April newsletter

Immaculata Music Department Newsletter “Drums Don’t Know Race or Gender” Read about Music Therapy Club’s West African and Latin American Drumming Event!

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPWBz6sQC2XI7iDDGOO5CoLv9sRLiDAoM9yssKi

Also Included in this Month’s Newsletter:

• Learn about Immaculata’s Trombone Instructor • A Review of Ms. Ferraro’s Recital • Immaculata Symphony Orchestra’s Concerto Concert • Music Education Club Hosted Some Fun Events!

• AND MUCH MORE

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Table of Contents

Ms. Ferraro’s Recital

Emma Richey

Page 4

Adjunct Spotlight

Madison Molnar

Page 4

Upcoming Concerts at IU Taylor Stroup

Page 5

Immaculata Chorale

Alexis Reavill

Page 6

Other Upcoming Concerts Paige Gale Page 6

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Music Therapy Club Report

Kristiana Wodzinski

Page 7

Music Education Club Report Alyssa Wiltbank

Immaculata Symphony Concerto Concert Paige Gale

Page 9

Page 8

Ms. Dolores Ferraro’s Recital

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Emma Richey, Class of 2019 On Sunday March 11, Ms. Dolores Ferraro performed in a Chamber Recital. Ms. Ferraro is an adjunct voice teacher at Immaculata and has performed in operas many times in her life. The ensemble for this recital included a clarinet, a bassoon, a piano, and Ms. Dolores Ferraro, a soprano vocalist. They performed pieces written by Shubert, Chabrier, Finzi, and Cascarino. The program began with the clarinetist, pianist, and vocalist performing the piece Der Hirt auf dem Felsen by Schubert. This piece showcased the extensive range of Ms. Ferraro’s voice and the smoothness of the clarinet. Throughout the piece, the clarinet and Ms. Ferraro went back and forth as almost a conversation, or call and response. It was truly a beautifully done performance of Schubert’s work. The second piece they performed was L’invitation au voyage written by Chabrier for voice, bassoon, and piano. It was very interesting to see a bassoon playing a countermelody to the soprano line. The piece was overall powerful and filled with emotion from the performers. After they

finished the piece, Ms. Ferraro mentioned it was the bassoonists birthday and the audience sang “Happy Birthday” to him which added a bit of audience participation and fun to the recital. Following that was the Five Bagatelles written for solo clarinet and piano composed by Finzi. This showcased the technical side of the clarinet. The performer not only played the technical parts almost perfectly but also made it sound lovely. The program ended with Pathways of Love for solo voice and piano composed by Romeo Cascarino, Ms. Ferraro’s late husband. Most of the movements were written when Cascarino was just sixteen and one of the movements was written for Ms. Ferraro when they were dating. Ms. Ferraro performed an encore of Danny Boy, arranged by Cascarino. It was composed for one of her birthdays and this performance was the first time she performed the arrangement since he passed. It was a very successful and touching performance done by amazing musicians.

Adjunct Spotlight – Mr. Justin Moore Madison Molnar, Class of 2020

Justin Moore is an adjunct trombone instructor here at Immaculata. He is also on the faculties of Rutgers University-Camden, Temple University’s preparatory program, the Nelly Berman School of Music, the Conservatory of Musical Arts, and a visiting instructor of Haverford and Swarthmore Colleges. He received his Bachelor of Music from Louisiana State University and a master of music from Temple University. He has a busy schedule of performances and private lessons. He is a freelance trombone player in the Philadelphia area and has performed for a variety of ensembles such as: The Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, Opera Delaware, Allentown Symphony Orchestra, the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, and many more. On top of all these impressive orchestral accomplishments he has even played for Joan Rivers!

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Concert Corner

Taylor Stroup, Class of 2019

April is the busiest month for the music department here at Immaculata University. We are in the final push as music students and we are completing all of our final performances. This April, the department will have twelve performances for students, faculty, and the community to attend.

Thursday, April 5th is the Evening Student Recital for voice students. This is open to the public and begins at 7:30pm in Memorial Hall.

Friday, April 6th is Olivia Cox and Linda Carlson’s Senior Recital. Olivia will be playing the piano and Linda will be playing the flute. This is open to the public and begins at 7:30pm in Memorial Hall.

Saturday, April 7th is Adam Skirvin’s Senior Recital. Adam will be playing the upright bass. This is open to the public and begins at 3:00pm in Memorial Hall.

Tuesday, April 10th is the Evening Student Recital for instrumental students. This is open to the public and begins at 7:30pm in Memorial Hall.

Sunday, April 15th is Natalie Brosh’s Senior Recital. Natalie will be playing the piano. This is open to the public and begins at 3:00pm in Memorial Hall.

Tuesday, April 17th is the small ensembles concert. This concert will include the flute choir, clarinet ensemble, chamber ensemble, guitar ensemble, percussion ensemble, and string ensemble. This is open to the public and begins at 7:30pm in Memorial Hall.

