Music Yearbook 2015-2016

CoFA

CONNECTIONS

Department of

Music

2015-16 Viewbook College of Fine Arts Office of the Dean Davis Hall, Station 6663 Montevallo, AL 35115 205.665.6663

September - October 2015 FACULTY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

DR. LORI ARDOVINO published two works during the summer, including a transcription of Torelli’s Concerto in D, originally for trumpet and strings, transcribed for soprano saxophone and piano and secondly, an arrangement of Mozart’s Serenade No. 10, “Gran Partita”, mvts. 1. Largo; molto Allegro, 3. Adagio, 7. Finale, molto Allegro, arranged for saxophone choir. Also near to completion is her book of 10 graded duets for clarinet and bass clarinet. Dr. Ardovino also taught at the Young Musicians’ Camp and worked at three other band camps at Thompson, Montevallo and Oak Mountain Middle. She will present her faculty clarinet and saxophone recital on October 5. Her piece, Under Water will be performed at the Birmingham New Music Festival on October 8.

DR. MELINDA DOYLE Under the direction of DR. MELINDA S. DOYLE, the University of Montevallo Concert Choir performed in some of the world’s best known musical venues on their inaugural invitational 2015 European Performance Tour held in Prague, Budapest and Vienna.

In addition to the tour, Dr. Doyle was the Choral Coordinator for the UM 2015 Young Musicians’ Camp. She also presented a

THE LEBARON TRIO consisting of DRS. LORI ARDOVINO, MELANIE WILLIAMS, and LAURIE MIDDAUGH has been invited to perform at the National Association of Wind and Percussion Instructors Conference at the University of South Dakota, October 9-11.

session at the Alabama American Choral Director’s Association Summer Conference entitled “Strategies for Success: Preparing Choral Students for College” as well as a Reading Session for Middle and High School choral directors throughout the state of Alabama. While visiting family in Florida, Dr. Doyle was able to attend the Florida Vocal Association Summer Convention held in Altamonte Spring, Florida. In the fall of 2015, Dr. Doyle is hosting the Festival of Voices and the All-State Preparation Workshop for choral students from middle and high school throughout the state of Alabama. In addition to the annual fall and winter performances of the UM Choral Ensembles, the Concert Choir has been invited to perform Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in November.

DR. RODERICK GEORGE spent the early part of his summer on a professional audition trip in New York City. He was also the featured artist in a performance tribute for Alabama native Everett McCorvey, recipient of the 2015 Distinguished Artist Award at the Alabama State Celebration of the Arts Awards Program at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival Theatre in Montgomery. . This was followed by his travel to the Czech Republic, Budapest, and Vienna as the featured faculty soloist on tour with the UM Concert Choir. He also taught lessons for the Young Musicians’ Camp and performed on the annual faculty showcase. Later in the summer, he was featured in concert at the prestigious Brevard Music Festival in Brevard, North Carolina.

September - October 2015 at the 2015 Symposium on Music Teacher Education. Additionally, the executive committee of the Society for Music Education invited Dr. Hoffman to discuss findings from his examination of music education in rural communities. Just 20% of all symposium proposals were accepted for presentation. Ted will present a session on teacher certification examinations at the National Association for Music Education’s In-Service Conference in October as well.

DR. CYNTHIA MACCRAE

In addition to their joint faculty recital at UM in October, DR. GEORGE and DR. CYNTHIA MACCRAE performed selected Lieder of Franz Schubert for the Mid-Day Music Series at Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham on September 25. In November 2015, Dr. George has been invited to perform at a special concert at the historic DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution to abolish slavery.

DR. BECKY HALLIDAY In May, DR. BECKY HALLIDAY traveled with DR. TED HOFFMAN to Mountain Lake, Virginia, where they were co-presenters at the Mountain Lake Colloquium for Teachers of General Music Methods.

Their poster represented a collaborative effort between researchers at three institutes of higher learning. At the same conference, Halliday co-presented with a colleague, Ann Harrington, from the University of Kentucky. Their presentation was titled An Exploration of the Lived Experiences of Instrumental Music Educators in Kodály Training. This trip was made possible by the President’s Travel Award, which was awarded to both Halliday and Hoffman. At the end of May, Dr. Halliday traveled with the UM Concert Choir as Documentarian of their European Tour. While there, she took photographs and video recordings of concerts and events. In addition, she posted photographs on the choir’s Facebook page and maintained a blog about the trip.

