CADENZA
UTSA DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC | NOVEMBER 2020 Opus 33
WE ARE THANKFUL A full November brings bounties of joy to #UTSAMusic
CONTENTS 03
WELCOME
04
IN HONOR OF A ROADRUNNER
08
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
10 15 17
A word from Department of Music Chair, Dr. Tracy Cowden
Michael Valdez Memorial Endowed Scholarship is announced
UTSA alum, Bobby De Leon, continues to serve his roadrunner community
FACULTY BRIEF Learn about upcoming projects and events our staff is anticipating
GODSPELL TELL-ALL Members of the Lyric Theatre get you in the know about all things Godspell
SINGULAR MOMENTS: SEVEN STUDENTS Graduate and Undergraduate students prepare for an evening of melodramas
CONTRIBUTORS: Dr. Jourdan Laine Howell - Graphic Designer/Editor Rebekah Alegria - PR Assistant/Editor Jason Guzman - Graphic Designer Micah Rosenstein - Graphic Designer
Welcome to
CADENZA
Showcasing UTSA Music
FRIENDS, Welcome to the November issue of Cadenza! We have much to be thankful for this season, and you will see why when you peruse these pages. We have a busy month of concerts, all the way through to three different wonderful Winterlude programs following Thanksgiving! Our students, staff, and faculty hope to see you in our Recital Hall – or watching our livestream – soon. In addition to concert announcements for the month of November in this issue of Cadenza, we have a few feature articles. Our alumni spotlight features Bobby De Leon, a recent UTSA graduate in music education who is now teaching in San Antonio. We have features on our upcoming Lyric Theatre productions, as well as an upcoming premiere of a work by faculty composer Ethan Wickman. And in October, we announced The Michael Valdez Memorial Endowed Scholarship; until Nov. 20th, you have an opportunity to help us to raise an additional $10,000 to help support more of our brass students – details are in this issue. We are so grateful for your support of the UTSA music students! Please share our concert information with your friends and outside of San Antonio; they can check out the livestreams of our performances on our department Facebook page! And we hope that all of you will take this opportunity to follow us on social media, where we post fun features on our students, faculty, and staff, link to our livestreams, and share photos and video clips of all that is taking place in the Department of Music. Are you interested in having live music at your own event? You could hire a student group! We have a new Gig Service link on the department website! And as always, we invite our alumni to submit your news and reconnect with your UTSA Music friends by sending an update to music@utsa.edu. We hope you have a wonderful November, and we look forward to seeing you soon for live music at UTSA! Tracy Cowden Roland K. Blumberg Endowed Professor in Music and Chair
ANNOUNCING THE
MICHAEL VALDEZ
MEMORIAL ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
UTSA's Department of Music recently created the Michael Valdez Memorial Endowed Scholarship in recognition of our fellow roadrunner, Michael Valdez. Beloved by his peers, Michael was known for his authenticity and willingness to offer help when ever needed. This new memorial scholarship will celebrate his life and his love of music in perpetuity. Thanks to the dedication of Michael's parents, Sarah and Reynaldo, and to the generosity of an anonymous donor, the scholarship has been funded at the minimum level required to establish the endowment. Now UTSA Music hopes to raise an additional $10,000 to aid music students in need of financial support.
"We started this scholarship fund for our son, Michael, because he loved UTSA. He had a passion for music. We are hoping that his scholarship will assist future music majors with their passion." - Sarah & Reynaldo Valdez Michael's parents
All dollars contributed to Michael's scholarship will be awarded to deserving undergraduate music majors whose principal instrument is in the brass family: (euphonium, trumpet, horn, trombone, and tuba. Students will be awarded vital funds from this special endowment starting in the Fall 2020 semester.
UTSA has begun a 45 day campaign to reach the $10,000 goal and we humbly ask you to consider joining the effort. Your gift will honor Michael's own giving spirit and open doors for future music students to train at UTSA in the music department he loved. The UTSA Music family kindly thanks you for your consideration.
