Brass and Percussion

Winds program features music by celebrated BIPOC composer George Walker

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Winds program features music by celebrated BIPOC composer George Walker Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 10/13/2021 - 00:00

MarieFaith Lane

At the College of Music, we know that music鈥攁s an integral part of our daily lives鈥攂inds people together and creates space for artistic exploration.

In that spirit, the next Faculty Tuesdays recital on Oct. 19 features Professor of Horn Michael Thornton and Professor of Piano David Korevaar鈥攁longside graduate students and members of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO)鈥� in an evening of music for winds, including celebrated BIPOC composer George Walker's "Wind Set."

鈥淚 try to use Faculty Tuesdays as a platform to bring in colleagues from different parts of my research and work, and to enhance our students' professional development," says Thornton, who holds concurrent appointments as principal horn of LACO and the Colorado Symphony. "In the past, I've performed with members from the Colorado Symphony and friends from various music festivals. For this show, I'm excited to collaborate with College of Music faculty, the 缅北禁地 Graduate Wind Quintet and LACO colleagues.

鈥淔or the Graduate Wind Quintet, this is a really good challenge in preparing repertoire in a timeline that's normal for professional musicians, while making meaningful connections with big names in TV and film industries. I'm also excited about diversifying the program with a composer who has meaningful connections to 缅北禁地."

Indeed, the late George Walker was a visiting professor here in the 1960s; in 1996, Walker became the first African American composer to win a Pulitzer Prize for "Lilacs," a work for voice and orchestra.

In addition to "Wind Set," next Tuesday's program presents the college's Graduate Wind Quintet in Mozart's Serenade in C Minor, K. 388, as well as pianist Korevaar in Beethoven's Quintet for Piano and Winds.

鈥淏eethoven in this piece is jumping off from a model established by Mozart, who first wrote a piece for this combination of instruments," explains Korevaar, who鈥攁s an active soloist, chamber musician and collaborator鈥攊s thrilled to be playing in-person performances again. "Beethoven, of course, handles it differently. Young Beethoven was interested in his own virtuoso pianism and maybe didn't share the spotlight as well with the other players, compared to Mozart.

鈥淭hat said, there's wonderful wind writing that reflects this late-18th-century moment when orchestra wind sections were coming into their own.鈥�

Concludes Korevaar, "Beethoven has the exquisite ability to write music that's meant for five great soloists to play in collaboration, where everybody has a critical role. It鈥檚 an extremely well-written and fun piece to play, full of infectious humor. And I'm really looking forward to working with Mike and his colleagues, whom I haven鈥檛 worked with before."

On Oct. 19, horn and piano faculty will collaborate with the 缅北禁地 Graduate Wind Quintet and members of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in a Faculty Tuesdays program for winds, including George Walker's "Wind Set."

Off

Traditional

White

Jazz doctoral student exemplifies personal resilience and professional determination

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 15:08:34 +0000

Jazz doctoral student exemplifies personal resilience and professional determination Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/08/2021 - 09:08

Eric Hansen

As we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, we鈥檙e inspired by the personal resilience and professional determination of doctoral student and tenor saxophonist Pablo Beltran (DMA, Jazz Studies).

The Fulbright Latin American Scholarship Program of American Universities scholar from Bogot谩, Colombia, recently reflected on the hardships he experienced leading up to his arrival in 缅北禁地 and his studies at the College of Music.

鈥淪ometimes, we can鈥檛 change the challenges around us, like sickness and poverty,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut I鈥檝e learned that it鈥檚 better to embrace these things and make the most of the life that we do have.鈥�

Indeed, Beltan鈥檚 triumph over unforeseen circumstances began during his first semester as a master鈥檚 student in jazz performance at the University of Northern Texas. 鈥淚 was living my dream at one of the most well-known, prestigious jazz studies programs in the world,鈥� he explains. 鈥淏ut then my wife, Maria鈥攚ho lives with hearing and sight impediments鈥攃ollapsed and we had to return to Colombia for her treatments.鈥�

As a way forward, the couple proceeded to set their sights on Barcelona, Spain, where healthcare for Maria was more accessible to them. Despite those odds, Beltran kept on, earning a master鈥檚 in jazz performance at the Liceu Conservatory in 2019. Soon after, he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship 鈥� just months before the pandemic hit.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 what life brought to us,鈥� says Beltran, recalling two-week hotel quarantines he endured in 2020 to begin his doctoral studies at 缅北禁地. 鈥淲e had one saxophone, one piece of luggage and a large service dog named Mingus. We learned to live with minimum stuff and we just embraced our experiences.

鈥淭hrough all the difficulties and setbacks, we were able to see beauty.鈥�

Adds Beltran, who鈥攁t age 18, moved to Cuba to explore his interest in music by studying the Russian method, a move that helped set the course for his technical skills on the saxophone: 鈥淚 chose 缅北禁地 partly because of its focus on creating healing communities.鈥�

Back in Colombia, Beltran taught music at the college-level for seven years before going to college himself. 鈥淭eaching鈥攁nd teaching how to learn鈥攈as always been my passion,鈥� he concludes.

As we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, we're inspired by the resilience and determination of DMA student Pablo Beltran.

