The Use of Traditional Folk Music in Andy Teirstein's Maramures Violin Concerto and Restless Nation String Quartet Mihai Razvan Berindean

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Use of Traditional Folk Music in Andy Teirstein's Maramures Violin Concerto and Restless Nation String Quartet Mihai Razvan Berindean Florida State University Libraries 2016 The Use of Traditional Folk Music in Andy Teirstein's Maramures Violin Concerto and Restless Nation String Quartet Mihai Razvan Berindean Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MUSIC THE USE OF TRADITIONAL FOLK MUSIC IN ANDY TEIRSTEIN’S MARAMURES VIOLA CONCERTO AND RESTLESS NATION STRING QUARTET By MIHAI RAZVAN BERINDEAN A Treatise submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Music 2016 Mihai Razvan Berindean defended this treatise on April 6, 2016. The members of the supervisory committee were: Pamela L. Ryan Professor Directing Treatise James R. Mathes University Representative Benjamin Sung Committee Member Gregory D. Sauer Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the treatise has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the following committee members for the help, support, and exemplary knowledge in completing my treatise: Dr. James Mathes, Prof. Greg Sauer, Dr. Benjamin Sung, and mostly my teacher and mentor, Dr. Pamela Ryan for the love and support throughout my studies at Florida State University. Not only that I became a better musician, but with her guidance I became a better person. I would also like to thank Dr. Andy Teirstein for composing these two works included in this treatise, for allowing me to study and perform Restless Nation string quartet and Maramures viola concerto, and for all the tremendous support throughout the process. I wouldn’t have been able to complete this treatise without the support from my family: my parents Doina and Călin which although live in Romania, were able to keep close to my heart and provide with incredible support. Many thanks to my brother Bogdan, his wife Bonnie, my best friend Virgil Lupu, and my friends Allyson Royal and Meghan Carey for all their love and encouragement. Many thanks to the members of Eppes Quartet: Jia-Rong Gan, Sophia Han, and Meghan Carey, and to the pianist Galen Dean Peiskee, Jr. for all their love and knowledge invested in learning these new works with me. I cannot thank you enough for helping me bring this music to life. This treatise could not be completed without the tremendous help and support from Alice Culin-Ellison and the amazing staff from FSU Music Library Laura Gayle Green and Sara Nodine. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ vi Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... vii 1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................8 1.1 Composer’s Biography ........................................................................................................8 1.2 Scope and Limitations of this Study ....................................................................................9 1.3 Approach ............................................................................................................................11 2. MARAMURES VIOLA CONCERTO .......................................................................................13 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................13 2.1.1 Background of Romanian folk music .....................................................................13 2.2 Maramures Viola Concerto ...............................................................................................17 2.2.1 Background .............................................................................................................17 2.2.2 First movement .......................................................................................................19 2.2.3 Second movement ...................................................................................................20 2.2.4 Third movement ......................................................................................................22 3. RESTLESS NATION STRING QUARTET ...............................................................................24 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................24 3.2 Introduction to Fiddle Music .............................................................................................25 3.2.1 Background of fiddle music ....................................................................................25 3.2.2 Bowing in fiddle music ...........................................................................................26 3.2.3 Tuning in fiddle music ............................................................................................28 3.3 Movement I “My eyes were hungry… and I didn’t know it.” ...........................................30 3.4 Movement II “Our teachers… Flora and Fauna” ............................................................32 3.5 Movement III “Recess” .....................................................................................................34 3.6 Movement IV “The Door of No Return” ...........................................................................35 3.7 Movement V “Stories of Rocks and Rivers” ......................................................................36 3.8 Movement VI “Finding Our Way Home” ..........................................................................37 4. SUMMARY ..............................................................................................................................39 APPENDICES ...............................................................................................................................41 A. ANDY TEIRSTEIN’S LIST OF COMPOSITIONS ................................................................41 B. PERMISSION LETTER FROM ANDY TEIRSTEIN .............................................................45 C. PERMISSION LETTER FROM OLGA HIIVA ......................................................................46 D. MARAMURES VIOLA CONCERTO - LECTURE HANDOUTS ...........................................47 E. RESTLESS NATION STRING QUARTET – LECTURE HANDOUTS ..................................53 References ......................................................................................................................................58 