Wednesday, October 29 | 7:30 p.m. The Elon Percusssion Ensemble in Yeager Recital Hall & November 14th | 7:30 p.m. Jazz Levels Up: A Night of Video Game Music in McCrary Theatre, Center for the Arts
The Elon Department of Music continues its fall season with a celebration of rhythm, creativity and innovation. Two upcoming performances showcase the department’s adventurous spirit — from the genre-bending percussion works led by Daniel Hartung to the imaginative twist on traditional jazz by Alex Heitlinger. Together, these concerts highlight Elon’s commitment to pushing musical boundaries and reimagining what performance can be.
On Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m. in Yeager Recital Hall, audiences will experience the Elon Percussion Ensemble Fall Concert, directed by Daniel Hartung and Alex Richard. The concert features both traditional and “found object” instruments — proving that rhythm and resonance can come from the most unexpected sources.
Hartung describes his inspiration as rooted in the “endless possibilities of sound exploration.” By incorporating materials such as glass, wood, porcelain, metal, and rubber, the ensemble creates a palette of textures and tones that push the boundaries of what percussion can be. In an acoustically rich space like Yeager Recital Hall, these unconventional sounds take on new life, exposing and amplifying their natural beauty.
Each piece in the program is chosen to serve a distinct purpose, shaping the concert’s tone from “loud and bombastic drumming” to “gentle marimba chorales.” The performance draws on diverse musical traditions — including Afro-Cuban Orisha drumming, Western contemporary classical works, Northern European avant-garde performance art and even an arrangement of a Béla Fleck bluegrass classic.
“My hope is that the audience will better understand the breadth and depth of what percussion is and what it has to offer,” said Hartung.
With students ranging from first-year performers to seasoned seniors, the ensemble showcases the creative range and curiosity that define Elon’s music community.
Just a few weeks later, audiences will have the chance to hear Elon’s jazz program reimagine another musical angle. On Nov. 14, when two worlds collide — jazz music and video games — the result is a performance that transcends boundaries and generations. Throughout history, jazz has been rooted in expression: a reflection of struggle, hope,and transformation. But in Jazz Levels Up: A Night of Video Game Music, Alex Heitlinger, Elon’s director of jazz studies and jazz ensembles, proves that jazz is not confined to tradition — it’s an ever-evolving art form that adapts, reimagines and reinvents itself.“
“The idea actually came from the students in the jazz program,” Heitlinger said. “They suggested a video game theme, and I thought it was perfect.”
Over the past few years, video game music has become a growing trend in the jazz community, propelled by groups like the 8-Bit Big Band that fuse nostalgia with virtuosity. For Heitlinger, this blend offers the perfect opportunity to connect with younger audiences who grew up surrounded by the soundtracks of their favorite games.
The concert draws from a broader trend highlighted by Adam Neely in his YouTube video “Nintendo-fication of Jazz,”which describes how many ensembles are reimagining video-game music as contemporary standards. The program will feature music from Super Mario, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Final Fantasy, Portal, Persona 5 and Chrono Trigger.
“When [Neely] made a video about how video game music could be this generation’s Tin Pan Alley songbook, that really clicked for me,” Heitlinger said. “Once I heard it, I was surprised at the quality of songwriting!”
For Heitlinger and the student musicians, the performance is both challenging and rewarding. The professional-level arrangements demand precision, energy and creativity — hallmarks of great jazz. “
Jazz is always challenging,” Heitlinger admitted, “but that’s what keeps it exciting.”
Ultimately, Jazz Levels Up aims to bring two worlds together — fans of jazz and fans of video games — and reveal the unexpected harmony between them. “For jazz lovers, I hope it shows that jazz is still evolving and connecting with new generations,” Heitlinger said. “And for video game fans, I hope they get to hear the music they love in a totally different context — swinging, improvising, alive.”
By infusing video game music with the liveliness, swing and improvisational spirit of jazz, the Elon Jazz Ensemble shows that great music never stops evolving — it just keeps leveling up.
Together, the Elon Percussion Ensemble Fall Concert and Jazz Levels Up highlight Elon’s forward-thinking approach to music making. Through the experimental textures of percussion and the imaginative energy of jazz, Elon’s performances remind audiences that music is a living, ever-evolving art form.