Off

Traditional

White

Music grad鈥檚 solution to spendy college auditions: Recording studio in a box

Anonymous — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Music grad鈥檚 solution to spendy college auditions: Recording studio in a box Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 08/27/2020 - 00:00

Kenna Bruner

College of Music graduate Nora Barpal, left, wants to break down barriers that can keep young music students from becoming professional musicians. One of these barriers is the oftentimes onerous process of auditioning to get into music schools.

With the COVID-19 pandemic driving live music auditions online, Barpal says that now is the time to remove the inequities that Black, Indigenous and other people of color often face when applying to college.

The high cost of in-person auditions can put college music programs out of reach for low-income students, says Barpal, a 2018 graduate with a bachelor鈥檚 of music and a minor in theater.

Barpal has partnered with Josh Wilson, a 2019 College of Music graduate, to launch the Music Inclusion Coalition (MIC).

鈥淐hange begins in the audition room,鈥� said Barpal, who played the euphonium and went to many auditions.

鈥淲e want to bring together educators, mentors and students to create a dynamic of change. We鈥檙e trying to build a community of people who are saying, 鈥榃e want a music school that looks different, sounds different and is inclusive for everyone.鈥欌€�

One of MIC鈥檚 initiatives provides high-quality recording equipment to low-income high schools so students can remotely audition for music programs, be accepted and subsequently make music their career. The coalition is also working to provide students that identify as Black, Indigenous and other people of color (BIPOC) and/or LGBTQIA+ with resources and mentorship. Removing cost barriers that limit students鈥� ability to audition will begin to address a lack of diversity in music education.

鈥淲e have identified the transition from high school to higher education as a point where we lose a large portion of BIPOC students,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is apparent in the following comparison of two studies:

Barpal cited the following study conducted by the National Associate for Music Education in 2013:

鈥淭he racial/ethnic composition of high school music ensemble students was 58 percent white, 13 percent Black or African American, 17 percent Hispanic or Latino, 4 percent Asian or Pacific Islander, 8 percent two or more races, and less than 1 percent American Indian or Alaska Native. Students from the highest socioeconomic status quintiles were over-represented among music students. In comparison, a 2007-2012 study conducted by NAfME found that music teacher licensure candidates were a highly selected subset of the population. Candidates identified as 86.02 percent white, 7.07 percent Black, 1.94 percent Hispanic, 1.79 percent Asian, 0.30 percent Native American or Alaska Native, 0.32 percent Pacific Islander, 0.82 percent multiracial, and 1.74 percent other.鈥�

Barpal earned a master鈥檚 degree in performing arts and performing arts administration from New York University in May. Wilson is working on a master鈥檚 degree in music technology from NYU.

鈥淕raduating during a pandemic is a whole other experience,鈥� Barpal said. 鈥淚t felt like I was writing a thesis on unimportant things while the world was ending. I had done all this work in academia, but I felt like I wasn鈥檛 doing enough to help others in general. I wanted to do more service for others.鈥�

She credits the College of Music鈥檚 entrepreneurship center for providing her with the knowledge to launch a music business.

When examining common problems in music programs, one that stood out for Barpal and Wilson, right, and one they had the skills to tackle was the high costs of the auditioning. High school students are often required to perform in-person auditions for a given school, or the in-person audition is 鈥渉ighly recommended.鈥� The cost to apply, travel and transport instruments can be prohibitive barriers for many students. Barpal said there can be a bias against submitting a recorded audition, as if it indicates the student isn鈥檛 as committed to pursuing education as those who audition in person.

鈥淭hese are major financial barriers not everyone is aware of,鈥� Barpal said. 鈥淎uditions can cost thousands of dollars for every single college audition you go to. If you don鈥檛 have resources, you can鈥檛 do it. We鈥檙e trying to change the conversation about the admission process to make it a more ethical and equitable admission processes.鈥�

MIC provides a device that students can use to produce high-quality video and audio recordings of their auditions. The device is sent to high schools with a return shipping label so they can just send it back when they鈥檙e done.

MIC is putting together comprehensive recording guides for every instrument, such as the best of practices for recording the bassoon, the piano, etc., to ensure that students are aware of what that process looks like and what works best for the camera.

鈥淪ince everything is being done virtually now,鈥� Barpal said, 鈥渢he door should be open for this to become a common practice for students who can鈥檛 afford to attend live auditions.鈥�

Because people of color are disproportionately hampered by a systemic lack of resources, Barpal said, they often tend to be in schools that are already underfunded and that when budget cuts are made within these schools鈥攁nd many schools in general鈥攎usic programs are often the first to be eliminated.

At the level of higher education, when schools experience funding cuts, world music programs and ensembles tend to be eliminated first. World music is traditional music that comes from developing countries. It is the music that is eliminated before other types because music curricula tend to be Eurocentric, said Barpal.

鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing these cuts because we don鈥檛 have music educators and musicians in schools that are people of color,鈥� she said. 鈥淗ow can we get these artists into music schools? Why isn鈥檛 there more awareness of this? Why aren鈥檛 we being taught other types of music?

鈥淲e want to change the conversation with faculty, recruitment and music directors鈥� Barpal said. We want to teach students new and effective ways to show intent and interest. It鈥檚 about opening up new ways of being inclusive and expansive with respect to music education.鈥�

College of Music graduate Nora Barpal wants to break down barriers that can keep young music students from becoming professional musicians.