Saturday, April 21st is the Immaculata Symphony concert. They will be performing music by Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland. There is a charge for the community to attend this concert, but Immaculata students may attend for free. This is open to the public and begins at 7:30pm in Alumnae Hall.

Thursday, April 26th is the Immaculata Jazz Band concert. This is open to the public and begins at 7:30pm in Memorial Hall.

Friday, April 27th is the Immaculata Chorale concert. This is open to the public and begins at 7:30pm in Memorial Hall.

Sunday, April 29th is the Immaculata Concert Band concert. They will be joined by the West Chester Community Band. This is open to the public and begins at 3:00pm in Alumnae Hall.

Monday, April 30th is Kristen Goldstein’s Senior Recital. Kristen will be playing the bassoon. This is open to the public and begins at 7:30pm in Memorial Hall.

Just a friendly reminder for students that you must attend four concerts during the semester as part of your convocation credit, but with the list of concerts for April, that should not be a concern. The music department staff and all of the performers look forward to seeing you at the upcoming concert events!

Immaculata Chorale

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Alexis Reavill, Class of 2019

On April 27th, the Immaculata Chorale is having their Spring Concert at 7:30 in the Great Hall. This year is the 100th year anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth. In honor of this, the chorale and madrigals will be performing some of his works. The chorale will sign a part of Bernstein’s Mass, two soloists will perform the balcony scene from West Side Story, and the Madrigals will be singing “Somewhere” and “America” from West Side Story with a little “choral-ography” thrown in.

In the words of Mrs. Morrow “We are also exploring a theme that is prevalent in all music genre: saying good bye and rising to heaven. We will feature the following works of that theme: works by Bach ( motet "Jesu Meine Freude"), Schumann ("Beim Abschied zu Singen"), Nelson ("He's Gone Away"), Paulus ("The Road Home"), Ticheli/Teasdale ("There will be rest"). Madrigal Singers are also happy to perform an arrangement of Hisaishi's "Destruction of Laputa" by our very own Victoria R. Rucano.”

The Chorale is also having a bake sale fundraiser in April. Although we are in the process of deciding a date and time, the information will be available shortly. Our bake sale will be a contest between members to see who can make the best cupcake. Please support the Chorale by attending the concert and buying a cupcake at the bake sale!

Other Upcoming Concerts Paige Gale, Class of 2018

There are other concerts in the area that students may attend to fulfill convocation requirements. The first one is the Brandywine Singers performance of Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem. This concert will take place on April 14 at 7:00 PM at the Church of the Good Samaritan in Paoli. It will be conducted by Mr. Jonathan Kreamer, former chorale director of Immaculata. It is $10 for students with your ID. Another concert you may go to is the Chesco Pops Spring Concert at Phoenixville Area Middle School. This concert will be held on Sunday April 22, at 3:00 PM. It is free for students and the orchestra is conducted by Mr. Gehring. If you still have to fulfill convocation requirements, attend one of these concerts and bring proof to Mr. Gehring. Hope to see you there!

You can also go see Junior, Katelyn Reichle, perform at a variety of places this month. Her two closest shows are on April 6 and April 13. Her show on April 6 is at Duffer’s Mill from 7-11 PM. On April 13, you can see her at Mad Macs from 7:30-10:30 PM. Ask her about her other gigs if you want to learn more!

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Drums Don’t Know Race or Gender Kristiana Wodzinski, Class of 2018

On Friday March 23, Demeko Freeman, a music therapist with a rich background in West African and Latin American Percussion, held an informative and engaging session. This session taught attendees that there is so much more to drumming than a skin and a hand.

When walking into the session, there was a nervous energy in the room. The chairs were arranged in a big circle, and there were a lot of different drums in the center of that circle. On the way in, Demeko asked us what our majors were. Some people said that they had no experience with percussion instruments, and his response was, “You are a musician. You have more experience than you think.” Immediately, the room began to relax, and people were really excited to start.

Demeko explained the use of each drum slowly, and he took the time to tune each instrument as he did so. He made sure that we understood how crucial it is to create the best sound out of our drums. This was beneficial to music educators, music therapists and other majors who came to the session. He explained how each drum is a little bit different, and that each drummer chooses his or her drum for a reason. He then had us all choose our drums.

He taught us something very important about the drum. Demeko explained that the drum does not see race, it does not see color and it does not see background. The drum only sees the soul of the musician. If you play the drum with your whole heart, your whole spirit and dedicate your time to it, then that is all you need.

It is important to go into a drumming experience with an open mind and an open heart. Know that the masters of these instruments can teach you everything you need to know about how to play the drum. These instruments have a very unique and powerful history. Think of that when you play. There are rituals, celebrations and it is so much more than just “hitting a drum.” You are making music, you are recreating tradition and history, and you are nurturing the inner musician that is inside of you.

Overall, it was a very engaging and educational experience. The music therapy club, who sponsored this event, wants to thank everyone who came out to enjoy Demeko’s session. The music therapy club is open to new ideas and experiences. If you have any ideas, questions, or if you want to learn more about music therapy, come to club meetings every other Tuesday at 3:30 in Memorial Hall. See you there!

