Universal Musician

Embracing DEI: Keystone of the universal musician

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Embracing DEI: Keystone of the universal musician Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/21/2024 - 00:00

John Davis

Friends,

Recently, we’ve witnessed troubling trends where diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are being curtailed or eliminated in some settings, including higher education. At the University of Colorado Boulder, however, we stand resolute in our commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment; and at the College of Music, specifically, we’re doubling down on our dedication to actively championing DEI as key to our universal musician mission.

DEI isn’t just about compliance or a checkbox to be ticked off. Essential to fulfilling our mission of developing versatile musicians who are equipped to thrive in a rapidly changing world, DEI is woven into the very fabric of our educational philosophy. Our faculty and staff work daily to create conditions where every individual—regardless of their background—feels welcome, valued, respected and empowered to reach their full potential.

We know that embracing and uplifting diversity—encompassing a spectrum of identities, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status and disability—enriches our students’ educational experience and enhances the creativity, innovation and cultural richness of our college, campus and greater community. From last month’s first-ever statewide Jamaican Choral Music Symposium, organized by doctoral student O’Neil Jones and supported by a Roser Visiting Artists Program grant; to our fifth annual Persevering Legacy event earlier this month, with support from the College of Music Diversity, Equity + Inclusion Endowed Fund; to our upcoming Cross Genre Showcase representing an autophysiopsychic approach to musicking; to hosting the Sphinx Performance Academy again this summer, supported by a DEI Impact Grant from the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion—our commitment to diversity is gaining momentum and recognition.

I’m especially proud of the ongoing work of the College of Music’s DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility) committee. Reflecting principles of shared equity leadership, this committee comprises faculty and staff colleagues who are passionate about putting into practice inclusive excellence recommendations in the areas of curriculum development, co-curricular programming, concert repertoire/programming, faculty hiring and student recruitment.

Drawing inspiration from the diverse lived experiences and cultural assets that our students, staff and faculty bring to the learning environment, we’re creating opportunities for them to leverage their unique backgrounds as sources of strength and ingenuity. In this way, it’s my goal to not only advance inclusivity, but also ignite greater collaboration and collective action within our college—and across other colleges, schools and programs on campus.

The result? Over time, I’m convinced that by embracing DEI as integral to our universal musician mission, we not only achieve flexible, interdisciplinary career options for our graduates, but also expand the artistic landscape and cultivate a community of curious, continuous learners who challenge biases, question assumptions and engage with diverse perspectives—and who navigate nuance and complexity with openness, understanding and empathy.

I’m so grateful for your support and engagement in this critical mission.

John S. Davis
Dean, College of Music

In this edition of the Dean’s Downbeat, Dean John Davis doubles down on the College of Music’s commitment to championing diversity, equity and inclusion. “I’m convinced that by embracing DEI as integral to our universal musician mission, we not only achieve flexible, interdisciplinary career options for our graduates, but also expand the artistic landscape and cultivate a community of curious, continuous learners who challenge biases, question assumptions and engage with diverse perspectives—and who navigate nuance and complexity with openness, understanding and empathy.”

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College of Music announces new bachelor’s degree emphasis

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 07:00:00 +0000

College of Music announces new bachelor’s degree emphasis Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 12/14/2023 - 00:00

John Davis

Dear friends,

As the holiday season approaches, I’m filled with immense pride and optimism reflecting our shared journey at the College of Music. In a world too often shadowed by conflicts and divisions, I’m heartened by our college’s daily transcendence of sorrow and seeming helplessness through the solace and power of music—most recently and beautifully conveyed in our annual Holiday Festival featuring the diverse experiences, ethnicities, cultures and spiritualities of our talented students and faculty, and our greater campus community.

Additionally, as an update to my previous Dean’s Downbeat—in which I introduced our efforts to more effectively advance students pursuing music as a vocation as well as students interested in music as an active avocation—I’m thrilled to announce that a new mission-driven Bachelor of Arts in Music emphasis has been approved by our hardworking curriculum committee! In our earnest commitment to identify and implement new non-traditional degree options that are more inclusive of our increasingly broadly-based student applicants, the College of Music’s Bachelor of Arts in Music: Music Production degree will be offered beginning fall 2025, paving the way for additional interdisciplinary degree emphases to come.