Off

Traditional

White

Gathering remotely for the Alma Mater

Anonymous — Thu, 30 Apr 2020 18:20:57 +0000

Gathering remotely for the Alma Mater Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 04/30/2020 - 12:20

Celebrating our 100th anniversary this year, we're bringing our remote campus community together to celebrate the end of the 2020 spring semester by performing the CU Alma Mater. Congratulations graduates. Forever Buffs!

[video:https://youtu.be/e6nnpxOO3yM]

Off

Traditional

White

Carrying the standard of excellence: Claire Glover

Anonymous — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 17:36:07 +0000

Carrying the standard of excellence: Claire Glover Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 02/04/2020 - 10:36

Sabine Kortals Stein

For Claire Glover (BME 鈥�17)鈥攔ecipient of the Colorado Music Educator Association鈥檚 2020 Young Music Educator Award鈥攖he mentorship she received at the College of Music is key to her success.

鈥淚 have an amazing job,鈥� says Glover, director of bands at Mountain Ridge Middle School (MRMS) in Colorado Springs and president/concert band coordinator of the Pikes Peak Middle School Honor Band. 鈥淎nd I have huge gratitude for my mentors.鈥�

Specifically, she counts Associate Director of Bands and Conducting and Music Education Instructor Matthew Dockendorf, Associate Professor of Conducting and Music Education and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Enrollment Management Matthew Roeder and Professor of Horn Michael Thornton among her influencers and inspirations; as well as College of Music alumni Jack Yonce and Mike Perez.

鈥淲hen I first started at Mountain Ridge, there were under 300 kids in band,鈥� recalls Glover, 25, whose tenure at the middle school began in August 2017. Since then, that number has grown to 400 participants, translating to the school鈥檚 greater participation in the CU Middle School Honor Band.

鈥淏uy-in is growing and so is the level of excitement in the Colorado Springs region,鈥� she adds.

Indeed, at MRMS, she has led the concert bands to receive superior ratings at the Colorado Bandmasters Association鈥檚 Middle School Concert Band Festival and Ca帽on City Blossom Festival. Additionally, the 8th-grade symphonic band under her direction was invited to perform at the 2019 CMEA conference, and the MRMS Honors Band received an invitation to perform at this year鈥檚 conference.

鈥淚鈥檝e always been a big believer in asking questions and soliciting advice from mentors,鈥� says Glover, who began playing French horn in 6th grade, which ignited her passion for music education. 鈥淢entors are my guideposts 鈥� I just spoke with Dockendorf this morning!

鈥淚 take feedback easily and welcome it constantly鈥攁nd I believe that鈥檚 a big part of having achieved strong success in a short amount of time.

鈥淚鈥檝e also been really lucky. The administration at Mountain Ridge is great, the parent community is supportive and the kids are to die for鈥攈onestly, they鈥檙e amazing.鈥�

Continues Glover, 鈥淏ecause my own middle school experience was hugely impactful, I鈥檝e known my path since then. And I know how incredibly important it is to create a culture that really values music ensembles and performance.鈥�

She also credits a 鈥減erformance mindset鈥� as crucial to her achievements as a conductor. 鈥淚鈥檓 a good horn player. From Mike Thornton, I learned the importance of being a solid performer.

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 be where I am now without the performance perspective I bring to every band rehearsal. I emphasize both education and excellence in performance.鈥�

Glover concludes, 鈥淎t this point, I鈥檓 just trying to keep up with the passion and drive of my students. I hope to match, inspire and build on their enthusiasm.鈥�

Off

Traditional

White

When computers meet music: Alumnus Michael Musick

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 23:36:44 +0000

When computers meet music: Alumnus Michael Musick Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 01/08/2020 - 16:36

Sabine Kortals Stein

Among the founding members of the College of Music National Alumni Council (COMNAC), Michael Musick (BM 鈥�07) is a media artist, creative technologist, composer, performer and improviser who鈥檚 also keeping busy as assistant professor of media arts at the University of Montana鈥檚 College of the Arts and Media.

鈥淚鈥檝e always been passionate about music,鈥� says the College of Music tuba performance major, who went on to earn a master鈥檚 in music from the University of Southern California, a master鈥檚 in media arts at the University of Michigan and a doctorate in music technology at New York University. 鈥淢y grandfather was an elementary school band director, and both my grandparents graduated from the College of Music in 1957. When I graduated, they were there as 50-year alumni!

鈥淢y grandfather taught me and my brother how to play our instruments when we were in middle school. Music was a priority in our family. And we have a strong connection to the College of Music.鈥�

Indeed鈥攊n a stroke of 鈥渄estiny and momentum,鈥� according to Musick鈥攂oth he and his brother ended up at 缅北禁地, his brother in music education.

鈥淚 had the good fortune to study with Michael Allen,鈥� Musick enthusiastically recalls. Allen previously served on the College of Music faculty as assistant professor, teaching tuba, euphonium, brass chamber music, instrumentation, theory, music appreciation and the business of music. Musick also studied with Associate Professor of Tuba and Euphonium Michael Dunn and Instructor of Music Technology and Composition John Drumheller. He further cites retired distinguished faculty member Allan McMurray, erstwhile chair of the College of Music conducting department, and Associate Professor of Trombone William Stanley as influential in establishing the trajectory of his own career.

