Jazz

Jazz Studies Lecturer Matt Smiley awarded prestigious MacDowell Fellowship

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Jazz Studies Lecturer Matt Smiley awarded prestigious MacDowell Fellowship Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 10/17/2024 - 00:00

MarieFaith Lane

Alumnus Matt Smiley (DMA ’22), a jazz studies lecturer at the CU Boulder College of Music, has been awarded a MacDowell Fellowship—one of the most prestigious, cross-disciplinary artist residency programs in the country. Set to take place over fall break, the fellowship aligns perfectly with Smiley’s teaching schedule, allowing him dedicated time to focus on his creative work without disrupting his commitments to students.

Smiley, who teaches a large 370-student jazz history class as well as a jazz combo, plans to use the fellowship to advance his compositional goals. His primary focus during this time will be composing a suite of octet music—a significant leap in scope from his usual compositions for smaller groups like trios, quartets and quintets. He’s looking ahead to spring 2025 when he hopes to record his new compositions with both Colorado musicians and other collaborators from across the country.

As a composer, Smiley’s work sits at the intersection of jazz and contemporary classical music, drawing on improvisational techniques that challenge the conventions of both genres. “The music I write is always too improvisational for the contemporary classical world but utilizes modern compositional techniques that are still foreign to most of the jazz world,” he explains. Smiley is inspired by composers such as Christian Wolff, known for creating compositions meant to be performed in different ways with varying orchestrations, ensuring that no performance is ever the same. This flexible, open form of composition has become a hallmark of Smiley’s approach which he’s excited to explore further.

While Smiley is accustomed to composing for small ensembles of musicians with whom he regularly collaborates, the MacDowell Fellowship offers an opportunity to expand his creative work to larger ensembles and broader collaborations—a challenge he’s ready to embrace while maintaining the intimacy and improvisational spirit of his works for smaller ensembles.

Smiley’s path to the MacDowell Fellowship was marked by persistence and inspiration from peers. Annie Booth (BM ’11, MM ’20)—a CU Boulder College of Music alumna and a successful local composer, pianist, educator and entrepreneur—encouraged him to apply for composition residencies. “I have never had planned time off from teaching, performing and working to sit down and focus solely on writing music,” Smiley notes. “I have a lot of goals to accomplish while I’m there.”

Especially, Smiley is eager to develop new compositions that embrace the unpredictability of improvisation while utilizing advanced compositional techniques. His work will undoubtedly continue to challenge the boundaries of both the jazz and contemporary classical music worlds—bringing fresh perspectives to both genres.

College of Music Jazz Studies Lecturer Matt Smiley has been awarded a MacDowell Fellowship enabling him to advance his compositional goals by exploring the intersection of jazz and contemporary classical music, and embracing improvisation and innovative composition techniques that challenge the boundaries of both genres.

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Meet the 2024 ECM artist assistance grants recipients

Anonymous — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Meet the 2024 ECM artist assistance grants recipients Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 06/17/2024 - 00:00

Kathryn Bistodeau

At the CU Boulder Entrepreneurship Center for Music (ECM), students can find the skills and tools they need for their music careers. Most recently, the ECM awarded $5,820 in artist assistance grants to support eight student-led professional development and community engagement projects including:

Josie Arnett

Josie Arnett
“I’m really picky about which pieces I release on streaming platforms because I’m 20 and need to be able to write really bad music … and then release the things that I really love,” says Josie Arnett, an undergraduate composition student.

“Last fall, I got the opportunity to write a saxophone quartet piece for a group that travels all over the United States. I was really happy with the piece and really proud of it, so I reached out to a faculty member who set me up with the CU Boulder graduate saxophone quartet.”

Sanitas Saxophone Quartet

Working with the Sanitas Saxophone Quartet, College of Music Recording Engineer Kevin Harbison and a mixing artist, Arnett recorded the piece for projected release on streaming platforms this summer. The ECM grant helped pay the artists and distribution fee.

Arnett says she learned a lot about how to interact in a professional recording setting and enjoyed collaborating within the College of Music. “It’s been fun to work with people that have a lot of energy, positive attitudes and are just really excited about what they do,” she shares.

Alice Del Simone
At the end of May, DMA student in voice performance and pedagogy Alice Del Simone was part of a workshop presentation at the Voice Foundation Symposium in Philadelphia titled “Legato Then and Now, Vibrato Edition: A Close-Up of What Happens Between the Pitches in the Classical Bel Canto Tradition.”

“The workshop offered a toolbox of exercises for how to teach the type of legato singing that was happening at the end of the 1800s, beginning of the 1900s when we started to have recordings available,” Del Simone says.

“It was my very first time presenting at a conference where there are often hurdles for a young academic to get an invitation to present. I’ve been lucky that I’ve been able to work with a group of people who are more prominent in the community than myself.”

During the symposium, Del Simone stayed at the conference hotel, partially funded by her ECM grant.