iv Biographical Sketch .......................................................................................................................60 v LIST OF FIGURES 1 Maramures first movement, score, mm. 1-5............................................................................19 2 ”By the Mara River, in Romania, summer of 1994. The composer (far left) learns a tune from fiddler Ghiță Pîrja, accompanied by a three-stringed guitar. Seated are the Chief Engineer (left), and the Mayor (right). Photo by Olga Hiiva.” ...............................................................................20 3 Maramures second movement, viola solo part, mm. 1-8 ........................................................21 4 Maramures third movement, viola solo part, mm. 13-22 ........................................................23 5 "Natural flat" tuning .................................................................................................................29 6 "A minor" tuning ......................................................................................................................29 7 "Cross keys" tuning ..................................................................................................................30 8 Restless Nation first movement, viola part, mm. 1-7 ...............................................................31 9 Restless Nation first movement, viola part, mm. 47-50 ...........................................................31 10 Restless Nation second movement, viola part, mm. 20-30 ......................................................33 11 Restless Nation second movement, viola part, mm. 185-189 ..................................................33 12 Restless Nation third movement, score, mm 8-10 ...................................................................34 13 Restless Nation third movement, score, mm. 29-31 ................................................................35 14 Restless Nation fourth movement, score, mm. 1-3 ..................................................................36 15 Restless Nation fifth movement, first violin part, mm. 1-12 ...................................................37 16 Restless Nation sixth movement, first violin part, mm. 1-5.....................................................38 vi ABSTRACT Andy Teirstein (b. 1957 in New York, NY) is a composer, performer, and producer who is passionate about the characteristics of folk music found at the root of different cultures around the world. Intrigued by the compositional style and folk song collection of Béla Bartók, Teirstein followed the same formula used by Béla Bartók to achieve many successful compositions. Teirstein traveled to Maramureş County in Romania and collected many traditional Eastern European tunes. During
Recommended publications
  • Music Company Orchestra |
    The Music Company 2019 OUR 45th YEAR 2 3 4 5 ABOUT THE ORCHESTRA The Music Company Orchestra, incor- porated in 1974, is a 60-piece volunteer community orchestra. Its members come from all walks of life and many different backgrounds. Conducted by Dr. Gerald Lanoue, the orchestra plays a wide range of light classical and pops repertoire. The MCO is dedicated to bringing the excitement of live orchestral music to audiences of all ages and economic back- grounds, and enthusiastically plays ven- ues throughout the greater Capital Re- gion, ranging from traditional concert halls to public parks, community events, schools, retirement centers and nursing homes. The MCO performs most concerts free to the public, and also offers schol- arships to music students at three capi- tal district high schools. The MCO is a not-for-profit organiza- tion . 6 Gerald Lanoue Conductor & Music Director Gerald Lanoue, bassoonist and conductor, is a Bennington, Vermont native. He performs throughout the capital region and Vermont with the Middlebury Opera, Pro Musica Orchestra, Hubbard Hall Opera Orchestra, Sage City Symphony and Funf woodwind quintet. He is the Conductor and Music Director of The Music Company Orchestra and Associate Conductor of the Sage City Symphony. After completing studies at the Crane School of Music. Dr. Lanoue received a Masters and Doctorate at the University of Southern California. He studied bassoon with the late Stephen Mayxm, former principal bassoonist of the Metropolitan Opera. Conducting studies were under the batons of Douglas Lowry, former Dean at the Eastman School of Music, and John Barnett, the former associate conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
    [Show full text]
  • 4-16-10 Concert Choir Prog
    **Program** Ludwig van Beethoven Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt, opus 112 (1770-1827) (“Calm Seas and Prosperous Voyage”) Woo Chan “Chaz” Lee ’11, student conductor Johannes Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem, nach Worten (1833-1897) der heiligen Schrift, opus 45 (“A German Requiem, To Words of the Holy Scriptures”) I. Selig sind, die da Leid tragen II. Denn alles Fleisch, es ist wie Gras III. Herr, lehre doch mich IV. Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen V. Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit VI. Denn wir haben hie keine bleibende Statt VII. Selig sind die Toten Keith Kibler, bass baritone Kerry Ryer-Parke, soprano No photography or recording without permission Please turn off or mute cell phones, audible pagers, etc.. Biographies Woo Chan “Chaz” Lee, student conductor Woo Chan “Chaz” Lee is a junior Music and Comparative Literature major from Seoul, South Korea. He sings with the Williams Concert and Chamber choirs and is one of this year’s student conductors. He also sings with the Williams Jazz Ensemble and has performed with Symphonic Winds in multiple capacities. He has studied voice with Brad Wells and Erin Nafziger as well as piano and organ with Ed Lawrence. Keith Kibler, bass-baritone “The bright heft and fully-focused center of a Helden-baritone,” “His aria could not have been more intense or eloquent,” “A thrillingly centered voice with heroic ring,” “The model of what a bass-baritone should be.” These are just a few of the critical accolades bass-baritone Keith Kibler has received for recent appearances. He was cited as a promising singer while still an undergraduate by The New York Times and made his national debuts at the age of twenty-four with the Opera Theatre of St.
