Welcome to the December issue of Cadenza! While the semester is winding down, our hearts have been warmed by the opportunity to share music over the last few months with all of you. There’s still time to come to the UTSA String Project 20th Anniversary Concert on Dec. 2nd, and the Viatorum performance at the Coates Chapel on the UTSA Southwest campus Dec. 12th! We are grateful for your support of our student, faculty, and guest artist performers.
In this final issue of 2022, we have several features for you to peruse, including stories of recent student and faculty accomplishments, the history of UTSA’s String Project, and a look back at this amazing fall semester!
Please keep an eye on these pages and our online event calendar for upcoming concert information. And share Cadenza with your friends and family outside of San Antonio; they can check out the livestreams of our performances on our department Facebook page! As always, 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 School of Music.
Are you interested in having live music at your own event? You could hire a student group! Our Gig Service link is live 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 holiday season, and we look forward to seeing you soon for live music at UTSA!
Tracy Cowden Roland K. Blumberg Endowed Professor in Music and Director
A quick look at our UTSA Music students and how they achieve Roadrunner excellence.
UTSA’s Mariachi Los Paisanos had a strong showing at the 28th Annual Mariachi Extravaganza that occurred in November. The ensemble participated in the National Mariachi Group Competition and performed Thursday night, November 17 at the Lila Cockrell Theatre in Downtown San Antonio. Their efforts that night were well executed enough to bring home 2nd place in the College/University Division.
The prestige that comes with Los Paisanos’ victory and the honor it brings to UT San Antonio cannot be understated. The Mariachi Extravaganza is one of the world's most prominent mariachi music festivals and has been hosted in San Antonio every year since its inception. The competitions hosted at the multi day festival are highly competitive, with an increasing level of musicianship from year to year.
Mariachi Los Paisanos director Michael Acevedo has done a tremendous job guiding his students and preparing them for the performance. The musicians have shown outstanding patience and dedication throughout the semester, often being heard rehearsing in the music building from 5 p.m. and well into the night class hours. The culmination of everyone’s efforts has led to a well deserved trophy and an excellent performance season for the ensemble.
UTSA School of Music was also well represented in the Mariachi Extravaganza’s individual National Vocal Competition by Mariachi Los Paisanos member and junior vocalist Osvaldo Chacon. The festival’s panel of judges chose him after a round of preliminary submissions in October to participate in the competition held on Friday, November 18th as a finalist. Among the competitions held at the Mariachi Extravaganza, it is one of the most competitive, as he was selected along with only ten other vocal finalists in the College/University division.
The Extravaganza was an excellent way to close out and tie a ribbon on an excellent fall semester for our mariachi students. The semester was also highlighted by a halftime performance for Hispanic Heritage month during UTSA Football’s home game against Western Kentucky and a Fall recital featuring UTSA’s Ballet Folklorico. Acevedo and the School of Music anticipate only further growth for the program as it continues to be an iconic trait of the university’s identity.
Mariachi Los Paisanos at Mariachi ExtravaganzaThe Texoma Regional National Association of Teachers of Singing Conference was held on November 9 12 in Canyon, Texas. The conference features competitions at the college level between vocalists, starting at the regional level and up to the national level.
Eight vocalists from the School of Music were able to progress from the preliminary round to the semi finals. Three of the eight semi finalists in NATS were selected to advance to the finals. These students are recognized below. Congratulations to all our talented Roadrunner vocalists!
Natalie Baker Semi finalist Advanced Classical Treble
Madison Blanco Semi finalist Fourth/Fifth Year Classical Treble
Shani Ekiaka 2nd Place American Negro Spiritual 1 3 Year College Age
Nicolas Garza Semi finalist First Year Classical TBB
Francheska Lugo Finalist Second Year Classical Treble
Ana Marinelarena Semi finalist Third Year Classical Treble
Kat Norman Semi finalist Advanced Classical Treble
Christian Stevens 4th Place Fourth/Fifth Year TBB
Crystal Jarrell Johnson with vocal students at NATSTo, say that the Fall 2022 semester was eventful for UTSA Music would be a massive understatement. Yes, we finally made the long anticipated transition to officially become the UTSA School of Music and the only institute of its kind in San Antonio, Texas. On the surface, it was an excellent and necessary re brand that better illustrates our values and how far we’ve come as a music program.