Zachary Howarth
Zachary Howarth, a DMA student in jazz studies, will go on the road this summer to record music in studios in Reno and South Lake Tahoe. Howarth also hopes to perform this music live in venues across Colorado and Nevada.

The project will involve a contemporary jazz quartet—trumpet, piano, bass, drums—writing and recording the music. The ECM grant will help the project get off the ground by assisting with studio fees, production costs and travel expenses.

“The opportunity to write, record and play music with such high-level artists is invaluable to my collaborative research in compositional tendencies in contemporary jazz mediums and fully improvised music,” Howarth says.

SeaJun Kwon

SeaJun Kwon
SeaJun Kwon, also a DMA student in jazz studies, likes writing compositions that push the boundaries of jazz music including “Avant Shorts”—10 etudes exploring micro tonalities and rhythmic concepts that aren’t commonly used in jazz compositions.

Kwon plans to compose these etudes and begin recording them over the summer, using a microphone setup funded by an ECM grant.

“I thought I’d write a bunch of super short compositions that focus on different ideas to develop myself and provide my community with these resources,” Kwon says.

By keeping them brief, he hopes to make the compositions more accessible and useful for his community.

“People are really busy, there are so many things that you have to do and also so many distractions,” Kwon says. “I think these short compositions put less pressure on people—they can work on them for 10 minutes and still learn from them.”

Er-Hsuan Li with orchestra

Er-Hsuan Li
Er-Hsuan Li graduated from the College of Music in May with a DMA in piano performance. In April, he held a concert featuring the world premiere of John Clay Allen’s “The Stone Harp” concerto for piano and strings along with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1.

“It was a very fun event,” Li says. “Even though it was off-campus, it was really CU that made this possible because that’s how we connected.”

Many CU Boulder musicians participated including conductor and Associate Director of Orchestras Renee Gilliland, composition alumnus John Clay Allen, Anna Kallinikos—who’s majoring in trumpet performance and minoring in business—and the majority of the 18-member orchestra. The ECM grant assisted Li with compensating the performers and renting the venue.

“I had performed in front of an orchestra only once before when I was a high schooler,” Li recalls. “So it was really special for me that—after 13 years—I got to do this again professionally. And I would like to think that I am a better musician now compared to then!”

Ethan Stahl

Ethan Stahl
When Ethan Stahl discovered Nkeiru Okoye’s music, he knew he’d found something special. “I loved her music so much that I began working on it for one of my degree recitals,” he says. “Eventually, it became evident that I had enough material to create a lecture recital.”

To prepare, Stahl—who’s pursuing a DMA in piano performance—interviewed Okoye about her music. “We talked on the phone for a few hours and in that conversation, she proposed the idea of writing a piece for me to add to one of the sets of piano pieces that I was studying.” The ECM grant helped fund Okoye’s contribution.

Okoye’s music is already part of the American Music Research Center’s Helen Walker-Hill Collection; her upcoming composition will be added to the collection.

“Okoye is extremely novel in the world of piano composition,” Stahl adds. “I’ve never heard piano music that is similar stylistically to hers.”

Natalie Trejo
Artist Diploma student Natalie Trejo competed in the finals for the Austin Flute Society’s Young Artist Competition in April—and the ECM grant helped her get there.

“I submitted the preliminary recordings back in January. From there, they selected three finalists to perform in the live final round in Austin, Texas,” Trejo says. “It went really well. I ended up getting third but I was very happy with how I played and I was not nervous at all.”

Trejo performed Chen Yi’s “Memory” for solo flute and Frank Martin’s “Ballade” for flute and piano.

“I love doing competitions because I get to learn new repertoire, meet new flutists, make connections and get to know the other finalists—it’s very important and humbling, but still encouraging,” Trejo says.

Jonathon Winter
Another spring 2024 graduate, Jonathon Winter—who earned a DMA in violin performance—recorded four pieces to be compiled into an album titled “Origin: Music by Women of the Americas.” The pieces are “ko’u inoa” by Leilehua Lanzilotti, “Scratch the Surface” by Dana Kaufman, “String Poetic” by Jennifer Higdon and “Sueños de Chambi” by Gabriel Lena Frank.

“I picked some fiendishly difficult music to play but it was so worth it,” Winter says. “I learned so much about preparing for recordings and what that actually entails.”

Winter worked with pianist and Postdoctoral Lecturer Barbara Noyes, as well as Kevin Harbison to record all four pieces over the course of seven months. Winter will continue the project over the summer with the goal of finding a label to disseminate the recordings.

Congratulations to all grant recipients and our thanks to this year’s adjudicators: College of Music staff member Kathryn Bistodeau, Music Advisory Board member Laurie Hathorn and University of Denver entrepreneurship faculty member Neil Pollard.

At the CU Boulder Entrepreneurship Center for Music, students can find the skills and tools they need for their music careers. This spring, the ECM awarded $5,820 in grants to support eight student-led professional development and community engagement projects.

