Ball State University School of Music Newsletter, Summer 2016

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SCHOOL OF MUSIC NEWSLETTER

Summer 2016


Letter from the Director Dear Alumni and Friends of the School of Music, As you will see in this edition of Notes, the spring semester in the School of Music has been exciting. Kicking off the semester, the Ball State Symphony Orchestra (BSSO) and Concert Choir both had fabulous performances at the Indiana Music Educators Professional Development Conference. This was followed by a wonderful Alumni reception at the Marriott in Fort Wayne. This was the first performance at the IMEA conference in recent memory. We also had a very successful production of Die Fledermaus, which was the first of its kind held in Sursa Hall under newly installed LED lights. In addition, the American Brass Quintet performed in Sursa Hall in April and the University Singers presented the 52nd Annual Spectacular in Emens Auditorium.The semester ended with the first-ever Sursa American Organ Competition.Overall, we hosted over 150 events in the School of Music this spring. College of Fine Arts Robert A. Kvam, dean Michael O’Hara, associate dean School of Music Administration Ryan Hourigan, director Rebecca Braun, assistant to the director Linda Pohly, coordinator of graduate programs in music Kevin Gerrity, coordinator of undergraduate programs in music Keith Sweger, coordinator of undergraduate admissions and scholarships Advisory Board Richard Baker Ayriole Frost Michael Gagliardo Craig Gigax Jeffrey Green David Helms Timothy Lautzenheiser Erwin & Barbara Mueller Michelle Oyler Matthew Rooney

We have lots planned for the 2016-17 season. I am excited to announce that the Ball State University Wind Ensemble has been selected to perform at the College Band Directors National Conference in March. We are also planning a performance of Carmina Burana at the Palladium (Carmel, IN) in February. This will be followed by an alumni and friends reception. If you live near the Carmel area, please mark February 26, 2017 on your calendar. We will also once again host the North American preliminaries of the Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition in October. This will include a recital by this past year’s winner of the competition. In addition to the events above, the School of Music continues to host a wide-range of performances including guest artist recitals, large ensemble and chamber music concerts, and student and faculty recitals. You can view our entire events calendar at bsu.edu/music/event including our live streaming schedule. On behalf of the School of Music, I want to congratulate our recent graduates and wish you and your family a wonderful summer. Sincerely,

Ryan Hourigan Director, School of Music Ball State University

Cover Photo Credit: Ball State Creative Services


Conducting Workshop Interview

Interview with Eric Heidbreder

Photo Spread

The New Music Festival

“The Song” Reflections

The Sursa American Organ Competition

Student & Faculty News

Remembering John Seidel

Alumni News

Upcoming Events


From Left to Right: Dustin Palmer, doctoral conducting student Alan McMurray, guest clinician

Conducting Workshop Interview Andy Hunt (MM ‘16) sat down with Thomas Caneva, director of bands, to discuss this year’s tenth annual Conducting Workshop featuring guest clinician Alan McMurray. McMurray is Distinguished Professor and Professor of Conducting Emeritus at the University of Colorado where he served for 35 years as Director of Bands and Chair of the Conducting Faculty. He has guest conducted in 48 states and 15 countries and has been a featured visiting professor and conductor at over 200 universities and conservatories internationally. Q: What is the main purpose/focus of this event? A: The Ball State Wind Band Conducting Workshop started 10 years ago as a way to promote the art of conducting through the wind band repertoire. We’ve had guest conductors that have served as our clinicians from all the major universities in the United States, and in fact we’ve even had composers. We’ve had undergrad and graduate students, we’ve had junior high, high school, and college teachers, who have come to this event every year to basically improve their conducting skills. They have the opportunities to conduct the Wind Ensemble and Symphony Band, and they are given critiques and feedbacks as they conduct. There are also lectures, clinics, and other sessions going on. We talk about movement, we talk about repertoire, we talk about basic leadership skills, just anything that has to do with the art of conducting. Q: What will the schedule look like for the weekend? A: We start Friday night. There is an open rehearsal with the Symphony Band and the Wind Ensemble. The participants typically don’t have any kind of conducting the first night, it’s more observation. But then on Saturday morning, we start