45 days to give
OCTOBER 6 NOVEMBER 20 Please, don't miss your opportunity to give:
DONATE TO THE MICHAEL VALDEZ MEMORIAL ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
Winterlude BACK HOME IN OUR UTSA RECITAL HALL
Featuring the UTSA Orchestra, Choirs, Bands, and Jazz Ensembles November 29th, 30th, & December 2nd, 2021
For event information, including tickets prices, visit music.utsa.edu or call 210.458.5685.
The
Winterlude Conductors
Ron Ellis
UTSA Bands, November 30th
Jerry Espinoza
Hector Garcia
UTSA Bands, November 30th
Yoojin Muhn
Troy Peters
Chris Villanueva
David Waterland
John Zarco
UTSA Orchestra, November 29th
UTSA Choirs, November 29th
UTSA Jazz, December 2nd
UTSA Choirs, November 29th
UTSA Jazz, December 2nd
UTSA Bands, November 30th
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: BOBBY DE LEON Bobby Joe De Leon Jr is a Texas native, born in Lubbock, Texas and raised in Mathis, Texas. Growing up in the Mathis band program, saxophone was a primary passion of his musical career. Along with saxophone De Leon performed and competed as a Mariachi vocalist and was a Xylophone/Marimba player for Genesis Drum and Bugle Corps in 2012 and 2013. De Leon then went to study music education at UTSA in 2013. De Leon received many accolades in college, including principal saxophone, 3-time national vocal finalist for the Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza Vocal Competition, Scholarship Recipient for Mariachi Los Paisanos, Head Drum Major for the Spirit of San Antonio Marching Band, President of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, President of Kappa Kappa Psi and was hired on as the Drum Major Instructor for the marching band in 2018 and 2021 at UTSA. De Leon received the UTSA Golden Feather Award at the University Life Awards which is given to students who have left a legacy of excellence in leadership for years to come. De Leon became an Assistant Director of Bands at Harlan High School in Northside ISD in 2019. He has helped continue the success of this young High School Program with superior rating in both Marching Band and Concert Band. Some successes for Harlan includes: 5A State Alternate in the 2019 Area H Marching Contest, numerous Region Band members, Area qualifiers and All-Staters in both the 5A and 6A TMEA process, UIL Concert and Sight Reading Sweepstakes in 6A, multiple Mariachi Vocalist region qualifiers and the Harlan HS Wind Ensemble under Dr. Tucker was invited as a performing ensemble at the 2022 TMEA Convention.
Why did you choose to study at UTSA I chose UTSA because of my audition experience and wanted to be a part of a young marching band. There was an environment that was comfortable and safe when meeting the music faculty. They wanted to have conversations with you and it didn’t seem like I had to force myself to carry that started conversation. The campus felt friendly and welcoming as well. One big reason I also chose to study at UTSA was because of their Mariachi program. Mariachi had been a huge part of my life and few Universities had successful programs. Mariachi Los Paisanos offered many great opportunities that I felt other places wouldn’t have. Also, who wouldn’t want a chance to study saxophone with Dr. El-Farrah? How have the changes and challenges of COVID-19 impacted you as an educator? How has it impacted your students? COVID-19 impacted me greatly as an educator. When schools shut down in March 2020 it was tough to accept as a first year teacher. Not being able to see a final result of the students’ hard work in concert season was disappointing but also not being able to finish your first ever year of teaching
was disheartening. Year two of teaching consisted of very few kids coming back and experiencing an in-person vs. virtual learning fight that seemed to create more frustration for many educators. Finally, here in year three we are somewhat back to normal but in “rebuilding” mode. This impacted our students greatly. Being away for 18 months created laziness, not knowing how to interact with people, not knowing how to care for someone, being unable to stay focused for more than 30 seconds, and unable to deal with emotions were all issues that we have had to deal with. I have noticed that I have had to do more counseling than teaching with these students because they do not know how to handle certain situations, control their emotions or they just want to finally talk to someone that will listen to them. As a music teacher, you obviously apply what you’ve learned with UTSA Music to your classroom. What has been your “go-to” lesson?
music department and SOSA has definitely been something that I am trying to create here as a high school band director. His fearless approach to expressing himself through music was something that inspired me to be the conductor/director I strive to be. There’s so much more to say but he knows how much of an impact he has made on my life. What was your greatest achievement while studying UTSA? What was your greatest challenge? My greatest achievement while studying at UTSA was receiving the UTSA Golden Feather Award at the University Life Awards. This award is given to students who have left a legacy of excellence in leadership for years to come. My greatest challenge was definitely being a first generation college student. A lot of “figuring it out on your own” moments but it definitely made me into the individual I am today.