In other words, we’re gaining momentum and we have a great deal to look forward to in 2024! Meanwhile, we’re celebrating the extraordinary accomplishments of all our winter 2023 graduates and wishing you—our students, staff, faculty, alumni and community of supporters—joyful, harmonious holidays and a rejuvenating winter break.

See you next year,

John S. Davis
Dean, College of Music

As 2023 draws to a close, Dean John Davis reflects on our shared journey at the College of Music and announces a new mission-driven Bachelor of Arts in Music emphasis. Our Bachelor of Arts in Music: Music Production degree will be offered beginning fall 2025!

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Celebrating winter graduates: Ashley Civelli

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Celebrating winter graduates: Ashley Civelli Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 12/13/2023 - 00:00

Adam Goldstein

The fields of music and education are closely intertwined for transfer student Ashley Civelli.

Like any other musician, Civelli finds a very personal kind of magic in performing. As a clarinet player, Civelli depends on the instrument for inspiration. But she doesn’t operate in a musical vacuum.

Soon after Civelli began connecting with music and performance on a personal level, she knew she wanted to share the experience with others.

“I’ve known I wanted to teach music since I was in 7th or 8th grade,” recalls Civelli, who graduates from the CU Boulder College of Music this month with a bachelor’s in music education (instrumental band emphasis). “It’s always been something that’s been there.”

The dual drive to play and to teach is part of what brought Civelli from Connecticut, where she completed the first two years of her college career, to CU Boulder—a place she felt had more to offer in terms of her professional and personal ambitions. Transferring to the College of Music halfway through her undergraduate studies boiled down to a “gut feeling,” she recalls, a sense that Boulder was the right place to refine her skills.

Two years later, that intuitive leap to a new learning environment has proved invaluable. “I don’t think I really knew what was in store for me while I was transferring. I saw opportunities as they came up and I discovered more than I thought I would,” Civelli says, crediting her professors, TAs and fellow students with helping her find new dimensions to her playing and teaching. “I’m a far better clarinet player than I ever thought I could have been, and a far better teacher as well.”

True to the college’s mission to develop multiskilled, multifaceted universal musicians, Civelli found opportunities in both realms. Between playing high-profile performances with concert ensembles and coaching high school marching band students, Civelli’s time in Colorado has deepened her firsthand experience as both a musician and an educator, roles that are equally important as she looks beyond graduation.

“One of my strong beliefs in music education is that I am developing lifelong lovers of music,” Civelli says. “Whether they end up becoming professional musicians or not, at the end of the day they will be consuming music for the rest of their lives. Having the ability to explain why they like or do not like a song they hear, or why a guitar riff is really neat, is important.”

Congratulations to Ashley and all our winter grads!

Clarinetist Ashley Civelli doesn’t operate in a musical vacuum. Her College of Music education has deepened her firsthand experience as both a musician and an educator, roles that are equally important as she looks beyond graduation.

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Celebrating winter graduates: Isabel Goodwin

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Celebrating winter graduates: Isabel Goodwin Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 12/13/2023 - 00:00

Adam Goldstein

Isabel Goodwin sees a cosmic quality in their connection to the bassoon.

Goodwin graduates this month with dual Bachelor of Music degrees from the University of Colorado Boulder—one in composition and one in bassoon performance. During their four years at our College of Music, the instrument has served as a gateway to creative growth, personal connections and artistic expression. They performed with the entire bassoon studio for holiday concerts, composed works that have been performed by the Chicago-based ~Nois saxophone quartet and collaborated with the university’s dance department.

All of these achievements stemmed from a connection to an instrument that could very well be considered accidental. “I was in fifth grade and it was pick-your-instrument-night at school,” says Goodwin, recalling a pivotal moment in their native Texas suburb. “All the flute spots were filled and my next two instruments of choice were also filled,” they add, explaining how they landed on the bassoon. “Now I know it was fate.”

