Abridged November/December Spotlight

NOVEMBER /DECEMBER

2020

Photo by: Tim Miller Department of Communication student getting hands-on TV production experience.

Professor Jamsheed Akrami-Ghorveh November Faculty of the Month Department of Communication

1. Describe your creative filmmaking process.

Essay films are based on extensive research. In a sense the process is more comparable to writing a thesis than making a movie. You need to form a hypothesis and then look for supporting materials. You basically end up doing literature reviews and field research. The literature review for the kind of documentaries I make involves finding and analyzing the films that would support my hypotheses. The field research could involve interviews with filmmakers and film experts. The most demanding aspect of this kind of filmmaking is the editing process. That’s where you really shape your film into something presentable. That’s obviously true of every movie, but much more so with essay films.

2. You’re known for the following films: A Cinema of Discontent, Friendly Persuasion: Iranian Cinema After the 1979 Revolution and A Walk with Kiarostami. Which film was your favorite to produce?

I made another feature length doc called The Lost Cinema about the pre-revolutionary Iranian cinema that is perhaps my personal favorite, because it’s about a film movement known as the Iranian New Wave that started prior to the 1979 revolution and I was a close witness to its flowering while I was still in Iran. The New Wave movies were banned by the Islamic Republic due to their lack of conformity to post-revolutionary codes of censorship, including female characters not shown in Islamic hijab. So, a national treasure was shelved with no respect for its artistic merits. I think my film is a sad reminder of that lost cinema.

Fortunately, most of the New Wave filmmakers continued to make great films despite the revolution and thanks to their own ingenuity. The other two docs I made in my trilogy on Iranian cinema are in appreciation of their efforts. The film that got the best press was Friendly Persuasion, but I think A Cinema of Discontent would be more appealing to a general audience. It’s about film censorship in Iran and the filmmakers’ attempts to resist. I can say with some certainty that the kind of censorship imposed on Iranian filmmakers has been unprecedented in any national cinemas and should be considered a sadly unique chapter in film history.

Dr. Alejandro Anreus

December Faculty of the Month Department of Art 1. How long have you taught in the Department of Art? I have been teaching in the Department of Art since September 2001. I also teach in the Latin American Studies program.

2. What career advice would you provide to our Art students?

There are many career paths to pursue in the visual arts, both as a practitioner and an educator. It can be in the more traditional areas of painting, sculpture and printmaking, or in animation, web and graphic design, etc. The ancient idea of an art major “starving in their studio,” has not been relevant for a long, long time. Art plays a significant and useful role throughout our society.

2

Dante Portella

Anne G. Barretta

1. Tell us about your work as an audio engineer.

1. How long have you taught at William Paterson University and what courses are you teaching this semester?

November Adjunct of the Month Department of Music

December Adjunct of the Month Department of Communication

I started working as an audio engineer by shadowing a legendary engineer for a number of years as an assistant in a recording studio environment. The experience gained from that mentorship has been invaluable for me in every audio project I’ve taken on since. Through other relationships, I began getting interested in location recording. As a result, I’ve been involved in a lot of live concert and classical performance space type recordings. It was especially exciting to be involved as an audio engineer on a choral recording last year that won a Grammy Award. As a William Paterson University employee, I’ve been the audio engineer on most of the University’s recorded events. I maintain and mix all recordings for the Jazz Room Series’ archive. I’ve also been very involved in the upgrading of many of our campus spaces like the TV studios in Hamilton Hall and the recording studios in Shea.

Since 1998, I’ve been teaching as an adjunct professor in the Communication Department. During that time, I’ve also held three separate one-year, full time faculty positions within the department to help teach additional sections of core classes. This semester, I’m teaching COMM 4490 Public Relations Workshop and COMM 4470/PCOM 5470 Strategic Multiplatform Writing.

2. What do you enjoy about teaching Public Relations?

I enjoy bringing realworld issues into the classroom to help my students think creatively and execute professionally.

