Board of Trustees of The City University of New York RESOLUTION TO Award Malcom J. Merriweather with Early Tenure at the Brooklyn College Music Conservatory with an Application of Bylaw 6.2.c(2) November 23, 2020 WHEREAS, Professor Malcolm J. Merriweather has been a member of the Brooklyn College Music Conservatory faculty since 2016 and is considered highly prized by the entire academic community of Brooklyn College, with a professional record that exceeds the expectations of faculty being considered for tenure and promotion and extensive contributions to choral music, voice, conducting, and performance; and WHEREAS, Prof. Merriweather is considered by the classical music community to be an exceptionally rare talent, a celebrated baritone, and an accomplished conductor, as well as an outstanding and creative teacher, with one external reviewer noting, “Merriweather has risen to the challenge, curating an image and turning heads as an accomplished conductor and baritone soloist in a great city. One often hears the word ‘highly sought after’ used in connection with performer biographies; for Merriweather, this distinction is no overstatement”; and WHEREAS, Prof. Merriweather has a thriving career as choral conductor and singer, which enriches his teaching, and since his arrival at Brooklyn College, he has transformed the Vocal Program by instituting new vocal classes that brought the program into alignment with other music schools, resulting in a program that takes a more forward- thinking, modern approach to vocal education and making it competitive with the finest voice programs in New York; and WHEREAS, Some of the highlights of Prof. Merriweather’s recent professional work include performing for Pope Francis at the Vatican; and releasing the critically acclaimed recording "Margaret Bonds the Ballad of the Brown King & Selected Songs" with AVIE Records; lecturing at the International Festival for Organ and Voice in Accra, Ghana; and being a baritone soloist on Sanctuary Road released by Naxos with the Oratorio Society of New York; and WHEREAS, Prof. Merriweather is the Music Director of New York City’s The Dessoff Choirs; the Artist in Residence at Union Theological Seminary; and the Artistic Director of “Voices of Haiti,” a 60-member children’s choir in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, operated by the Andrea Bocelli Foundation, with all of this work having been lauded by The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and Opera News; and WHEREAS, This formal request to the Board of Trustees for Prof. Merriweather’s early tenure is retroactive to September 1, 2020, as New York State Education Law states that tenure must be granted effective September 1, and the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Spring disrupted ordinary administrative processes. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That Prof. Malcom J. Merriweather be retroactively awarded tenure in the Music Conservatory of Brooklyn College, effective September 1, 2020 with an application of Bylaw 6.2.c(2), subject to financial ability. EXPLANATION: Prof. Malcom J. Merriweather is a renowned expert in his field and has produced work of the highest caliber, while demonstrating himself as one of the most vital members of his department and helping that department to grow. He is producing scholarship, artistic work, and mentorship of the most exceptional level in service to the University’s mission and he will be highly sought after by other educational institutions; therefore, Brooklyn College should make every effort to retain him before he is lost to a competing institution. Date: December 10, 2019 Curriculum Vitae I. Personal Data info Name: Malcolm J. Merriweather Department: Conservatory of Music Candidate for (Check all that apply) X Tenure CCE X Promotion Projected/Actual Tenure Date: September 2020 Promotion Effective On (If Applicable): September 2020 Present Academic Rank: Assistant Professor Initial Date in Present Rank: September 2017 Initial Appointment Date to Tenure- or CCE-Track Position: II. Higher Education info Degrees: Institution Dates Attended Degree and Major Date Conferred Manhattan School of Music 2013-2015 Conducting May 2017 Eastman School of Music 2010 Voice Performance and May 2010 Literature Eastman School of Music 2007-2009 Conducting May 2009 Syracuse University 2003-2007 Music Education and Voice May 2007 Performance Title of Dissertation (if applicable): Gregg Smith: “Now I walk in beauty” A biography and complete works catalog III. Teaching Career info At Brooklyn College (List in reverse chronological order): Dates Rank Department Brooklyn College Assistant Professor Conservatory of Music Brooklyn College Substitute Lecturer Conservatory of Music Outside of Brooklyn College (List in reverse chronological order): Institution Dates Rank Department Eastman School of Music 2010 Lecturer Music Education Brooklyn College Curriculum Vitae Page 1 of 14 IV. Experience and Educational Philosophy A. Teaching Experience info UNDERGRADUATE MUSC 3700 Opera Workshop MUSC 3710 Symphonic Choir MUSC 3711 Conservatory Singers MUSIC 3712 Glee