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—as an integral part of our daily lives—binds 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—alongside graduate students and members of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO)— in an evening of music for winds, including celebrated BIPOC composer George Walker's "Wind Set."

“I 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 CU Boulder Graduate Wind Quintet and LACO colleagues.

“For 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 CU Boulder."

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.

“Beethoven 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—as an active soloist, chamber musician and collaborator—is 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.

“That said, there's wonderful wind writing that reflects this late-18th-century moment when orchestra wind sections were coming into their own.”

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’s 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’t worked with before."

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

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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’re 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 Bogotá, Colombia, recently reflected on the hardships he experienced leading up to his arrival in Boulder and his studies at the College of Music.

“Sometimes, we can’t change the challenges around us, like sickness and poverty,” he says. “But I’ve learned that it’s better to embrace these things and make the most of the life that we do have.”

Indeed, Beltan’s triumph over unforeseen circumstances began during his first semester as a master’s student in jazz performance at the University of Northern Texas. “I was living my dream at one of the most well-known, prestigious jazz studies programs in the world,” he explains. “But then my wife, Maria—who lives with hearing and sight impediments—collapsed and we had to return to Colombia for her treatments.”

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’s in jazz performance at the Liceu Conservatory in 2019. Soon after, he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship … just months before the pandemic hit.

“That’s what life brought to us,” says Beltran, recalling two-week hotel quarantines he endured in 2020 to begin his doctoral studies at CU Boulder. “We 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.

“Through all the difficulties and setbacks, we were able to see beauty.”

Adds Beltran, who—at 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: “I chose CU Boulder partly because of its focus on creating healing communities.”

Back in Colombia, Beltran taught music at the college-level for seven years before going to college himself. “Teaching—and teaching how to learn—has always been my passion,” he concludes.

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

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

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

Music grad’s 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’s 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).

“Change begins in the audition room,” said Barpal, who played the euphonium and went to many auditions.

“We want to bring together educators, mentors and students to create a dynamic of change. We’re trying to build a community of people who are saying, ‘We want a music school that looks different, sounds different and is inclusive for everyone.’”

One of MIC’s 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’ ability to audition will begin to address a lack of diversity in music education.

“We have identified the transition from high school to higher education as a point where we lose a large portion of BIPOC students,” she said. “This is apparent in the following comparison of two studies:

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

“The 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. �鶹��Ժ 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.”

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

“Graduating during a pandemic is a whole other experience,” Barpal said. “It 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’t doing enough to help others in general. I wanted to do more service for others.”

She credits the College of Music’s 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 “highly recommended.” 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’t as committed to pursuing education as those who audition in person.

“These are major financial barriers not everyone is aware of,” Barpal said. “Auditions can cost thousands of dollars for every single college audition you go to. If you don’t have resources, you can’t do it. We’re trying to change the conversation about the admission process to make it a more ethical and equitable admission processes.”

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’re 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.

“Since everything is being done virtually now,” Barpal said, “the door should be open for this to become a common practice for students who can’t afford to attend live auditions.”

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—and many schools in general—music 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.

“We’re seeing these cuts because we don’t have music educators and musicians in schools that are people of color,” she said. “How can we get these artists into music schools? Why isn’t there more awareness of this? Why aren’t we being taught other types of music?

“We want to change the conversation with faculty, recruitment and music directors” Barpal said. We want to teach students new and effective ways to show intent and interest. It’s about opening up new ways of being inclusive and expansive with respect to music education.”

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

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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]

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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 ’17)—recipient of the Colorado Music Educator Association’s 2020 Young Music Educator Award—the mentorship she received at the College of Music is key to her success.

“I have an amazing job,” 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. “And I have huge gratitude for my mentors.”

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.

“When I first started at Mountain Ridge, there were under 300 kids in band,” 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’s greater participation in the CU Middle School Honor Band.

“Buy-in is growing and so is the level of excitement in the Colorado Springs region,” she adds.

Indeed, at MRMS, she has led the concert bands to receive superior ratings at the Colorado Bandmasters Association’s Middle School Concert Band Festival and Cañon 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’s conference.

“I’ve always been a big believer in asking questions and soliciting advice from mentors,” says Glover, who began playing French horn in 6th grade, which ignited her passion for music education. “Mentors are my guideposts … I just spoke with Dockendorf this morning!

“I take feedback easily and welcome it constantly—and I believe that’s a big part of having achieved strong success in a short amount of time.