    [Show full text]
  • 2019 Grant Recipients
    2019 Grant Recipients The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region is grateful to our fund advisors who recommended grants to the following nonprofits in 2019. 350.org Asolo Theater, Inc. AAUW Education Foundation ASPCA Academy of the Holy Names AVillage..., Inc. Adirondack Council Baby Institute, Inc. Adirondack Foundation Ballston Spa Central School District Adirondack Tri-County Nursing & Rehabilitation Baltimore Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound African Reflections Foundation, Inc. Bard College Agricultural Stewardship Association Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Alumni Assoc. AIM Services Inc. Because International Corp. Albany Academies Becker College Albany Center Galleries, Inc. Bethesda House of Schenectady, Inc. Albany College of Pharmacy Bethlehem Central School District Albany County Historical Association Bethlehem Chabad, Inc. Albany Damien Center Bethlehem High School Albany Friends Meeting Bethlehem Middle School Albany Fund for Education Bethlehem Senior Projects, Inc. Albany High School Beverwyck, Inc. Albany Institute of History & Art Beyond My Battle Inc. Albany Medical Center Binghamton University Albany Medical Center Foundation Birthnet, Inc. Albany Pro Musica Bishop's Appeal Albany Public Library Foundation Black Watch Soccer Club, Inc. Albany Rural Cemetery BlueLight Development Group Albany Symphony Orchestra B'nai Shalom Reform Congregation Albany Therapeutic Riding Center Bob Carter's Actor's Workshop and Repertory Company, Inc. Alfred State College Boston University Alley Cat Allies, Inc. Boston University
    [Show full text]
  • Season 2013-2014
    23 Season 2013-2014 Thursday, February 13, at 8:00 The Philadelphia Orchestra Friday, February 14, at 8:00 Saturday, February 15, at 8:00 Vladimir Jurowski Conductor Vsevolod Grivnov Tenor Alexey Zuev Piano Sherman Howard Speaker Tatiana Monogarova Soprano Sergei Leiferkus Baritone Westminster Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director Rachmaninoff/ Songs orch. Jurowski I. “Christ Is Risen,” Op. 26, No. 6 II. “Dreams,” Op. 38, No. 5 III. “The Morn of Life,” Op. 34, No. 10 IV. “So Dread a Fate,” Op. 34, No. 7 V. “All Things Depart,” Op. 26, No. 15 VI. “Come Let Us Rest,” Op. 26, No. 3 VII. “Before My Window,” Op. 26, No. 10 VIII. “The Little Island,” Op. 14, No. 2 IX. “How Fair this Spot,” Op. 21, No. 7 X. “What Wealth of Rapture,” Op. 34, No. 12 (U.S. premiere of orchestrated version) Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 4 in G minor, Op. 40 I. Allegro vivace II. Largo III. Allegro vivace Intermission 24 Rachmaninoff The Bells, Op. 35 I. Allegro, ma non tanto II. Lento—Adagio III. Presto—Prestissimo IV. Lento lugubre—Allegro—Andante— Tempo I This program runs approximately 1 hour, 45 minutes. These concerts are presented in cooperation with the Sergei Rachmaninoff Foundation. Philadelphia Orchestra concerts are broadcast on WRTI 90.1 FM on Sunday afternoons at 1 PM. Visit www.wrti.org to listen live or for more details. 3 Story Title 25 The Philadelphia Orchestra Jessica Griffin The Philadelphia Orchestra community itself. His concerts to perform in China, in 1973 is one of the preeminent of diverse repertoire attract at the request of President orchestras in the world, sold-out houses, and he has Nixon, today The Philadelphia renowned for its distinctive established a regular forum Orchestra boasts a new sound, desired for its for connecting with concert- partnership with the National keen ability to capture the goers through Post-Concert Centre for the Performing hearts and imaginations of Conversations.