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 sure which path I would take,鈥� Musick says. 鈥淎t CU, I gained a really strong foundation in performance, music making and creativity through the medium of the tuba.

鈥淭hen, the financial collapse happened. I鈥檇 been enjoying quite a few gigs and recording work in Los Angeles, but everything dried up. I lost my appetite for orchestral music and just playing the tuba no longer fulfilled me. I found myself wanting to be more actively involved in the creative process.鈥�

So the Arvada-born lover of mountains, snow and aspen trees returned to Colorado, got a job working for the Census and embarked on some serious soul searching. 鈥淭hat led to my coming back to the computer as a music-making instrument,鈥� he says.

Specifically, Musick鈥檚 current practice and research is collected under The Sonic Spaces Project, which aims to create, explore and define sonic space ecosystems鈥攁 type of eco-art and interactive music system. 鈥淚 love getting computers to understand something about the sound world we鈥檙e in,鈥� he explains.

As a performer, Musick uses computers as instruments to process, amplify and play with sounds occurring in performance spaces. At the University of Montana, he also teaches Digital Arts and Technology courses focused on preparing students to contribute to an evolving world using code and modern technology as creative extensions of their own artistic voices and ideas.

鈥淲e explore the possibility of sound as an art form that allows students from various backgrounds to express themselves,鈥� Musick says. 鈥淎nd we explore how sonic art complements and overlaps with music鈥攁nd yet is different from music.鈥�

He adds, 鈥淎 computer will never replace a human being, but perhaps we鈥檒l get to a place where we recognize computers as an extension of humanity. As an older Millennial, I grew up with early PCs, and I鈥檝e come to realize that鈥攊n my head鈥攖he computer has long been a tool to extend my voice.鈥�

At New York University, Musick was part of the Computer Music Group within MARL (NYU鈥檚 Music and Audio Research Lab) and the Citygram research group; and at the University of Michigan, he began his work with performance systems, while continuing his studies in creative improvisation and multimedia performance.

About his role on the Alumni Council, Musick says, 鈥淚 feel so fortunate to be able to give back to the College of Music in this way. I hope to be a positive voice and a sounding board for the college.鈥� Learn more about COMNAC here.

Among the founding members of the College of Music National Alumni Council (COMNAC), Michael Musick is a media artist, creative technologist, composer, performer and improviser who鈥檚 also keeping busy as Assistant Professor of Media Arts at the University of Montana.

Off

Traditional

White

鈥業f I can make it there鈥︹€�

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Oct 2019 19:29:20 +0000

鈥業f I can make it there鈥︹€� Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 10/17/2019 - 13:29

Jessie Bauters

Imagine packing up your life鈥攎aybe in a carry-on suitcase or even just a backpack鈥攁nd driving to the most crowded city in the country to start a new life. All that lies ahead of you are bright lights and big uncertainty, but you trust your drive and your talent enough to push forward.

Right now, there are at least 125 College of Music alumni living in New York City, many of whom have stories just like that to tell. And all of them are New Yorkers now, brought together in a city of 8.6 million by their Music Buff status and the College of Music emeritus professor known as the 鈥渕om鈥� of their ambitious group.

Act I: The Decision

Professor Emeritus of Cello Judith Glyde cut her teeth as a musician in New York for 25 years as a founding member of the Manhattan Quartet. She left for another quarter-century to teach in 缅北禁地 and help form the College of Music鈥檚 study-abroad program in Italy, and then she decided to return to her old stomping grounds.

鈥淚 had gotten to see so much, but in 2017, it was the right time to come back,鈥� Glyde says.

The move brought her closer to her son and his family, but ever the connector, Glyde also felt compelled to use the opportunity to tend to her other family: graduates of the College of Music.

鈥淚鈥檝e always felt that we need to figure out a way to help our alumni stay involved and supported. It鈥檚 wonderful to connect a young person with someone further along in their career and see how thrilled they are,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t started off as this idea that I could be the mom in New York, helping CU alumni meet each other.

鈥淎lso of great importance to me is to just be there if they need help or want to talk.鈥�

Glyde has moved seamlessly into the role since she took up residence in the city, building a community of Music Buffs that meets regularly on Facebook and in various storybook pizza places, wine bars and coffee shops throughout Manhattan.

The connections have been life altering for Nora Barpal (BM 鈥�18). She had been living in New York for a couple of weeks, going to school full-time for arts administration at NYU, working full-time in the New York Department of Education and part-time as an arts administrator, connecting with anyone and everyone she could, when Glyde reached out to her.

鈥淪he introduced herself on Facebook and was immediately so helpful and kind,鈥� Barpal says.

The conversation led to dinner with Glyde and fellow alumna Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf (DMA 鈥�07).

鈥淎nd Mairi casually mentioned that she plays cello on the 'Last Five Years' soundtrack鈥攚hich is one of my favorite musicals,鈥� Barpal recalls. 鈥淪he was the epitome of great cello playing and I had listened to her for about 10 years, then I met her.鈥�

Networking, Barpal says, was the quickest lesson she had to learn upon moving to New York from her summer job in Aspen. As a frequent subway rider, she鈥檚 already put her natural talent for striking up conversations to use. 鈥淥ne girl I met on the subway, on the second day I was here, is getting her master鈥檚 in stage management at Columbia. We鈥檝e become good friends and have gone to shows together.鈥�

Act II: The Defining Moment

Amy Marie Stewart (BM 鈥�07) arrived in New York nearly a decade ago with her then-husband, hoping to grow her career as an opera singer. She had spent a few years getting her master鈥檚 degree in Chicago and felt ready to make the leap to the Big Apple.