with the Wind Ensemble, and all of the participants get an opportunity to conduct the Wind Ensemble for approximately 15 minutes. They rotate, they get feedback on their conducting, and they get to keep a video at the end of the weekend. In the afternoon, we do sessions, as I mentioned. Saturday evening, we have a concert with the Wind Ensemble and Symphony Band. The next day, Sunday, they have the chance to conduct the Symphony Band. So they all get in front of the Symphony Band with the pieces they have prepared and have another session. When that’s finished, we have a final session where we get them together and talk to them again. They get to ask questions, and topics range widely. They can ask just about anything related to conducting or even music in general. Q: Whom specifically does this event attract? A: It can attract anyone. A graduate student working on a degree at another university...every once in a while there are undergraduate students who will come. And sometimes we get school teachers who are interested in coming back and working on conducting. We’ve had an occasional college band director. It’s a wide range of people. We have people who have no experience at all and people who may have been teaching for 10 or 20 years. Q: In what ways will Ball State students be involved in the events this weekend? A: The Wind Ensemble and Symphony Band are the ensembles that the guests conduct. They will be performing for the different conductors. They will give feedback to the conductors. They will also learn about conducting because they will hear the clinicians in the front working with the conductor, and actually, what I think this does, is it tends to sensitize the players and they become better ensembles. They play better afterwards. They become more aware of what conductors are doing, so they actually learn about conducting even by sitting in the ensemble. And the other part of it, too, is that they are performing a concert. There’s one other session we have, which is Saturday afternoon, that is sponsored by our National Band Association student chapter, where we open it up to any of the students in the music school to come and sit in a session with our guest clinician. This year, our clinician is Alan McMurray, who is the Director of Bands Emeritus at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has conducted all-around and is a renowned educator, teacher, and conductor. He’s been here before- he did this about 8 or 9 years ago, so this is his second time on campus. Q: How has this weekend benefited our students in the past? How has it benefited the people involved the workshop? A: Well, obviously, it has benefited the people involved in the workshop because it’s hands-on conducting. They conduct and get immediate feedback, and it can be anything from their posture, stance, the way they move down to their fingers and wrist, the technical aspects of conducting, but also in terms of the way they approach the music from a conducting stand point, how they interpret a piece of music. They’re going to think about making music on the podium in a different way. And as I said our students get a lot out of it because they are able to learn a little bit more what a conductor thinks about and actually does. Q: Do you have any additional comments? A: It’s been a good event! We’ve had people from all over the country come, and it’s to the point where we don’t really have to advertise. People just know about it. We usually limit it to 10 conductors, and it’s been a really good thing. Occasionally, we’ll get graduate students that will come through, too, so it serves as a bit of a recruitment tool as well!


Students sit in on a workshop entitled “Putting Your Audience Center Stage” with Fifth House Ensemble members Eric Snoza and Eric Heidbreder. Photo Credit: Mihoko Watanabe

I nterview with Eric Heidbreder This fall, the School of Music will launch a new certificate program in entrepreneurial music at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The certificate can be completed in tandem with a student’s degree program and will allow students to gain necessary 21st century business, management, marketing, and entrepreneurial skills for a successful career in music. In March, we hosted the Fifth House Ensemble to kick off our annual Entrepreneurial Artist Residency. Several members of the ensemble were on campus for three days leading workshops and masterclasses on a variety of topics including arts start-ups, college to career, and concert and recital programming. On the final day of the residency, the remaining seven members arrived on campus and offered private one-on-one lessons and consultations for our students. The residency culminated in a performance that featured works by composers Stacy Garrop, Dan Visconti, and a cross-media performance of Arnold Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht. Among the ensemble members was School of Music alumnus Eric Heidbreder (BM ‘12). We asked Eric some questions after his visit about his role in the ensemble and his thoughts on the residency. Q: In your view, what do you feel is important about the notions of entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation within the current music field? A: Music tends to lag far behind other art forms when it comes to engaging audiences and creating opportunities. Statistically, it is highly unlikely that a musician will end up with a tenured orchestral position or any stable career path immediately out of school. With the skills built through entrepreneurship training, musicians are able to control their own paths without relying so heavily on a position opening up.


