Class Notes Christopher David Ragsdale, D.M.A
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Class Notes Christopher David Ragsdale, D.M.A. ’06, is chair of its education committee. A musical Shuffle Along, and previously Britt Daley, B.M. ’05, M.M. ’07, continues an associate trombonist, he performs with The appeared in The Gershwin’s Porgy Living La Vida Sofía her work as lead professor and Spam Allstars and Suénalo. He is music and Bess, The Scottsboro Boys, and In creative for chair of the director for actor-singer Jencarlos the Heights. He has worked with artists inger-songwriter Raquel Sofía, B.M. ’09, was nominated last year for a Latin Grammy Promo Only, Inc. department of Canela, and works with saxophonist such as Jennifer Hudson, Corbin Bleu Award in the Best New Artist category after the release of her debut album Te Quiero and is currently music at the S Pee Wee Ellis. and Lin-Manuel Miranda. working on University of Los Domingos (“I Love You on Sundays”) on the Sony Latin label. Sofía also returned to her , B.M. ’06, composer, , B.M. ’06, is a finan- several projects Stephen Danyew Jason Hurwitz Alabama in alma mater last fall to perform at Festival Miami. is an instructor in the Arts Leader- with DJs Morgan cial advisor with Huntsville, ship Program at the Eastman School Her musical journey began when she was 7 years old in Puerto Rico, singing and writing Page, Jayceeoh, Morgan Stanley Alabama. He of Music where he is also project Redondo, and in Williamsport, received the 2015 College of Arts, songs about boys she had crushes on. coordinator for the Paul R. Judy Center more. Pennsylvania. Humanities, and Social Sciences Sofía grew up listening to an eclectic mix—James Taylor and the Beatles, Bob Marley and for Applied Research. The University of Hurwitz Randall Foster, M.M. ’05, is the senior professor of the year award. Juan Luis Guerra. Then, at 15, she says, “I fell in love with jazz. I don’t know where or how or North Texas Wind Ensemble recorded director of creative licensing at ole previously Jonathan Tuzman, B.M. ’06, is a solo his work Magnolia Star and the Dar- worked as a lead why, but all of a sudden I discovered it and I wanted to be Ella Fitzgerald.” Music Publishing. Foster’s recording of performer with danelle High School Wind Ensemble violinist in the “Can’t Help Falling In Love” sung by his new business That led her to commissioned and premiered his stage shows Haley Reinhart and featured in a Wrig- Your Piano Bar the Frost School, River Town Jubilee at the Arkansas All- Barrage and Cirque Dreams Jungle ley Extra advertisement went viral with and performs State Music Conference in February Fantasy, and as the programming and which she calls “one over 18 million YouTube hits. It won a regularly at the 2016. community engagement manager at of the best things Webby Award in December. Georgetown Sarah Pachter Freudenberger B.M. ’06, is Overture Center for the Arts in Adrian Gordon, B.M. ’05, is the founder , Piano Bar in that happened to a cantorial Madison, Wisconsin. He performed of Leap Year Music Publishing based Washington D.C. me.” She graduated associate at most recently with the Williamsport in Miami, which publishes string He is also a life Congregation Symphony Orchestra, the Common- with a bachelor’s music for elementary, middle, and coach and recently completed a high school ensembles. Gordon’s B’nai Israel in wealth Pops, and the Uptown Music degree in jazz vocal one-year leadership-training program Boca Raton, Collective. compositions appear on the Florida with Accomplishment Coaching. performance. Florida, and a Bruce Kiesling, D.M.A. ’06, is music direc- and Georgia Orchestra Association’s Adalberto Yanes, D.M.A. ’06, music com- “When you’re in music teacher at tor of the Tulare County Symphony in music performance assessment lists. position, is the performing arts chair at Musikgarten by Northern California, and is assistant high school and you He is the orchestra director at Gulliver Doral Performing Arts and Entertain- the Beach in conductor and music director of the Academy in Coral Gables. ment Academy in Miami and founder want to be a music Boca Raton and Delray Beach. She won Pasadena Youth Symphony in Southern Armen Shaomian, M.M. ’05, D.M.A. ’08, is of teachers2go.com. Yanes is founder major, especially in a grant to become a PJ Library song California. He is also an assistant an assistant of Firebird Singers, winner of the Coral leader at Rick Recht’s Song Leader professor at the University of California a