“I’ve also been really lucky. The administration at Mountain Ridge is great, the parent community is supportive and the kids are to die for—honestly, they’re amazing.”

Continues Glover, “Because my own middle school experience was hugely impactful, I’ve known my path since then. And I know how incredibly important it is to create a culture that really values music ensembles and performance.”

She also credits a “performance mindset” as crucial to her achievements as a conductor. “I’m a good horn player. From Mike Thornton, I learned the importance of being a solid performer.

“I wouldn’t be where I am now without the performance perspective I bring to every band rehearsal. I emphasize both education and excellence in performance.”

Glover concludes, “At this point, I’m just trying to keep up with the passion and drive of my students. I hope to match, inspire and build on their enthusiasm.”

For Claire Glover (BME ’17)—recipient of the Colorado Music Educator Association’s 2020 Young Music Educator Award—the mentorship she received at the College of Music is key to her success.

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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 ’07) is a media artist, creative technologist, composer, performer and improviser who’s also keeping busy as assistant professor of media arts at the University of Montana’s College of the Arts and Media.

“I’ve always been passionate about music,” says the College of Music tuba performance major, who went on to earn a master’s in music from the University of Southern California, a master’s in media arts at the University of Michigan and a doctorate in music technology at New York University. “My 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!

“My 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.”

Indeed—in a stroke of “destiny and momentum,” according to Musick—both he and his brother ended up at CU Boulder, his brother in music education.

“I had the good fortune to study with Michael Allen,” 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.

“I wasn’t sure which path I would take,” Musick says. “At CU, I gained a really strong foundation in performance, music making and creativity through the medium of the tuba.

“Then, the financial collapse happened. I’d 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.”

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. “That led to my coming back to the computer as a music-making instrument,” he says.

Specifically, Musick’s current practice and research is collected under The Sonic Spaces Project, which aims to create, explore and define sonic space ecosystems—a type of eco-art and interactive music system. “I love getting computers to understand something about the sound world we’re in,” 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.

“We explore the possibility of sound as an art form that allows students from various backgrounds to express themselves,” Musick says. “And we explore how sonic art complements and overlaps with music—and yet is different from music.”

He adds, “A computer will never replace a human being, but perhaps we’ll 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’ve come to realize that—in my head—the computer has long been a tool to extend my voice.”

At New York University, Musick was part of the Computer Music Group within MARL (NYU’s 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, “I 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.” 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’s also keeping busy as Assistant Professor of Media Arts at the University of Montana.

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‘If I can make it there…’

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

‘If I can make it there…’ Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 10/17/2019 - 13:29

Jessie Bauters

Imagine packing up your life—maybe in a carry-on suitcase or even just a backpack—and 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 “mom” 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 Boulder and help form the College of Music’s study-abroad program in Italy, and then she decided to return to her old stomping grounds.

“I had gotten to see so much, but in 2017, it was the right time to come back,” 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.

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

“Also of great importance to me is to just be there if they need help or want to talk.”

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 ’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.

“She introduced herself on Facebook and was immediately so helpful and kind,” Barpal says.

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

“And Mairi casually mentioned that she plays cello on the 'Last Five Years' soundtrack—which is one of my favorite musicals,” Barpal recalls. “She was the epitome of great cello playing and I had listened to her for about 10 years, then I met her.”

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’s already put her natural talent for striking up conversations to use. “One girl I met on the subway, on the second day I was here, is getting her master’s in stage management at Columbia. We’ve become good friends and have gone to shows together.”

Act II: The Defining Moment

Amy Marie Stewart (BM ’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’s degree in Chicago and felt ready to make the leap to the Big Apple.

“It was a perfect stepping stone. It would have been a far greater shock if I had come straight out of undergrad,” 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—and big life changes—ahead of her if she was going to succeed. She and her husband divorced and she set her sights on musical theatre.

“Up to that point, I was suffering a lot of imposter syndrome,” Stewart recalls. “Then 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.”

Now, Stewart is living multiple dreams—teaching 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 ’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.

“When I met her, I knew that she would be ready to read music, being a vocal major from CU. I’m a big believer in the CU network,” 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.

“You need to be in the right place at the right time, so you need to facilitate your luck and put yourself in those situations,” he explains. “And in order to do that, you need to leverage your connections—especially in music and theatre performance.”

Adds Stewart, “You need to think of other artists not just as your friends but as your creative inspiration as well.”

