Dr. Moser's Big Adventure by Gregory Parker
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Upbeat! News from the Chowan University Department of Music VOLUME 2 - I S S U E 1 SUMMER 2011 From the Department Chair by Gregory Parker Time moves at a quicker pace wise, making the most of your lin and hello to Dr. Moser. We now than when I was a kid. It time, because the days are evil.‖ welcomed 30 music majors in doesn‘t seem possible that it has The crux of these verses is that the fall, renovated the Music been a year since I penned my we should not waste time. Office, presented numerous Dr. Gregory Parker column for the first edition of excellent concerts and recitals, Upbeat! However, the calendar The time that we have to teach began our Self-Study in prepa- and the bathroom mirror have our students moves like photons ration for the National Associa- I N S I D E confirmed that reality. I‘ve been through a laser beam. I‘m sure tion of Schools of Music reac- some of them might disagree as THIS ISSUE: thinking about Jerry Ragovoy‘s creditation visit in March 2012, song, ―Time Is on My Side‖, that the milliseconds placidly unfold graduated two students in May, Meherrin 2 was one of the Rolling Stones‘ during their 8 o‘clock Aural raised a lot of money for the Chamber Orchestra big hits of the 60‘s. It‘s a nice Skills class. They don‘t have Department, and witnessed the idea and it made a lot of money time to waste in their prepara- beginning of a summer project Instrumental 2 for the Stones, but it isn‘t true. tion and we don‘t have time to that will result in a new HVAC Ensemble waste in our efforts to give them system for Daniel Hall and News Time is not on my side, nor the best education that we can Whitaker Library. yours, nor anyone‘s. It is no one‘s muster. Choral 3 Area News friend. Ephesians 5:15-16 states, Take time to read this issue of ―Therefore be careful how you In the time since my last writ- Upbeat! I think that you will Morrisons 3 walk, not as unwise men, but as ing, we bid farewell to Dr. Hu- find it to be time well spent. Present Recital and Masterclass CMENC and 4 Dr. Moser’s Big Adventure by Gregory Parker Music Education Dr. Hulin‘s resignation last June belonged to Bruce Moser. News raised several questions about the Faculty 4 course of action we should under- I rang Dr. Moser at his home in Highlights take in order to cover his teaching Florida for the first time at 9:00 assignments: Should we attempt a.m. on July 30. He was surpris- to do a national search for an Au- ingly lucid for someone who Music 5 gust appointment at such a late had just gotten off a plane from Industry date? Should we hire additional News Germany the night before. We adjunct instructors to teach his had a pleasant and informative Friends of 6 courses while we search for a full- conversation in which he di- Music time replacement during the regu- rected me to his website, where Report lar academic year? Should we hire Dr. Bruce Moser I found his vita, transcripts, and Friends of 7 someone on a one-year contract covered by the start of the links to videos of his perform- Music while we conduct a search? Be- 2010-2011 academic year. It oc- ing and teaching. Pleased with at Chowan lieving that we didn‘t have enough curred to me that I should call Dr. what I saw, I talked to Dr. Fra- time to do a satisfactory search for zier, Dean of the School of Arts Alumni 7 William Carroll, a friend of mine Updates a regularly appointed full-time who is the Associate Dean of the and Sciences, and Dr. Moore, replacement, we decided to pursue School of Music, Theatre, and Provost, about conducting a Upcoming 8 the hiring of adjuncts and the hir- Dance at the University of North Skype interview with Dr. Moser Department of ing of a full-time person on a one- Carolina at Greensboro, to see if later that day. That was accom- Music Events year contract simultaneously, hop- he could recommend any graduate plished around 2:00 p.m. and ing that decision would improve students in music for a one-year was followed by a discussion the odds of having all of Dr. appointment at Chowan. Indeed amongst the three of us on this Hulin‘s teaching assignments he did, and one of those names Continued on page 4 P A G E 2 Meherrin Chamber Orchestra by James M. Guthrie Dance of the Hours, La So- by James M. Guthrie. The rella, Jeanie with the Light soloists for ―Partitions‖ were Brown Hair, Hava Nagila, Murfreesboro resident Laurie Grandfather‘s Clock, Brook, French horn, and Chiapaneccas, Westminster MCO Concertmistress Chimes, Irish Washerwom- Michelle Jacobson, violin. an, Deck