鈥淚t was a perfect stepping stone. It would have been a far greater shock if I had come straight out of undergrad,鈥� Stewart says.

Get connected with other alumni!

Visit the Alumni section of the website to read about fellow Music Buff accomplishments and join Music Buff Connect, our online network for career advice and opportunities.

Stewart took auditions and struggled to get her opera feet under her for a few years before she realized that she had some big decisions鈥攁nd big life changes鈥攁head of her if she was going to succeed. She and her husband divorced and she set her sights on musical theatre.

鈥淯p to that point, I was suffering a lot of imposter syndrome,鈥� Stewart recalls. 鈥淭hen I had this opportunity to rebuild everything. I tell my young students all the time: There is nothing I would recommend more to a young woman than a really traumatic heartbreak in your late 20s.鈥�

Now, Stewart is living multiple dreams鈥攖eaching voice lessons, working as a singer and actress and leading her own music theory workshop for aspiring actors. A couple of years ago, Stewart connected with fellow alum Keith Gordon (BM 鈥�89) at the first New York College of Music alumni panel. Thanks to the meeting, Gordon had Stewart perform in a reading for his upcoming musical Mary Modern.

鈥淲hen I met her, I knew that she would be ready to read music, being a vocal major from CU. I鈥檓 a big believer in the CU network,鈥� he says.

Gordon got his start in New York at an ad agency, writing jingles. Now he's an in-demand composer and lyricist with several productions under his belt. He says the city and its many opportunities are what you make of them.

鈥淵ou need to be in the right place at the right time, so you need to facilitate your luck and put yourself in those situations,鈥� he explains. 鈥淎nd in order to do that, you need to leverage your connections鈥攅specially in music and theatre performance.鈥�

Adds Stewart, 鈥淵ou need to think of other artists not just as your friends but as your creative inspiration as well.鈥�

Act III: The Breakthrough

Leenya Rideout (BM 鈥�91) was in New York in 1993, staying with a friend for a few days, when she went to a handful of auditions that she read about in a trade paper. To her surprise, she was offered the lead in a traveling production of "My Fair Lady."

鈥淚 was only there for a few days originally, but then the show led to reviews, friends who I could sublet from, and the ability to save up thousands of dollars so that when I did come here permanently to do auditions, I could take the time to do that,鈥� Rideout says.

鈥淲ithin a couple of years, I got my first Broadway show, in the chorus for Cabaret.鈥�

Since officially moving to New York in 1995, Rideout has had several different runs on and off Broadway鈥攊ncluding her acclaimed one-woman show "Wild Abandon"鈥攁nd now lives in Midtown with her actor husband. She says despite some regional productions that cause her to travel from time to time, they make it work.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e with someone who鈥檚 not in the business and they come home as you鈥檙e leaving for work, it鈥檚 hard. But this spring, for example, I鈥檒l be in 'August Rush' in Chicago for six weeks, while he鈥檚 here doing 'To Kill a Mockingbird.' So there are tradeoffs.鈥�

Rideout reiterates that the most important thing young musicians can do when moving to New York鈥攂esides saving up as much money as they can鈥攊s never forget why they came.

鈥淚t takes grit, fearlessness and tenacity. Of course I had other options, but I didn鈥檛 consider them. Of course there are moments where I鈥檇 like to have a house with a two-car garage and two steady incomes, but that鈥檚 when you get a call for a Broadway show and it pulls you back in.鈥�

And never forget that there are people like Judith Glyde out there who want to see you succeed.

鈥淵ou have to remember that everyone here was once the new kid,鈥� Barpal says. 鈥淧eople are much nicer than they get credit for鈥攜ou just can鈥檛 be afraid to ask for help.鈥�

Music Buffs have built a network to support each other in New York City.

Off

Traditional

White

Never too many hats: Alumna Jennie Dorris

Anonymous — Tue, 03 Sep 2019 14:14:16 +0000

Never too many hats: Alumna Jennie Dorris Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 09/03/2019 - 08:14

Sabine Kortals

With 鈥渁 shortage of job ads for marimba players,鈥� Pittsburgh-based interdisciplinary artist Jennie Dorris (MM 鈥�05) re-invents herself鈥攁nd her career鈥攃ontinuously.

鈥淚鈥檝e never followed a traditional path in music,鈥� says the award-winning percussionist, writer and storyteller focused on social impact, who鈥檚 designed and teaches marimba classes to people with Mild Cognitive Impairment. 鈥淚t was always clear to me that I would pursue my interests entrepreneurially and I鈥檝e been so impressed by what the Entrepreneurship Center for Music did for me.