Goodwin soon fell in love with the instrument—its low range, its expressiveness, its unique role in the orchestra. “Bassoon just happened to be the reason why I made so many friends, too—it was my gateway into the orchestra world,” they say.

Playing the bassoon ultimately led to an interest in composition—a passion sparked in 8^th-grade orchestra class—that eventually helped steer Goodwin’s path from Texas to Boulder.

“I knew that I wanted to study both bassoon performance and composition,” Goodwin reflects. “I knew I wanted to go to a place where I was able to do both, where a well-rounded education was encouraged. The CU Boulder College of Music was one of the only schools I applied to that was flexible in terms of the course load.”

Indeed, our College of Music with its universal musician mission proved to be the perfect environment for Goodwin. In their eight semesters here, they not only successfully completed a double major, but also meaningfully connected with professors, peers and fellow musicians who helped chart their course in performance and composition.

Specifically, Goodwin credits Professor of Composition Carter Pann and Professor of Bassoon Yoshiyuki Ishikawa for their constant support and guidance, just as they offer thanks to their fellow College of Music students for consistent inspiration.

“I feel like I learned a lot about perseverance and endurance, in terms of training and learning and studying,” they say. “I also learned about attention to detail—I think I really expanded that skill in college. Those lessons are applicable to almost any field.”

Congratulations to Isabel and all our winter grads!

Isabel Goodwin graduates this month with dual Bachelor of Music degrees—one in composition and one in bassoon performance. During their four years at our College of Music, the instrument has served as a gateway to their creative growth, personal connections and artistic expression.

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Alumni spotlight: Scheherazade Music Festival

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Alumni spotlight: Scheherazade Music Festival Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 12/07/2023 - 00:00

Kathryn Bistodeau

Photo credit: Dwan Miller Photography, LLC

Great ideas can come from anywhere—even a meal with your friends. Three CU Boulder College of Music alumni—Colleen White (DMA ’17), Paul Zaborac (DMA ’17) and Cecilia Lo-Chien Kao (DMA ’19)—developed a vision for the Scheherazade Music Festival (SMF) over brunch, and soon started working to make their dream come to life.

“We casually thought, ‘What if we developed our own chamber music festival?’ Less than a year later, we had funding and a business plan,” White says.

The nonprofit festival, held in Manhattan, Kansas, debuted in 2023 and will return for its second season in June 2024. [Experience the SMF performing “The Gorgeous Nothings” by Ingrid Stölzel.]

The SMF aims to tell stories through chamber music and each season features a unique theme. The 2024 theme is “Creatures Great and Small,” focusing on music inspired by wildlife and creatures of all sizes.

The festival also hosts community events, children’s events and a composition competition that encourages composers to submit new works for voice, flute, saxophone and piano. The compositions must highlight narrative, focusing on the untold stories of underrepresented or marginalized groups and the festival theme; winning works will premiere during the summer festival.

“There’s something really unique and special about chamber music,” Kao says. “There’s an intimate and powerful connection among the performers and this connection extends to the audience.

“Each performance is unique. This is especially true when composers are creating new music, performed for the first time in front of a live audience.”

In their festival activities, these music alumni say they regularly apply skills learned at our College of Music.

“Entrepreneurial know-how gained at CU has been instrumental in helping us develop this festival,” explains Zaborac. “From arts administration, marketing and audio/video production to audience relations and creative concert programming. Being able to draw on this wide skill set has significantly contributed to the success of the festival, allowing us to create something really exciting.

“Perhaps most important was the entrepreneurial mindset itself, of looking at challenges and finding creative solutions—and the will to overcome, persevere and build something.”

Congratulations!

Three College of Music alumni recently launched the Scheherazade Music Festival—an incubator for innovation and connection through chamber music, pushing the art form forward and bringing performers, composers and audiences together.