But publicity and image aside, things feel different at the School of Music. What's happened is that the culture, attitude, and perceptions surrounding our program have begun to shift in a direction that’s been years in the making.
It wasn’t too long ago that our world was dealt a huge blow when a global pandemic nearly shut us down. To be where we are right now as we’ve expanded and experienced success as a program, there is a sense of pride among the faculty and students to be a part of it all. We are more invested in the School of Music’s growth now than ever, which shows in the effort we’re putting out there.
People are noticing. All it took was a catalyst to jump start the change. Who knows where we’ll be a semester or even years from now? But for now, let us reflect on what has been an excellent start to the 2022 2023 Academic Year.
The School of Music was ushered into the new era with a concert featuring music faculty members Dr. Tracy Cowden, Dr. Rachel Woolf, and Dr. Nicholas Councilor. The program, titled “Portraits and Emblems,” featured a selection of piano, flute, and clarinet trio works. The program's centerpiece was a six part piece composed by Valerie Coleman titled Portraits of Langston, for which the trio was joined by San Antonio’s own poet laureate, Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson. The modern piece was composed of music inspired by the work of poet Langston Hughes, with excerpts from his poetry narrated by Sanderson in between movements
It wouldn’t be the beginning of Fall and a new school year without our annual Sombrilla Concert in the spacious vicinity outside the John Peace Library. This year’s outdoor concert featured short performances from the Wind Ensemble, Chamber Singers, Jazz Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Concert Choir, and University Band. The show also marked recent hire Jordan D. Boyd’s directorial debut as he conducted the Concert Choir. It was an excellent opportunity to connect with UTSA’s student body outside the School of Music.
The UTSA Orchestra made a smashing Fall 2022 debut with its concert “The Northern Lights.” The ensemble performed its first concert under the School of Music to an audience of 416 and a 86% occupancy of the UTSA Recital Hall’s seating capacity. Rachel Woolf joined the ensemble on solo flute for Carl Reinecke’s Flute Concerto in D Major, Op. 283. The concert’s program also included Sibelius’s Finlandia and Prokofiev’s “Lieutenant Kije” Suite, making for a powerful performance to kick things off the ensemble’s Fall season.
It was one of the most memorable games of the season for UTSA Football, not just because of the showdown between two conference powers. It was a halftime show that perfectly captured the spirit and culture of San Antonio as our Mariachi Los Paisanos took the field alongside SOSA and UTSA Ballet Folklorico for a beautiful celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month For our mariachi, it might’ve been the largest crowd they’ve performed for this year one that was 22, 328 strong. It was a big day for the 210, with a massive win for the Roadrunners at home and a fantastic showing by the UTSA School of Music.
World-renowned Korean guitarist Bokyung Byun was hosted by Guitar San Antonio this year on October 30. The UTSA Guitar Studio participated in a masterclass with her at the Tobin Center Carlos Alvarez Studio Theater, giving the students a hands on opportunity to learn alongside the 2021 Guitar Foundation of America ICAC Winner and one of the most soughtout guitarists of her generation. She later gave a concert that night in the same venue.
This year, the Chamber Singers’ fall concert featured two dates, one set in the UTSA Recital Hall and the other off campus at the Chapel of the Incarnate Word. The latter performance was part of the chapel’s Caritas Concerts, a relatively new concert series focused on collaborative and solo organ performances. The concert featured Bach’s famed cantata, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140, and the premiere of Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis by UTSA composition and organ professor Dr. S. Andrew Lloyd, who also played organ with the choir for both performances.
