You may have seen her posters over the past couple of weeks on most corners of campus; hanging on bathroom stalls, displayed at the cafeteria entrance, pinned to dorm bulletin boards and scattered around Caf Lane — 2,500 posters.
Hundreds of people lined up outside Point Loma Nazarene University’s Crill Performance Hall on Jan. 29 at 7:15 p.m. to see Charity Pfeiffer, a fourth-year commercial music major, perform her show, “Love, Charity,” as part of her senior project.
The lobby was filled with pink and gold balloons, with the cover from Pfeiffer’s EP hanging by velvet ribbon from the ceiling. Tables were set up for friendship bracelet making and merchandise, where she sold T-shirts and stickers based on lyrics from her songs. Audience members gathered in the lobby before the show, flipping through her playbill and trading bracelets as they waited for the doors to open.
“The vision for the show was for people to feel transported into the world of my EP: A space of love and fun and color and vibrancy — the embodiment of who I am,” Pfeiffer said.
The show was Pfeiffer’s completion of her senior project, a requirement for MUA 4076: Senior Recital. Throughout the duration of their time at PLNU, music students work toward a final goal: creating a portfolio (an EP or album of original songs) and hosting a production that showcases everything they have curated.
“A long checklist falls under this senior project,” said Chaz Celaya, the director and associate professor of the Commercial Music Department. “Core elements include creating an online presence, having a legal and administrative foundation for releasing songs, and developing a marketing plan and promotional strategies.”
Pfeiffer is the first student at PLNU to host her senior show in Crill, a venue typically considered challenging due to its large size.
“Crill is a dangerous room [to host in],” Celaya said. “You could have 150 people, and it’ll still feel empty. You want a room to feel full and energetic.”
Celaya said that Pfeiffer’s vision for the show matched the scale of the venue. She was successful in filling the performance hall, with a total of 318 people attending the concert.
Pfeiffer said that her EP and show were a celebration of all the love that she is surrounded by.
“The name is ‘Love, Charity,’ [like] signing off on a love letter,” she said. “Each song is a love letter to Jesus, me or girlhood.”
She also said that, although this concert was a reflection of everything she loves, it was also a reflection of all the love people have poured into her. Pfeiffer’s concert featured 20 other PLNU musicians, who were part of her band, choir or were background singers. Her family and friends contributed a lot of time and effort into planning, setting up and promoting the concert.
Pfeiffer’s godmother, Kelsi Ozorio, had planned and decorated the lobby for the concert. She had even made the friendship bracelet-making table for the concert attendees.
“I’ve known [Pfeiffer] since she was a baby, [which has] been one of the biggest privileges,” Ozorio said. “It’s really special to have these moments — to see all the sweat and tears that she does behind the scenes, and to now have the fun, amazing moments where she’s dancing and just sharing her heart. I feel so happy; I feel full.”
Pfeiffer also expressed gratitude for her mom, Kandi. She said that the EP and concert wouldn’t have happened without her guidance.
“She is the lead producer of this entire production,” Pfeiffer said. “She was the one in the studio getting us all snacks. When we ran out of time on Sunday to record the EP [on campus], she booked a studio downtown. For the show, she was hustling down merch people because we couldn’t get merchandise out until the last minute. Her hands have touched every part of this project.”
Pfeiffer’s concert featured bedazzled outfits, cover songs (including the recently popular “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND!” by RAYE), original songs from her EP and a short film that featured a behind-the-scenes look at making “Love, Charity.”
People in attendance were encouraged to wear color as part of Pfeiffer’s dress code on her invitations. At the end of the concert, Pfeiffer encouraged her audience to worship with her, then invited everyone to come to the front and dance along to her cover of “Bless Me” by Kirk Franklin and Maverick City Music.
“I feel amazing; I feel like I can do five more,” Pfeiffer told The Point after her concert. “To finally do the performance means so much to me. I’m so proud of the whole team.”