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Thompson Jazz Studies Program introduces new vocal jazz degree, new ensemble and more

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Thompson Jazz Studies Program introduces new vocal jazz degree, new ensemble and more Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 02/01/2024 - 00:00

MarieFaith Lane

The College of Music is set to launch an exciting addition to its curriculum this fall—the new Bachelor of Music in Vocal Jazz degree in our Thompson Jazz Studies Program will offer intensive development of all aspects of musicianship as a jazz vocalist with study in jazz improvisation, theory, arranging, repertoire and history as well as individual study and performing in our jazz ensembles.

Professor of Jazz Studies John Gunther shares details of the long-anticipated program: “Thanks to the generous support of Jack and Jeannie Thompson, this program is finally coming to fruition. Jack and Jeannie are astute supporters of the College of Music and are very involved and aware of the needs of the college.”

He continues, “The program is not only for aspiring jazz vocalists, as we hope it will serve the College of Music more broadly. Jazz improvisation is such an important part of the history of performance of American music and the skill sets that our musicians need to have in the 21^st century.”

The methods incorporated into the Thompson Jazz program reflect a commitment to providing real-world experiences. Unlike traditional audition-based ensemble formation, the program embraces a unique approach. “Ensembles are formed without auditions and then rotated every few weeks, fostering an environment where students of varying ages and experience levels come together and collaborate,” Gunther explains.

“This approach encourages students to build relationships, learn to communicate effectively and navigate the dynamics of working with musicians of varying backgrounds—mirroring the professional world, where collaboration is essential and musicians must adapt to different skill sets within the group.”

Developing and implementing the new degree program was both a response to internal recognition and driven by external demand. “The Jazz Studies department had been receiving inquiries from high school directors and prospective students eager to know when such a program would be offered,” Gunther says. “The call among young musicians for a broader experience is a clear recognition of the importance of engaging with contemporary music making, improvisation and diverse styles beyond their primary focus.”

Additionally, the jazz program has introduced a new extracurricular ensemble—Ralphie’s Ramblers—committed to embodying the spirit of New Orleans brass bands. Ralphie’s Ramblers ensures that students across disciplines have the opportunity to experience and collaborate in jazz in meaningful ways.

Looking ahead, over spring break, faculty and students from Thompson Jazz will spend a week-long intensive in Havana, studying and performing with master musicians of Afro-Cuban jazz, underscoring the College of Music’s commitment to providing a comprehensive education beyond the classroom walls. “With nearly 30 participants—20 students and 10 faculty—we’ll immerse ourselves in the culture and vibrant musical landscape of Havana,” shares Gunther. “This trip will broaden our understanding of Afro-Cuban and Latin jazz, and our appreciation for the cultural nuances that shape these genres.”

In sum, the opportunities within the jazz program at the College of Music extend beyond traditional education. In addition to immersive experiences, cultural exchanges and a comprehensive curriculum, students are actively engaged in shaping their musical journeys by producing their own music, composing original pieces, overseeing the production process and independently releasing their works. According to Gunther, the program’s commitment to fostering this creativity is further exemplified by its record label, Thompson Jazz Records, and strong student support: “We not only encourage but actively support students in entering professional recording studios, ensuring their artistic projects receive the attention they deserve. Our faculty supports students throughout the process—whether it’s recording in the studio or securing copyrights.”

As the Thompson Jazz Studies Program continues to empower students to be performers—as well as creators and contributors to the ever-evolving landscape of jazz music—it serves as a hub for innovation and artistic expression, and a space to pursue limitless creative possibilities.

Among several exciting developments, the College of Music’s Thompson Jazz Studies Program is set to launch a new Bachelor of Music in Vocal Jazz degree this fall.

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2023 Sher Distinguished Musician Scholars announced

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 06:00:00 +0000

2023 Sher Distinguished Musician Scholars announced Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/20/2023 - 00:00

Kathryn Bistodeau

Nate Bonin and Danny Kaminski are our 2023 Sher Distinguished Musician Scholars! These students will receive full scholarships funded by John and Anna Sie who established the award in 2014.

“I’m delighted that both Nathan and Daniel have been named our next Sher Distinguished Musician Scholars, and I'm pleased that we’re able to support two exceptional music students from Colorado,” says Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies + Enrollment Management Matthew Roeder. “Nathan and Daniel are not only outstanding individuals but also exemplary musicians who will undoubtedly represent the College of Music extremely well.”

Nate Bonin

Bonin—a Longmont native—is studying French horn performance with Professor of Horn Mike Thornton. “I chose CU Boulder because I’ve worked with Professor Thornton in the past,” he says. “My teacher in high school would take me to master classes and things that were happening at the studio here—I got to see everything and really wanted to be a part of it.”

Bonin has chosen to pursue music because it makes him feel “completely fulfilled.”