Act III: The Breakthrough

Leenya Rideout (BM ’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."

“I 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,” Rideout says.

“Within a couple of years, I got my first Broadway show, in the chorus for Cabaret.”

Since officially moving to New York in 1995, Rideout has had several different runs on and off Broadway—including her acclaimed one-woman show "Wild Abandon"—and 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.

“If you’re with someone who’s not in the business and they come home as you’re leaving for work, it’s hard. But this spring, for example, I’ll be in 'August Rush' in Chicago for six weeks, while he’s here doing 'To Kill a Mockingbird.' So there are tradeoffs.”

Rideout reiterates that the most important thing young musicians can do when moving to New York—besides saving up as much money as they can—is never forget why they came.

“It takes grit, fearlessness and tenacity. Of course I had other options, but I didn’t consider them. Of course there are moments where I’d like to have a house with a two-car garage and two steady incomes, but that’s when you get a call for a Broadway show and it pulls you back in.”

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

“You have to remember that everyone here was once the new kid,” Barpal says. “People are much nicer than they get credit for—you just can’t be afraid to ask for help.”

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

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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 “a shortage of job ads for marimba players,” Pittsburgh-based interdisciplinary artist Jennie Dorris (MM ’05) re-invents herself—and her career—continuously.

“I’ve never followed a traditional path in music,” says the award-winning percussionist, writer and storyteller focused on social impact, who’s designed and teaches marimba classes to people with Mild Cognitive Impairment. “It was always clear to me that I would pursue my interests entrepreneurially and I’ve been so impressed by what the Entrepreneurship Center for Music did for me.

“I love the empowerment that comes with thinking like an entrepreneur.”

Specifically, according to Dorris—who studied marimba with Professor of Percussion and Jazz Douglas Walter—the Entrepreneurship Center for Music provided her “the 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’s lives.”

“At the same time,” she adds, “I 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—a beautiful path where studying your instrument is just the beginning of a long and meaningful journey.”

She further credits Associate Professor Michael Theodore, who teaches music composition and technology and interactive media at CU Boulder, for honing her knack for drawing connections among diverse disciplines. “What 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’m always thinking, ‘How can I apply my musical way of knowing the world for good?’”

Turns out, Dorris—whose undergraduate degree from Drake University combines music and journalism—is answering that question in a dizzying variety of concurrent endeavors. She’s on the faculty of Carnegie Mellon University’s 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’s performed across the country, and that’s 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—a year later—she was named “Who’s Next” as a musician defining the new Pittsburgh sound.

Additionally, Dorris’ multimodal Telling Stories program—developed in 2008 for the Denver School of the Arts—was recently featured on “From the Top.” Her podcast series, “Telling Stories,” 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—building on her initial research studies on the effects of music on Mild Cognitive Impairment—Dorris is a research associate at Carnegie Mellon University, studying music’s effect on the aging brain. She started a marimba program at the University of Pittsburgh’s BRiTE program, where artists and scientists work together to create effective programming for people experiencing changes in their cognition. Previously, she’s given innovative artistic performances and built education programs across the country; she’s now focused on developing research techniques and refining her music pedagogy to benefit adults with memory loss.

“I believe that, for true artists, there is no straight or narrow path,” Dorris continues. “There’s always going to be lots of opportunities to improve and expand your skills—and to generalize your knowledge outside of music.

“Especially, you have to know who you are as a person so that—when those opportunities arise—you’ll recognize them and be able to engage with them.”

For Dorris, locally in Colorado, such opportunities have included a teaching gig at CU Boulder, 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’s 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, Boulder County Business Report, Mountain Sports + Living, Rocky Mountain News, Daily Camera and a number of other media outlets. Her feature “The Audition” for Boston Magazine was a finalist for a City and Regional Magazine Association feature-writing award and aired on NPR’s “All Things Considered.”

Additionally—incredibly!—she’s a founding member of the Steeltown Songbirds, a classical-folk trio comprised of marimba, violin and bass. Dorris further performs with Pittsburgh’s 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’s Notes in the Neighborhood program, New England Philharmonic, Mercury Orchestra, Colorado Ballet, Colorado Chamber Orchestra, Colorado Music Festival, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Boulder Philharmonic, Fort Collins Symphony and Greeley Philharmonic, among others.

Concludes Dorris, “I can’t 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’ve always had more than enough work.