    [Show full text]
  • ICO Concert On
    Ithaca College Orchestras with Ithaca College Choir Octavio Más-Arocas, music director and conductor Janet Galván, director of choral activities and conductor Kin Szeto, conductor Ford Hall Sunday, May 5th, 2019 4:00 pm Program Bombast in Oblast Nicholas Fagnilli (b. 1997) World Premiere, IC Orchestras Fanfare Project Overture to Egmont, Op. 84 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Kin Szeto, conductor Chichester Psalms Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) I. Maestoso ma energico II. Andante con moto, ma tranquillo III. Sostenuto molto—Peacefully flowing Andrew Owens, boy soprano Syona Ayyankeril, soprano Margaret Storm, alto Raul Dominguez, tenor Anthony Pilcher, baritone Janet Galván, conductor Connor Buckley, rehearsal accompanist Intermission Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, Op. 100 Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) I. Andante II. Allegro marcato III. Adagio IV. Allegro giocoso Octavio Más-Arocas, conductor Program Notes Beethoven: Overture to Egmont Commissioned by the Vienna Burgtheater, Beethoven completed a set of incidental music consisting of an overture followed by a sequence of nine pieces for Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s drama Egmont. The story is set in the Netherlands in 1567, where the Spanish autocratic rule brings agony to the Flemish. With the yearning of freedom, Count Egmont—a symbol of strength and courage—stands up for his town and leads the citizens to resist the invasion of the Spanish army. In the end, he dies a martyr’s death, intensifying the people’s fire to fight for their independence. It is said that Beethoven was forced to study music early in his childhood by his father. Though he became independent in adulthood, his childhood experience made the concept of freedom for the individual important in his mind.
    [Show full text]
  • A Martin Luther King Day Concert with Taconic Chamber Players January
    A Martin Luther King Day concert with Taconic Chamber Players taconicmusic.org January 18, 2021 at 2pm Heather Braun and Joana Genova, violins Ariel Rudiakov, viola Nathaniel Parke, cello Andante moderato from String Quartet in G Major Florence Price (1887–1953) Humoresque Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875–1912) Slow Dance from String Quartet No.1 George Walker (1922–2018) Lyric Quartette (Musical Portraits of Three Friends) William Grant Still (1895–1978) I. The Sentimental One II. The Quiet One (based on Inca melody) III. The Jovial One Maple Leaf Rag Scott Joplin (1868–1917) (arr. J Silverman) Sophisticated Lady Duke Ellington (1899–1974) Birmingham Break-Down (arr. W. Thomas-Mifune) Strum Jessie Montgomery (b.1981) 5 Main Street, Bennington, Vermont 05201 | 802-447-1571 | benningtonmuseum.org MEET THE ARTISTS HEATHER BRAUN performs as first violinist of the prize-winning Arneis Quartet and as co-concertmaster and soloist with the Orchestra of Emmanuel Music. Heather was appointed to the Boston University School of Music faculty in 2014 and the St. Anselm College faculty in 2016. Recent performing highlights include recitals at Cabot Theater, Concord Free Library, Williams College, Frederick Collection, Rockport (MA) Chamber Music Festival, and East-West Virtuosi. She has performed as a soloist with various orchestras in Boston, Milwaukee, Washington DC, and Manchester, VT. Heather earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music and completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Boston University, studying with Peter Zazofsky. While a Tanglewood Music Center Fellow, she received the Jules C. Reiner Violin Prize; other awards received include the Zulalian Foundation Award and Silver Medal at the ICMEC Competition.