No one can ever truly be ready for when Allen Vizzutti comes into town. The famed trumpet player visited UTSA for a week in San Antonio, giving masterclasses and performances alongside our band students. His sound is unmistakable, even cutting through the noise of a crowded Alamodome when he performed with SOSA Marching Band during a halftime show.
“I destroyed my face for you tonight,” said Vizzutti jokingly upon finishing an outstanding concert with the Wind Ensemble in the Recital Hall on October 25. We were fortunate to host the trumpet player and have our students learn from him.
It was a collaboration that no one except Jordan Boyd and Dr. Chris Packham saw coming. The UTSA School of Music and the Department of Physics and Astronomy partnered up to present Interstellar, a choral concert that offered a selection of works as a commentary on scientific research in astronomy and telescope technology.
Before the concert, Chris Packham gave a pre concert presentation on the advanced technology utilized by space telescopes to capture images that were once impossible to photograph to such an extent of clarity. The presentation also featured remarks from Dr. Adriana Rocha Garcia of San Antonio City Council District 4.
Images of distant galaxies taken from the James Webb telescope were displayed during the pre show talk and the concert. The choir's voices filled the hall with unfiltered beauty and power, much to the approval of thunderous applause following each piece. The event was marketed to the entire San Antonio community and the turnout completely shattered expectations. The concert drew in a crowd that overfilled the Recital Hall’s 480 seating capacity. Groups were rotated in and out of the Hall between the concert and the pre show lecture, with overflow being placed in a designated video streaming room.
Among the big announcements for this year was the launch of our brand new guest artist concert series, En Vivo In the Hall. While we’ve always been able to have world-class musicians come out to give recitals at UTSA, this new series will continue that while also inviting San Antonio’s community and the rest of the university outside the School of Music to enjoy these fantastic performances. Many of our guest artists are also international, providing many flavors from different cultures worldwide for our audiences to enjoy. En Vivo will pick up speed in the Spring semester beginning with two guest concerts in mid to late January.
All was well one moment, then the next, everything nearly fell into chaos before the ship righted itself back on course. The Lyric Theatre’s production of Massenet’s Cinderella ran into a sizable obstacle when the guest vocalist slated to play the role of the crooked stepmother had to cancel nearly three weeks before the scheduled performance. However, the team was able to pull it off when the Dallas Opera artist Sabatina Mauro stepped in at the last minute to take on the challenging role. The cast was triumphant in its execution of the opera, putting on a display full of beautiful colors and soaring voices to showcase the talent housed by our School of Music.
We recognized Veteran’s Day weekend with a joint concert featuring a collaboration between our Wind Ensemble and member of the 323rd U.S. Army Band “Fort Sam’s Own.” The show was a tribute and was free for the public to attend. UTSA President Taylor Eighmy and Lt. General Evans gave remarks to open the concert. Ron Ellis conducted alongside CW4 Jared Delaney. Classic favorites, as well as extraordinary modern works, were featured in the concert. One piece that was
Students of Dr. Westney recently represented the School of Music in community outreach events performing violin solo and chamber music Both of the events took place at the senior living community Morningside at the Meadows. Westney’s violin studio performed on November 15 with pianist Mark Alexander, and her chamber students performed on November 21.
For another high profile artist visitation, we were very fortunate to have Grammy nominated artists, the Imani Winds, make a stop on campus while they were in the 210 area for a concert hosted by the San Antonio Chamber Music Society. The concert was held on Sunday, October 13 at Temple Beth El and was made free to attend for all UTSA music students. Then on the following Monday, all 5 members of the ensemble gave masterclasses to our wind students.
