Bauer Funeral Chapel

A&E EditorAndrew Bauer is the main man behind performing arts. Besides being the director of Singers and Music Ministry, he oversees all other groups including Jazz Band, Pep Band, Players, Pipes and Drums, Manhattones and Orchestra. He is also responsible for anything that goes on at the chapel, like weddings, funerals or convocations.Bauer has many talents of his own. He can play the flute, keyboard, organ, guitar, saxophone, kazoo and bass.“I like to write music at the piano. I’m a composer so I usually like to flesh things out at the piano and it’s very useful because you hear all the ranges of the different instruments at the piano. I like arranging and composing music. I like to record in studios, put together demos and do recording, which is really great,” Bauer said.Bauer grew up in Dutchess County, went to Bard College and then to the Manhattan School of Music for his masters’ degree.“When I graduated college in upstate, NYC was viewed as the Mecca of performing arts, so anyone’s who serious about having a career in music has to at least take a look at New York and come and try to make a go of it. And of course, Manhattan School of Music was here so I just stayed because that was where all the work possibilities are,” he said.He continued,“I moved to NYC in 1988, and my first apartment was $400 a month overall. I could make a living, busting in the subway sometimes and even go out to dinner afterwards. I worry about the cultural vitality of the city when people are just priced out of it. How many talented people are we missing out on just because they can’t afford the city? That’s a big problem, and I still see it,” Bauer said.During the semester, Bauer is at the college around seven days a week because running this department the way he envisions it requires attention. He noted that as the director, he has to be there for the students when they need him.“It is so important to build relationships with the students, especially in performing arts wher...