Music Education Club/ PCMEA Chapter

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Alyssa Wiltbank, Class of 2019

The Music Education Club/ PCMEA Chapter had a busy month of March! The students held a ukulele workshop led by Alexis Reavill '19 on March 19th. In this workshop, Alexis shared materials she had gathered from her field experience to share with the other music education students who were interested in learning how to incorporate ukulele into their future classrooms. Alexis not only taught the students a couple of songs (Riptide by: Vance Joy being one of them), but she also showed the students some useful software programs that are great for transposing pieces to ukulele that has appropriate fingering for younger students. Great Job Alexis!

Also on March 19th, there was a PMEA Choral Performance Assessment in the Great Hall from 8am1:30pm. Parochial schools from near and far came to our campus to be adjudicated by expert judges: Dr. John Leonard from The College of New Jersey, Dr. Marci Major from West Chester University, and Mrs. Dorina Morrow from Immaculata University. The choirs had a great day of performing and enjoyed working with the adjudicators! Shout-out to the following students for helping to make the event run smoothly by escorting choirs to their warm-ups and for helping to setup/breakdown the Great Hall throughout the day: Alyssa Wiltbank '19, Emily Cox '21, Carrie Hawbaker '21, Madison McGrogan '21, and Olivia Siegel '21.

The Music Education Club/ PCMEA Chapter is still working on finalizing a date for their fundraiser. They will post the exact details in their Facebook Group when it becomes available. They are also working on electing new officers for the 2018-2019 academic year as well. April will be a another busy month ahead as the students prepare to attend the PMEA Annual State Conference at the Lancaster Marriott and Convention Center from April 19-21.

The Music Education Club/PCMEA Chapter would like to wish everyone a Happy Music in Our Schools Month!

Music Education Club/ PCMEA Chapter

2017-2018 Members:

Top Row (L-R): Kristen Goldstein '18, Alexis

Reavill '19, Gabrielle DeMarco '19, Katelyn

Reichle '19, Alyssa Wiltbank '19, Kailee

McWilliams '20, and Natalie Alvarado '20.

Bottom Row (L-R): Madison McGrogan '21,

Carrie Hawbaker '21, and Gina Rulli '20.

Immaculata Symphony Concerto Concert

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Paige Gale, Class of 2018

On March 24th, the Immaculata Symphony performed their third Moxart Concerto Concert. The Moxart organization provides the opportunity for performers to play a concerto with a full orchestra. Performers of any age are welcome to join this wonderful organization and play a concerto of their choice with the Immaculata Symphony. The concert raises money for the Eugene Buglio Scholarship that is awarded to two senior Immaculata students that participate in the IU Symphony Orchestra. This year’s concert happened to take place on his birthday as well. It was a wonderful program and, as a member of the orchestra, a joy to be a part of.

The program began with the First Movement of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2. The soloist for this piece was Nicholas Fomichev. At a young age of just 16, he played the concerto with such power and emotion that you would have thought he has been playing for many more years. The second piece performed at this concert was Franck’s Symphonic Variations. The piece was a nice contrast to the other pieces performed. The soloist Michael Rosse, played beautifully and his music was relaxing and trance-like. The third piece was the First Movement of Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Piano and Violin. This piece was a crowd favorite. The soloists, Betty Mock on piano and Christopher Lee on violin, were very passionate about this piece and performing it and it was evident through their performance. Being a part of the orchestra, but not having a part in this piece, was amazing. The woodwinds were able to be close to the music and were almost surrounded by it. At the end of this piece, the audience gave the soloists a standing ovation. After a brief intermission, the orchestra concluded the concert with soloist Alan Murray performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2.

The multiple sections of this piece really exhibited Mr. Murray’s ability to play in many styles. All in all, it was a successful concert.

The Immaculata Symphony is looking forward to the spring concert on April 21st, in Alumnae Hall. We will be performing some of Leonard Bernstein’s most famous pieces, including Overture to Candide, Mambo from West Side Story, and Slava! A Politcal Overture. We hope to see you there!

10 Find the Faculty and Staff Names!

B R W H W N J A I O O F S F T U X N B K

I O E J O Y A G R B U E R Y P X B R P G

J H R S Q N C X I H R R B R W C Q L D C

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D R A G O N E T T I M W F R J B O P E R

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G A M E O U E R E L L U M C N E J I J Q

P A P A T H R M O O R E S O Q H J T M T

C D G M E A W I H L L A H Q B S E V L J

BEHRENSHAUSEN BORGIAPETRO BUONVIRI CAMPBELL CAMPITELLI CARR DRAGONETTI EYRE FERRARO FRAZIER GEHRING HALL HUNT IANNONE JACKIE LAURIE MACRAE MAURI MOORE MORROW MULLER NELSON SISTERKATHLEEN WOODARD

Immaculata University Music Department Newsletter April 2018