At 7:30 p.m. on the evening of March 13, Charlie Knox will showcase his musical talents at Jameson Recital Hall. There will be a total of 13 pieces involving an impressive variety of instruments, original compositions and conducting that will highlight the work Knox has been pouring into his time at Asbury.
Although Knox’s primary focus is on percussion, due to his immense knowledge of composing and music theory, Knox can play a little bit of piano, ukulele, trumpet, trombone, French horn, clarinet, flute, saxophone, violin, some cello, ukulele and guitar. Music seems to be running in his veins as he found his passion for composing in the 7th grade and has not stopped since. From his 8th-grade band performing his original work to his composition recital at Asbury, it is incredibly evident that Knox’s passion and talent are going to impress his audience, leaving them wanting more.
This recital will include a multitude of music, including an original piece called “Echo Station” that won Asbury’s Peniston Honors Competition in 2023, Knox’s sophomore year. Knox has arranged or composed a unique variety of music for his performance, including video game music. “I love how dynamic it is, how you can still make really good, interesting music that can still support a story in the same way a film score has little musical things that are tied to story elements, but it also has to be constantly changing and change with the things happening on screen, like at the response of a player, not just static beginning to end.”
Knox has arranged the songs “First Steps” from “Celeste” and “Dire, Dire Docks” from Super Mario 64. “‘First Steps’ I took and put into five percussion instruments because I thought it sounded epic,” Knox explained. “‘Dire Dire Docks’ I took and put it to a guitar-vibraphone duet. I’m playing the vibraphone [with] my good friend Caleb Simmons. He’s a very good guitarist and a very good friend of mine.”
Throughout the recital, Knox will be conducting a total of three pieces, which include a handbell piece, a woodwind trio and a string quartet, and he has even intentionally chosen some of these according to the musicians he knows. “The woodwind trio that I wrote specifically for the three people that I wanted to play it, because I happen to know three very, very talented woodwind players that are all music majors and that I’ve worked with before.” Along with these, Knox will be performing in a couple of duets as well as a percussion ensemble.
Knox has been entrenched in the music scene at Asbury for some time, involving himself in extracurricular things as well as excelling in the music department overall. “Professors have allowed me to do some composition stuff here and there through the department, and also, like I have, I’ve been a songwriter for the Asbury Worship Collective for three years now. So some songs that I’ve written, and a lot of songs that I’ve worked on and co-written have been on the worship albums.”
All are welcome to join in Jameson Recital Hall on Thursday, March 13, to experience a captivating and unique musical performance. “I want to advocate for video game music and just all the different things, some of the concepts of the pieces. I want people to see things they’ve never seen before, hear things they’ve never heard before, and like, appreciate new areas of thinking.”
Photo courtesy of Charlie Knox.