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On creating beauty + mission-critical innovations

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 06:00:00 +0000

On creating beauty + mission-critical innovations Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 10/26/2023 - 00:00

John Davis

In light of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas—in addition to the myriad of other wars and challenging circumstances around the globe—I can’t help but reflect on how music can transcend hardship and hopelessness by reinforcing collaboration and commonality among all peoples.

Music brings us together and connects us; music lifts our spirits and soothes our souls; and, perhaps most importantly, music allows us to yield to frustrated feelings or difficult emotions when we need to, providing a sense of refuge, renewal and hope.

Unlike other fields and disciplines—even within the arts—I believe it’s music that people most often turn to in times of sorrow or despair; it’s music that’s most immediately and intensely accessible; and—the way I see it—it’s music that offers something inherently internal and palpably personal, yet ubiquitous. As an art form, I would argue that music alone maintains its essence and timelessness on-demand, across distances and mediums.

At the same time—in a world where artificial intelligence is the zeitgeist—I believe nothing prevails over the power of live, human-created musical performance. Most of us are drawn to direct exposure to other human beings producing something uplifting, thought-provoking or otherwise emotionally resonant. Beyond experiencing music as a commodity, witnessing the unique talents and vulnerabilities of individuals creating music both deepens and amplifies our encounters with music—sometimes taking us back to special places stored deep in our memories, sometimes propelling us forward in our most closely-hold aspirations.

If there’s a reason to have hope in a world of upheaval and unrest, it’s experiencing a young person openly and courageously sharing their musical gift, including their angst or protest against injustices of all kinds. Beauty lies in their inimitable expression of their truth through music in a range of settings not limited to the concert hall. Beauty underpins our universal musician mission, for music majors and non-majors alike. Beauty is why we do what we do.

In my role as dean, my true purpose is to facilitate and empower our students and faculty to achieve their highest, noblest aspirations of beauty—from ensuring our faculty have what they need to best advise, mentor and inspire our students; to eliminating what might stand in the way of our students’ success and experiencing music in whatever form they seek; to supporting our staff who work so diligently in carrying out our mission on behalf of our entire College of Music community.

In that spirit—among other efforts underway to more effectively advance students pursuing music as a vocation as well as students interested in music as an active avocation—I’m excited about mission-driven revisions to our Bachelor of Arts in Music degree, including a proposed emphasis in music production. Paving the way for more potential degree emphases—from music and the entertainment industry to music and business, music and law, music and media, music and health, critical music studies, sound engineering and endless other options—this non-traditional, retooled degree will be one way to better ensure our students’ agency and preparedness for as yet unknown futures.

Expanding our reach, more inclusive and accessible degree offerings like these will not require an audition or applied study; that said, students enrolled in our BA in Music degree may still opt for emphases in, say, composition, piano or percussion. Such flexibility affords near-limitless opportunities for a broader student demographic to tailor their education to their specific goals, complementing our expanding suite of “stackable” micro credentials, certificate programs and badges in such areas as arts administration, music entrepreneurship, music technology, music theory and singing health.

In sum, new mindsets are inspiring new and necessary innovations to our college curriculum and programs which, I believe, will ignite more broadly-based student engagement in creating beauty in our world.

John S. Davis
Dean, College of Music

“If there’s a reason to have hope in a world of upheaval and unrest, it’s experiencing a young person openly and courageously sharing their musical gift, including their angst or protest against injustices of all kinds. Beauty lies in their inimitable expression of their truth through music in a range of settings not limited to the concert hall. Beauty underpins our universal musician mission, for music majors and non-majors alike.”

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Student spotlight: Adriana Ripley

Anonymous — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Student spotlight: Adriana Ripley Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 10/11/2023 - 00:00

MarieFaith Lane

Adriana Ripley (BM ’25) is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a bachelor’s in musical theatre at the College of Music.

Ripley—whose passion for dance, music and theatre arts began at a young age—was born in Guatemala to a Brazilian-American mother and a Guatemalan father. At CU Boulder, she exemplifies the College of Music’s universal musician mission by pursuing degrees in musical theatre, psychology and French.