"I’ve played in a number of ensembles and not only being a part of those groups and playing, but also being in the audience is a good experience for me—and I think it honestly is for everybody,” says Bonin who’s excited to be at the College of Music.

“This scholarship is absolutely life changing,” he adds.

Danny Kaminski

Kaminski grew up in Colorado Springs and is studying jazz bass with Jazz Studies Lecturer Bijoux Barbosa. He chose the College of Music because he loves the faculty and the students here. “My main goal in looking at music schools was to follow where the good players are going,” Kaminski says. “Because that’s where the future of music is and that’s what I want to be a part of.

“I just can’t necessarily imagine myself being happy doing anything else. I feel like, when I play music, it’s the only time that my thoughts feel more cohesive and more streamlined and purposeful. And most importantly, why we pretty much do anything, it’s really fun.”

Kaminski’s goals for the future are to continue to push jazz music forward and bring it into the modern age. More than anything, though, Kaminski says, “I just want to help give back. I’ve had too many teachers to count, my parents, so many students, that helped me in immeasurable ways. I feel like I owe it to them and to everyone else, including the next generation, to give that back and to be a helping force.”

The Sher Distinguished Musician Scholarship will help Kaminski along that path and allows him to fully engage in his College of Music education. “I’m eternally thankful for that and I don’t think it will ever truly set in that I got a full ride. I truly don’t have the words, I’m so deeply thankful.”

Nate Bonin and Danny Kaminski are the 2023 Sher Distinguished Musician Scholars! Learn more about these students and their dreams for the future.

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Graduate student spotlight: Andres Orco

Anonymous — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Graduate student spotlight: Andres Orco Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 04/04/2023 - 00:00

MarieFaith Lane

The College of Music is committed to supporting students in expanding their skill sets through certificate programs in a variety of areas. Venezuelan Andres Orco is a DMA guitar student in our Thompson Jazz Studies Program with a special interest in advanced rhythm and meter in jazz; as such, he’s also pursuing a Certificate in Music Theory.

“I was drawn to CU Boulder for many reasons,” shares Orco, who earned a bachelor’s in music from the Berklee College of Music and a master’s in music from the New England Conservatory. “The faculty in both the jazz and theory departments, the student-faculty ratio and the teaching opportunities afforded to me as a Teaching Assistant.”

For his Certificate in Music Theory project, by combining music theory with ethnography, Orco analyzed modern repertoire and interviewed 15 professional jazz musicians including Vijay Iyer, Terri Lyne Carrington, Miguel Zenon and Mary Halvorson.

“The certificate is a pared-down master’s in music theory. I have always gravitated toward music theory, although I was more interested in studying jazz. Through the certificate program, I received a multidisciplinary education that has made me a more well-rounded musician and educator.”

Evolution of 21st-century jazz
“Jazz has always been an exceptionally sophisticated music. In the past 30 years, there’s been an increase in the use of rhythmic complexity, such as polyrhythms, asymmetrical meters and displacement as a compositional tool,” says Orco. “The modern jazz musician—coming from a tradition of rhythmic sophistication in improvisation—is now expressing rhythmic ambiguity in already ambiguous spaces. This, in my opinion, is an evolutionary marker in the music.”

Current theoretical literature isn’t sufficient to explain modern jazz
“There are two reasons why the current theoretical literature isn’t sufficient to explain modern jazz,” continues Orco. “First, most scholars discussing rhythm and meter in music have focused on Western classical music. As a result, analytical models have biases that can sometimes work when analyzing jazz … but often falter. Rules have to be broken and the music is essentially made to conform to the model, rather than the other way around.

“Second, the jazz literature is almost entirely dedicated to a 20-year period, 1940 to 1960. Given how much the music has changed, it’s very important to research modern repertoire to continue the discussion into the 21st century.”

Amplifying the voices of expert jazz practitioners in theoretical discussions of their music
According to Orco, “While slowly settling as an academic discipline, jazz is still an oral tradition. Some of the most important theorists and historians are the players themselves, who understand this music from every aspect—theoretical, historical and embodied.

“Some recent articles discussing modern jazz simply get it wrong, and my ethnographic findings demonstrate there is a conflict between the literature and practitioner’s perspective. Scholars overlooked important organizing elements endemic in jazz and, as a result, their interpretations conflict with how jazz musicians would normally understand and analyze the music. Including the perspective of professional jazz musicians is both ethically valuable and provides ecological validity to the analysis of music.”

He explains, “Ecological validity is a judgment made on research. Essentially, it’s whether the conclusions and findings have any relevance to the studied population—‘real world’ versus study. In this case, the academic discussion of music is often not ecologically valuable because it operates in a vacuum. It’s an analysis of music as a product rather than as a practice, where only scholars are in dialogue with it … and it goes nowhere beyond a journal. Including the actual practitioner of the music involves members of the broader population, discusses the music from both practical and analytical perspectives, and is more relevant to the ‘real world’ because of the dual perspective.

