Manuscript The magazine of the Northeastern State University Department of Music Spring 2021 Contents 2 Welcome from the Chair Features 3 Guest Artists 5 NSU @ OkMEA 6 New Student Lounge & Opera Workshop 7 Green Country Jazz Festival 9 “Can’t stop the Music” (AKA NSU Music during a global pandemic) 11 Announcement of a new music degree 12 Student News 13 Alumni Feature 14 In Memorium 15 Faculty News 17 Endowments, Scholarships, & Donors Musicians: we are the most romantic of all artists. We believe in, and chase the illusive, intoxicating, unseen magic/beauty that exists in the universe. We are conduits for this magic/ beauty that has the ability to stir emotions that are fundamental to what it means to be human and alive. Here’s to us all....! - Dr. Ron Chioldi Welcome FROM THE CHAIR Spring 2021 marks the end of an academic year unlike any other. It was difficult. It was certainly stressful. So many modifications were made to our normal operating procedures due to the pandemic. Some of these modifications will inform how we operate in the future. Others, I hope we never have to implement ever again. Our faculty, staff, and students were resilient in the face of highly pressurized circum- stances. I want to thank them for their grace, adaptability, and understanding as things constantly changed. Early on in the pandemic, the performing arts were singled out as being particularly risky for infection. We took measures to ensure the safety of our faculty, staff, and students as best we could under state, local, and university protocols. We found ways to increase air flow, ventilated spaces with open windows year round, incorporated HEPA filters, spaced desks and chairs for social distancing, relocated classes and ensembles to larger areas, and wore masks throughout wherever feasible. We did have a few waves of required quarantine in the fall semester, but were very grateful for the opportunity to still meet, study, and make music together. Many universities across the country were not meeting in-person at all, so we counted ourselves lucky in that regard. We kept measures in place for the spring semester, but infection and quarantine rates were much, much improved. As a department, we managed to continue offering public performances. In total, we published 47 public performances via virtual online stream! Towards the end of the spring semester, we were able to have a couple of events with live audience at the NSU Blues & BBQ fund raiser for the Jazz program and the Wind Ensemble/Communiversity Band Joint Concert on April 27th. These were joyous occasions and we were glad to welcome people back into the Center for the Performing Arts for live performance. I expect the coming fall semester will be fully in-person and I hope you will join us for as many performances as possible. We have missed you! Though not exhaustive in the least, please read on in this issue of Manuscript to see the many ways that this department and the great students we teach remained active and creative. 2 GUEST ARTISTS AT NSU MUSIC The NSU Department of Music hosted several guest artists this 2020-2021 academic year. These artists are experts in their respective fields and instruments and collaborated with music faculty to bring their talents and expertise to our students and the community. While most were virtual offerings, the benefit to our students and community were immesaurable. Dr. Christopher Wilson joined the NSU trumpet studio for a virtual masterclass on September 23rd. Dr. Wilson is principal trumpet for the Pittsburgh Opera and Ballet. As an educator, Wilson was formerly Artist/Full Professor of Trumpet at Arkansas State University for 11 years where he built a nationally competitive trumpet studio. Mr. Roger Hoverson joined all music majors to lead a virtual session on Musician’s Health and Wellness on September 28th as a part of Recital Lab course. Mr. Hoverson is an avid practitioner of Pilates and became a Balanced Body Pilates instructor in 2017. He is keenly interested in how the Pilates method can assist musicians in both preventing and recovering from injuries. Hoverson is pursuing a Master’s Degree at the University of North Texas and is involved in the Texas Center for Performing Arts Health at UNT. Mr. Hoverson is an alumnus of NSU, holding the Bachelor of Arts in Flute Performance. Dr. Everett McCorvey is Professor of Voice and Director of Opera at the University of Kentucky. His many accolades include founding and acting as Music Director of the acclaimed American Spiritual Ensemble, a group of 24 professional singers performing spirituals and other compositions of African- American composers dedicated to keeping the American Negro Spiritual alive. Dr. McCorvey is also in his sixth season as the Artistic Director of the National Chorale of New York City. Celebrating over 50 years of great choral singing, the National Chorale is a symphonic choir which performs at Lincoln Center in New York City. He