    [Show full text]
  • National Endowment for the Arts Annual Report 1975
    National Endowment National Council Annual Report for the Arts on the Arts 1975 National Endowment National Council Annual Report for the Arts on the Arts 1975 F’or sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price $2.90 Stock No. 036-000-00031-7 National Endowment for the Arts Washington, D.C. 20506 Dear Mr. President: I have the honor to submit to you the Annual Report of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Na­ tional Council on the Arts for the Fis­ cal Year ended Jtme ¿0, 1975. Respecffully, Nancy Hanks Chairman The President The White House Washington, D.C. March 1976 Contents 2 Chairman’s Statement 60rganization 6 National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities 6 National Council on the Arts 7 National Endowment for theArts 7 Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities 8 National Council on the Arts 10 Architecture + Environmental Arts 18 Dance 26 Education 86 Expansion Arts 42 Federal-State Partnership 48 Literature 54 Museums 66 Music 80 Public Media 86 Special Proiects 92 Theatre 98 Visual Arts 112 The Treasury Fund 112 Contributors to the Treasury Fund, Fiscal Year 1975 110 Financial Summary Fiscal Year 1975 111 History of Authorizations and Appropriations Through Fiscal Year 1975 126 State Arts Agencies’ Chairmen and Executive Directors 130 Staff of the National Endowment for the Arts Chairman’s Statement In 1965 Congress "found and declared Attendance and participation in cultural that the encouragement and support of events are inereasing all over the national progress .
    [Show full text]
  • Center for Creative Teaching
    Fall 2007 Curriculum ART HISTORY AH 2267.01 School of Paris, 1900 - 1950 Dan Hofstadter This course - not a survey! - is devoted to the art, mostly pictorial, created in Paris between 1900 and 1950. The artists studied are included strictly on the basis of quality, and their works will be analyzed with respect to aesthetic criteria alone. Particular attention will be devoted to Picasso, Matisse, Braque, Léger, Gris, Bonnard, Vuillard, Mondrian, and Derain; we'll also have a look at some sculpture and decorative work and at some of the lesser-studied artists of the Forties. Readings will consist of a blend of recent critical writings and early twentieth-century literature (in translation) by Apollinaire, Gide, Colette, and Leiris. Students will be expected to write a paper every week, comparing in detail a modern painting with a work from some other period or school, i.e., a Picasso with an African piece or a picture from the Spanish School, a Matisse with an Islamic work, a Vuillard with a Japanese screen, etc. Prerequisites: None. Credits: 4 Time: M, Th 9:15am – 12 noon, Th 6:30pm – 8:20pm (This course meets the first seven weeks of the term.) AH 2346.01 Facing Portraiture: The Construction of Identity from the Renaissance to the Present Danielle Steinmann This course will explore the genre of portraiture in visual art from the fifteenth century to the present, using the collections of the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute as a framework. From the Mona Lisa to MySpace, the portrait has never been solely about what someone looks like, but rather a means of defining the sitter for posterity through representations of race, class, gender, age, and national and professional identity.
    [Show full text]
  • 13/14 Season
    Joana Carneiro MUSIC DIRECTOR 13/14 SEASON BerkeleySymphony_program_covers_FINAL.indd 1 8/5/13 3:47 PM Berkeley Symphony 2013-14 Season 5 Message from the Music Director 7 Message from the Executive Director 9 Board of Directors & Advisory Council 10 Orchestra 13 Program 15 Program Notes 29 Music Director: Joana Carneiro 33 Guest Artists 41 Berkeley Symphony 45 Music in the Schools 47 Under Construction 49 Broadcast Dates 51 Contributed Support 65 Contact 66 Advertiser Index Season Sponsors: Kathleen G. Henschel, and Brian James & Shariq Yosufzai Media Sponsor: Official Wine Sponsor: Presentation bouquets are graciously provided by Jutta’s Flowers, the official florist of Berkeley Symphony. Berkeley Symphony is a member of the League of American Orchestras and the Association of California Symphony Orchestras. No photographs or recordings of any part of tonight’s performance may be made without the written consent of the management of Berkeley Symphony. Program subject to change. Cover Art: Tonight’s program cover, created by Stoller Design Group, was inspired by the original inscription on the score of Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll, which read: “Tribschen Idyll with Fidi-Birdsong and Orange Sunrise, presented as a symphonic birthday greeting to his Cosima by her Richard, 1870.” Their young son’s nickname was Fidi, and the couple privately marveled at the brilliantly glowing sunrise as it reflected off the orange wallpaper of their bedroom. October 3, 2013 3 4 October 3, 2013 Message from the Music Director Dear Friends, Welcome to Berkeley Symphony’s 13/14 season! I am particularly excited about this season, as we explore the music of some of my favorite composers and are joined by four of the most exciting and gifted soloists.