"It’s a way of thinking—and being—that I learned at CU and that continues to guide me through what I consider a really beautiful, artistic life.”

With "a shortage of job ads for marimba players," Pittsburgh-based interdisciplinary artist Jennie Dorris (MM ’05) re-invents herself—and her career—continuously.

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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—some familiar, some fresh—will be seen around the College of Music. We sat down with each of the incoming educators to see what they’re 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—five of which saw his students win the National Trumpet Competition.

“My students have gone on to collegiate teaching and performance, so I’ve been fortunate,” 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.

“Performance for me is essential to being a strong pedagogue, because if you’re not out there doing it, it’s hard to explain to your students what it is that they should be doing.

“That’s why I’m so passionate about doing all kinds of performing. Not just solo, chamber, orchestral—all of it.”

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

Gardner says he’s looking forward to putting down roots in Boulder with his partner and their two dogs and getting to know his faculty colleagues.

Joel Schut
Instructor of Music Education

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

“The 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.”

After graduating from the College of Music with a master’s degree in orchestral conducting, Schut went on to teach in various public school and international music programs—including 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.

“It provided a place to try new ideas every day. It was a perfect mix of artistry and education.”

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’ll get to explore the relationship between ensemble music making and teacher education.

“My 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.”

Claude Sim
Assistant Professor of Violin

Claude Sim’s 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. “I’m most looking forward to the chance to pass along what I’ve learned in the field and to be a part of that positive feedback loop that makes our music community run,” he says. “Giving back is a noble approach to being a musician and to being a more complete artist.”

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. “When 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’re sharing with students,” Sim says. “The 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.”

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

“Having lived in the state for 20 years, it’s become home. It’s a beautiful place to live and study and make music.”

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’t be happier. “Having the chance to work with the athletic bands was important to me,” Steinmetz says. “The thing I like about them is that you get students who aren’t just music majors: they’re engineers, computer scientists, pre-med. You get exposed to a lot of different points of view, which is refreshing.”

Steinmetz will also direct the Buff Basketball Band and the Concert Band, giving him ample opportunity to work with students from across the CU Boulder 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’s 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.

“I have had the fortune of having interacted with people from diverse backgrounds,” he says. “I have sympathy for the person with a band of 25 students and no budget and no resources—that’s 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.”

Steinmetz says for him, teaching music is all about those relationships, and he’s looking forward to forging them here in Boulder.

“It’s 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’t exist. It’s the relationships you build along the way, interacting with human beings on a different level and working together—especially in the current world climate. That’s what’s fulfilling to me.”

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

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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’s early encounters with music was in Arnold Schoenberg’s 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.

“He would sit up there and cup his ears. Any time the tubas got loud, he loved it.”

One of Becky Ruttenberg’s 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. “He liked romantic music the best. Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Mahler. The bigger, the better,” his daughter remembers.

Yet Stan’s personality was anything but big—modest, 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. “I’m so impressed with the College of Music and how great the students and faculty are, so I wanted to support them.”

A fitting tribute

When Ruttenberg inquired as to where a gift to the College of Music could make the most impact, she couldn’t have hoped for a better answer. “I asked where there was need, and they told me low brass. I thought, ‘Dad would love that.’ He’d be embarrassed by all this attention, but he’d secretly be pleased as punch.”

This year she established the Stanley Ruttenberg Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund to support low brass graduate and undergraduate students. It’s the perfect fit, given Stan’s love of the tuba. One of his longtime friends, Mahlerfest tubist Tom Stein, put it best: “Being 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’s] odd how two people can come together and form a decades-long bond over an oversized hunk of brass.”

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. “I 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’s bigger than you. Music washes all over you.”

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—following in both her mother and her father’s 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.

“For 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’s why music speaks to me on a cerebral and an emotional level.

“We 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.”

Becky Ruttenberg still plays music as a member of the Longmont Symphony Orchestra; in May, her father received an honorary Doctor of Science from CU Boulder 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.

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

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Brass and Percussion

Winds program features music by celebrated BIPOC composer George Walker

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Jazz doctoral student exemplifies personal resilience and professional determination

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

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Gathering remotely for the Alma Mater

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Carrying the standard of excellence: Claire Glover

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When computers meet music: Alumnus Michael Musick

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‘If I can make it there…’

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Never too many hats: Alumna Jennie Dorris

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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

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For the love of the low brass

A fitting tribute

Where math meets music

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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