Q: What type of impact do you see being made here at Ball State as a result of beginning the new Entrepreneurial Certificate program? A: Ball State University has a wealth of experienced faculty, high-quality facilities, and a strong sense of community. This spans across all departments and disciplines within the University. I could see students creating cross-disciplinary partnerships, resulting in innovative projects that engage the community and position Ball State University as a cultural hub within Delaware County. Q: What does 5th House Ensemble do to promote innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship in music? A: For the last 4 years, Fifth House Ensemble has hosted the Fresh Inc Festival in Kenosha, Wisconsin. At this festival, we bring composers and instrumentalists from around the world together for two weeks of intense music making. We’ll premiere 16 new works of chamber music at performances around the Kenosha, Milwaukee, and Chicago areas. Fresh Inc participants attend workshops led by Fifth House Ensemble members and esteemed guest artists. The performances presented through Fresh Inc focus on bringing an experience to our audience, and our workshops focus on building up the skills and sharing the knowledge that Fifth House Ensemble has picked up over our 10 years of chamber music. Workshops include rehearsal techniques, business structures and taxes, experience design, and public speaking. We also promote innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship through all of our performances, educational outreach, and training programs. We are always looking for new ways to engage audiences, whether we’re in a concert hall or in the back by the orange juice at a Whole Foods Market. Q: What is the mission of the 5th House Ensemble? A: Fifth House Ensemble taps the collaborative spirit of chamber music to create engaging performances and interactive educational programs, forging meaningful partnerships with unexpected venues, artists of other disciplines, educational institutions, and audiences of every type. Q: What value do you see in doing residencies like the one you just finished at Ball State? A: The feelings of confusion and terror that come from thinking about the future as a music student are still fairly fresh on my mind. Four years ago, I was graduating from Ball State University and going to DePaul University and playing in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Beyond that, my plans were...fuzzy. While I was in my undergraduate degree, I wish someone had demystified the process of turning a passion or crazy thought into an opportunity, and I think that the residencies that Fifth House provides for college-level music students provide the knowledge necessary to demystify the process of seeing projects and ideas through, and the avenues for making money as a musician. Q: Is there anything else you would like to add? A: I would add that, regardless of your training or skill set, every project requires something new or different from


1.Robert Willey’s MUSC299X-2 immersive learning class on “Educational Videos for Conn-Selmer’s Website” traveled to Elkhart on February 19th to spend the day meeting their team and taking a tour with Todd Waggoner (Director of Bach Operations) of the Bach factory that produces their professional lines of trumpets and trombones. View Educational Videos 2. Indiana Day of Percussion at Ball State University was a huge success. Performances started at 9am and went until 5pm. The day included performances by five Percussion Ensembles and 2 World Music Ensembles. The ensembles were from Indiana Wesleyan University, Olivetti Nazarene University, Vincennes University, DePauw University, Indiana University, Wabash College, and Ball State University. About 100 people attended. Kevin Bobo from IU and Bonnie Whiting from DePauw performed. 3. Cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han, artistic directors of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, were on campus in February to present the second Arts Alive Concert of the season.

Finckel is pictured above in a master class with graduate students Eric Lakanen (cello) and Peter Douglas (piano). 4. The Ball State Concert Choir performed for the 2016 IMEA Professional Development Conference in Fort Wayne last January. Conducted by associate director of choral activities Kerry Glann, the 43-voice mixed choir sang a program including works by Nystedt, Fauré, Telemann, Rutter, Niels LaCour, and a variety of folk songs settings from different cultures. The night prior, the choir joined forces with singers from IPFW for a concert at First Wayne United Methodist Church in Fort Wayne. 5. In January, the Statesmen hosted their annual Side-by-Side event in which guest singers from eight different schools from around the state of Indiana came to perform. Additional guest singers included some of the members of the Magic City Music Men, a local barbershop chorus for adults. They learned four pieces over the course of the day and offered an informal performance at the end of the day.


6. Mihoko Watanabe, associate professor of flute, greets Melissa Snoza, executive director of Fifth House Ensemble, following the ensemble’s concert. 7. Bob Katz, one of the most respected names in digital audio and mastering, gave a remote workshop in the recording studios this past March. The workshop focused on mastering audio, the loudness war, and digital audio. Katz was so taken with student Ethan Hardwick’s mixes, that he agreed to master one for free. 8. The internationally renowned American Brass Quintet was on campus for a two-day residency and presented the final concert of this season’s Arts Alive Concert Series. The quintet coached student brass quintets and gave master classes for our trumpet, horn, trombone, and tuba studios. 9. Alumnus Kevin Ray (BM ’09) from the band Walk the Moon was on campus this past April for an informal Q&A session with students. Ray shared his professional experiences in the music

industry and had a lot of great advice for the students. Read more. 10. The Rose Ensemble, a professional chamber choir from St. Paul, MN, was on campus in February and presented a program entitled ‘Il Poverello’: Exploring the Life and Deeds of St. Francis of Assisi. Preceding the concert, the ensemble presented a master class with members of the Chamber Choir, led by Andrew Crow. 11. The Ball State Opera Theatre and Symphony Orchestra presented two performances of Johann Strauss Jr.’s operetta Die Fledermaus. Jon Truitt directed the production and utilized new LED lights that had been installed in Sursa Hall this past winter. Photo Credits: 1. Robert Willey; 2. Braham Dembar; 3. Becca Braun; 4. Kerry Glann; 5. Andrew Crow; 6. Mihoko Watanabe; 7. Christoph Thompson; 8. Patrick Stauffer; 9. Robert Willey; 10. Andrew Crow; 11. Larry Douthitt