She is preparing for follow-up presentations scheduled during the fall semester. The Montevallo Arts Council provided Dr. Halliday’s travel expenses. In June, she served as co-director for the UM Young Musicians’ Camp. In this capacity, she organized and oversaw evening activities, including recitals, movie night, field night, and mixers. During camp, she also taught private oboe lessons and performed on the faculty recital.

DR. TED HOFFMAN had three of his summer research projects accepted for presentation at national conferences. In September, Ted, alongside his colleagues from Florida State University and the University of Colorado, will present their collaborative research project “A Comparative Analysis of Influences on Choosing a Music Teaching Occupation”

attended the Keyboard Wellness Seminar at the University of North Texas in Denton, July 24-August 1. This seminar, designed for piano teachers and advanced performers, included of seven days lectures, lessons, masterclasses and recitals focused on cultivating a better, more effortless technique at the keyboard.

Participants learned ways to use the body in as efficient and healthy a way as possible, allowing for more freedom and fewer physical limitations in practice and performance.

DR. JOSEPH SARGENT spent three weeks in Europe this summer, working on two separate research projects.

He first traveled to five cities in England, collecting musical manuscripts and historical documents for a critical edition of music by 17th-century composer Nathaniel Giles, to be published next year in the British Academy’s Early English Church Music series. He then presented a paper on canon in Renaissance Magnificats (a genre of sacred music) at the international Medieval-Renaissance Conference in Brussels, Belgium. An expanded version of this paper will be included in a forthcoming edited collection of articles on Renaissance canon techniques.

DR. CHARLES WOOD traveled to Brasov, Romania where he was invited to join the faculty of the Brasov International Summer Voice Program.

Dr. Wood worked with 10 singers from Bucharest, the University of Transylvania, and the German High School in Brasov.

The singers ranged from the novice to the professional. Wood taught private voice lessons, English Diction, coached art songs and opera arias, and staged six opera scenes.

The program presented performances at Mogosoaia Palace in Bucharest and at the Reduta Cultural Center in Brasov.

YOUNG MUSICIANS CAMP The twelfth annual summer Young Musicians’ Camp, again under the direction of DR. TED HOFFMAN, DR. BECKY HALLIDAY, and JULIE MCENTEE, enjoyed record participation in 2015. More than 160 middle and high school musicians from across the State of Alabama were welcomed by 45 faculty, staff, and undergraduate student counselors. Additionally, Ted taught graduate –level music education coursework in the Master of Education program, while maintaining an active research agenda.

November 2015 FACULTY ACCOMPLISHMENTS DR. JOE ARDOVINO was this year’s recipient of the Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award, sponsored by the UM National Alumni Association, and he was recognized at this year’s Founders Day. In one of the more memorable acceptance speeches, “Dr. Joe” pulled out his trumpet and entertained the guests with his famous Louie Armstrong impressions (played and sung)! Of Joe Ardovino, who has been the Director of Bands at the University of Montevallo since 1991, his nominator said, “Joe draws hundreds of potential students to our campus each year through all-state workshops, clinics, the honor band festival, and the summer young musicians’ camp. From fall convocation to spring commencement, there are dozens of university activities that would seem incomplete without the presence of the University Bands under Dr. Ardovino’s direction.” Another colleague said that he “has built an impressive reputation as a music educator, mentoring an impressive number of UM alums currently teaching in the field. Their success as professionals and our success as an institution that prepares teachers for the challenges they face represent the strongest evidence of his commitment to teaching. He is completely selfless in fulfilling his teaching responsibilities, and his remarkable dedication to the musical and intellectual development of his students is truly inspirational.” Congratulations, Dr. Joe!

DR. BECKY HALLIDAY & DR. TED HOFFMAN were invited to take part in the Vestavia Hills vXchange 2015. Elementary music teachers attended a presentation that approached the synthesis between the new National Arts Standards, the Orff Schulwerk Approach, and the Kodály Concept.