鈥淚 love the empowerment that comes with thinking like an entrepreneur.鈥�

Specifically, according to Dorris鈥攚ho studied marimba with Professor of Percussion and Jazz Douglas Walter鈥攖he Entrepreneurship Center for Music provided her 鈥渢he nuts, bolts and resources, on a logical level, for how to create opportunities for yourself, and build and manage a collaborative career to bring music to people鈥檚 lives.鈥�

鈥淎t the same time,鈥� she adds, 鈥淚 was gaining technical proficiency on my instrument and learning a musical philosophy. Doug Walter put me on a journey of seeing life through a musical lens鈥攁 beautiful path where studying your instrument is just the beginning of a long and meaningful journey.鈥�

She further credits Associate Professor Michael Theodore, who teaches music composition and technology and interactive media at 缅北禁地, for honing her knack for drawing connections among diverse disciplines. 鈥淲hat I learned from these influencers was how to adopt an emergent, creative way of thinking that attracts opportunities to develop and implement programs that activate your audiences. I鈥檓 always thinking, 鈥楬ow can I apply my musical way of knowing the world for good?鈥欌€�

Turns out, Dorris鈥攚hose undergraduate degree from Drake University combines music and journalism鈥攊s answering that question in a dizzying variety of concurrent endeavors. She鈥檚 on the faculty of Carnegie Mellon University鈥檚 Preparatory School as its percussion instructor and teaches courses in Creative Expression, Community Engagement and Percussion Ensemble. And she pioneered a musical storytelling performance technique that she鈥檚 performed across the country, and that鈥檚 now used in schools, nonprofits, even cancer centers. In 2016, she received a Best of the Creative Industries Award for the top Art + Technology project for Musical Storytelling and鈥攁 year later鈥攕he was named 鈥淲ho鈥檚 Next鈥� as a musician defining the new Pittsburgh sound.

Additionally, Dorris鈥� multimodal Telling Stories program鈥攄eveloped in 2008 for the Denver School of the Arts鈥攚as recently featured on 鈥淔rom the Top.鈥� Her podcast series, 鈥淭elling Stories,鈥� which mixed music and personal stories from students at The Neighborhood Academy, was named a finalist for the 2017 Media and Entertainment project of the year.

Currently鈥攂uilding on her initial research studies on the effects of music on Mild Cognitive Impairment鈥擠orris is a research associate at Carnegie Mellon University, studying music鈥檚 effect on the aging brain. She started a marimba program at the University of Pittsburgh鈥檚 BRiTE program, where artists and scientists work together to create effective programming for people experiencing changes in their cognition. Previously, she鈥檚 given innovative artistic performances and built education programs across the country; she鈥檚 now focused on developing research techniques and refining her music pedagogy to benefit adults with memory loss.

鈥淚 believe that, for true artists, there is no straight or narrow path,鈥� Dorris continues. 鈥淭here鈥檚 always going to be lots of opportunities to improve and expand your skills鈥攁nd to generalize your knowledge outside of music.

鈥淓specially, you have to know who you are as a person so that鈥攚hen those opportunities arise鈥攜ou鈥檒l recognize them and be able to engage with them.鈥�

For Dorris, locally in Colorado, such opportunities have included a teaching gig at 缅北禁地, developing coursework for the University of Denver, and teaching positions at Red Rocks Community College and the Community College of Denver. She was named a 2010 Westword Mastermind, and she鈥檚 been featured as an artist in a host of local and national newspapers and publications.

Dorris herself has written for Pittsburgh Magazine Entrepreneur, Real Simple, 5280 Magazine, Colorado Biz Magazine, 缅北禁地 County Business Report, Mountain Sports + Living, Rocky Mountain News, Daily Camera and a number of other media outlets. Her feature 鈥淭he Audition鈥� for Boston Magazine was a finalist for a City and Regional Magazine Association feature-writing award and aired on NPR鈥檚鈥淎ll Things Considered.鈥�

Additionally鈥攊ncredibly!鈥攕he鈥檚 a founding member of the Steeltown Songbirds, a classical-folk trio comprised of marimba, violin and bass. Dorris further performs with Pittsburgh鈥檚 Hip Hop Orchestra, while teaching at its inaugural summer academy. She also performs with Resonance Works, Alia Musica, Guardians of Sound, the Seraphic Singers and Shelter Music Boston; as well as with the Boston Landmarks Orchestra鈥檚 Notes in the Neighborhood program, New England Philharmonic, Mercury Orchestra, Colorado Ballet, Colorado Chamber Orchestra, Colorado Music Festival, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, 缅北禁地 Philharmonic, Fort Collins Symphony and Greeley Philharmonic, among others.

Concludes Dorris, 鈥淚 can鈥檛 help but be optimistic for music majors. I feel so enthusiastic about the different paths my life and career are taking me. There were never any jobs for me, but I鈥檝e always had more than enough work.

"It鈥檚 a way of thinking鈥攁nd being鈥攖hat I learned at CU and that continues to guide me through what I consider a really beautiful, artistic life.鈥�

With "a shortage of job ads for marimba players," Pittsburgh-based interdisciplinary artist Jennie Dorris (MM 鈥�05) re-invents herself鈥攁nd her career鈥攃ontinuously.

Off

Traditional

White

Four new faculty members join college in fall

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Jul 2019 20:43:31 +0000

Four new faculty members join college in fall Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 07/03/2019 - 14:43

Jessie Bauters

This fall, four new faculty faces鈥攕ome familiar, some fresh鈥攚ill be seen around the College of Music. We sat down with each of the incoming educators to see what they鈥檙e looking forward to about joining the college family.

Ryan Gardner
Associate Professor of Trumpet

Ryan Gardner comes to the College of Music from Oklahoma State University, where he taught for eight years鈥攆ive of which saw his students win the National Trumpet Competition.

