Credo: Coining a Quartet

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Written by Nathaniel Brewer. Nathaniel Brewer is a senior music education major with a minor in photography.  His instrumental proficiency is the clarinet, and he will be accompanied by Credo Quartet on November 8, 2013 for his senior recital.  To see more of his portfolio visit: www.facebook.com/nathanielbphotography

Philip Ledgerwood, Bethany Rhine, Melody Steinbart and Elijah Walters are four Maranatha students who have combined their musical abilities to form the first student string quartet of the college. They call themselves Credo Quartet.

The inspiration behind Credo started when Philip and Melody shared a desire to form a chamber group and asked Bethany and Elijah if they would be interested.  Everyone quickly caught the vision, and in the fall of 2011, Credo was having its first rehearsals.  Each member hopes to continue playing in the group until they graduate; afterwards, they hope to find replacements so that Credo can live on at Maranatha Baptist Bible College.  
Credo The name for the quartet arose out of a brainstorming session where the quartet members were anxiously searching for a name to include in their upcoming premiere.  Philip suggested “Credo” which is Latin for “I believe” because it seemed to fit well for a group that shares the same faith and ideals. Credo’s main purpose is to bring glory to God by creating beautiful music together. 
Each one of the quartet members enjoys the experience of practicing together, learning the history behind the pieces, and breaking apart difficult passages.  A main challenge for the group has been coordinating scheduled practice times.  Every member of Credo is a full-time student with separate work and class schedules, so being diligent in practicing regardless of their obstacles has been a priority since the beginning. Credo currently meets at least three times a week.  
Credo’s repertoire includes works by Beethoven, Mozart, Grieg, Glass, and a variety of sacred and contemporary pieces including show tunes, and love songs. 
In January, they were featured in the community section of the Watertown Daily Times offering volunteer performances for a brief time only. Through this, they were able gain more exposure by booking upcoming concerts at assisted livings homes, church banquets, and even a small Credo 2recital for a kindergarten class.  
Credo recently had their premiere performance at St. Henry’s Catholic Church for the Euterpe Club of Watertown, WI. The members of the music club met the performance enthusiastically. 

Credo is an energetic quartet of friends that passionately play their repertoire and hope to see great things happen with the quartet in the near future. You can check out their Facebook page for more information at: www.facebook.com/CredoQuartet.

To schedule a performance, please contact Bethany Rhine.

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