She shares her favorite aspects of the College of Music and reveals the ways in which her music education is preparing her for a promising career:

What’s your favorite aspect of the CU Boulder College of Music?
Ripley: There’s a beautiful sense of camaraderie in the College of Music—people look further than the instrument someone plays or the role they are given, and love and appreciate the person behind that. While it’s true that the hallways are filled with the sounds of music that people enjoy making for themselves, students here accept and embrace the beauty of sharing music with one another as well. I’ve noticed a fantastic balance between drive for personal improvement and a love for the art form we’ve all chosen.

How does the College of Music support you in your professional endeavors?
Ripley: The College of Music provides me with curricular support. I’m acquiring practical skills—like business and networking techniques—beyond the musical aspects of my degree through the classes offered in my major. I’m learning skills that can help me get further in my career—even before I graduate and enter the workforce.

I’m also receiving stellar individual training from brilliant professors. Jennifer DeDominici, Andrew Garland and Mutsumi Moteki are the professors I work most closely with in my applied area of voice. The art of collaboration is valued here, making me a more well-rounded artist, giving musician and focused person.

There are many individuals here who share similar dreams to my own and who have supported me in pursuing my passion—a rare and cherished quality to find in classmates.

What upcoming project are you looking forward to?
Ripley: I’ve served as a resident artist in the Shedd Institute’s Contemporary Broadway Songbook Project since 2015 and have been closely involved with “Mija” since its creation the same year. I’ll be playing the part of Gabriela (Gabi) Milagros Mishel Armstrong in “Mija” for the National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s 35th Annual Festival of New Musicals in New York City, Oct. 26-27.

Congratulations, Adriana!

Inspired by a true story, “Mija” is a new bilingual musical about survival, identity and the complexity of family—it follows characters across continents, decades and generations. When Luisa leaves behind her sheltered life in the United States for Guatemala, she’s blindsided by a life-threatening pregnancy. In Oregon, Gabi aches for grownup life to start but first she seeks to uncover secrets the adults around her deny. The show provides a finely-crafted look at the relationships between mothers and daughters across different eras, capturing both the specific and the universal.

Adriana Ripley—a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a bachelor’s in musical theatre at the College of Music—shares her favorite aspects of the College of Music and reveals the ways in which her music education is preparing her for a promising career.

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Discovering Vienna’s art history first-hand

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Discovering Vienna’s art history first-hand Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 07/14/2023 - 00:00

Marc Shulgold

There’s nothing wrong with the traditional college classroom. Nothing at all, Robert Shay stresses. But when it comes to teaching a course titled “Music, Arts + Culture 1880-1920 (Vienna, Austria),” the College of Music professor of musicology admitted that, sometimes, it’s time to leave the classroom behind.

In this case, when Vienna beckoned, Shay and 10 of his upper-level undergraduate students answered the call. During Maymester, they headed off to get up close and personal with the Austrian capital. Part of the CU Boulder Study Abroad program, this exciting, interdisciplinary two-week experience was one of the many instructor-led Global Seminars, Shay points out, noting that “CU does 30 or 40 of these around the world.”

Planning for such an intense on-the-road course began “a few years ago,” says Shay. “Before we left, we had three class sessions, sort of as a crash course. I wanted to get the basics in place.” Once in Vienna, everything changed. “By actually being there, you’re seeing these things we’re talking about,” Shay adds. “There’s an immediacy. I can see how rapidly students can internalize information.”

And there was a lot of information to internalize—and a lot of sights to see. Though Shay’s specialization is music, this course involved all of the arts, particularly new views of architecture and painting—creative breakthroughs that had made the city a hub of revolutionary activity at the start of the 20th century. “It was the birth of the Modernist movement,” he says. “There was enormous political upheaval.” The artistic explosion became known as the Vienna Secession, led by architects Joseph Hoffmann and Joseph Maria Olbrich, and painters Gustav Klimt, Alfred Roller and Koloman Moser. Their goal was to join Europe’s growing Art Nouveau movement. Secessionists sought a new purity that would chase away traditional styles and bring together all of the separated arts. Olbrich designed a Secession Building, which currently houses Klimt’s enormous “Beethoven Frieze” in the basement. Yes, Shay and his students visited the impressive gold-domed structure.