“Ethical value builds from the same idea, but refers to the notion that it is ethically important to include the voice of the practitioner in jazz. Too often, this has not been the case … despite the fact that jazz is an oral tradition and some of the most knowledgeable historians and theorists of the music are the actual musicians themselves.”

An active performer in the Denver metro area, Orco is also focused on writing guitar pedagogy books and teaching aspiring guitarists of all levels and ages.

Venezuelan Andres Orco is a DMA guitar student in our Thompson Jazz Studies Program with a special interest in advanced rhythm and meter in jazz; as such, he’s also pursuing a Certificate in Music Theory. “Through the certificate program, I received a multidisciplinary education that I think has made me a more well-rounded musician and educator.”

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Retired Associate Professor of Saxophone Tom Myer reflects on a successful career … and what’s next

Anonymous — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Retired Associate Professor of Saxophone Tom Myer reflects on a successful career … and what’s next Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 12/16/2022 - 00:00

Kathryn Bistodeau

After 34 years’ dedicated service, Associate Professor of Saxophone Professor Tom Myer retired in May 2022. As the year draws to a close, we caught up with him to gain his career reflections and advice … and what he’s up to now:

What experience are you most proud of, during your career at CU Boulder?
In 1992, we brought a saxophone ensemble—even the bass saxophone—to the World Saxophone Congress in Pesaro, Italy. The ensemble premiered a piece by former College of Music faculty member Luis Gonzalez. I also played a short recital in which I premiered works by former College of Music colleagues Joe Lukasik and Richard Toensing. The concert was very well attended and well received, and I was proud to represent CU Boulder.

What trends or culture shifts did you observe over the course of your career, and what’s your career advice to students today?
I always told my students that I don’t consider myself talented at all—I just worked really hard. So when students follow what they are truly passionate about, I have always supported that. I’m equally proud of my students who have found careers outside of music.

You never know where music will take you, but dedication and hard work will always pay off. And while the record industry has imploded, there are so many new opportunities now due to the internet and social media. I hope the College of Music continues to adapt to these changes.

What’s the best thing about being retired? What are you up to these days?
I just returned from Spain. My dog is happy that I’m home a lot. I’ll continue to play gigs … and now I have time to really work on my table tennis game.

When the pandemic hit and I was teaching remotely, I purchased a microphone and an interface. One thing led to another and I ended up building a recording studio in my basement. I’m learning a lot about composition and arranging, recording, editing, engineering, mastering, producing and distribution … all things that I should have learned a long time ago!

With gratitude, we congratulate Tom Myer on his well-earned retirement!

Myer directed the college’s jazz studies program from 1988-95 and also taught at East Texas State University. He worked professionally for the Mingus Big Band, the Woody Herman Orchestra, Nelson Riddle, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Ice Capades and Disney World—and backed the likes of alumnus Dave Grusin, Kathleen Battle, Doc Severinson, Bob Hope, Lou Rawls, Natalie Cole, Nancy Wilson, Dionne Warwick, Dianne Carroll, Barbara Mandrel, Mel Torme, Ben Folds, Idina Menzel, Seal and many others. He also performed new saxophone works at the World Saxophone Congress in 1992 (Italy), 1997 (Spain) and 2003 (Minneapolis), and is credited with premiering John Harbison’s “Sonata” and David Maslanka’s “Concerto.” Myer has commissioned numerous classical and jazz pieces, and his recording “Harbison, San Antonio” was released on Albany Records; he can also be heard on Capri Records with the Fred Hess Sextet featuring Art Lande and Ron Miles, and he has recorded with Joel Kay’s Neophonic Jazz Orchestra. Myer earned a Master of Music in woodwind performance and jazz studies from North Texas State University, and an undergrad in music education from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Longtime Associate Professor of Saxophone Tom Myer retired in May. As the year draws to a close, enjoy his insightful career reflections and advice … and discover what he’s up to now!

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In stride with jazz alumna Annie Booth

Anonymous — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 06:00:00 +0000

In stride with jazz alumna Annie Booth Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 07/12/2022 - 00:00

MarieFaith Lane

Jazz pianist, band leader and composer/arranger Annie Booth (BM ’11, MM ’20) has been an active presence in the Colorado jazz community for many years, and was named among “Denver’s ten best jazz musicians” (Westword) last August. For her, studying and serving as a graduate teaching assistant at our College of Music was a time of professional growth that prepared her for a multifaceted career in music.

“My experiences at CU Boulder—both at the undergraduate and graduate levels—were invaluable,” says Booth. “I was part of the Concert Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combos, which helped shape my career in different ways. At the undergraduate level, I became comfortable playing in those settings and learned how to act professionally. At the graduate level, I composed a lot for the band, so it was a great opportunity to not only have the ensemble play my music, but also to gain the experience of conducting my own pieces.”