鈥淢y students have gone on to collegiate teaching and performance, so I鈥檝e been fortunate,鈥� Gardner says. Having earned degrees from Eastman School of Music, Rice University and Manhattan School of Music, the California native says he may be a full-time educator, but performing will always be a big part of his life.

鈥淧erformance for me is essential to being a strong pedagogue, because if you鈥檙e not out there doing it, it鈥檚 hard to explain to your students what it is that they should be doing.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I鈥檓 so passionate about doing all kinds of performing. Not just solo, chamber, orchestral鈥攁ll of it.鈥�

Gardner says though he puts on several solo recitals and chamber performances every year, he鈥檚 known since early on in his career that he was meant to both teach and play music. 鈥淭he best part about teaching is sharing my passion and enthusiasm with my students,鈥� he explains. 鈥淲hen they have the lightbulb moments, where they figure something out, seeing them learn and achieve on their own and with guidance is really enjoyable.鈥�

Gardner says he鈥檚 looking forward to putting down roots in 缅北禁地 with his partner and their two dogs and getting to know his faculty colleagues.

Joel Schut
Instructor of Music Education

Alumnus Joel Schut (MM 鈥�12) returns to the College of Music to join the Music Education department and conduct the new University Philharmonia Orchestra. He says he鈥檚 thrilled to be coming back to his alma mater.

鈥淭he CU faculty members are top-shelf performers and dedicated teachers. I always appreciated that as a graduate student. You could learn from every faculty member regardless of degree program. They were all interested in helping you grow. I want to be one of those contributors.鈥�

After graduating from the College of Music with a master鈥檚 degree in orchestral conducting, Schut went on to teach in various public school and international music programs鈥攊ncluding in Honduras, Tunisia, Germany, Myanmar and Afghanistan. In addition, he earned a doctorate in orchestral conducting from Michigan State University while conducting the nearby Okemos High School orchestra. He says the situation provided a wonderful laboratory for learning.

鈥淚t provided a place to try new ideas every day. It was a perfect mix of artistry and education.鈥�

Schut has also been serving as interim director of orchestras at the State University of New York at Potsdam, in addition to teaching courses in conducting and string music education. In his new role at the College of Music, he鈥檒l get to explore the relationship between ensemble music making and teacher education.

鈥淢y background informs my understanding of teaching as artistry and artistry as teaching. I am grateful to be integrated within a new performing ensemble and an excellent music education faculty working with performers and future teachers to develop their skills and nurture their craft.鈥�

Claude Sim
Assistant Professor of Violin

Claude Sim鈥檚 face has been a familiar sight around the halls of Imig Music since he began teaching in the Strings area on an interim basis in August 2018.

This fall, Sim joins the faculty full time. 鈥淚鈥檓 most looking forward to the chance to pass along what I鈥檝e learned in the field and to be a part of that positive feedback loop that makes our music community run,鈥� he says. 鈥淕iving back is a noble approach to being a musician and to being a more complete artist.鈥�

An active performer and graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Sim brings 20 years of experience with the Colorado Symphony to his role as studio professor for violin students. 鈥淲hen we, as performers, get to be out in the field doing and practicing what we preach, it gives a little bit more truth to what we鈥檙e sharing with students,鈥� Sim says. 鈥淭he opportunity to share knowledge and tradition with our future generations is something that I take very seriously, and I have deep gratitude for the chance to do so.鈥�

And to be able to stay in Colorado is icing on the cake for Sim.

鈥淗aving lived in the state for 20 years, it鈥檚 become home. It鈥檚 a beautiful place to live and study and make music.鈥�

Branden Steinmetz
Assistant Director of Bands
Instructor of Conducting and Music Education

Branden Steinmetz joins the Bands department just in time for the new Golden Buffalo Marching Band season, and he couldn鈥檛 be happier. 鈥淗aving the chance to work with the athletic bands was important to me,鈥� Steinmetz says. 鈥淭he thing I like about them is that you get students who aren鈥檛 just music majors: they鈥檙e engineers, computer scientists, pre-med. You get exposed to a lot of different points of view, which is refreshing.鈥�

Steinmetz will also direct the Buff Basketball Band and the Concert Band, giving him ample opportunity to work with students from across the 缅北禁地 campus. He says given his background in music, it will be a great fit. Steinmetz just completed his DMA at Michigan State University. Before that, he taught in public school in Woodbury, Minnesota, outside the Twin Cities for four years before earning a master鈥檚 degree in percussion performance at the University of Minnesota. And he grew up and went to college in rural Wisconsin, earning a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

鈥淚 have had the fortune of having interacted with people from diverse backgrounds,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 have sympathy for the person with a band of 25 students and no budget and no resources鈥攖hat鈥檚 kind of where I came from. But I can also speak to the person who has infinite resources and a band of 300, who faces completely different challenges.鈥�

Steinmetz says for him, teaching music is all about those relationships, and he鈥檚 looking forward to forging them here in 缅北禁地.

鈥淚t鈥檚 100% the people and the connections. I used to be very concerned with putting on the perfect performance and hitting every single note, but the more I get into this, the more I realize that the perfect performance doesn鈥檛 exist. It鈥檚 the relationships you build along the way, interacting with human beings on a different level and working together鈥攅specially in the current world climate. That鈥檚 what鈥檚 fulfilling to me.鈥�

The college welcomes Ryan Gardner, Joel Schut, Claude Sim and Branden Steinmetz in August.