From Left to Right: Robert Willey, director of the MMP program Allison Swingley, Alex Rodriguez Photo Credit: Ball State University Creative Services

“The Song” Reflections Over spring break the pilot episode for a new songwriting reality show, “The Song,” was filmed on campus. Eight Music Media Production students worked with professional recording engineers and producers making sure everything ran smoothly for the show’s finalists. Below are reflections from three students that were involved, Adriana Agapie, Alexis Sanford, and Allison Swingley. The show is scheduled to debut this fall on network television. Read more about the event. Adriana Agapie (TCOM, ‘17) I have gotten so much out of being an intern on The Song. I learned so much in so little time. I know from past experiences from job shadowing tour managers everybody does everything differently and you have to learn how they do everything in a very short period of time and you have to learn how to do it quite fast. I love the fast paced environment of filming and working with everyone. People say you grow so close to everyone on set (crew, cast, etc) in such a little amount of time, which is so very true. I’ve made friendships that will last me a lifetime and learned information that will help me in the music industry…It was definitely worth my time, energy, and lack of sleep.

I wouldn’t trade the week on set for anything. I was Mark Liggett’s assistant and was job shadowing TRYON’s tour manager Marcus. I basically did anything Mark or Marcus needed me to do all week. I also was assisting the production coordinator, Amara, and her assistant, Shelee. The difference about working on The Song compared to classes was that it didn’t feel like we were working. It felt like we were having fun and we didn’t have any worries about classes or grades. It was just about learning something that we like or want to do in the future. It wasn’t something that we had to do, rather it was something we wanted to do. Alexis Sanford (MMP, ‘16) When I initially got the email about potentially using my spring break to intern for this show that I had never heard of I thought to myself “Why would I use my spring break to just do more work. I’m supposed to be relaxing.” But after much thought I figured why not. What else am I doing for my spring break? In the end I am so happy that I decided to take advantage of this great opportunity. During most of the process I acted as one of the interns who worked in the studio


From Left to Right: Allison Swingley Mike Tabor, Jerry Lane, engineer Photo Credit: Ball State University Creative Services

with Dr. Thompson and other industry professionals. That in itself could have been enough for me because not many students get a chance to “shadow” people that work in their potential career field. But by just being there and being prepared I was asked to be one of the board operators for the recording sessions and to mix two live acoustic performances of the finalist that would lead to potentially being used for the actual show when it airs. Beyond that, I got the chance to get feedback and tips from professionals that have been working in this industry longer than I have been alive. And from that I have noticed the quality of my mixes has improved. The best thing about this experience was the fact that as much of a professional environment as it was, the staff were still “human”. What I mean by that is they were willing to talk to us (the interns) and share with us the knowledge and experience that they have gained over the years and from that I realized in order for me to be really good at what I do I need to remember that there is always more to learn. I really enjoyed working with my fellow MMP majors. They are more than just my colleagues. They are my

friends. We all bonded and those are friendships that we all can take with us in our future. Allison Swingley (MMP, ‘16) During the few days that I spent with the cast and crew of The Song, I was able to learn from some extremely talented musicians and engineers. I got to work closely with producer Mark Ligett and recording engineer Jerry Lane, who are two wonderful people and valuable references that I will put on my resumé. From them, I learned so much about the flow and structure of professional recording sessions. They allowed me to give my own ideas on the projects and operate the board during the recording process. It was all very hands-on for me and I was extremely thrilled to be a part of it--and to feel so valued as a team member and not just “an intern”.


From Left to Right: Danielle Steele, soprano Ketty Nez, guest composer Amelia Kaplan, composition faculty Melissa Lund-Ziegler, viola James Thompson, flute Andy Hunt, clarinet Photo Credit: Andrew Hunt

The Festival of New Music This year, the Ball State School of Music hosted its 46th annual Festival of New Music from March 17th19th. It was an exciting weekend with five concerts and over eight hours of music! Ketty Nez was this year’s featured composer. Nez is also a pianist and conductor, and is Assistant Professor of Music Composition and Theory at Boston University. Her music has been described as “…original, full of personality and abundance…” (Louis Anderson) and her compositions have been performed at festivals in Europe, North America, and Asia. As our featured guest, she had a number of her works performed throughout the weekend. She performed some of her works herself, alongside Katie Wolfe (violin, University of Iowa) and Katrin Meidell, assistant professor of viola at Ball State. On Friday evening’s concert, the Ball State University New Music Ensemble, led by Amelia Kaplan, premiered the instrumental arrangement of Nez’s “Rumelian Songs of Love and Rain.” Over the course of the festival 28 School of Music students and eight faculty members performed chamber music works. Four faculty members and three students had their works featured on the festival.