    [Show full text]
  • Building a Stronger Community
    Building a Stronger Community 2013-2014 REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY Our Mission The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region strengthens our community by attracting charitable endowments both large and small, maximizing benefits to donors, making effective grants, and providing leadership to address community needs. Our Vision The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region was founded in 1968 by a group of prominent local residents who shared a belief that by collectively investing our charitable resources, we could grow them over time to benefit our community far into the future. Today, the Foundation has more than $63 million in assets, and in 2013, distributed more than $4.87 million each year in scholarships to local students and grants to nonprofit organizations. As the needs of the greater Capital Region become more complex, the Foundation is proud of its role as a leader in responding to needs and leveraging support for emerging issues. Together with our Board of Directors and the support of our community, we look forward to working with donors, community leaders and volunteers to respond to issues with flexibility, creativity and efficiency. Dear friends: It has been an incredible year at the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region. The Foundation hit several new high points during the 2012-2013 year: The Foundation awarded more than $4.87 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and scholarships to local students in 2013 , up from $4.45 million in 2012 and $3.3 million in 2011. Not only did the Foundation provide more support to organizations and programs in 2013 than in years past, the number of grants also increased.
    [Show full text]
  • The Bennington Cello Quartet to Meet the Demand for a \\I Regular Performing Ensemble in This Medium
    THE QUARTET THE BENNINGTON The Bennington :Cello Quartet is an outgrowth of a tradition of multiple cello chamber music which began with the arrival of cellist George Fincke! at Bennington College in 1943. During his long, illustrious career, his CELLO QUARTET collection of unusual and profoundly moving four cello transcriptions inspired the community and generations of cellists with a love for this form. Continuing in this tradition, Maxine Neuman established the Bennington Cello Quartet to meet the demand for a \\I regular performing ensemble in this medium. Although p·rogramming includes music of many eras and styles, the Quartet especially features works written for them: the group feels that the relationship between composer and performer is at the heart of much of the world's greatest music. The Quartet's tours have won both acclaim and a growing audience for the robust energy and sensuality of playing which are the hallmarks of the group's style. Last season, the Bennington Cello Quartet played over thirty concerts, commissioning and premiering numerous works. The Quartet's first CD for Opus One Records, "Cello Quartets of the 20th Century", was released in 1991. This critically acclaimed recording includes works by Bennington alumni John Hendrick and Tina Davidson, a commissioned quartet by faculty composer Allen Shawn, H E E N s E . M B L E T ...... .... ..................................... ······ ·· ······························· ······ and works by Grazyna Bacewicz ( 1909-1969) and )n &o n Mc De rm u ll l' en n ~y l vu ni i.l Pe rfo rmant:e I Co mp osit io fl I Pri n lmuking ···· ···· ·········· ·· ····· ······································ ..
    [Show full text]
  • No Fault” Sewer Backup Coverage from Main Street to the Mountains: Vermont’S Musical Landscape! Managing Town Social Media Platforms
    Vermont Municipal Highway Association Equipment Show & Field Day PACIF Difference #2: “No Fault” Sewer Backup Coverage From Main Street to the Mountains: Vermont’s Musical Landscape! Managing Town Social Media Platforms Serving and Strengthening Vermont Local Governments June 2018 From the Executive Director Diversity is a subject that many Vermonters and Vermont institutions have been discussing for years. It is a noteworthy, complex topic. When the conversation turns to what can be done to support diversity in our state, I hear many different opinions and recommendations about how to best address the issue. While traveling around the state and talking with VLCT member officials and municipal leaders, I have discovered that people want to know how we, as municipal governments, can support an increasingly diverse Vermont. What steps should we take to ensure that we treat everyone – our residents, our colleagues, and those who visit our communities – in a consistent, unbiased manner? To do that successfully, it is essential that we understand the concept of implicit bias. This is becoming an increasingly common term. The U.S. Department of Justice defines it well, referring to implicit bias as “the unconscious or subtle associations that individuals make between groups of people and stereotypes about those groups.” Without us being at all aware, these associations can significantly change our behavior and decision-making based on the person or people with whom we interact: we treat different people differently based on any number of variables – race, religion, gender, sexual identity, education level, and so on. If these influencers affect each of us on an unconscious level, what, then, can we do about it? And where do we, as individuals who interact daily with a wide range of people from our communities, see implicit bias at work? Fortunately, implicit bias is an area of active research for social scientists and those who examine the workings of the human brain.
    [Show full text]