Off

Traditional

White

For the love of the low brass

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Jun 2019 18:45:11 +0000

For the love of the low brass Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 06/05/2019 - 12:45

Jessie Bauters

As a grad student in the 1940s, one of Stanley Ruttenberg鈥檚 early encounters with music was in Arnold Schoenberg鈥檚 Los Angeles apartment, where he took equipment one afternoon to play back some of the earliest electronic recordings for the avant-garde composer.

Thirty years and a thousand miles later, when Boettcher Concert Hall opened at the Denver Performing Arts Complex in 1978, Ruttenberg was quick to discover Ring 4, where he could sit above his favorite section of the then-Denver Symphony, the low brass.

鈥淗e would sit up there and cup his ears. Any time the tubas got loud, he loved it.鈥�

One of Becky Ruttenberg鈥檚 most indelible memories of her father was his love of music. A geophysics administrator at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) by day and the longtime board president of Colorado MahlerFest by nights and weekends, Stan always had an affinity for the bombastic. 鈥淗e liked romantic music the best. Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Mahler. The bigger, the better,鈥� his daughter remembers.

Yet Stan鈥檚 personality was anything but big鈥攎odest, happiest behind the scenes and ever the diplomat, he used his experience in the global science community to help grow MahlerFest from a regional festival 30 years ago to one of international renown today. Becky, who plays violin in MahlerFest, knew that when her dad passed away in February 2017, she had to honor his legacy by doing what she could to help music thrive. 鈥淚鈥檓 so impressed with the College of Music and how great the students and faculty are, so I wanted to support them.鈥�

A fitting tribute

When Ruttenberg inquired as to where a gift to the College of Music could make the most impact, she couldn鈥檛 have hoped for a better answer. 鈥淚 asked where there was need, and they told me low brass. I thought, 鈥楧ad would love that.鈥� He鈥檇 be embarrassed by all this attention, but he鈥檇 secretly be pleased as punch.鈥�

This year she established the Stanley Ruttenberg Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund to support low brass graduate and undergraduate students. It鈥檚 the perfect fit, given Stan鈥檚 love of the tuba. One of his longtime friends, Mahlerfest tubist Tom Stein, put it best: 鈥淏eing a tuba player, you don't get many fans. Stan was a fan of the tuba. He always came up to me to talk about his favorite tuba parts and how much he loved it when the tuba filled out the sound and made the room rumble. [It鈥檚] odd how two people can come together and form a decades-long bond over an oversized hunk of brass.鈥�

Becky Ruttenberg (center) and her first scholarship recipient, John Lettang, pose with Associate Dean for Graduate Studies Steven Bruns at an event this spring.

Ruttenberg, herself an accomplished musician, says she wanted to make it possible for more students to make music a part of their lives. 鈥淚 studied music and math in college, I taught public school music and I was assistant concertmaster in the Mississippi Symphony. Even though my career took eventually a different path, I loved the aspect of creating something that鈥檚 bigger than you. Music washes all over you.鈥�

Where math meets music

After earning math and music degrees from Oberlin College and Conservatory and Syracuse University, Ruttenberg is now a software engineer at NCAR鈥攆ollowing in both her mother and her father鈥檚 professional footsteps. But she says the love of music they instilled in her and her sister at a young age is just below the surface.

鈥淔or me, reading music is like reading a computer program. If you listen to Brahms, you can dissect his work and hear how he used math to put it together, but underneath that you can feel the emotion, the loneliness. That鈥檚 why music speaks to me on a cerebral and an emotional level.

鈥淲e need music to help us develop all parts of our brains. Music makes you human. A world without music would be a very dark world.鈥�

Becky Ruttenberg still plays music as a member of the Longmont Symphony Orchestra; in May, her father received an honorary Doctor of Science from 缅北禁地 in recognition of his significant contributions to science, the arts and public service. For more information about the Stanley Ruttenberg Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund, visit the CU Foundation website.

缅北禁地 scientist and music champion Stan Ruttenberg is memorialized in a new endowed scholarship for low brass students.

Off

Traditional

White

Brass and Percussion

Winds program features music by celebrated BIPOC composer George Walker

Off

Jazz doctoral student exemplifies personal resilience and professional determination

Off

Music grad鈥檚 solution to spendy college auditions: Recording studio in a box

Off

Gathering remotely for the Alma Mater

Off

Carrying the standard of excellence: Claire Glover

Off

When computers meet music: Alumnus Michael Musick

Off

鈥業f I can make it there鈥︹€�

Off

Never too many hats: Alumna Jennie Dorris

Off

Four new faculty members join college in fall

Ryan Gardner Associate Professor of Trumpet

Joel Schut Instructor of Music Education

Claude Sim Assistant Professor of Violin

Branden Steinmetz Assistant Director of Bands Instructor of Conducting and Music Education

Off

For the love of the low brass

A fitting tribute

Where math meets music

Off

Ryan Gardner
Associate Professor of Trumpet

Joel Schut
Instructor of Music Education

Claude Sim
Assistant Professor of Violin

Branden Steinmetz
Assistant Director of Bands
Instructor of Conducting and Music Education