Additionally, the Symphony Band and Choral Union performed at the festival. The Symphony Band kicked off the festival on Thursday evening with a performance of Roy Magnuson’s “Innsmouth, Massachusetts – 1927.” On Friday evening, the Choral Union performed two works by Andrea Ramsey. Ramsey is the Associate Director of Choral Studies at the University of Colorado – Boulder, and is an ASCAPlus award-winning composer with over 70 published choral works in print. Other composers featured on the program hailed from Florida, Washington, D.C., Tennessee, Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Ball State faculty member Robert Willey put together a virtual concert online that featured works that could not be performed live for logistical reasons. Carter Rice, a graduate student at Ball State, managed all the electronic pieces (about half of the works on the festival) with absolutely no hitches! The festival was made possible through the assistance of faculty members Eleanor Trawick, Daniel Swilley, Eli Fieldsteel, Jim Rhinehart, and Jody Nagel, as well as the Sursa Hall and Central Recording Services staff, including Christoph Thompson, Chad Powers, and Ali Hegedus. Theory professor Amelia Kaplan, who spearheaded the festival, said the weekend was a huge success. “Everyone was impressed with the level of playing here, as well as with our facilities.”


From Left to Right: Cherry Rhodes, judge David Higgs, judge Brenda Portman, Brandon Santini, Nara Lee, Brian Glikes, and Nicole Simental, finalists Huw Lewis, judge Raúl Prieto Ramírez, judge

Sursa American Organ Competition The year 2016 marks the 10th anniversary of the beautiful Goulding and Wood designed Sursa organ. In celebration of its anniversary and the generous donation from the Sursa family, the School of Music hosted the first Sursa American Organ Competition during the second week of May. Spearheaded by Instructor of Organ Raúl Prieto Ramírez, the competition attracted twelve of the most talented young organists from across the country. The evening before the competition commenced, Ramírez performed a solo organ recital in Sursa Hall that concluded with an encore of his own transcription of Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz No. 1 resulting in a standing ovation. Ramírez performed on the Sursa organ a few years ago before coming on faculty. In the competition program book, he explains “...I fell in love with the instrument and its incredibly well tuned hall. My dream came true years later when I was offered the position of organ professor.” Eight organists performed in the semi-final round on Thursday, May 12 and five organists advanced to the final round held on Saturday, May 14. All concerts and rounds were broadcast live. Finalists Nicole Simental and Brian Glikes tied for first place and Brenda Portman was voted the audience favorite. Simental and Glikes each received $2500 and will automatically advance to the semi-final round of the Moscow International Organ Competition in which visa support and accommodations are provided. Portman received a $500 prize. All three winners received their award certificates at the Prizewinners’ Gala Concert and performed approximately 20-minutes of music each. The judges for the competition were Professor Ramírez, David Higgs, Huw Lewis, and Cherry Rhodes. Higgs, Lewis, and Rhodes praised the instrument, hall, competition, and the organists the competition attracted. The Sursa organ will be featured in a number of upcoming events this year in celebration of its 10th anniversary. In the fall, Ramírez will perform with the Muncie Symphony Orchestra in a program entitled Organ Celebration. The concert will includes works by Alexandre Guilmant and Franz Liszt, among others. Additional events are planned for the winter and spring and will be announced at a later date.


Student News Kiersten Alcorn recently returned from Japan where she visited Mukogawa Women’s University and presented a solo harp recital as the winner of the Ball State Undergraduate Concerto Competition. Julius Bucsis’s work Stories from an Alien Pond was selected for the NYCEMF 2016 to be held in June in New York City. His piece The Message will be included in the Ablaze Records Electronic Masters Vol. 5 CD, available through most major media outlets later this year. In addition, Julius will perform a set of original compositions for electric guitar and computer processing at the Blue North Music Festival in Olafsfjördur, Iceland in June. Peyton Cox presented her senior capstone concert in the Brown Planetarium. This was the first electronic music concert held in the new planetarium, the largest in the state of Indiana. Adam Goldberg was accepted into the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, NC as a double bass student. Ethan Hardwick traveled to Florida to have his song mastered by the world famous recording engineer Bob Katz. Mr. Katz worked with Ethan remotely this past March in an audio workshop. Hilary Janysek received a full-tuition scholarship to attend the 2016 SAVVY Musician in Action Workshop scheduled from June 7-12, 2016 at the University of South Carolina. Cameron Keenan was selected for this summer’s Aspen Music Festival. As a junior, he was selected from a national pool of graduate and undergraduate bassoonists. Michael Lund Ziegler will begin his tenure as Music Director/Conductor of the Sheboygan (WI) Youth Symphony. He and his wife Melissa Lund-Ziegler received a grant to support their “Music for the Sake of Music” Summer Music Program in Wisconsin from the Green Bay Packers Foundation. Ben Maynard was named a winner in the 2016 International Trumpet Guild (ITG) Scholarship Competition. James Middleton was invited to continue playing with the national tour of In the Mood this coming fall. The tour will include 6 weeks in Australia followed by an additional 6 weeks touring the west coast of the US.