the Hall, Poet and Peasant, When the Saints Go The 2011-2012 season looks Marching In, My Old Ken- bright for the MCO. We say tucky Home, Blue Danube, farewell to two wonderful Humoreske, Orpheus, Anvil graduating senior performers Chorus, Down By The Riv- – Maria Cox and Josiah An- The Meherrin Chamber Orchestra erside, The Billboard, and till, but we are looking for- Dixie. ward to a new slate of per- nication Breakdown, Immi- The Meherrin Chamber Or- formers in the fall. By popular grant Song, Stairway to chestra presented premiere The Spring concert featured demand, we anticipate the Heaven, Dazed and Con- performances of three new the premiere of Sweelinck‘s second performance of the fused, and Rock and Roll), arrangements and three new ―Fantasia super ut sol fa mi,‖ ―Meherrin Symphony‖ by and a Fall favorite of the original compositions by a Concerto by Telemann, James M. Guthrie, as well as orchestra – Harold Waters‘ James M. Guthrie. The fall Vivaldi‘s ―Spring‖ from the new arrangements of the mu- ―Instant Concert, ― includ- concert featured the Farnaby Four Seasons (Chowan Stu- sic of J. S. Bach, and Vi- ing: March Militaire, Wil- Suite, Concertino for Two dent Michelle Jacobson, so- valdi‘s ―Autumn‖ concerto liam Tell, Danube Waves, Violins, Viola and Strings, a loist), the premiere of a com- with Michelle Jacobson as New World Symphony, baroque style concerto, and position assignment by Bee- soloist. Pagliacci, Chicken Reel. the Sinfonietta for Strings, a thoven, and the premiere of Waltz of the Flowers, Bridal neo-baroque style piece. The ―Partitions for Horn, Violin Chorus, Rule Britannia, Jin- concert also featured a Led and Strings,‖ an extensive gle Bells, Cielito Lindo, Zeppelin Medley (Commu- expressionistic composition Instrumental Ensemble News by Michael Butrico With twenty one total performances, Book Festival in March. The instrumental Not to be outdone was the Chowan the instrumental ensembles at Chow- area also put together a Fife and Drum duet University Pep Band, which per- an University enjoyed a very active for an event with the Murfreesboro Histori- formed at four home football games, schedule this year, and continued to cal Society – which was a great success! the Women‘s Basketball ―Pink Out‖ experience positive musical growth. game for Breast Cancer Awareness, In our desire to become the proverbi- as well as the Homecoming Game al ‗front porch‘ for the university, the Pep Rally. performing groups offered a wide variety of musical styles throughout For the upcoming 2011-2012 aca- the school year. demic year, the Pep Band looks to increase its visibility on campus and In addition to the four traditional in the community through additional symphonic band concerts, the instru- performances at numerous men‘s and mental area also participated in sever- women‘s home basketball games, al non-traditional performances. The and the CIAA Post-Season tourna- jazz combo was involved with several ment in Charlotte, NC. We are also on-campus and off-campus functions. excited to announce that funds have These included performances for the been granted to support our efforts Chamber of Commerce in Murfrees- through the purchase of new instru- boro, the Rotary Club of Franklin, ments, as well as to pay the musi- VA, Friends of Teacher Education cians a small amount for their in- and Friends of Music Dinners, two creased time commitment. Alex Welch, Jylian Wilde, and exhibits with the Visual Arts Depart- Michael Butrico ment, and Whitaker Library‘s Edible P A G E 3 by Gregory Parker Choral Area News The 2010-2011 academic year was a Interdisciplinary Symposium, I chose two good one for choral music at Chowan. choral-orchestral works that fit the theme We began with the Biennial Church of the symposium, which was Choir Festival on September 25, which ―revolution.‖ We began the concert with drew singers from First Baptist Church Joseph Haydn‘s Mass in Time of War, of New Bern, Indian River Baptist which was composed in 1796 as Napole- Church of Chesapeake, Murfreesboro on was laying siege to Vienna. Because Baptist Church, Ridge Road Baptist of this, Haydn incorporated a martial Church of Raleigh, and Rosemary Bap- quality to the work through frequent in- tist Church of Roanoke Rapids. The par- terjections by the trumpets and timpani, ticipants enjoyed an afternoon of re- something uncommon for Mass settings hearsal and fellowship, then performed at the time. For the second half of the in the concert that evening. Through the program, we presented The Testament of Church Choir Festival, we are able to Freedom by Randall Thompson.