2. Are you working on any projects?

I’m currently working on stereo and 5.1 surround sound mixes for a live concert that will be released next year on digital, CD/DVD, Blu-Ray, and Vinyl formats. It’s a challenging project because there are so many different musical configurations throughout the 6-hour performance but that’s also what keeps it interesting and rewarding.

3

Dawn Fitch

November Alumni of the Month Department of Art 1. When did you graduate and what was your major?

I graduated in 1990 and my major was Art. 2. Entrepreneurship can be circuitous. What advice do you have for our readers who are considering entrepreneurship?

Love what you’re doing! Entrepreneurship can be challenging at times, sometimes the thing that pulls you through those times is the love or passion you have for the business. Also, get help! Don’t try to do everything yourself; that’s a big pitfall. There are a lot of organizations and groups that offer entrepreneurs help. Some include the SBA (Small Business Administration), business development centers at colleges and universities and SCORE, a network dedicated to assisting small business owners.

Christopher Sholar

December Alumni of the Month Department of Music 1. What was your major and when did you graduate from William Paterson University?

I graduated in 2001 and my major was Jazz Studies and Performance.

2. How has attending William Paterson University impacted your career as a musician?

During my first year at WP, I got called to go on tour for a few months. I was nervous about missing classes, but my instructor told me, “The best teacher is learning in real time on the job. There is a big difference between book smarts and experience.” That lesson was invaluable to me.

The faculty at WP was jazz royalty: James Williams, Harold Mabern, Rufus Reid, Mulgrew Miller and Clark Terry!

“

The best teacher is learning in real time on the job.

- Christopher Sholar

4

Tekoa Criddell

November Student of the Month Department of Art 1. What is your major and when will you graduate?

My major is Art - Graphic and Interactive Design and I’m aiming to graduate in 2022.

2. How has attending William Paterson University impacted your art?

I’ve always appreciated and loved making art, but I didn’t really have much technical instruction, so I can honestly say that the University’s Department of Art helped me hone some of those skills. I genuinely feel that I’m a better artist from when I started the program because I’m better at sketching and conveying creative ideas.

Photo Credit: Tekoa Criddell

Angelina Cirovic

December Student of the Month Department of Music

1. What is your major and when will you graduate?

My major is Classical Music Education and I plan to graduate in Spring of 2023.

2. As the president of NAfME (National Association for Music Education), what advice would you offer to your fellow NAfME members and music students?

If music is your true passion, search for happiness within learning it as much as you love listening to it. Never lose sight of your goals, and always ask your fellow music majors for help! We are in this together.

We cannot let school districts deprive students of everything music has to offer.

Click on the link to hear why Angelina’s major is important to her: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1UCY2gKLIs.

Photo Credit: Tekoa Criddell

“

If music is your true passion, search for happiness within learning it as much as you love listening to it.

- Angelina Cirovic

5

COLLEGE WIDE NEWS & UPCOMING EVENTS: Upcoming Events:

Spring 2021 Exhibits Fertile Ground January 27 – May 7, 2021 Court Gallery On the occasion of the retirement of Professor of Art Elaine Lorenz, this exhibition showcases Lorenz’s ceramic sculptures inspired by elements of nature alongside works by her former ceramics students: Leslie Adler, David D’Ostilio, Amal Elnahrawy, Kara Kovach, Deborah Guzmán Meyer, Diana Jean Puglisi, Marcos Salazar, Jason Schneider, and Sarah Van Vliet. To view the exhibition, visit: https://www. wpunj.edu/coac/gallery/Exhibitions/exhibition-detail. html?id=82a07713-4962-49e8-bfd1-04e3c575be4c The Weight of the Body: Selections from the Permanent Collection January 27 - April 7, 2021 (Extended) South Gallery Organized to mark the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, this exhibition showcases works by women artists who challenge traditional gender roles and societal norms while addressing the dialogues between issues of gender, race, sexuality, and class. The traveling poster exhibition Rightfully Hers from the National Archives will also be on view to explore the historical arc of women speaking truth to power. To view the virtual exhibit, visit: https://bit.ly/ VirtualExhibit_WOTB Lady Legendary Singers Holiday Show Starring Sherma Andrews Date & Time: December 12, 2020, 8 p.m. (Live Performance & Stream) Date & Time: December 20, 2020, 8 p.m. (Virtual Performance) Info: Box Office (973) 720-2371 Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker - Christmas Stream Date & Time: December 19, 2020, 8 p.m.