Allison Swingley will be lead tech this summer for the Interlochen Center for the Arts where she’ll work with fellow alumnus Jennifer Apple (BM ‘94). In the fall, Allison will start her new position at Sweetwater in Fort Wayne, IN. Mike Tabor was named Student Employee of the Year for his work with Central Recording Services. Lauren Walker received the Bella Voce Award from the Bel Canto Foundation in Chicago on April 16. Out of over one hundred semi-finalists, she was one of six who received this award and one of two invited to sing at the Grand Prize evening. Valerie Weingart received a $1,000 scholarship to be a Young Artist in the OperaMaya International Summer Music Festival in Mexico. This year’s winners of the 10th Annual Ball State University Vocal Competition for the Undergraduate Division were Andrea Mellum (1st place), Jeffrey Hunnicutt (2nd place), Kelsey Sandefur (3rd place), and Brie Burney (honorable mention). The winners of the Graduate Division competition were Maegan Pollonais (1st place), Kelci Kosin (2nd place), Giustino Carrano (3rd place), and Rory Wallace (honorable mention). Congratulations to all of the singers that participated! This past semester the student chapter of the Society of Composers, Inc. (SCI) hosted the SCI Region 5 Snapshot Conference. The event consisted of a concert, a composition master class, and a round table discussion. Frank Felice was the special guest, and the conference attracted students from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and Butler University. Ball State students Kyle Jones, Sonny LoCascio, Lucas Baughman, Chad Powers, and Ben Mossler organized and staffed the event. School of Music students Julius Bucsis, Carter Rice, and Chad Powers took part in the recent national conference for the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music. Alumni Michael Olson (DA ‘13 and co-host of the conference), Tony Reimer, Jason Bolte (BM ‘99, MM ‘03), Aaron Anderson (BM ‘14), and Michael Pounds (an alumnus as well as a faculty member) also participated in the conference alongside faculty members Eli Fieldsteel and Daniel Swilley.


Faculty News Gene Berger, assistant professor of horn, traveled with the Ball State horn studio to the Southeast Horn Workshop at Vanderbilt University where two of his graduate students gave presentations – Aaron Hoerst and Anna Kucia. Berger and James Helton, associate professor of piano, performed Christoph Thompson’s Horn Sonata at the workshop. From October 28-30, Berger will host the Mid-North Horn Workshop on the Ball State campus. Joel Braun, assistant professor of double bass, will join the Eastern Music Festival faculty this summer and has been named assistant principal bass in the festival orchestra. Douglas Droste, director of orchestras, conducted the Ball State Symphony Orchestra at the 2016 Indiana Music Education Association Conference at the Ft. Wayne Convention Center and guest conducted the 2016 Missouri All-State Orchestra. He served as an adjudicator for Festival Disney and the Music For All National Festival. Kerry Glann, associate director of choral activities, presented a clinic on sight-reading in the choral rehearsal at the IMEA Conference and, in February, served as guest conductor for the Region 4 Middle School Circle the State with Song Choir. Brittany Hendricks, assistant professor of trumpet, traveled through Texas and Arizona in May with the Ball State University Fanfare Trumpet Ensemble en route to the 2016 International Trumpet Guild Conference in Anaheim, California. The trip included several performances of a lecture-recital entitled “Herald: The Trumpet As Cultural Heritage.” At the conference, the ensemble was featured in four separate performances; one of which featured original compositions by ensemble member Drew Tomasik. Matthew Lyon, assistant professor of tuba, and Gene Berger performed at the International Tuba and Euphonium Conference in Knoxville, TN where they

premiered a work by composer Howard Buss. Katrin Meidell, assistant professor of viola, was elected as a board member of the American Viola Society. In addition, she presented a session at the American String Teachers Association National Conference this past March entitled “How Loud is Too Loud? A Musician’s Guide to Protecting His or Hear Hearing.” Peter Opie, associate professor of cello, gave a master class this past April at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. C. Michael Palmer (Music Education) presented a workshop on jazz improvisation at the Arkansas Music Educators Conference in Hot Springs in November, and a workshop on incorporating improvisation and composition activities in the ensemble classroom at the Indiana Music Education Association Conference in Fort Wayne in January. An article co-written with colleagues on “How to Teach Graduate Students: A Self-Study by Students and a Faculty Member” was published by UPDATE: Application of Research in Music Education in February. He also presented a research poster on the Perceptions of Cooperating Teachers on their Role in the Student Teaching Experience at the National Association for Music Education Research Conference in Atlanta. He will begin a tenure-track appointment in Music Education this fall. Joseph Scagnoli, faculty emeritus, served as the interim Director of Bands, Professor of Music, Conducting, and Music Education at Morehead State University during the 2015-16 academic year. Joe will be back on campus this summer rehearsing the Indiana Music Ambassadors in preparation for the ensemble’s tour through Europe. Keith Sweger, professor of bassoon, was re-elected to a second term as president of the International Double Reed Society.