Besides a visit to Klimt’s remarkable 112-foot salute to Beethoven, Shay and his students were able to sample live music while in Vienna, attending a performance of Alban Berg’s opera “Lulu” and a concert in the famed Musikverein concert hall. In fact, Shay points out, the course was offered as a music course. Nine of his charges were music majors, the other a music minor. “We had focused on [composer Arnold] Schoenberg beforehand and one of the students chose him for the integrated topic.”

Shay explains that the course requirement included a paper based on the Vienna trip. Other topics chosen by the students included women composers of that period and Viennese architects.

Since nine of the 10 young travelers had never visited Europe, one wondered about the impact of visiting the great Austrian city. “We talked as a group afterward,” recalls Shay, “and I got a general sense of their response to the trip—I think I whetted their appetite for more learning and for more travel.”

Professor of Musicology Robert Shay and 10 of our students went beyond the traditional classroom this summer—to Vienna, Austria! Part of the CU Boulder Study Abroad program, this exciting, interdisciplinary two-week experience was one of several instructor-led Global Seminars.

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Meet Izzy Fincher: Spring 2023 Outstanding Graduating Senior

Anonymous — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Meet Izzy Fincher: Spring 2023 Outstanding Graduating Senior Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 04/20/2023 - 00:00

Sabine Kortals Stein , Kathryn Bistodeau

Congratulations to Izzy Fincher—the College of Music’s Outstanding Graduating Senior this spring—who will graduate with a BM in classical guitar performance, a BA in journalism, and a business minor with a Music Entrepreneurship Certificate and a Music Theory Certificate, exemplifying the College of Music’s universal musician mission. Each semester, outstanding students are selected based on academic merit, a strong record of musicianship, and a record of service and leadership. As part of this award, Fincher will be recognized and deliver a speech at the College of Music commencement ceremony on May 11.

“I’m so grateful and honored to have been selected for this award,” says Fincher. “I’ve had such an incredible experience here at the College of Music over the past five years and it means so much to receive this recognition at graduation.”

Fincher has also been named Outstanding Graduate of the CU Boulder College of Media, Communication and Information (CMCI).

As a student, Fincher was involved with several student groups, including as a writer and editor at the CU Independent, and as a member of the College of Music’s Diverse Musicians’ Alliance (DiMA).

“DiMA has been one of my favorite experiences over the past five years,” says Fincher. “It’s been wonderful to be part of such a supportive, diverse community. I’m Japanese-American and a really important part of my identity is advocating for marginalized, BIPOC composers and musicians—that’s something I’m really passionate about.”

Fincher also notes DiMA’s Persevering Legacy project as being particularly inspiring. The project elevates the stories of women composers, aligning classical music with social activism. “The Persevering Legacy events had a really big impact on me, inspiring me to seek out diverse composers and champion their works which has become a really important mission for me as a musician,” she shares.

“For my senior recital, I’m programming three female composers—that’s more than half of my program and that’s something I know I wouldn’t have been aware of or really advocated for unless I’d been a part of DiMA.”

Fincher felt especially supported and inspired by faculty from across campus—taking classes at the College of Music, CMCI and the Leeds School of Business.

“I’m grateful to all the wonderful faculty members I’ve studied with during my time at CU Boulder,” she says. “In particular, I wanted to thank my thesis advisor, Professor Chang, for all of his support this past year, Professor Nytch with the Entrepreneurship Center for Music [ECM]—and all of those incredible entrepreneurship opportunities—and my guitar teacher Professor Spera, of course. He’s been so encouraging over the past five years, it’s been incredible.”

To incoming freshmen, Fincher says she highly recommends the Music Entrepreneurship Certificate. “The College of Music is such a wonderful resource and we learn so much about music here,” she says. “The ECM adds to that by offering important practical skills that we’ll need in the real world beyond the classroom.”

