March/April 2019 Newsletter

Immaculata University Music Department Newsletter March/April 2019 Editor: Taylor Stroup

Table of Contents Music Therapy Club ...............2 Music Education Club ............2 Adjunct Spotlight....................2 Music Department Graduates: Where are They Now ..............3 Spring 2019 Juries .................4 Concert Corner .......................5

On Sunday, February 10th, the Immaculata Symphony performed their youth concert, entitled Symphony in Space. Conductor Joseph Gehring conducted the concert in a space suit!

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Music Therapy Club Music therapy club just recently returned from their trip to Virginia for the MAR-AMTA conference. Members had the opportunity to attend informational sessions regarding growth in the field and had a great experience networking with other professionals and students.

On April 4th, the club cosponsored an open mic night in the new student center. Students came out and showed off their

musical skills while enjoying some snacks and a nice break from school work. Everyone sounded great!

Watch out for information regarding meetings and plans for next year. As always, keep an eye on our Instagram: @iu_music_therapy_club and our snapchat: IU Music Therapy Club for updates on our meetings and upcoming events!

Taylor Stroup, Class of 2019

Meet our Adjunct: Dr. David Hall

Mr. David Hall is one of our adjunct vocal instructors in the music department. He has been with Immaculata since Fall of 2009. Mr. Hall received his bachelor’s in music education from Austin Peay State University and later received his master’s degree in music education from Eastern New Mexico University. Along with teaching at Immaculata, he is also the director of choral activities and a voice teacher at Nazareth Academy High School. Mr. Hall

is also a private voice teacher outside of his school careers. His voice students at Immaculata always speak highly of him, and he is a great asset to our Immaculata music family! Thank you, Mr. Hall, for all your work with our voice majors!

Music Education Club Gabrielle DeMarco, Class of 2019

In a past music education club meeting, Alexis Reavill taught us all how to play the bucket drums! It is a style of music which involves drumming on plastic buckets and other objects to create melodies. We talked about how this could be used in our future classrooms, clubs, performances, and as a unit. We also discussed how easy it was to find different resources for bucket drumming such as looking on YouTube and getting the “Bucket Drumming Karate” series for all levels! Recently, we also had Mrs. Dorina Morrow speak about how to teach and conduct a choir. The session was informational, and the club learned how to run a choir rehearsal and how to choose repertoire for their future students! Only a few more meetings this semester, so make sure you join us!

Taylor Stroup, Class of 2019

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Music Department Graduates: Where are They Now? Kristen Goldstein, Class of 2018, Music Performance Last May, Immaculata graduate, Kristen Goldstein, received a bachelor’s degree in music performance emphasis with concentration on bassoon, as well as the honor of the William E. Campbell Music Medal. After graduation, Kristen began to search for jobs related to her music performance degree. Although not as originally intended, she first worked in a position as an accounting co-op for the University of Pennsylvania. After a few months of working for the Facilities and Real Estate Services department, she received exciting news from Immaculata’s music professor, Sister Kathleen Doutt, about an opening for an elementary school music teacher in Exton. After hearing about the opportunity, Kristen immediately applied for the position, and soon found herself standing in her very own music classroom in Saints Philip and James Elementary School.

At Saints Philip and James, Kristen teaches general music to grades Pre-K 3 through eighth grade and helps the faculty to arrange music events, such as their first annual Christmas Pageant and the spring talent show. In addition to teaching general music, Kristen also directs the junior and advanced choirs, in which she has also organized a small handbell ensemble and arranges and performs the music for weekly Friday liturgies. During each lesson, Kristen strives to help her students explore their creativity and musicality as active learners in the music classroom, while also teaching them how to interpret and apply everything they learn. Over the past few months, Kristen has guided her students in the writing and publishing of music poems, performing group rhythmic compositions using classroom percussion instruments, and presenting original twentieth-century works through the lens of John Cage. As she continues to develop her teaching skills, Kristen aspires to find new, creative ways to make each lesson more exciting and meaningful for all of her students, while instilling in them a love of music. Aside from teaching music, Kristen continues to perform with the Immaculata Symphony and compose music for various instrumental and vocal arrangements, some of which she hopes to incorporate into her future choir concerts.

As Kristen works toward the completion of her music education degree, she is grateful for the ongoing support, guidance, and encouragement of her music professors at Immaculata, who have prepared her for a long and exciting journey in the field of music education.

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Spring 2019 Jury Preparation As most of you are aware, the requirements for the end of semester juries have changed compared to previous years. All music students are now required to perform THREE pieces during their applied music juries, and one piece must be a technical etude. There will also be a portion of the jury where students are expected to discuss their weekly practice logs that were submitted to Dr. Carr throughout the semester. If you have not yet submitted practices logs, there are still two opportunities before juries. Remember, practice log grades are based on not only your discussion during your jury but also your

submissions during the semester. The two dates left are: • Friday, April 12 • Friday, April 26 To properly prepare for your jury, it is recommended that you talk with your applied teacher regarding the teacher assignment sheet that you should have received at the beginning of the semester.

This will give you a reason for why you are studying your pieces and help structure your practice time leading up to juries. When practicing your pieces, focus on not only what you are practicing, but how you are doing so physically, mentally, technically, and musically

based on the goals of the piece. With these tips in mind, all students should be fully prepared for Spring 2019 juries!

Taylor Stroup, Class of 2019

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Concert Corner: Upcoming Concerts at Immaculata April is an extremely busy month for the Immaculata Music Department! Not only do we have our own department concerts with Immaculata students, but The Curtis Symphony is coming to our campus for the third time this year. Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Metropolitan Opera, will be conducting The Curtis Symphony for their performance. The music department is eager to welcome Yannick to campus and we are thrilled to enjoy another performance of The Curtis Symphony!

Below are the dates for all Immaculata Concerts in April: • Saturday, April 6th: Naomi Thompson’s Senior Recital, Memorial Hall, 3:00 p.m.

• Saturday, April 6th: Immaculata Symphony Orchestra, Alumnae Hall, 7:30 p.m.

• Tuesday, April 9th: Evening Student Recital and Percussion Ensemble, Memorial Hall, 7:30 p.m.

• Friday, April 12th: Emma Richey & Alyssa Wiltbank’s Senior Recital, Memorial Hall, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, April 13th: The Curtis Symphony at Immaculata University, Alumnae Hall, 3 p.m. * • Tuesday, April 16th: Ensembles Concert, Memorial Hall, 7:30 p.m.

• Thursday, April 25th: Jazz Ensemble Concert, Memorial Hall, 7:30 p.m.

• Friday, April 26th: Chorale Concert, Memorial Hall, 7:30 p.m.

• Saturday, April 27th: Marilyn Benvenuto’s Senior Recital, Memorial Hall, 7:00 p.m.

• Sunday, April 28th: Concert Band, Alumnae Hall, 3:00 p.m.

There are also two concerts at the beginning of May: • Friday, May 3rd: Brandon Percak’s Senior Recital, Memorial Hall, 6:00 p.m.

• Saturday, May 4th: Immaculata Symphony Orchestra, Great Hall, 7:30 p.m.

With such a list of concerts and recitals, meeting the convocation requirement should not be an issue! Please come out and support your peers as much as possible during the month of April. Each ensemble has worked hard and deserves a crowd at their performance! *Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for students and can be purchased online or at the door.

Taylor Stroup, Class of 2019

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