Around the Boyd Podcast-Music Events

Department of Music Events – October 18-24, 2010
Around the Boyd Podcast – Music Events

Music in the Air

from portupress.com

It’s difficult to believe but we already are six weeks into the semester and rapidly approaching the half way point. That means that the Department of Music fall performance calendar is starting to get busy, dominated this fall by student recitals and large ensemble performances.

Our concert season kicks off on October 17 with a joint recital by two senior voice majors, Jena Gruver (Fairmount City) and Cami Shumaker (Hawthorn), and joined by senior voice major Caitlin Boyle’s (Hyde) recital and the first Wind Ensemble performance of the fall semester the following weekend. October closes with another student voice recital, Barbara Osborn (Clarion), on October 26.

Senior saxophone major Joel Gould (Transfer) will perform the first weekend in November, followed by recitals of two of the department’s student organizations – MENC and Sigma Alpha Iota – on November 13 and 14 respectively. Then, get your Thanksgiving week started right with a performance of the always-popular Jazz Band on Monday night, November 22.

December always is a busy month for performances, and this year is no exception. From December 2nd through the 7th you can enjoy a performance by Department of Music students nearly every day, and the semester culminates, appropriately, with our annual Holiday Festival Concert extravaganza on December 11.

For more information and full details on all of the upcoming Department of Music events, visit our Events Calendar. If you would like to receive an email reminder about upcoming performances, register your name on our Event Notficiation list.

Hope to see you at the Boyd!

Clarion Hosts PCCA Festival

This week Clarion University and the Department of Music will host the annual Pennsylvania Collegiate Choral Association Festival. The Festival brings together 120 outstanding collegiate vocalists from colleges and universities across Pennsylvania for 3 days of intense rehearsal, culminating in a free public performance on Saturday, February 6 at 1:30 p.m. in the Marwick-Boyd Auditorium.

The program will include:

“Music Spread Thy Voice Around” by G. F.  Handel
“Sicut cervus” by Giovanni Palestrina
“Kyrie eleison” from Missa secunda by Hans Leo Hassler
“Let Thy Holy Spirit” by Paul Tschesnokoff
“Go, Lovely Rose” by Halsey Stevens
“O Magnum Mysterium” by Morten Lauridsen
“The Promise of Living” by Aaron Copland;
“The Battle Hymn of the Republic” arranged by Roy Ringwald

The gust conductor for the Festival is Director Emeritus of the Los Angeles Master Chorale and past director of the choral music program at Loyola-Marymount University, Paul Salamunovich.

Clarion University will be represented at the Festival by first sopranos Megan Heilbrun, Rebecca Hofmann, and Danielle Watt (MUED); second sopranos Caitlin Boyle (MUED), Mary Fahringer, and Lynnea Fiorentino (MUED); first altos Jena Gruver (MUED), Katie Rogers, and Jen Tame (MUED); second altos Marissa Coffey, Amanda Hershey (MUED), Cami Shumaker (MUED), and Nikki Toy; first tenor Ross Bish (MUED); second tenors Stephen Benton (MUED) and Jon Mracko (MUED); first basses Vince Angelo (MUED) and Justin Ringeisen (MUED); and second basses Kyle Hart (MUED) and Seth Robertson.

More information on the PCCA Festival and guest conductor Paul Salamunovich can be found on the Pennsylvania Collegiate Choral Association website – http://www.pacollegiatechoral.org/

Around the Boyd Podcast – Music Events Oct. 10-17, 2009

Around the Boyd Podcast – Music Events
Music events from October 10 – 17, 2009

Around the Boyd Podcast – Music Events 4/17/09 – 4/23/09

Around the Boyd Podcast – Music Events
Music events from Friday, April 17 – Thursday, April 23, 2009

Around the Boyd Podcast – Music Events 4/3/09 – 4/9/09

Around the Boyd Podcast – Music Events
Music events from Friday, April 3 – Thursday, April 9, 2009

Hitting the ground running!

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I used to enjoy “easing” into the start of a semester after a break. Nothing immediately pressing in classes, no administrative deadlines to meet, no immediate student needs; I could take a little time to work back into the normally hectic pace of daily activities around the Boyd. Not this year, however – 2009 has definitely rushed in!

The first week of classes, on January 17, we held the District 3 Choral Festival performance on campus, with our own Dr. Hank Alviani as guest conductor. And now, 2 weeks later, Clarion University and the Department of Music is co-hosting the District 3 Band Festival with the Homer-Center S.D. We are excited to welcome 165 students and directors from 32 school districts throughout the region. All of the events surrounding the Festival will be held in the department and the auditorium, with our Director of Bands, Dr. Hubert Toney, Jr., as guest conductor. Preparations are still ongoing, but I am confident the Festival will be a tremendous success! The final performance will be held January 31 at 2 p.m. in the Marwick-Boyd Auditorium.

The new year also has brought significant change to the Department of Music. In January, we bid farewell to Dr. Marian Dura, who accepted a position as Director of the Master of Music Education program at Lebanon Valley College in PA. During her 4-year stay at Clarion she was an outstanding Music Educator and colleague, and will be missed by all. While Dr. Dura’s departure is a significant loss for the department, we wish her all the best in her new position.

Dr. Dura’s resignation left a vacancy in the leadership of the University Symphony Orchestra. I am pleased that music faculty member Mr. Russell Reefer agreed to take over directorship of the group. Mr. Reefer is an outstanding musician and a highly experienced music educator who undoubtedly will lead the ensemble toward a successful semester. If you are interested in performing as a member of the orchestra, please contact the Music Office at 814-393-2287, or email Mr. Reefer directly at rreefer@clarion.edu.

In early February, I will be presenting again at the Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo & Conference (PETE&C) in Hershey, PA. This is Pennsylvania’s largest state-wide conference on educational technology use. Then, in April both Dr. Alviani and I will be presenting sessions at the annual PMEA conference in Valley Forge.

We are looking forward to a busy performance calendar, as well, highlighted by a performance by the Easterly Chamber Players on campus, March 29. The Easterly Chamber Players include two of our own faculty members – Dr. Paula Amrod, piano and Dr. Brent Register, oboe – as well as Smith Toulson, clarinet and Diane Gold Toulson, flute. Other performances to look forward to include the student Mooney Scholarship Audition performances on March 14, senior recitals by Rachel Bendal, trumpet (March 22) and Lance Jones, percussion (April 5), and a performance by our newly-formed faculty brass trio consisting of music faculty members Dr. Toney, trumpet, Dr. Stephen Johnson, euphonium, and me playing trombone (we don’t have a “catchy” or even an interesting name yet, so feel free to lend a few suggestions). Of course, our ensembles will be performing throughout the semester, so visit our Events Calendar for more information on all of the musical happenings in the Department of Music.

As you can tell, this already is a busy semester with much more in store. We hope that you can carve a little time from your own busy schedule to join us at one of the events, or to simply stop in and say “hi.” if you’re in the neighborhood. We’d love to see you!

Student Senior Recitals

It’s always great to hear our students perform their Senior Recitals. They work so diligently for months and months, learning a great deal about their performance areas (and themselves!) in the process.

This weekend, on Sunday, October 26, we have two senior recitals being presented.

The first recital is soprano Michelle Hall at 3:30 p.m. Michelle is from Allegany, NY and plans to pursue a graduate degree in Vocal Performance with a concentration in Operatic Performance. The second is William Nelson, piano at 6:00 p.m. Bill is from Rural Valley, PA and hopes to begin his teaching career right after graduation.

Both events are in the Marwick-Boyd Auditorium and a free and open to the public.