The ensemble is comprised of Brandon Patrick George (flute), Toyin Spellman-Diaz (oboe), Kevin Newton (french horn), Mark Dover (clarinet), and Monica Ellis (bassoon). They each went into separate rooms for coaching sessions with their instrument, listening to various solos and other works that our students have been working hard to prepare with juries and recitals coming up. witness just how effective the members were as educators. In their coaching, they made connections with the students and were able to use attention to artistic detail to bring out the life in their playing. They made a difference in the students’ performances in a matter of minutes!
Kevin Newton, for example, asked a student horn player to take different colors, like purple and orange, and to play certain passages in the way they’d imagine those colors sounding. As a result, the student was able to key on dynamics in the piece and bring out different characteristics in the music, making the sound much more artistically vivid in key passages
Pictured with students from top to bottom on the left margin: Monica
On the right margin: Mark Dover, Toyin Spellman Diaz.
DR. WESTNEY’S STUDIO DOES COMMUNITY OUTREACH NOVEMBER , 2022 Ellis, Kevin Newton, Brandon George; Dr. Westney’s Chamber StudentsSince its establishment, Mariachi Los Paisanos has become a staple of UTSA's identity as a university. The ensemble performs in the San Antonio metro area, as well as on campus, at special UTSA Athletics events, and during commencement. Participation is open to students of all majors!
For more information, please visit music.utsa.edu
t’s hard to believe that the UTSA String Project program has already reached its second decade of existence. Since its inception 20 years ago, roughly two generations of students and student teachers have gone through the program and exchanged invaluable lessons with each other.
The project provides beginning through advanced middle school level instruction to community students on orchestral stringed instruments and classical guitar. In fact, UTSA was the first member school to offer guitar lessons through String Project. The program gives university music education majors the opportunity to develop the skills needed to become successful teachers by teaching these classes with supervision from the music faculty According to graduates of UTSA that are now practicing music educators, the String Project experience is one of the most significant aspects of their pre professional education at UTSA
The UTSA String Project was founded in 2002 as a member of The National String Project Consortium (NSPC), which was created in 1998 by the American String Teachers Association (ASTA). Its mission is to help alleviate the string teacher shortage and to promote string education in public schools. Former UTSA music faculty member and current professor emeritus Dr. Eugene Dowdy served as the program’s founding director at its
Eugene
inception Dowdy also spent 3 years as the NSPC executive director and still serves on the board today.
The project was originally funded through a national grant from FIPSE (The Funds for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education) and later received grants from NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants), the Genevieve and Ward Orsinger Foundation, the Ford Salute to Education, String Letter Publishing, Lockheed Martin, and numerous other agencies.
At the project’s largest point thus far, it served over 130 community children and had seventeen music majors teaching on two UTSA campuses. Through String Project, not only have countless music educators built the foundation for their careers, but the UTSA School of Music has also further established itself as a public education center by providing affordable music lessons to San Antonio’s communities.
Today, the UTSA String Project’s students are as young as 3rd grade, and there is an emphasis placed on serving San Antonio communities without string programs. The program is offered with extraordinarily affordable tuition, thanks in no small part to grants, donations, and graduate student scholarships to help with the costs of student teachers.
UTSA Music alum and Jefferson Middle School Orchestra director Majah Acton currently serves as the UTSA String Project Director. As an undergraduate student, Acton was a member of the String Project during its infancy in 2002. She later returned to the project during her graduate studies, eventually completing and receiving her Master of Music degree in music education. Kristen Pellegrino serves as the program’s Pedagogical Director, as well as a national Past-President of ASTA.
The UTSA String Project will celebrate its 20th anniversary on Friday, December 2nd with its winter concert at 5:30 p.m., featuring performances by students from all classes.
Majah Acton, current UTSA String Project Director
San Antonio native and alum of Louis D. Brandeis High School, Matthew Moreno obtained his Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the Roadrunner class of 2021 at the UTSA School of Music. While remaining diligent in his studies, Moreno was a part of many organizations and ensembles, including Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, SOSA, Boom Squad, Wind Ensemble, UTSA Indoor, and the UTSA Concert Choir.