VALLO QUINTET Quintet members AKILAH BRYANT, flute, BECKY HALLIDAY, oboe, LORI ARDOVINO, clarinet, JULIE MCENTEE, French horn, and JOSEPH SARGENT, bassoon will present a program of classic works for woodwind quintet by Hindemith, Lefebvre and Ibert on Thursday, November 5, at 7:30 p.m. in LeBaron Recital Hall. The Vallo Quintet is in its second year of existence, and regularly performs for middle and high school students at various recruitment venues for the Music Department. This recital is free and open to the public.

DR. LORI ARDOVINO & DR. MELANIE WILLIAMS performed at the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors (NACWPI) Conference in Sioux Falls, SD. In addition to other works, they performed Ardovino’s “From a Crack in the Wall” for clarinet and soprano voice. They also gave Master Classes at Augustana University, and at Northern State University.

DR. CYNTHIA MACCRAE performed for the Birmingham Music Club Guild on September 11.

More than 300 members strong, the Guild was founded in 1988 to foster an appreciation of music and performing arts.

November 2015

THE BIRMINGHAM ART MUSIC ALLIANCE, a regional consortium of composers and performers dedicated to the performance of new music, presented its second annual Birmingham New Music Festival October 8-10 at several venues downtown. The festival’s director, UM alum Monroe Golden, designed five exciting concerts to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Alliance, showcasing the works of current and past Alliance members as well as invited guest composers. These events also revealed the vibrancy of UM’s Music Department, as many current faculty and students, alums, and Emeriti faculty were actively involved. Composers featured on the festival included alumni Rusty Banks and Bryan Page, as well as UM faculty members JOSEPH LANDERS, ALAN GOLDSPIEL, and LORI ARDOVINO, whose “Eloquence II” for solo clarinet was performed by current UM student Katie York. UM’s LAURIE MIDDAUGH joined Katie York for a performance of Kenneth Kuhn’s “Two Nostalgic Melodies,” and UM faculty member CHARLES WOOD was the soloist on Bryan Page’s new song cycle “Blackout in Eden”. The closing concert featured a stunning performance of PROFESSOR EMERITUS ED ROBERTSON’s “Music for Cello and Piano” given by cellist Laura Usiskin and PROFESSOR EMERITUS ANTHONY PATTIN. The Music Department is proud of its 20-year association with BAMA, and thankful to have had such a prominent role in this year’s festival.

ALUMNI NEWS ALEX STEPHENSON, (2002 Music Education) has been invited to serve as a guest conductor at the 2016 UM Honor Band, an event that brings almost 300 middle and high school band students to campus each year.

Mr. Stephenson has been a successful music educator for the past 14 years, and has been the band director at Boaz High School since 2009, where his bands consistently score superior ratings at statewide contests.

Congratulations to Alex, and thank you for returning to UM to share your talents!

RICHIE LISENBY (B.A. Music, 2011) recently starred in Three Act Theatre’s production of Next to Normal in Pelham, NY. The internationally acclaimed rock musical

by Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt is about a mother, Diana Goodman who struggles with bipolar disorder and the effect it has on her family. Playing the role of Diana¹s husband, Dan Goodman, Lisenby was featured in a favorable review by Kathryn Kitt in Broadway World. Kit wrote: Richard Lisenby as Dan kept the household going by not giving in to his own emotions. His pop tenor was effortless in “I’ve Been” and the trio of “You Don’t Know/I am the One”with Cindy Finegan and Devon A. A. Norris as Gabe was a vocal highlight.”

December 2015 FACULTY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

DR. CYNTHIA MACCRAE hosted guest artist Agnes Wan, piano, in a master class on October 28 and recital on October 29. Praised as a “big pianist, big musician, big potential” with “compelling artistry that draws the listeners in and envelops them with musical joy,” Hong Kong native Wan, a Steinway artist, presented a masterful performance including works of Rameau, Mozart, Liszt, Bolcom and Schubert. [Photo of piano studio: Guest artist Agnes Wan with piano majors (L to R) NICHOLAS ALAGNA, LINDSEY SKIDMORE, LEEARRON KLOSTERMAN, JONATHAN SCOFIELD, SCOTLYN MILLER, and MADISON STEELE.

DR. TED HOFFMAN was named a Fellow in the International Council of Fine Arts Deans (ICFAD) Fellows Program. He attended the leadership development workshop for ICFAD Fellows at the 52nd Annual International Council of Fine Arts Deans (ICFAD) Conference in Atlanta, in October.

