
“Vocal Iron,” a UNC student a cappella group, performed “Marry You” by Bruno Mars for UNC’s Performing and Visual Arts Council’s Ice Cream Social. A cappella is a music style that uses no
A cappella is a music style that uses no instrumental accompaniment. The group chose the song to prepare for their upcoming wedding performance. The live performance gathered a crowd who gave their full attention to the group and ate free ice cream Friday afternoon at the Garden Theatre.
The Performing and Visual Arts Student Council offered a variety of flavors and toppings for students and passers-by at the annual ice cream social. Chairs were arranged in small circles that encouraged chatting and mingling among attendees. It was fitting that, for entertainment, the council invited students of the College of Performing and Visual Arts, which houses the Schools of Theatre Arts and Dance, Art and Design and Music, to play live music and display their artwork in a makeshift gallery.

UNC student Madeline Sterns displayed her piece, an acrylic painting named “Flight of the Opalescent,” which depicts a moth in a pastel color scheme of blues, purples, and greens. UNC student Susana Sanchez had an acrylic painting, called “Fear to Love,” of an anatomical heart restrained by chains which feature a 3-D element of an actual chain draped across the front of the heart.
“Vocal Iron” performed during the latter half of the event, while UNC student Nicholas Anderson, a solo jazz guitarist, performed during the first half of the event.
“When I play solo in this style, I try to model a lot after a guitar player, Joe Pass,” said Anderson. “He is one of my favorites. He was, like, really the first person to play solo guitar and make it, you know, bearable to listen to because it is not an easy instrument to play solo on.”
Anderson said the pieces he chose were jazz standards like “I Love You” by Cole Porter or “Sunny Side of the Street” by Jimmy McHugh.
The PVA council acts a resource to encourage students to be involved in their college experience. Stephanie Nielsen, the student services coordinator for PVA and club advisor for the PVA council, has been at UNC for seven months.
Hanna Gollan, a UNC sophomore serving as the president of the council, said the PVA council was initially dissolved due to some position changes. But the council has been reinvented this year with the help of the new sponsor, Nielsen.
“For the social, it is kind of like an introduction to the council. So it is the first event were are putting on for the new year,” Gollan said. “To bring together the students and kind of give them a place to come and rock just for a second and to showcase the work we do.”
The PVA council encourages students of the College of Performing and Visual Arts to join.