joined the Joint Voice Studios of Dr. Myers and Dr. Bester as guest speaker for their recital on the American Negro Spiritual on October 8th. 3 Dr. Sarah Herbert presented a virtual session to the NSU Trumpet Studio on Alexander Technique and Performance Anxiety on November 12th. Dr. Herbert joined the faculty at Western Kentucky University in 2020 as the Assistant Professor of Trumpet and Jazz. Other appointments include University of Wyoming, the University of Cincinnati College - Conservatory of Music, and Miami University Regionals in Hamilton, OH. As a K-12 music educator, Dr. Herbert spent four years as the Director of Instrumental Music for The Menaul School, an Independent School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Two virtual masterclasses were held via Zoom for the voice studios, led by Dr. Linda Di Fiore, Professor of Voice and Opera at DePaul University, and Dr. Jeffrey Williams, Associate Professor of Voice at Austin Peay State University. Di Fiore, a mezzo-soprano and Regents Professor Emeritus from the University of North Texas, recently retired from the University of California-Santa Barbara where she served as Area Head of Voice. Williams joined the Voice Faculty at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee as Assistant Professor of Voice in the Fall of 2014. He maintains an active performance schedule including with the Nashville Opera, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Public Radio – Live in Studio C, Gateway Chamber Orchestra, and in other featured concert and recital performances throughout the country. The trumpet studio of Dr. Hay was pleased to welcome, Mr. Rob Waugh for a virtual masterclass on February 10th. Mr. Waugh is the Assistant Professor of Trumpet at Austin Peay State University where he provides private studio instruction and conducts the university’s big band the Jazz Collegians. Prior to his appointment to APSU, Mr. Waugh was the trumpet and jazz ensemble director at Indiana State University for eight years. Bassist, Mr. Jon Hamar, was the featured guest artist for the 54th annual Green Country Jazz Festival. In 2012 Jon joined the faculty at the Centrum Jazz Workshop under the Artistic Direction of John Clayton. While living in Seattle Jon taught at Central Washington University, Northwest University and Edmonds Community College as well as maintaining a private studio. In Fall of 2015 Hamar joined the faculty of Natalie Haslam School of Music at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN, where he is the Assistant Professor of Jazz & Classical Double Bass. 4 NSU at the Oklahoma Music Educators Association conference Normally, the NSU Department of Music is very active at the Oklahoma Music Educators Asso- ciation winter conference. Despite the pandemic and the conference being delivered all-virtually, this year was no exception. The University Singers performed a virtual concert as invited honor group on January 28th. Several of our faculty also led sectionals with virtual members of the OkMEA High School All-State Ensembles via Zoom. Dr. Hay led the trumpet sectional and Dr. Raya the trombone sectional for the All-State Symphonic Band. Dr. Wall led the alto sectional for the All-State Mixed Chorus. 5 Work Day & New Student Lounge Music Students came together on a Saturday this Spring to help create a new student lounge area. The previous lounge was housed in a small room with no windows. Given the pandemic, the need for open windows for ventilation, and need for more storage space, these dedicated students devoted their time and labor to move furniture and equipment. Before, the lounge had to be closed for safety. Now, the lounge is open as a place for students to gather, study, rest between classes, and receive tutoring. They also helped to create a wardrobe/costume storage area for Opera Workshop. Thanks to Cheryl Nobles, Department Administrative Assistant, and Megan Gasca, our Performing Facilities Technical Director, for helping supervise this work day. Special thanks to all the students that came to help! Opera Workshop performs “All that Jazz” A Chicago Musical Review Directed by Dr. Whitney Myers, the combined efforts of Opera Workshop and the NSU Jazz Combo resulted in a compelling virtual show that highlighted musical numbers from the musical Chicago on April 26th. Cast included Megan Jacobs, Courtney Creel, Elizabeth Stroud, Lissie Franklin, and Bretly Crawford with special appearance by Professor Emeritus, Dr. Bob Daniel. NSU Jazz Combo included Dr. Clark Gibson, Farren Mayfield, Jacob Martin, DeNario Shoates, Dylan Ward, Brennan Marcotte. 6 Green Country Jazz Festival While most of our festivals and workshops were cancelled this year, the Green Country Jazz Festival Judges’ Jam and Performance proceeded with alterations. Dr. Clark Gibson and the NSU Jazz Ensemble joined guest artist, Mr. Jon Hamar, to record a professional video for virtual release for this 54th Green Country.