There was always one rehearsal technique that blew my mind when watching it happen with not only college students but high school students as well. On slow pieces, tuning chords or phrasing the directors would have us sing our part/note. We would talk about the shape of your mouth, resonance and intonation as we sang. Then we would play that phrase or chord and all of a sudden it would be WAY BETTER. Pre-COVID I would always use this method with our students and noticed an immediate difference. It would also create some great laughs as students tried to figure out how to sing. I am looking forward to re-introducing this rehearsal technique as things go back to normal.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
While at UTSA, whom would you say had the most impact on you as a musician and as an educator?
Would you recommend UTSA Music to students who are seeking a music degree?
I had a lot of great teachers at UTSA but it would definitely be Ron Ellis, Director of Bands and Director of the Spirit of San Antonio Marching Band. E has been a great inspiration in my life and has now become a great friend and colleague. His strong belief in a refreshing teaching philosophy really helped shape my views on how to treat my students and perceive myself as a music educator. In some crazy times, E has definitely been a great mentor to talk with and has helped me figure out the next steps of my music education journey. The culture he has created there with the
I see myself as a Head High School Band Director and running a successful Summer Leadership Program for High School students within the next 10 years. I’ve always wanted to have my own program and create a culture that I once was a part of. My goal as an educator is to inspire my students and have them continue music in some sort of way regardless of their major or career path. Leadership in and out of band has always been a huge part of my life and I now want to take that next step to share my experiences to mold future leadership members.
Without a doubt I would recommend UTSA Music to students seeking a degree. Between the awesome Spirit of San Antonio Marching Band and awesome music faculty, it definitely is a home away from home. If you’re looking for faculty that listen to you and care for you then it is truly the right place to be. There are great things happening with UTSA Music and the impact it has on your life is extremely special. Go Runners!
FACULTY BRIEF ORCHESTRAL PREMIERE AHEAD Ethan WIckman, composer and UTSA Professor of Music, will celebrate the premiere of his new work "Tryptich,” on November 18th at Brigham Young University-Idaho. Scored for orchestra and choir, the piece was commissioned by BYU for their longrunning sacred music series. Wickman drew from three text sources that give portraits of faith amidst doubt that speak to Christian themes and Latter-Day Saints theology, creating a special work personalized for the university. Wickman will travel to Rexburg, Idaho for the premiere and is looking forward to hearing the work come to fruition in a live performance.
Wickman received a premiere for an additional commission to celebrate the 20th anniversary season of the Symphony of the Hills. That work, entitled River of Stars, draws its inspiration from the Guadalupe River as a source of life and hope. The idea for the work came to Wickman during a trip to Lost Maples with his family as they spent the day along the Guadalupe River. "I took inspiration from looking into the water - and by looking down, I could also look up and see the possibility of a future more limitless and promising." Wickman composed "flowing textures, shimmering in the woodwinds, and glittery percussion" to create what he describes as a contemplative melody.
River of Stars was conducted by UTSA Professor Emeritus Gene Dowdy and enjoyed a traditional concert performance October 7th as well as a series of presentations in elementary schools and a full day of children's concerts.
River of Stars score example (used with permission)
FACULTY BRIEF GETTING READY FOR ALL-STATE Faculty members Rachel Frederikson (bassoon) and Erin Webber (oboe) are taking full advantage of the return to live events with a double reeds masterclass for Texas AllState candidates. The masterclass will be held in the UTSA Recital Hall on November 7th and will give students the chance to prep their etudes, perform in front of their fellow attendees, and sharpen their audition techniques. Professor Webber, Lecturer, oboe
After the class, attendees can take advantage of a special opportunity to get to know the double reed faculty during a group lunch on the main campus. Rounding out the day, attendees can enjoy the sounds of UTSA's University Band at their 3:00pm concert. Check out the flyer in this issue for more information about the Double Reed Masterclass.