Info: Box Office (973) 720-2371 Gallery hours are Tuesday - Thursday, from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m, and by appointment. To request a virtual tour, please contact Gallery Manager Emily Johnsen at (973) 720-2654 or johnsene@wpunj.edu.

Two of our students were recently awarded scholarships: Hershell Williams, Department of Art and Kendra Chaiken, Department of Music. Click on the video to learn more about them: https://youtu.be/Yrhjirzx5Hs.

Malachi Brown: https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/ coronavirus/2020/11/10/nj-covid-daniel-huschke-taughtmath-and-amassed-giant-movie-collection/6164915002/

On Monday, November 2, 2020 the Voice Area hosted a virtual evening of song. Themed, “Songs of the Americas,” the evening featured vocal music written by composers throughout North and South America and were performed by students in their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year of study.

Shiqira Freeman: https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/ coronavirus/2020/11/09/nj-covid-george-petersen-taughtmiddle-school-reading-and-fly-fishing/6128715002/

Fatima “Tima” Diakite ‘18, Department of Music alumna and musician, recently appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show in the “What I’m Liking” segment. Click the link to watch the clip: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=e871azs3r2Y&feature=youtu.be

Brianna Colmenares: https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/ coronavirus/2020/11/09/nj-covid-teresa-pacera-lovedplaying-games-family/6128378002/ Dr. Carl Bolleia has been appointed to a one-year full time Assistant Professor position in the Department of Music.

May Chabayta has replaced Cynthia Kincherlow, who retired as the Administrative Assistant in the Department of Music.

Promotions: Dr. Margaret Williams – Department of Art - from Associate to Full Professor Retirements: Drew Brown - Department of Art

Fatima “Tima” Diakite ‘18, Department of Music alumna and musician, appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

Tyshawn Sorey, Department of Music alumnus, is featured in The New York Times: https://www.nytimes. com/2020/10/30/arts/music/tyshawn-sorey-alarm-willsound-music.html Check out the Department of Music’s Pop Vocal Ensemble performance of Ain’t Got Far to Go: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1qoipAj2ec One of the assignments in PCOM 6000 Survey of Professional Writing this semester was for each student to write a short profile or remembrance of a New Jersey resident who died from the coronavirus. The project, “Loved and Lost,” is a statewide effort by the media to name and write about each victim. The students were matched with a name and then interviewed someone from the family about the mother, father, sibling, etc.

Three PCOM students: Malachi Brown, Shiqira Freeman and Brianna Colmenares had their work published on Northjersey.com, links to which are included below:

6

Elaine Lorenz - Department of Art Dr. Stephen Marcone – Department of Music Marianna Menyhart – University Performing Arts Passings: Dr. Craig J. Davis – Department of Music Jimmy Heath – Department of Music Warren Helms - Department of Music Joseph Van Putten - Department of Art

College of the Arts & Communication Office of the Dean: Loretta Mc Laughlin Vignier, Interim Dean Dr. Lauren Fowler-Calisto, Dean’s Fellow & Assistant to the Dean & Associate Professor, Department of Music Lavene Gass, Marketing & Community Liaison Amy Nemery, Executive Staff Assistant Rosario Urena, Administrative Staff Assistant Kaeli Brady, Intern: Graphic Designer Tekoa Criddell, Intern: Graphic Designer Megan Martinelli, Intern: Photographer John Conlow, Intern: Videographer Alexa Chavarria, Intern: Social Media

Interviews & Edits by: Lavene Gass Layout Design by: Tekoa Criddell To submit news, email Lavene Gass at gassl1@wpunj.edu.

7

Follow us on social media:

@wpucoac

@wpacnj

@wpacnj

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: @wpacnj

Photo by: Tim Miller It Will Be True outdoor performance