The Fellows Program is a professional development program designed to promote a healthy and continuous pipeline of talented arts administrators who are prepared to move into leadership positions.

Dr. Hoffman also presented a session titled “Keep Calm & Pass the Praxis: Teacher Education Program and Certification Examinations” at the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) National In-Service Conference in Nashville, in October.

DR. RODERICK GEORGE has been granted a sabbatical leave for spring semester 2017. He will devote the time away to professional operatic and concert performance pursuits.

COFA’S DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC VOICE FACULTY hosted a two-hour voice area master class featuring Keith A. Wolfe, General Director of Opera Birmingham in November. Wolfe worked with six vocal performance majors on operatic arias with a primary focus on techniques of the singer-actor.

December 2015 STUDENT NEWS

MILES JENKINS has been accepted into the 2016 Vann Vocal Institute at Huntingdon College in February. Miles will participate in a master class with Metropolitan Opera tenor David Cangelosi, and he will receive private coachings from other music professionals from New York City. Miles is a voice student of Dr. Roderick George.

The University of Montevallo Concert Choir performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 (also known as The Choral Symphony) alongside the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Concert Choir. Philip Copeland, the director of the Alabama Symphony Chorus, posted the following review of the performances held in November 7-8, 2015.

“Alabama Symphony Masterworks Series: Beethoven Symphony No. 9, by Philip Copeland. In the final work, the 200+ chorus was made up of three different choirs: the ASO Symphony chorus, and two fine college choirs from the University of Montevallo and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Despite their separate rehearsals and the lateness of the hour when the choirs finally got to sing, the combined choir came together in a stunning and powerful way, forging a sound and dramatic interpretation not heard in the Alys Stephens Center in many years...their preparation and vocal force was an equal match for the tremendous symphonic forces below them. In the end, the people of Birmingham enthusiastically agreed with standing ovations. The Alys Stephens Center hall was filled to capacity for both performances...Bravo combined choirs!

Bravo, people of Birmingham!”

ALUMNI NEWS Music alumnus, LEE WRIGHT (BME ‘03 and MME ‘13) has been awarded a Presidential Fellowship from the graduate school of the University of Georgia. He will

be working towards a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting and will study with Dr. Daniel Bara and Dr. JD Burnett.

CHRIS SMITH has been invited to be one of the guest conductors for the 2015 UM Honor Band Festival. Chris is a 2001 music education graduate, now in his 15th year of teaching, with the last 12 years at Cullman High School. The Cullman HS Band was invited to perform in the America’s Parade in New York City on Veteran’s Day 2015. This will be the second time for Chris to conduct a UM Honor Band.

CODY WEBB (BA music 2013) spent the last six and a half months aboard the Norwegian Dawn cruise ship as a production cast principal with Norwegian Cruise Lines, which included trips from Boston to Bermuda and later to Quebec, Canada. Cody was part of a cast of four singers and ten dancers performing three production shows and Broadway cabaret.

January - February 2016 FACULTY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Young

MUSICIANS’ CAMp

Band

Choir

Guitar

DR. LORI ARDOVINO has been recommended for the Fulbright Specialist Roster by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and the Institute of International Education’s Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES). Lori Ardovino also recently published a review of the compact disc, The Muse’s Voice: A Celebration of Women Composers, in the November issue of the International Alliance for Women in Music Journal. The CD features the music of Nadia Boulanger, Jeanne Demessieux, Judith Bingham, and Jennifer Higdon, with Gail Archer performing on the organ.

STUDENT NEWS

The students in Dr. Jody Landers’ Composition class (MUS 421) presented a performance of their collaborative composition “A Life in Five Lines” on December 3 in LeBaron Recital Hall. The work, comprised of settings for solo voice and instruments of 18 tanka of the Japanese poet Kyogoku Tamekane, was the final project for the course.

Each student fulfills simultaneous roles of creator and interpreter, and thus learns the important power of this dynamic synergy and syzygy in the compositional process.

Piano

sunday june 12 Friday June 17

Talent & need-based scholarships available

205.665.6670 ymc@montevallo.edu www.montevallo.edu/ymc www.facebook.com/umymc l

l

COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS Department of Music

March 2016 FACULTY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

STUDENT NEWS

MILES JENKINS and LAURA THOMAS have been invited to participate in the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Summer Opera Studio Program in July 2016. The intensive program is a threeweek residency with one of the country’s top-ranked voice programs and an award-winning opera department. Miles studies voice with Dr. Roderick George and Laura studies with Dr. Charles Wood.