Today, Booth serves on the faculty of the Lamont School of Music and has numerous projects in the works. She was recently selected as the 2022 Reno Jazz Festival Commissioned Composer, and leads and writes for the 18-piece Annie Booth Big Band. On June 24, she released “Alpenglow”—her album featuring the Annie Booth Sextet (watch for a single/preview this fall!)—and she’s set to release another album in February 2023: “Flowers of Evil”—featuring College of Music faculty and alumni*—is a song cycle of eight Charles Baudelaire poems that Booth has set to music.

“I have the utmost respect for every single person who chooses the path of the professional musician,” she reflects. “It’s taken a lot of versatility, flexibility, hard work, focus and being intentional about whom I want to surround myself with. The people who have helped me—be it musicians who I’ve hired to be a part of my projects or mentors who have guided me and pushed me along—are very important.

“Figuring out how to do it is an ongoing journey. There’s no template because the world and this career space is ever-changing.”

Also an avid educator, Booth created the SheBop Young Women in Jazz Workshop in conjunction with the Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts—the first jazz camp in Colorado for young women. As an extension of her pedagogy-focused master’s thesis, her mission is to create a strong, empowered community of women along the Front Range who express themselves through jazz music.

“Because jazz music is individualistic, everyone has their own voice,” Booth explains. “It’s a priority for me to communicate that message to my students, encouraging them to find freedom in their self-expression.

“Everyone is going to have their own path and do things differently. It’s important for students to use the tools from their teachers to help them grow their own voice at their own pace.”

In addition to her workshop, Booth offers regular jam sessions—these local Girls Jams are open to girls and women of all ages and abilities.

In sum, Booth offers this career advice:

“Ask yourself, what’s best serving me on my path? There’s a fine line between saying ‘yes’ for exposure and becoming overwhelmed with opportunities. I’ve gotten trapped by over-committing myself and have learned to say ‘no’ to things that aren’t serving my overall career goals.”
“Don’t get stuck in the way that things have been done before. There are so many chances for us to share our music and collaborate with others. Keep an open mind and always be on the lookout for opportunities. That said, be careful to choose opportunities that serve your bigger mission in music.”
“Surround yourself with like-minded people. It can be hard to find that community, but seeking out jam sessions, open mics, community orchestras, and so on will help you find your group of people who will support you. Show up, be the best you can be and let people know who you are! Many times it’s about who knows you, rather than who you know.”

*Booth’s piece and forthcoming studio album, “Flowers of Evil,” features Professor of Jazz John Gunther (sax and clarinets) and Associate Professor of Jazz Studies Brad Goode (trumpet). The album also features a cast of alumni, including Dru Heller (MM ’15), Anisha Rush (BM ’16), Matt Smiley (DMA ’22), Rosalee Walsh (BM ’22) and Brian Woodbury (DMA ’21).

Alumna Annie Booth shares how the College of Music continues to impact her career as an award-winning jazz pianist, band leader, composer/arranger and educator—and offers valuable career advice.

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Meet Damani Phillips: 2022 Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient

Anonymous — Tue, 03 May 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Meet Damani Phillips: 2022 Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/03/2022 - 00:00

Sabine Kortals Stein

At the College of Music’s commencement ceremony this Thursday, May 5, we’re so excited to welcome alumnus Damani Phillips (DMA ’09) back to campus and to present him the college’s 2022 Distinguished Alumnus Award!

“I’m beyond thrilled to receive this year’s Distinguished Alumnus award,” says Phillips, saxophonist, educator, author and recording artist who currently serves as head of the jazz studies program and associate professor of African American studies at the University of Iowa. “As you navigate your degree program, you always hope that once finished and your professional career gets fully underway that you can manage to be impactful in a way that represents both yourself and the institutions that you attended positively.

“It’s an incredible feeling to be formally acknowledged by your alma mater as a graduate who has managed to do so in a noteworthy way. I view this award as a great honor.”

A native of Pontiac, Michigan, Phillips earned bachelor and master of music degrees from DePaul University and the University of Kentucky in classical saxophone, a second master of music in jazz studies from Wayne State University and a doctor of musical arts degree in jazz studies here at the University of Colorado Boulder, becoming the first African American in the country to do so.

“While graduate school is customarily about preparing for a very specific type of professional existence, my experience as a doctoral student at CU pushed beyond that,” reflects Phillips. “While I was well prepared for my obvious career path, my time here at the College of Music afforded me the chance to develop any number of possible peripheral skills needed for success.

“In short, I graduated with confidence in my ability to fill many different roles in my professional life—many of which were well beyond the training afforded to my peers nationwide. The versatile training provided by CU has been the cornerstone of my success to date, and has enabled me to do and be many things well beyond typical expectations.”