After graduation, Fincher is headed to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where she’ll pursue a master’s degree in classical guitar performance under René Izquierdo. “He’s a legend in the guitar world, so I’m really looking forward to studying with him,” she says.

Congratulations to Fincher and all of the College of Music’s 2022-23 outstanding students, selected by faculty vote:

Outstanding Graduating Senior—Izzy Fincher, classical guitar performance
Outstanding Junior—Ben Golden, music education—instrumental (trumpet)
Outstanding Sophomore—Anna Kallinikos, trumpet performance
Outstanding Freshman—Chloe Ehrmantraut, viola performance

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Student spotlight: Erika Gossett

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Student spotlight: Erika Gossett Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 04/10/2023 - 00:00

Sabine Kortals Stein , Kathryn Bistodeau

When Erika Gossett enrolled at CU Boulder, she never imagined she’d win funding for a business pitch.

“I thought I was going to come in, get a music degree and leave,” says the senior who—four years later—will graduate next month with a BM in flute performance, as well as a BA in media studies, a minor in business and a Music Entrepreneurship Certificate, exemplifying the College of Music’s universal musician vision.

“CU Boulder has given me a lot of different opportunities and a lot of space to grow as a musician, and as a student and a professional,” she adds.

When the COVID pandemic hit, Gossett took it as an opportunity to expand her horizons—she started exploring other programs offered at CU Boulder and the College of Music. Subsequently, in taking courses for her business minor and pursuing the Music Entrepreneurship Certificate, she brainstormed a new business venture that led to her compete in CU Boulder’s New Venture Challenge (NVC) run out of the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative, also known as CU Boulder’s entrepreneurial “flight simulator.”

The NVC connects the CU Boulder campus with the Boulder community to develop and fund innovative ideas. Participants attend year-round events, network and collaborate with mentors to refine their ideas and form startup teams to pitch for funding at the NVC Finals.

“My venture is called Piña Designs,” explains Gossett. “We’re trying to make a completely biodegradable and a more sustainable option for hair care accessories.” Specifically, luxury, biodegradable and sustainable hair ties made from pineapple silk and natural rubber designed for the everyday person who wants to make a positive green footprint and a difference in the ongoing fight against climate change.

“I created the idea for the business minor and my team was formed through the business capstone class. We worked on that throughout the semester and then we were like, let’s do the NVC!”

That turned out to be a good call: Gossett and her teammates placed second in the NVC Climate Change Competition. “The NVC is extremely competitive and this is a major victory,” says Jeffrey Nytch, director of the Entrepreneurship Center for Music. “I’ve been coaching the team through each round of the NVC and I’m so proud of them. Just getting to this stage is a huge achievement!”

Having reached the NVC Finals, the Piña Designs team—which also includes Sage Dobby (Neuroscience, Business), Sydney Kobak (Integrated Design Engineering, Business), Kelley Levaggi (Psychology, Business, '22) and Aly Nelson (Political Science, '22)—will compete for the grand prize on April 12 at the Boulder Theater.

That’s when CU Boulder’s top student and faculty startups will pitch their business ideas to a panel of esteemed judges and a live audience.

“It’s been surreal,” says Gossett, whose music and entrepreneurial interests have intersected in many ways, facilitating her success in both areas. “The New Venture Challenge is intense, but being a music student is intense, too. I feel like it prepared me to take on the challenge.

“If I had to narrow it down to one sentence, it would be creative solutions to everyday problems. This is something that I do a lot in the practice room—if I’m not getting something, I’m like, ‘how am I going to help myself get that?’ I feel like that’s also an entrepreneurial mindset.”

Erika Gossett will graduate next month with a BM in flute performance, as well as a BA in media studies, a minor in business and a Music Entrepreneurship Certificate, exemplifying the College of Music’s universal musician vision. Additionally, her climate change-focused venture, Piña Designs, is a finalist in the New Venture Challenge. Finals are April 12: Join us!

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