily Mitzel ’24, who exhibited a clear and beautiful tone with impressive pitch accuracy on such a demanding instrument. The soprano and tenor soloists told the story of the piece brilliantly and commanded the attention of the audience with the soprano’s graceful high register, and the tenor’s rich vibrato. This piece would not be what it was without the contribution of the orchestra, specifically the crisp pizzicato by the violas, cello and bass. The ensemble ended the first half of the program with F. Melius Christiansen’s energetic and hopeful arrangement of “O Day Full of Grace.”

In the second half of the concert, “We Sing of Consolation and Hope” began as brightly as the first half ended, with cheerful choreography and percussion in “Isondo Liyajika” by Sabelo Mthembu. I was astonished by violist Charles Gray in “Before I Go My Way,” during which his precision and passion brought the entire chapel to a stillness, filled with only the steady vibrato of the viola and the gentle entrances from the choir which never overpowered the soloist’s voice. Following this, “Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi” reintroduced Lily Mitzel for a duet solo with Phoebe Joy ’24, accompanied by Leif Olsen ’27, who supported both the soloists and choir beautifully. The third segment ended with “For the Sake of our Children,” accompanied by Julian Colville ’25 and student percussionists, during which the tenor section shone with their poignant, strong singing.

The concert’s final song,  “We Sing of Joy, Compassion, and Unity,” was an uplifting conclusion to the night. Armstrong claimed he wants St. Olaf’s music to “transform those who perform and those who will hear the message.” Consisting of a lively spiritual with vivacious choreography, and a piece with a touching message on fading memories, this segment fully achieved  Armstrong’s expressed intention: a message of hope and light in dark times. 

Contact the editors responsible for this article: Norah Catlin and Ivy Buck 

“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” follows the first of the creators’ true-crime anthology series on Jeffrey Dahmer. With the high-profile case of the Menendez brothers, who are awaiting a new judge’s decision to free them from their life sentence in prison, the accuracy of their Netflix portrayal could prove incredibly consequential.

In 1989, news broke that brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez were arrested after killing their parents with fourteen shotgun blows in their Beverly Hills mansion. In their 1993 trial, the brothers testified with gruesome accounts of their years being sexually and emotionally abused by their parents, but were ultimately sentenced to life without parole in 1995. 

Released on Sept. 21, “Monster”’s newest season stars Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch as Lyle and Erik Menendez, respectively. Nearly thirty years after their trial, the Menendez brothers –– still sitting in jail –– have regained public focus, this time with new outlooks on the possible motivation behind the murders. 

After three decades, there appears to be a wider acceptance of the brothers’ reports of their sexual abuse than there was in the 90s. Although “Monsters” has generated more support for the brothers and increased public demand for their release, there are still aspects of the show that reflect poorly on Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez, and that the brothers themselves feel are inaccurate to their true story. 

Murphy and Brennan’s Netflix show establishes a deep connection between the brothers early on, showcasing their bond and support of each other throughout their abusive relationship with their parents, and after the murder. However, in spite of the brothers testifying that there has never been a sexual relationship between them, Murphy and Brennan took a substantial bit of creative liberty, portraying them as incestuous with a kissing scene in the second episode, and a nude showering scene in the sixth. Furthermore, actor Chavez displayed countless fits of rage throughout the season while portraying Lyle Menendez, despite a real-life testimony from the extended Menendez family that Lyle never so much as raised his voice.

Erik Menendez reportedly felt the show is detrimentally inaccurate and represents the brothers, and male sexual abuse victims, in a negative light. Erik claims that there are “blatant lies rampant in the show,” and that the portrayal of him and his brother are “disheartening slander.” In response to Erik’s statement, Murphy claimed in an interview with “Entertainment Tonight” that 60 to 65% of the show “very carefully” centers “around the abuse and what [Erik and Lyle Menendez] claimed happened to them.” Murphy also stated that the release of the show is “the best thing that has happened to the Menendez brothers in 30 years in prison.” 

During their time in prison, the Menendez brothers have spent time proving themselves to be far from their “monstrous” portrayals. In 2018, the brothers founded “The Green Space Project,” a prison reform initiative to improve the living quality of inmates. Additionally, Lyle Mendendez received his bachelor’s degree in Sociology from UC Irvine in June 2024, and runs a support group for fellow inmates who have experienced sexual abuse. Public supporters of the brothers, namely Koch, Kim Kardashian and over a dozen members of the Menendez family, are calling for the brothers’ sentences to be shortened, and for them to be released from prison. Lyle Menendez and Erik Menendez both currently await a new decision regarding their sentence, and will attend a hearing in downtown Los Angeles on Nov. 26.

While the Netflix series was riveting and certainly grabbed hold of the internet’s attention for weeks on end, it’s crucial to consider the extensive creative liberties Murphy and Brennan took with the Menendez brothers’ story. Had the show been an original concept rather than an inaccurate narration, exploiting the trauma of real victims, I might have enjoyed it more. If you’re considering watching the show, I implore you to take it with a grain of salt and approach with caution.

Contact the editors responsible for this article: Anabelle Meyers, Ivy Buck

The 13-minute cold open centered on the tumultuous upcoming presidential election. Comedian and former “SNL” cast member Maya Rudolph returned to play Kamala Harris opposite James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump, Jim Gaffigan as Tim Walz, Dana Carvey as Joe Biden, Andy Samberg as Douglas Emhoff and Bowen Yang as J.D. Vance. The season premiere also included award-winning actress Jean Smart alongside singer and rapper, Jelly Roll. 

Rudolph’s impression of Vice President Harris took the cake with its Gen Z appeal, with nods to Sabrina Carpenter’s recent pop hit “Espresso,” Harris’s iconic “coconut tree” quote and the contentious conversation around reproductive rights, promising to “protect your Va-Georgia.” Cast member Bowen Yang portrayed a few roles throughout the night that also seemed targeted at a Gen Z audience, namely Charli XCX and internet-famous, baby pygmy hippopotamus, Moo Deng. These quips and socially relevant characters beg the question: Is “SNL” relying on Gen Z approval for viewership?

Due to an increase of short-form digital media such as Instagram Reels, TikToks and YouTube Shorts, it’s no surprise that live television consumption has dropped among the younger generations. According to writer Benjamin Svetky of “The Wrap,” Season 48’s four million viewers made it “the least-watched in the series history.” Refusing to give into the public’s opinion that the show is beyond repair, it seems the creators of “SNL” have leaned into popular Gen Z interests in hopes of reviving their dying ratings and bringing their shows to the forefront of public discourse. Evidently, these efforts are working. “The Wrap” recently reported that “viewership for the Season 50 premiere was up 10.4%” from Season 49, which made it the show’s most-viewed premiere since 2020, even despite the continuous decline in traditional cable users over recent years. Considering the already high ratings, and an anticipated cohort of popular hosts and artists, the potential for Season 50 viewership numbers seem promising. With celebrities popular among Gen Z such as Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, John Mulaney and Chappell Roan in upcoming episodes, “SNL” can likely expect a continued increase in viewership and social media relevance. 

While “SNL” has certainly seen better days in terms of ratings, the response to the Season 50 premiere gives reason to believe in the restoration of live comedy television. Should “SNL” writers continue to lean on the many quirky facets of Gen Z humor and trends, it’s plausible that the tough crowd of young media consumers might just turn away from TikTok and tune into NBC on Saturday nights.

Contact editors: Norah Catlin and Anabelle Meyers