small town like professor at the Gables Caroling Competition. The Bootcamp, and presented a workshop Santa Cruz. He performed with the Mayagüez, Puerto University of ensemble also recorded a music video for the Union for Reform Judaism rock band Journey at the Hollywood South Carolina. for the song “Cómo Duele el Silencio” Rico, you’re more Biennial in November 2015. Bowl with YOLA-Youth Orchestra Los He has devel- (“As Silence Hurts”) with Sony artist than likely the only , D.M.A. ’06 is an Angeles, and was a guest conduc- oped courses Marie-Elaine Gagnon Leslie Grace. associate professor of cello and cham- tor for The Long Beach Symphony. In one,” she says. “So I and created Martin Camacho Zavaleta, D.M.A. ’06, ber music at the University of South 2016, he will guest conduct the San partnerships for pianist, is dean of always felt like I was Dakota. She is also a member of the Luis Obispo Symphony in California, the Department the Lamar different.” Rawlins Piano Trio and Zapateado Duo. and the Adrian Symphony Orchestra in of Sport and Entertainment Manage- College of Fine At Frost, “you’re ment and was nominated for the Natalie Gelman, B.M. ’06, toured in Michigan. Arts at Midwest- LIGHT STUDIO VERSATILE Europe, the UK and Scandinavia for Yuk “Emily” Lau B.A. ’07 composer, surrounded for the university’s undergraduate teaching , ern State ten weeks. She was featured at the singer, director, award. He also performs recitals, most University in first time in your entire life by people like yourself. You’re surrounded by other musicians Madeira Film Festival where The Huff- teacher, is the recently at Ithaca College and the Texas. He is per- who want to do this.” ington Post praised her song “Some artistic director University of Alabama. forming this People,” as a “classic in the making.” of The Broken Sofía’s break came about three years after graduation, when the Colombian rocker Chad Bernstein, B.M. ’06, M.M. ’09, D.M.A. season in It will be featured on her third album, Consort and Juanes hired her as a backup singer for his “MTV Unplugged” tour. ’12, is the CEO Croatia, Mexico, and the United States, forthcoming. She was also featured on founder of the and co-founder and will appear in November 2016 as She seized the opportunity and returned to her writing roots. “As soon as I switched from the Fox 5 show New York’s Star of the Orchestra of the of Guitars Over a soloist with the Santiago Symphony English to Spanish, things just started growing and just sounded more natural. I found my Day and appeared in the film Meet Me Moon in Guns Organiza- Orchestra in Cuba. His first album in Montenegro. Portland, own voice. And it all started happening right then.” tion (GoGo) Cuban Dances by Ruiz Armengol will Cara Scherker Gross, B.A. ’06, is a Oregon. An early and new music She launched a YouTube channel that got her noticed. By the following summer, she was based in Miami. be release this year. soprano section leader with Fort Wash- specialist, she has collaborated on He was honored Constance Campbell, M.M. ’07, is a high opening for Juanes on tour. as a 2015 CNN ington Collegiate Church. She sang several Grammy-winning projects. She school choral director at Woodland That led to her first EP, Te Odio Los Sabados (“I Hate You on Saturdays”), including the background vocals on Tim Kubart’s is a board member of Early Music Hero for his work Park High School in Colorado. She re- Grammy nominated album Home. America. single “Agridulce,” which has grossed over 11 million streams and made her a Spotify “Artist with GoGo, and was featured on the ceived the Best Communities in Music Joshua Henry, B.M. ’06, is a Tony- , Ph.D. ’06, recently began Steve Harvey Show as a “Harvey’s Kelly Parkes Education Award from NAMM in 2014, To Watch.” She became a breakout indie star with one of Sony’s first digital recording deals, nominated actor and singer with both teaching as an associate professor at Hero.” Bernstein is a governor on the and was nominated for the Colorado measured in streams and views instead of simply album sales. board of the Florida Chapter of the stage and screen credits. He is cur- Teachers College, Columbia University Spring Choral Society Award for Ex- “Raquel is one in a million,” says Sony A&R Manager Isabel DeJesus. “Without a doubt, Recording Academy and serves as the rently performing on Broadway in the in New York City. cellence in Choral Education in 2015. we are witnessing an icon in the making.” { 52 } SCORE MAGAZINE Spring 2016 Spring 2016 SCORE MAGAZINE { 53 }.