Alumna Grace Bauson takes a photo with the Ball State harp studio and Professor Elizabeth Richter following her solo guest recital. Photo Credit: Elizabeth Richter

Alumni News Rosemary Ardner ( BS ‘06, formerly Rosemary Keenan) is the Orchestra Director for the Dunlap Community Unit School District in Dunlap, IL and is a section second violinist with the Peoria Symphony Orchestra. She is also the conductor of the Central Illinois Youth Symphony’s Preparatory Orchestra. In 2015, Rosemary presented at the Illinois Music Education Conference and was recognized as the Outstanding Alumna of the Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. Grace Bauson (BM ‘05, DA ‘12) was on campus during the spring semester to present a guest artist harp recital and master class. Grace recently won the Army Field Band harp audition. Shellie Beeman (DA ‘14) recently had her article entitled “Perceptions of Voice Teachers Regarding Students’ Vocal Behaviors During Singing and Speaking,” published in the Journal of Voice. Beeman is Assistant Professor of Voice at Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado. Seth Beckman (MM ‘90, DA ‘96) was presented with the Outstanding Alumnus Award at the School of Music’s annual Honors Convocation this spring. Beckman currently serves as Dean of the Mary Pappert School of Music at Duqesne University.

Mark Boozer (BM ‘79)performed a recital in memory of long-time Ball State piano faculty member Pia Sebastiani this past April at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA. Amy Chaplin (MM ‘11) presented a conference session at this year’s MTNA national conference in San Antonio, TX. Her session was titled, “The Wild West of Marketing: How Do You Know What Really Works?” Amy was also one of a select number of teachers to receive a Teacher Enrichment Grant from MTNA, in her case to attend the Gordon Institute for Music Learning workshop in August. Christina Whitlock (MM ‘06) also presented at the conference: “The Varsity Musician’s Playbook: Commitment-Building Strategies from Team Sports to the Studio.” Matt Davich (BS ‘78) is performing and teaching in Nashville, TN. As a woodwind doubler, he’s played for the TPAC Broadway Series (featuring the musicals Pippin, Newsies, Cinderella, and Phantom of the Opera), Nashville Symphony, Nashville Jazz Orchestra, Duffy Jackson Big Band. He maintains a private studio of over 30 students and can be heard on recording with the Skip Lane Band and the Duffy Jackson Big Band. He performs weekly at the Scarrit-Bennett Center “Vespers and All That Jazz” with Ball State alumnus Kevin Madill.


School of Music alumni catch up at our alumni reception at this year’s Indiana Music Education Association Conference in Fort Wayne. Photo Credit: Rebecca Braun

Alumni Catherine and Andrew Klein helped us out at the School of Music booth at the Texas Music Educator’s Association College Fair in San Antonio, TX this past February. Photo Credit: Rebecca Braun

Fabian Jimenez Herra (MM ‘05, DA ‘09) was recently appointed as the Coordinator of the Pre-College Music Program at the School of Music for the National University in Costa Rica.

University this summer from June 20-24. Emily is in her 20th year of teaching elementary general music at two schools in the Lake Central School Corporation in northwest Indiana.

Vincent Karamanov (BM ‘07), was selected as the winner of the St. Louis Symphony contrabassoon audition. Previously, Karamanov was principal bassoon with the Grand Rapids (MI) Symphony. He will begin his position with St. Louis in September 2016, joining another Ball State bassoon graduate, Andrew Gott (BM ‘98; associate principal bassoon).

Amy Noble (BS ‘02, MA ‘13) presented a session with colleague Kristin Vance at the American String Teachers Association National Conference this past March entitled “Success in Building a String Program in Urban Schools or Anywhere!” Noble is the orchestra director at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis.