DR. CYNTHIA MACCRAE will once again join Professor Emeritus Dr. Anthony Pattin in a Piano Duo recital on Friday, March 11 in LeBaron Recital Hall. The recital is a benefit event for the Pattin Steinway Endowment Fund which will feature music by Rachmaninoff, Schumann, Copland, and Infante. Tickets may be purchased online at http://montevallotickets.universitytickets.com/ user_pages/event_listings.asp or at the door.

DR. RODERICK GEORGE was the featured soloist for the Celebration of George Washington’s Birthday held recently in Liberty Hall of the American Village.

Seven Department of Music vocal students were selected as finalists in their respective categories at the 2016 Alabama Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Student Auditions held on the campus of Samford University, February 19-20.

KRYSTEN RICHARDS – 1st Place (Second Year College Women) DEZMOND COLE – 3rd Place (Second Year College Men) LAURA THOMAS – 1st Place (Third Year College Women) CALLIOPE PETTIS – 5th Place (Third Year College Women) JASON MCCLURE – 5th Place (Third Year College Men) SAMANTHA ANSELMO – 2nd Place (Fourth Year College Women) DAVID POHLER – 4th Place (Third Year College Music Theater Men) Krysten, Dezmond and Samantha are students of Dr. Roderick George; Calliope and David are students of Dr. Melanie Williams, and Laura and Jason are both students of Dr. Charles Wood. Among the semi-finalists in their respective categories were JORDAN HARE, ALEXANDRA WOMACK, RACHEL PICKERING and CAITLYN REYNOLDS. The students were accompanied by Lynn Faulkner and Laurie Middaugh.

April -May 2016 FACULTY ACCOMPLISHMENTS DR. JOSEPH SARGENT presented the paper “Francisco Guerrero and the Shadow of Jerusalem” at the Renaissance Society of America annual meeting in Boston, March 31-April 2. This summer he will research this project further in Seville, Spain (thanks to a Montevallo Research and Creative Projects grant), for an article to be published in a volume of perspectives on Jerusalem in early modern Spain.

STUDENT NEWS BIRMINGHAM MUSIC CLUB MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP AUDITIONS UM students were the winners in the vocal division of the Birmingham Music Club Music Scholarship Auditions. RACHEL PICKERING, soprano, was the first place winner and MILES JENKINS, tenor, was the 2nd place winner. Rachel studies with Dr. Melanie Williams and Miles studies with Dr. Roderick George.

UM HONORS RECITAL The Department of Music presented an Honors Recital on Monday, March 21, in LeBaron Recital Hall. Students were nominated by their studio teachers to audition before a panel of outside judges for possible selection for the Honors Recital. This year’s top performers were TREY FYOCK, trumpet; TUCKER RATLIFF, baritone; RICK ARDOVINO, alto saxophone; JONATHAN SCOFIELD, piano; SAM ARDOVINO, piccolo trumpet; LAURA THOMAS, soprano; CAITLYN REYNOLDS, soprano; SAMANTHA ANSELMO, soprano; RACHEL PICKERING, soprano; LEEARRON KLOSTERMAN, piano; and MATT SUDDARTH, alto saxophone. These students represented the studios of Dr. Joe Ardovino, Dr. Roderick George, Dr. Lori Ardovino, Dr. Cynthia MacCrae, Dr. Charles Wood, and Dr. Melanie Williams, and were accompanied by Drs. Laurie Middaugh and Lynn Faulkner on piano. A reception was held after the performance to honor these outstanding students and their teachers.

ANNA GILLILAND and CHRISTIAN MCNEAL, students of Dr. Cynthia MacCrae, recieved Honorable Mentions at the AMTA College Piano Concerto Competition.

The Competition was held March 18 at Samford University.

ALUMNI NEWS HWAI-KHEE SEOW, MM ’77 in Piano, writes from Singapore that she sings second soprano in the sanctuary church choir again, after years of absence. She volunteers at teaching ESL, and she continues to accompany the Mandarin choir – they sing twice a month in their service.

“But my Mandarin is still very elementary. So one kind soul would write the English lyrics on my music,” Hwai-Khee states.