Indeed, an active performer, pedagogue and lecturer, Phillips has performed, presented and taught around the world. He previously served on the faculty of Grinnell College and Oakland University, and is a sought-after guest artist, clinician presenter and adjudicator across the country. He has performed with artists and groups such as Lewis Nash, Christian McBride, Wycliffe Gordon, Bobby McFerrin, Marcus Belgrave, Terrell Stafford, Hank Jones, Red Holloway and Pat Bianchi, among many others. He has further released five albums as a bandleader; his most recent album—“No More Apologies,” featuring jazz quartet with string octet—was released last fall.

Phillips is also an active academic scholar, with scholarly presentations at colleges, universities, professional/civic conferences and scholarly forums, both domestically and abroad, to his credit. His research focuses on addressing cultural concerns in the pedagogy of Black music within academia. His book—“What is This Thing Called Soul: Conversations on Jazz and Black Culture”—delves into the difficult yet timely topic of the decline of Black cultural influence and representation in jazz as traditionally taught in academic spheres.

Phillips’ advice for graduating Music Buffs? “In her 2021 New Yorker article—‘Black, Brown and Beige’ recounting the life and work of the great jazz composer and pianist Duke Ellington—author Claudia Pierpont remarked that Duke lived his life by the motto ‘One need not demand respect if one commands it,’” says Phillips. “This statement reflects just how important not only what we say, but what we do, is to making our mark on the world.

“Learn as many skills and absorb as much knowledge as possible now, as you never know what will be needed on your path ahead. In short, prepare yourself to face the world, unapologetically be what you are meant to be and do what you are meant to do. True, meaningful and lasting change in this world wholly depends on it.

“Go forward and command the respect that you have prepared yourself to earn.”

Congratulations on your well-earned distinction, Damani Phillips!

We’re so excited to welcome alumnus Damani Phillips back to campus this week and to present him the College of Music’s 2022 Distinguished Alumnus Award at our commencement ceremony on May 5! “The versatile training provided by CU has been the cornerstone of my success to date, and has enabled me to do and be many things well beyond typical expectations,” he says. Meet Phillips and discover his powerful advice to graduating Music Buffs.

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Alumnus explores depths of new music with current grad student

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Alumnus explores depths of new music with current grad student Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 02/15/2022 - 00:00

Alumnus Aakash Mittal (BM ‘07) has been busy. His album “Nocturne”—released at Dazzle Denver last fall, and on which he’s joined by Rajna Swaminathan on mridangam and Matt Fuller on guitar—has been featured on The New York Times playlist. His awards and honors further include the Chamber Music America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music, the Herb Albert/ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Award and an American Institute of Indian Studies Creative and Performing Arts Fellowship.

Currently, as a Composer Fellow of the Gabriela Lena Frank* Virtual Artist Partnership Program, the Brooklyn, New York-based alto saxophonist, composer and improviser is collaborating with student MarieFaith Lane—who’s pursuing a master’s in violin performance and pedagogy at the College of Music—on a project blending Hindustani and Western Classical music.

We recently caught up with Mittal and we’re inspired to share his unique approach to creating a new solo work for violin, and his perspectives on the evolution of his artistry and career.

Describe the Virtual Artist Partnership Program and what it’s been like to collaborate with the College of Music.

The Virtual Artist Partnership Program is a new initiative through the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music. In collaboration with Harumi Rhodes’ studio, nine composers and nine violinists are collaborating to create and premiere new solo works for violin. I have very little experience writing for strings, which makes this a very exciting project for me.

I am thrilled to be paired with MarieFaith Lane. She’s been a wonderful collaborator. We began our process with a few weekly sessions over zoom. During these online hangs, we spent some time improvising together by trading phrases between saxophone and violin.

As a composer, I rarely write a piece for an instrument. I am much more interested in writing a piece for the human who is performing the work. I find that musical improvisation helps me get to know the people I am working with. In jazz communities, it’s said that our improvised music reflects our personalities. I think there’s a lot of truth to that. MarieFaith spent quite a bit of time answering my questions about the violin. We imagined various ways to make sound that don’t necessarily fit into the standard technique.

Last December, we had a workshop session with Gabriela and Harumi. The seed idea I submitted was derived from vocal melodies I had sung. The phrases utilized a lot of bends between pitches called meend. As I had transcribed my voice to create the sketch, the range of the piece was very narrow. I’m looking forward to fleshing out the work with MarieFaith in the coming weeks as we work toward the premiere. Stay tuned!

How did you ignite a successful career as a composer, performer, band leader, producer … and more?

When I reflect on my career thus far, it strikes me that many of the projects that I felt were the most successful creatively and had the best reception were projects I started before receiving any kind of support. These were projects that I started because of the contribution I wanted to make artistically or to a particular community.

I often started these projects feeling like I had no idea what I was doing and that I was learning how to create the work while I was creating the work. Except for my most recent album, this is how all of my recordings, and most of my body of work and collaborations, came to be.

My latest foray into writing for wind ensembles started with a call to my first saxophone teacher and fellow CU alumnus Matthew Arau. I shared my idea to bring what I was learning about raga music to wind band literature. He challenged me to not wait for funding or anything else and to jump in and “write the first two minutes.”

