E UGENE , O REGON -- THE U NIVERSITY TOWN The Bulletin P AR E XCELLENCE ! — Anne Dhu McLucas, University of Oregon OF THE S OCIETY FOR A MERICAN M USIC FOUNDED IN HONOR OF O SCAR G . T . S ONNECK Pesidents’ Weekend of 2005 st Vol. XXX, No. 3 Fall 2004 (February 17-20) will see the 31 Annual Conference of the Society for American Music meeting in Eugene, Oregon, hosted by the University of Oregon. Eugene is R ICHARD S TRAUSS ’S VISIT renowned for its track meets, its bike TO THE K LEINES STADCHEN OF M ORGANTOWN , paths, and its friendly, liberal, and casual WEST VIRGINIA atmosphere. The city is beautifully situ- ated between the Cascade Mountains to the East and the pristine Oregon Coast to — Christopher Wilkinson, West Virginia University the West-- each an hour away by car. The Willamette Valley is home to numerous This past March, the Division of of his art songs. That evening, Strauss vineyards and wineries. Some of the best Music of West Virginia University com- conducted the Pittsburgh Orchestra in pinot noir and pinot gris wines in the U.S. memorated the centenary of the visit to performances of two of his best known are produced here, and locally-grown campus by the German composer Richard tone poems: Tod und Verklärung and Till grapes also find their way into California Strauss, his wife, soprano Pauline de Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche. The story wines. Ahna Strauss, the Pittsburgh Orchestra, of the seemingly improbable series of The conference will be held primar- and its conductor, Victor Herbert, on events concerns not only the circumstanc- ily at the Eugene Hilton, in the heart of March 14, 1904. Strauss’s visit provided es leading up to his arrival but also sub- downtown. There is a wide array of won- the first occasion on which examples of sequent developments that would shape derful restaurants (in all price ranges), his orchestral music and art songs for the future of the study of music at West interesting shopping venues, galleries, solo voice and piano were performed in Virginia University for years to come, and and book and CD stores within easy Morgantown. In both instances, the com- still others associated in a small way with walking distance. The Hult Center for poser played a key role. In the afternoon the Performing Arts is next door to the of March 14, he accompanied his wife continued on page 45 hotel and the Willamette River, with its at the piano in performances of sixteen bike and jogging trails, is a short walk away. Some conference events will be held at the University. Transportation to these will be provided, though ambitious conference-goers may enjoy walking there. The Eugene Hilton may also be the only hotel in the world that features both a Ruth Crawford Seeger Room and a John Philip Sousa Room—it was clearly meant for a Society for American Music confer- ence! Weather February weather in Eugene is hard to predict. Temperatures can range from the 30s to the 60s, and there will probably be some sort of precipitation—though it is unlikely to be snow! The earliest flow- ers—magnolias and early bulbs—will Sidney Lloyd Wrightson, Richard Strauss, and Victor Herbert standing in front of the Pittsburgh already be in bloom and you will see Orchestra, Commencement Hall, West Virginia University, March 14, 1904. (Richard Strauss Institut und Archiv.) continued on page 42 F ROM THE P RESIDENT Dear Fellow Members of SAM, I also want to alert you to several there, no matter what. But renewals have I write this letter in the midst of actions voted upon during the Board’s become a problem for us in these times a presidential campaign, with daily recent meeting in Pittsburgh. First, the of fiscal agitation. At the same time, the headlines about the war in Iraq, and I University of Illinois Press has announced number of paper abstracts submitted for find it striking that the central issues of it will once again be raising the price of our conferences continues to rise striking- American culture—whether in politics American Music, and so SAM needs to ly (up to 206 for the Eugene conference), or the arts—are increasingly interlinked increase dues in order to cover those sub- as does overall attendance. We trust that with international ones. “You must take a scriptions (a subscription to the journal is all those who partake of the intellectual global point of view,” declared John Cage included in members’ dues). As a result, stimulation at our conferences—not to to a German interviewer in 1970, and individual memberships will be increas- mention the exceptionally supportive his words resonate even more strongly ing to $75, students to $35, retirees to atmosphere—will do their share. $38, international members to $75 (plus today. Those of us working in the various I look forward to greeting you in $5 additional