What made you choose UTSA for your Bachelor’s degree?
“I chose UTSA for my Bachelor’s degree because I wanted to go to a smaller school with a faculty that I could get to know. UTSA really does have a big school feel, but not big enough to get lost in the mix. I always felt at home in the music department. The faculty always felt like great mentors and the student body felt like my brothers and sisters. I remember feeling welcomed into the department my freshman year especially when Dr. Zarco knew my name instantly! The familial vibe of it all made me fall in love with UTSA, and it is the part that I miss the most!”
What fond memory can you recall from your time at UTSA Music?
“Some of my best memories have to be what happened in between classes sitting at the tables
this day are Dr. Elementary Music Class, Dr. Kelly’s Music Theory Class, and Dr. Davis’s Psychology of Music Class. They were all so much fun!”
What was your initial reaction to the significant identity transition from the UTSA Music Department to the UTSA School of Music?
“When the Department of Music transitioned into a School of Music, I was excited to see that the program I was a part of is growing to be stronger and expanding. Things are happening at UTSA that we had only been able to talk about, so the growth that is happening is very exciting!”
Can you tell us about your transition from college student to Alamo Heights High School Assistant Band Director?
“The transition into being a high school band director was made easy by UTSA. The number one thing that first-year teachers struggle with is time management once they’re out of the college structure. The workload is insane for most directors. The UTSA music department asks a lot of their students, and when we transition into the workforce, we’re already used to doing a lot of work, so it became an easy transition. I felt prepared to teach in
front of a large class and was confident that I had the skills to do a good job.”
Jazz band. Once we get past our Holiday concert, we will move into our midwinter/UIL season with our Concert Bands, Jazz Band will begin working on their Festival Music and continue growing our book. I also work with our Color Guard and we have just started our Winter Show. That is enough to stay busy, but when you add All State, solo and ensemble, contests, festivals, fiesta, and a Disney Trip, things get crazy!”
1. If you just graduated, try your best to stay in touch with the people that are worth staying in touch with. As an adult, you have to put in effort to communicate with people you’re not forced to see all the time.
What made you want to teach at the high school level versus other age groups?
“I wanted to teach high school because I wanted to be able to work with students who are at a slightly higher level of ability and maturity. I also enjoy teaching marching band and color guard. High school directing really does keep you busy at all times, so I figured that I would do it while I am able and maybe move on to a middle school job later in life Who knows!? I’m taking it one day at a time.”
During your time at UTSA, you also participated in the UTSA Concert Choir along with being in our Band ensembles. Can you tell us your experience benefited your teaching and academic career?
“Concert choir helped so much with ear training and basic vocal pedagogy. When you’re a band director, there are going to be moments when you want or need your students to sing. Because I was in the choir at UTSA, I am not only able to have them sing, but I know how to make them sound good too! Personally, being in choir helped a lot with ear training and understanding how my voice works. I also learned so much from working with Dr. Muhn. She is such a wealth of knowledge in anything she inspired me to be a great teacher and person!”
“Right now, we are working on our Holiday concert music in my Symphonic Band, Concert Band and
2. Lean on your peers and mentors for support every teacher was a first year teacher at some point. We can all relate. Talk to newer teachers to be relatable and definitely talk to experienced teachers when
On-Corps is a free music program that provides veterans with the opportunity to learn how to play a concert band instrument and the experience of performing in an ensemble with their fellow veterans.
Our Spring 2023 semester runs from January 14 – May 6. Classes meet weekly on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. –11:15 a.m. at the UTSA Main Campus.
The deadline to register for On-Corps's Spring 2023 semester is December 31.
WINTERLUDE: ORCHESTRA & CHOIRS
7:30 PM | UTSA Recital Hall
7:30pm | Coates Chapel - Southwest School of Art
VIATORUM
7:30pm | Coates ChapelSouthwest School of Art