Club MUSC 3713 Repertory Practicum for Oratorio and Opera MUSC 3600 Voice Production (Music Education) Private Voice Instruction GRADUATE MUSC 7700 Opera Workshop MUSC 7710 Symphonic Choir MUSC 7711 Conservatory Singers MUSIC 7712 Glee Club MUSC 7713 Repertory Practicum for Oratorio and Opera MUSC 6601 Voice Production (Music Education) B. Other Experience/Experience Outside Brooklyn College info 2015 Artistic Director and Founder, Voices of Haiti Andrea Bocelli Foundation 2015 Artist in Residence, Union Theological Seminary, New York, NY 2011 Director of Music, St. Thomas More Play Group, New York, NY 2016 Music Director and Conductor, The Dessoff Choirs, New York, NY C. Educational Philosophy info Victor Hugo said "Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which that it is impossible to be silent". As a performer and teacher I have witnessed the impact of music in my own life. In a vibrant city like New York, we are constantly surrounded by music. I endeavor to share the beauty of live acoustic music and create opportunities to experience music at Brooklyn College and throughout the City of New York. The relationship between teaching and learning is symbiotic; both processes are fundamental components of human experience within the walls of academia. Some of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of life are related to learning about something new and applying peripheral insight, encompassing all aspects of life. As a teacher, I strive to encourage curiosity, scholarship, and excellence with all of my students. I encourage them to be self-driven and to challenge themselves to find relevance in what we do as musicians. As artists we have the unique privilege and opportunity to foster empathy in the world through our music—to impart the connections between art, history, and all of humanity. It is my job to facilitate and encourage my students’ love for singing and performing, while also understanding their own instrument through vocal technique. As a role model and mentor, I engage in conversation with students to inspire further inquiry into an area of music. My passion is choral music and art song but I strive to make connections with all genres including opera, popular music, musical theater, oratorio, jazz, etc.. The development and fluency of overall musicianship skills is primary in my teaching. Ear-training, sight-reading, theory analysis, diction and a deep understanding of music history, style and culture are areas that I cover with my ensembles. The learning environments should be a place of diverse experiences. My rehearsals are carefully crafted to suit the needs of the ensemble while also meeting the goals the director. My approach to singing is communicated through vocal demonstration, especially during the early stages. Modeling must be done in a healthy, natural manner to encourage the same production in the students. This is crucial because students will imitate what they hear. Just like anything else singers will retain things more if they see it in the music and hear it the correct way. Singing is an activity that Brooklyn College Curriculum Vitae Page 2 of 14 requires unrestricted of use of the body. The incorporation of eurhythmics through the Dalcroze method and Kodaly are fluid with my teaching. Life takes us in many different directions. As a result, it is my philosophy that music training can enhance all areas of life. Singing helps to make people aware of their bodies and it allows for expression and communication of thoughts that is not necessarily possible using words alone. It helps students gain confidence speaking in front of people; embodying the character of a song parallels presenting a persuasive argument for any non-music issue. It can be freeing—an emotional and psychological release, and students who choose to pursue developing their voices, will reap lifelong benefits from this study whether they go on to professional careers or not. Brooklyn College Curriculum Vitae Page 3 of 14 V. Scholarly and Creative Activity info A. Publications Using as many pages as may be necessary, please list your publications in reverse chronological order under the subject headings provided below. Please use the guidelines in the instruction packet. 1. Recent Published Works/Creative Works 2016 “Now He Walks In Beauty.” American Music Review, Vol. XLVI, No. 1, Fall 2016 2. Works Accepted for Publication 3. Works in Progress Gregg Smith: A Biography 4. Previous Publications B. Other Evidence of Scholarly or Creative Activity Using as many pages as may be necessary, please list your other scholarly or creative activity in reverse chronological order under the subject headings provided below. 1. Invited Presentations (talks, lecture series, exhibits, performance, etc.) 2019 Grace Chorale of Brooklyn in William Grant Still’s And They Lynched Him on a Tree Pre Concert Lecture: Faure Requiem Pre Concert Lecture: Margaret Bonds The Ballad of the Brown King Pre-Concert Lecture: Gregg Smith’s Continental Harmonist 2018 Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit, MI Diocese of New York City Adult Choir Festival, Cathedral of St.