Florida Atlantic students will come together to perform music people love from different genres in this year’s Commercial Music Ensembles Show.

The show usually lasts for two hours and consists of four ensembles with each one performing a different type of music. This year, Latin, funk fusion, classic rock from the 60s and 70s and Top 40 hits will be played.

Instructor Rob Rimmington and professor Matthew Joy will direct the student performers.

According to Rimmington, the types of music played changes with the semester. However, the Latin ensemble always performs.

Last semester, the ensembles performed music ranging from Latin to Top 40 hits to pop punk from the 90s.

“We always have the Latin ensemble because we feel that South Florida is such a huge Latin community that you should be familiar with playing Latin music. And then we usually have the Top 40 ensemble because it’s very popular,” said Rimmington.

Both Rimmington and Joy explained how the show is about showcasing students’ talent and commercial music as a whole. They added that it gives students something to work toward throughout the semester.

“If they know they’re going to have to perform in front of people then they work somewhat harder at it,” said Rimmington.

Joy, who is directing the Latin and funk fusion ensembles, said, “The show provides a setting where students have to play together, listen to each other [and] create and extract their own parts.”

Rimmington explained how the show also teaches students how to act professionally.

“They play the music they want to play,” Rimmington said. “But we try to direct them to be professional about it. Which is what you’re going to have to do if you’re out in the real world. Can’t be gazing at your shoes all night. It doesn’t fly.”

Tickets for the event are free for FAU students and are available at the Box Office located in the Student Union on the Boca Raton campus. Tickets are $10 for guests and the public.

The show is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3 at the University Theatre. Doors will open 30 minutes beforehand.

Tickets can be purchased here.

Jessica Johnson is a contributing writer with the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet her @jessangst.