Dr. Frederikson joined the UTSA Music faculty this semester and Professor Webber joined the team in 2020. Both are committed to the development of top-notch instrumentalists and aim to attract the best double reed players that Texas has to offer. Dr. Frederikson, Lecturer, bassoon
JOURNEYS WITH ADOBE UTSA is an Adobe Creative Cloud Campus and Dr. Jourdan Laine Howell (Senior Lecturer, voice) is a super fan of the Creative Cloud Suite. A firm believer in the importance of digital literacy for all Roadrunners, she was recently featured in Academic Innovation's Journeys with Adobe Series for her use of Adobe products. Dr. Howell has taken full advantage of the suite, exploring InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator to create collateral for the Department of Music. Check out her feature on youtube!
UNIVERSITY BAND November 7th, 3:00pm Dr. John Zarco & Hector Garcia conducting with works by Balmages, Hazo, Grundman Markowski & Duble
UTSA SYMPHONIC BAND
EXPRESSIONS OF HOPE AND JOY Conducted by Dr. John Zarco
NOVEMBER 16TH 7:30PM
UTSA RECITAL HALL
Featuring works by Grant, Grainger, Perrine, Colonna, Day, and Filmore
November 12th, 13th, 14th The Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit Tickets and information: (210) 458-5685
CHECK OUT WHAT SOME OF THE ARTISTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT GODSPELL: HANNAH JOY HERRICK Hannah (Peggy), Godspell I think Godspell will be a really exciting show for people to see post-pandemic because it is about a group of people from different walks of life coming together, learning how to lean on one another, creating strong relationships. That in itself is a mirror image of our cast. It's cool to come out of these eighteen months of isolation and get to work with people that I haven't gotten to know because of Covid. Rehearsals have hardly felt like work at all!
AUTMN RILEY Autumn (Joanne), Godspell My favorite thing about playing my character is that she is me...but not exactly me! I am brought out of my comfort my zone when I play her and I can explore and do things I wouldn't do in real life. On the flip side, our energies do match, so when I'm reading the script, it's easy for me to introduce my own thoughts and ideas into the character. It has been a lot a fun to put together!
KYREE HARRISON Kyree (Herb), Godspell Godspell is a new experience for most of us because it is an ensemble show that requires us to be on stage the entire time, almost two hours straight. We have to continuously act and react to what is happening on stage. We are also doing the show in the round [which means the audience is surrounding the stage] and it's fun to play around in that setting.
DR. WILLIAM MCCRARY Stage Director, Godspell I love the music in Godspell, probably because I was raised by the folk stylings of The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Mommas & the Papas. My brother played albums all of the time and he was my hero. I know that the folk vocal style of the 60s and 70s had a huge influence on me and likely why I myself began singing. With such iconic songs as "Day By Day," "O, Bless the Lord," and "Beautiful City," the show just makes me happy!
Singular Moments An evening of Monodramas
10.20.21 7:30PM UTSA recital hall
SEVEN STUDENTS PICKED TO SING ON A STAGE... This month, UTSA Lyric Theatre will present "Singular Moments: An Evening of Monodramas" live in the main campus recital hall. This production is comprised of seven stand alone pieces sung by seven different singers from the Voice Area. The works range from six to twelve minutes in length and will be fully staged. The monodramas include stories about a folksong collector, a soldier's wife, Zelda Fitzgerald, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and take us from a snowy forest to heaven's mailroom. While the evening will address difficult topics such as the psychological effects of war on soldiers and their families, it will also offer moments of joy and lighthearted humor.