Taking the first step to start a project is often the hardest part. Challenging myself to write the first two minutes kickstarted a very successful new branch of my creative work that continues to flourish.

Having majored in saxophone with an emphasis in jazz studies at the College of Music, we’re interested to know your career highlights since graduating from CU Boulder.

Two highlights of my career that come to mind immediately are working with Milford Graves and studying music in Kolkata, India.

When I moved to New York City, I met the legendary drummer, healer and martial artist Milford Graves when he was playing at the Village Vanguard. My time with him from 2015 until his passing last year transformed my life and my work. He was one of the most decolonized people I have ever met. He helped me to shine a light on the belief systems that I was taught over the years, and to liberate myself and my art from them.

This work has impacted my music technically, in the ways I improvise, as well as how I approach timbre and pitch. It has also affected the positionality of music in my life. Milford Graves was a polymath. Music was only one aspect of his creative work. Witnessing his process helped me to further embrace the many sides of my own creativity and allow them to exist together.

In 2009, I started taking lessons in Hindustani raga music with sarod artist Prattyush Banerjee. This eventually led me to live in Kolkata with a fellowship from the American Institute of Indian Studies. During that time, I performed with Bengali folk musicians in the Baul tradition. I played with Ravi Shankar’s tabla player Tanmoy Bose. I joined an underground community of artists who created original creative music out of myriad influences and a sense of necessity. And I experienced the pedagogy of aural traditions, and learned that there are many ways to learn and rehearse music.

These experiences not only impacted my music but also my life view. I have a better understanding that there are many ways to live that are different from the cultural practices in the United States. It’s my hope that, as I continue to decolonize myself, it will be reflected in my music and support people who are on a similar journey.

My latest news is that I recently released a recording, “Nocturne.” The album documents the music I composed during my fellowship in India. The concept behind it is to reimagine the idea of the nocturne through the lens of Hindustani night ragas, free improvisation and urban noisecapes. The album is a mix of instrumental music tracks that each utilize a specific raga as the seed material. They are interspersed with sound collages of urban street noise I recorded while traversing Kolkata. I wanted to place the composed noise tracks next to the composed instrumental tracks and challenge our ideas around noise and music.

The day after the release, I went into the studio and started recording a new set of music—“Breathe”—composed for an octet, including two vocalists and three string players along with my usual trio of mridangam, guitar and saxophone. For this project, I’m writing songs and lyrics for the first time, which I feel very excited about.

What experience at the College of Music had a lasting impact on your career?

When I attended CU Boulder, there was a student group that I joined called the Coalition for Creative Music. It was run collectively by a group of students from across campus. Every CU student paid one dollar into our budget giving us an annual budget of about $30,000 to put on a concert series. All of the concerts were held at Old Main and were free to the public. Without any pressure to sell tickets or fill the hall we had the freedom to program whatever creative music we wished. It was through this group that I learned how to produce concerts.

As a composer and band leader, being able to produce my own concerts has been one of the most important skills I learned while at CU. As young people do, we made all kinds of mistakes. I remember one concert where, 15 minutes before the show, the lights person had still not shown up. Simultaneously, myself and another coalition member said, “Didn’t you book him for tonight?” We realized no one had scheduled someone to come in and run lights!

The coalition was a safe space for us to gain experience without the pressure of making a profit. For each concert, we had to figure out promotion, airport pickups, booking hotel rooms, per diems, negotiating artist fees and curating a year-long series.

I developed more compassion for presenters and the decisions they make when putting together a concert series. And it helped me as an artist to understand what goes into presenting a concert. We were often faced with 20 or 30 bands all vying for one of six concert dates. We had to say ‘no’ a lot. I learned that when presenters say ‘no,’ it's often not personal.

It was also through this student group that I formed numerous friendships and found mentors that would continue to support me and my career. My relationship with Rudresh Mahanthappa and Vijay Iyer formed through the Coalition for Creative Music. I got to meet John Hollenbeck and Robert Dick. And I met Rez Abbasi, Dave Phillips and John O’Gallagher. Many of these friendships created opportunities that led to my current band and latest album. If a student is interested in a career in creative music, I highly recommend they gain experience as a concert presenter.

Related:

Jazz: Colorado native Aakash Mittal returns (September 7, 2021, Denver Post)
Milford Graves: Sounding the Universe (An essay by Aakash MIttal for NewMusicBox, February 1, 2018)

*Gabriela Lena Frank—American pianist and composer of contemporary classical music—headlines the College of Music’s 5th Annual Distinguished Lectureship on Music, Diversity + Inclusion next month. More to come!

Photo by Luke Marantz

Brooklyn, New York-based saxophonist, composer and improviser Aakash Mittal is collaborating with current master’s student MarieFaith Lane on a project blending Hindustani and Western classical music.

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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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