Jihye Kim (MM ‘12) was appointed Instructor of Cello at Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea. Shayne Lebron (MM ‘15) will be performing a concerto at Carnegie Hall this coming June. Katie LeSense (BS, ‘14) was awarded the New Teacher of the Year from Indiana ASTA. She currently teaches at Bedford Middle School in Bedford, Indiana. Emily Maurek (BS ‘95) completed an internship last summer with Dr. John Feierabend at Silver Lake College in Manitowoc, WI that led to becoming a Feierabend Association for Music Education Endorsed Teacher Trainer in First Steps in Music. She’ll be conducting a week-long First Steps in Music course at Indiana State

Grace Park (AD ‘13) has been a regular substitute in the cello section with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Eric Salazar (BM ‘13) has been actively performing with Classical Music Indy and is the Community Engagement Coordinator for the organization. In addition, Eric’s first solo CD came out this spring – mostly of his own compositions and improvisations. Eric was featured discussing it on the blog Clarineat. Anna Thompson-Danilova (AD ‘10, MM ‘12) has been performing with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, and Louisville Orchestra. She was recently hired as Instructor of Cello at both Indiana Wesleyan University and Taylor University.


In Memoriam John Allen Seidel Associate Professor of Trombone (October 1, 1948 - June 10, 2016) The School of Music is deeply saddened by the loss of John Seidel. Remembrance by Brittany Hendricks, Assistant Professor of Music (Trumpet)

The Ball State University music community mourned this summer over the unexpected death of long-term faculty member John Seidel, Associate Professor of Trombone. Dr. Seidel, who had been hospitalized midway through the spring semester, passed away peacefully at age 67. Among other things, John Seidel loved cooking, Mahler, and a tall glass of Guinness. He was devoted to his wife, his children, and, most recently, his first granddaughter. When news of his passing hit Facebook, his students paid tribute to his wit and his warmth, remembering how he had involved himself in their lives. “He made it to every one of our functions that he could,” said Dominic Gaietto (B.M., 2015). “Even if it wasn’t the orchestra or the wind ensemble, sometimes you’d see him at combo stuff, you’d see him at jazz band—just very supportive.” The stories on Facebook include one account in which Seidel went so far as to sell an old car to a student, only to buy it back again a year and a half later for the same price because it had broken down. Another alum, Adam Johnson (D.A., 2010), recalled a time when he had double-booked himself for two professional orchestras. After gently making fun of him, his teacher volunteered to play the extra gig. “He was always very student-focused,” Johnson said. “I never saw him do anything to try to call attention to himself.” Professionally, Seidel is best-known for his 24-year tenure at Ball State University, which rounded out a career that took him as far from his native Pennsylvania as Texas and the Great Lakes. He previously held positions

at the University of Wisconsin–Superior and at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Upon his arrival in Muncie, Seidel received additional opportunities to perform with the Indianapolis Symphony and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra; helped to found the Indiana Brass Quintet; and performed and recorded with the Indianapolis Brass Choir. He earned his doctorate from the University of North Texas. But in spite of his résumé, Seidel’s students will remember him most for the impact that he made on their lives. Johnson describes him as “a humble man” and “very selfless.” “I try to mimic a lot of those qualities in the way I deal with my students,” Johnson said. He was recently appointed to a visiting assistant professorship at Louisiana Tech University. Gaietto, meanwhile, is pursuing graduate studies at the University of Minnesota. He considers Seidel “a musical father figure” and credits him with changing the course of his career. In reflecting on his teacher’s legacy, Gaietto recalled a scene that is probably familiar to other alumni. “You’d walk into his office and he’d have a big cup of coffee started or he’d be eating his lunch and you’d end up just talking,” Gaietto said. He remembered having conversations about music, about emotions, about compositional back story—all in the service of making great music. “Those,” Gaietto said, “were some of the best lessons.”


Upcoming Events The artists featured above will perform on the 2016-2017 Arts Alive Concert Series. Pianist Tzu-Yin Huang, winner of the 2016 Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition, performs on October 6, 2016. The Jerusalem Quartet (photographed by Robert Torres) will perform on November 10, 2016 and the all-male vocal ensemble Chanticleer (photographed by Lisa Kohler) performs on April 9, 2017. The School of Music will once again host the North American preliminary round of the Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition. This year’s preliminary round is scheduled for October 7-9, 2016. School of Music faculty member Christoph Thompson oversaw the production of a student-produced documentary about last year’s competition that can now be viewed on the School of Music YouTube channel. On September 16, 2016 the School of Music will present the fifth annual Showcase concert, a benefit for School of Music student scholarships. This year’s Showcase will be held over family weekend and will be followed by an alumni and friends reception. Loralee Songer is this year’s Alumni Achievement Citation Award recipient and will perform on the concert with pianist Hyery Hwang. The concert will culminate with a performance by Ball S Pride of Mid-America Marching Band.

Questions & Updates We want to know what our alumni are up to. Email us at music@bsu.edu with your updates and any questions. Follow us on Twitter @BSU_Music

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