The cast includes graduate and undergraduate level singers: Natalie Baker, Briana Bell, Sean Corbett, Joshua Moncada Zoll, Lucas Moncada Zoll, Kaitlyn Norman, Ava Upshaw with pianists Anna Hakobyan and Eymen Geylan. The production is directed by Jourdan Laine Howell. Join UTSA Lyric Theatre on Saturday, November 20th at 7:30pm in the main campus recital hall for an intimate look into the lives of everyday people in "Singular Moments: An Evening of Monodramas." For ticket information, please call 210.458.5685. Check out what some of cast had to say about their work in "Singular Moments:"
Eymen Geylan pianist
Joshua Moncada Zoll baritone
Lucas Moncada Zoll tenor
Kaitlyn Norman soprano
"I am having a lot of fun playing these monodrama pieces. Each is beautiful in its own right, and I am impressed with the harmonic and melodic relationship between the piano and the voice in all seven. I am looking forward to the production because I am on stage with the singers, following the action and projecting my own feelings into every moment."
"This beautiful piece uses the text of Marty Ginsburg's last letter to his wife, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Working on a piece like this is hard, but I feel it's pieces like these that are especially worth learning. The composer, Stacy Garrop, captures the heart of this wonderfully difficult message. I am very grateful to be performing this piece."
"These pieces have an intense energy within them. Right away you're plunged into an intense scene involving a hunting party and, through some jarring events, find yourself exploring the remnants of a battle-scarred town. I am so excited to be able to perform this monodrama with UTSA Lyric Theatre this semester."
"The score gives you so much freedom to explore folklorist Helen Creighton and her mission to collect the traditional songs of Canada. There was no place in Nova Scotia that she wasn't willing to go to, no person she wasn't willing to speak to; there was nothing that would keep her from doing what she needed to do, what she loved. I admire her."
DEFINING MOMENTS: COLFA SHOWCASE is The culminating presentation of a multi-month artistic exploration involving UTSA students, faculty & Staff from six disciplines Recognized by the UT System as a first of its kind, defining moments features compositions and performances by UTSA music and dance students Event Cost: nothing collective experience: everything
ALL-STATE DOUBLE REED
MASTERCLASS For Texas High School Students
FREE EVENT! SIGN UP TODAY! SUNDAY NOVEMBER 7TH 11:00AM-1:00PM UTSA RECITAL HALL PARKING: BAUERLE GARAGE Take time out from marching band and come work with the UTSA double reed faculty in a group masterclass setting! We will use this year's all-state etudes as an opportunity to discuss performance and audition techniques, perform in front of others and receive feedback. Students are invited to join the faculty after the masterclass for an on-campus lunch at 1:30, as well as the University Band concert at 3:00! For more information, email Erin.Webber@utsa.edu or Rachel.Frederiksen@utsa.edu.
Voice Area Recitals
IN THE HALL
HANNA AALY MURILLO Senior Recital Wednesday, November 10th 5:00pm
CASEY WINKELMAN Graduate Chamber Recital Wednesday, November 10th 7:30pm
HANNAH HERRICK Senior Rectial Wednesday, November 17th 5:00pm
JOSEPH RODRIGUEZ Senior Recital Friday, November 19th 7:30pm
EVA ALPAR Graduate Lecture Recital Wednesday, December 1st 7:30pm
THIS
MONTH IN THE HALL NOV. 7-30
FACULTY RECITAL ISAAC BUSTOS November 17th
PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE UNIVERSITY BAND
November 18th
November 7th
UTSA ORCHESTRA
UTSA LYRIC THEATRE SINGULAR MOMENTS
JAZZ ENSEMBLE
UTSA WIND ENSEMBLE
November 8th
November 20th
November 9th
November 21st
FACULTY RECITAL STEPHANIE WESTNEY
GUITAR ENSEMBLE November 22nd
November 10th
GUITAR STUDIO RECITAL
JAZZ COMBO November 23rd
November 15th
FLUTE STUDIO RECITAL November 16th
UTSA SYMPHONIC BAND November 16th
WINTERLUDE UTSA ORCHESTRA & CHOIRS November 29th
WINTERLUDE HOLIDAY BANDS November 30th
NOVEMBER 2021 STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST INFORMATION ON UPCOMING CONCERTS AND EVENTS AT UTSA MUSIC MUSIC.UTSA.EDU
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