Member musicians offer two complete performances on October 31 and November 1 

SARASOTA, FL – Local music school Music Compound’s Album Ensemble returns for its eighth complete album tribute event, presenting the whole of Thriller, the era-defining 1982 album from Michael Jackson. The Album Ensemble – comprising 10 students ages 16 to 19 – will present two performances: on Saturday, October 31 at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday, November 1 at 3:00 p.m. at Music Compound (775 Bell Rd., Sarasota). Two Music Compound students — Sophia Emmons and Chase Scott — have participated in every Album Ensemble concert to date. Previous Album Ensemble shows featured complete performances of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon (October 2023), Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours (March 2024), The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (June 2024), Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged in New York (October 2024), U2’s The Joshua Tree (March 2025), Queen’s Greatest Hits (September 2025), and Radiohead’s OK Computer (April 2026). Released in November, 1982, Michael Jackson’s sixth solo album was produced by Quincy Jones, who also produced his previous album, 1979’s Off the Wall. Drawing on synth-pop, funk, and rock influences, Thriller featured superstar guest appearances from Paul McCartney, Eddie Van Halen, members of Toto, and horror movie icon Vincent Price, who provided an unforgettable voiceover rap on the title track. On its original release, Thriller met with widespread critical acclaim and astonishing commercial success. It was Jackson’s first Number One album, topping the charts for a record-breaking 37 (non-consecutive) weeks. Seven of the album’s nine songs were released as singles: all seven were top ten hits, with "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" both reaching number 1, setting another record for the most Top 10 hits from one album. "Billie Jean" became the best-selling solo single of Michael Jackson's career.

By 1984, Thriller had become (and still remains), the best-selling album of all time worldwide, with 70 million copies sold. Certified 34× platinum, it is the second-highest-selling album ever in the U.S. (behind only The Eagles’ compilation Their Greatest Hits). In another first, Thriller became the best-selling album in the United States in both 1983 and 1984 — the first-ever album to achieve this status across two consecutive years. Thriller won a record-breaking eight American Music Awards and eight Grammy Awards (including Album of the Year, and Record of the Year for "Beat It"). It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008, and added to the National Recording Registry of "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant recordings" by the Library of Congress. The music video for the title track was directed by acclaimed movie director John Landis. It has been named “the greatest video of all time” by MTV (1999), VH1 (2001) and Time magazine (2011). The Library of Congress selected it for the National Film Registry in 2009 — the first music video to receive this honor. 

Music Compound instructors Taylor Galford and Patrick Ensslin, the Program Directors of the Album Ensemble, are looking forward to rehearsing and performing these shows. Galford says that “Thriller is the ultimate album, and a true testament of how far this program has come over the last 3 years. We are so proud of all the musicians involved! We’ve been thinking about performing Thriller for a while now, but when I realised that Halloween this year fell on a Saturday, that made our minds up. Because of leap years, Halloween won't fall on a Saturday for the next 11 years, so it was now or never! We can't wait to give you a show Michael and Quincy would be proud of — and, because our Halloween performance is at 2:00 pm, you’ll have plenty of time to go trick-or-treating afterwards!”

Ensslin adds “As with previous albums the Music Compound Album Ensemble has performed, such as Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of The Moon and The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, this is one of those rare albums that changed music forever. Nothing was the same after Thriller — it was the most commercially-successful album ever released. Everyone in the audience will know every single note and have so many memories of where and when they first heard these iconic songs. Bringing it to life on stage exactly as it was on vinyl will be an incredible challenge that the brilliant students of the Album Ensemble are more than ready for.” 

Jenny Townsend, Music Compound's Founder and President, says “Our Album Ensemble program is a collaborative experience for players of all ages and skill levels and enables everyone to get inside some of the best music ever made. This program perfectly aligns with our commitment to fostering collaboration and intergenerational opportunities for students.” As with previous Album Ensemble events, these performances will be filmed and recorded to document the performances. 

Music Compound’s Album Ensemble returns on October 31 and November 1 with two performances of Michael Jackson’s Thriller

Tickets: ● $25 (General Admission) ● $35 (VIP Seating) ● $15 (Standing Room) 

Visit musiccompound.com/music-compound-album-ensemble/ 

PHOTO ID: Liam Geske and Sophia Rios performing Queen    Provided photo/Music Compound

About Music Compound Music Compound (775 Bell Road, Sarasota) provides an environment to inspire, collaborate and educate children and adults in pursuit of their love of music. The goal is to transform dreams into reality by providing a contemporary and influential environment for musicians of all ages. For more information, visit musiccompound.com.