postage), and institutional corners of American Studies are increas- Eugene! ingly faced with exploring transnational members to $90. The board has kept contexts. Doing so is one of the more fas- increases at a minimum and recognizes Sincerely, cinating aspects of working in our field. that SAM dues remain comparatively lower than those for similar organiza- Carol J. Oja, President SAM’s upcoming conference in tions; to the extent possible, we want to Eugene, Oregon (16-19 February 2005) keep it that way. Second, the board voted will engage us with many issues of the unanimously and enthusiastically to rec- Prayer contemporary world, especially through by Pauline Oliveros ommend that the newest incarnation of the presence of Pauline Oliveros, our the Committee on Cultural Diversity, cur- honorary member for 2005, whose I pray for deep listening in the new rently led by Josephine Wright, become a career—both literally and conceptually— century—listening alone— standing committee of SAM. Doing this has strong ties to the West Coast. A com- listening together—listening to others— requires an amendment of our bylaws, poser who makes community a priority, listening to oneself— which must be approved by a two-thirds Oliveros is at once a cutting-edge experi- listening to the earth—listening to the majority of members attending our annual mentalist, advocate of diversity, guru of universe—listening to the meeting. You are hereby notified that this spirituality, and activist for a holistic abundance that is—awakening to and important action will be placed on the feeling sound and silence as attainment of peace and peacefulness. agenda for our meeting in Eugene. all there is—helping to create an The conference will feature a concert by atmosphere of opening In closing, I want to call on every Oliveros, together with opportunities to for all to be heard, with the understanding single person reading this Bulletin to attend her Deep Listening Workshops, a that listening is healing. make sure they have paid their SAM dues, ritualized blend of meditation, listening, Deep listening in all its variations is whether as a renewal or a new member. and creativity. infinite. Deep listening is love. It’s easy for an organization like ours to A different set of contemporary be taken for granted when setting personal issues will be explored in a Presidential (published in Prayers for a Thousand Years, budgetary priorities. SAM just seems to be HarperSanFrancisco, 1999) Forum about the current state of music criticism, featuring two of the most pro- vocative critics of our day, both of whom The Bulletin of the Society for American are Northwest residents: David Schiff, Music well-known composer, contributor to the The Bulletin is published in the Winter (January), Spring (May), and Fall (September) Atlantic Monthly and New York Times, by the Society for American Music. Copyright 2004 by the Society for American Music, and professor at Reed College; and Ann ISSN 0196-7967. Powers, former rock critic for the New York Times and current Senior Curator Editorial Board at Seattle’s Experience Music Project. Interim Editor. Mariana Whitmer ([email protected]) As internet journalism grows, coverage Bibliographer . Joice Waterhouse Gibson ([email protected]) of concert-music in newspapers shrinks, and various corners of the music indus- Indexer . Amy C. Beal ([email protected]) try function in a state of siege, our times Items for submission should be addressed to Mariana Whitmer, Society for American Music, are witnessing major changes in the role Stephen Foster Memorial, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. All materials of music critics and the audiences they should be submitted in printed copy, on disk, or as attachment to e-mail. Photographs or address. other graphical materials should be accompanied by captions and desired location in the text. Deadlines for submission of materials are 15 April, 15 August, and 15 December. 38 The Bulletin of the Society for American Music • Vol. XXX, No. 3 The Bulletin of the Society for American Music • Vol. XXX, No. 3 39 formative years that gave her no choice (now Virginia State University). Also dur- Undine Smith Moore: but to become a musician. ing this time, a representation of promi- Moore was born on August 25, 1904 nent African Americans in Petersburg A Centennial Glimpse in rural Jarratt, Virginia, which today has succeeded in convincing the School a population of fewer than 600. When Board to allow the hiring of African of the Making of a she was about three years old, her family American teachers for the public school Musician moved approximately thirty miles away system.4 The first issue of Petersburg’s to the city of Petersburg, but her experi- first African American secular newspaper, ences in Jarratt were not forgotten.