The sky was a mix of soft blues and pinks on an evening in April on Point Loma Nazarene University’s Ryan Learning Deck, where a stage sat beneath lights strung along the railings as a live band played. It was Carson Herr’s senior show. A projector played clips on loop from a photoshoot, hinting at Herr’s album, “Picture Perfect.”
On April 18, Herr, a fourth-year commercial music major, held his senior show for the debut of his album, which featured 10 original songs that he’s worked on throughout his time at PLNU. As the semester comes to a close, Herr is wrapping up a senior capstone that doubled as both a live production and a personal milestone of years of writing, recording and creating music.
At the center of the album is a theme Herr said reflects his experience of facing the pressure to appear flawless. The cover of his album is him posing in front of a frame held by two different hands.
“It’s supposed to look like a photoshoot, and that you’re posing to be picture perfect when, [in reality], you’re not,” he said. “If you’re taking a photo, you’re posing and trying to find the right angle … [but] it’s just not genuine.”
Herr’s first released song, “The Grey,” leans into the cliché of situations being “black or white,” instead of focusing on what sits in between. Through that metaphor, he points to the middle ground — where things are less defined.
That idea is reflected in the show’s design and merchandise. The stage and branding leaned on neutral tones like grays, creams and browns. Herr sold hoodies, hats, T-shirts and vinyl preorders, all tied into the album’s visual theme.
“I just know Carson has worked so hard on putting this together,” Violet Hentges, a second-year graphic design major, who was involved in the setup of the show and a member of the PLNU Concert Choir with him, said. “We heard ‘The Grey’ over our choir tour, and it has beautiful lyrics. Seeing the beginning steps to the final product is just so amazing.”
Getting to the final product isn’t simple, as Herr had to navigate scheduling and rehearsing with a 14-person band. The band included a string quartet, backup vocalists, acoustic guitars, piano, drums, bass and electric guitar.
Herr said that rehearsals were sometimes squeezed in during weekends or late at night. He said that the biggest lesson he had to learn was asking for help.
“You have to not be afraid to ask for help,” Herr said. “I think it’s not been my strong suit, but through this project, I’ve learned a lot more of how to just kind of delegate and ask. … I [am] just really thankful for how many people have been so kind to say yes and help with everything, because it’s not easy.”
Herr plans to move to Los Angeles and get involved with the music scene there. In his MUH 4031: Faith, Life and Music class, Herr said he has learned about his spiritual vocation through music.
“I’ve learned to trust God and his timing,” Herr said. “Whether that’s doors closing or others opening. I think I [usually] tend to want to do it all myself.”
Herr’s sister, Aubrey Herr, who is a second-year applied health science major, said it’s been meaningful to watch her brother pursue music since they were kids.
“It was an amazing concert overall,” she said. “This has been a dream of his since he was a baby, and getting to see him achieve that dream makes me really proud of him. A lot of the songs I hadn’t heard before, he kept them a secret from us. I’m so proud to be his sister.”
Angelica Moser