imagine SCHOOL OF VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS • LIU POST

WCWP Celebrates Milestone Anniversary

The tunes, topics and technologies may have changed, but for 50 years students at LIU Post have been dialing in to their own student-run radio station. On Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011, WCWP/88.1 FM marked a half-century on the air. WCWP was founded in the spring of 1960 by S. Arthur Beltrone (’63) and Theatre Arts Professor Virgil Jackson Lee as a closed-circuit radio continued on page 10

– 1961 P -2 W 0 C 1 1 W From the Dean:

Dear alumni, students, colleagues and friends,

It is an exciting and vibrant time to join LIU Post and, especially, the School of Visual and Performing Arts. My wife, Clara, and I were thrilled to join this community last fall, and look forward to meeting as many of you as possible and learning about what you do and why you do it!

Rarely in the academic world does one find such a comprehensive group of disciplines in one school, or such a distinguished faculty. The work of our students in Art, Media Arts, Music, Theatre, Film, Dance and Arts Management is most impressive. Clearly, SVPA is one of the best-kept secrets in the academy. It is my sincere hope that we can work together to bring our deserving school to national and international attention. This is an important goal. As the reputation of our school grows, so grows the value of the degrees we confer. Our alumni are key in helping us grow in recognition. They are among the most successful and influential practitioners in their respective fields. We need to use the success of our faculty and alumni as models for our present students and for recruiting future students. Working as a community, we can steer our own course and make a significant impact on the world of the arts and media.

As you’ll notice in this issue, Insight has been redesigned and renamed. Our magazine will now be known as Imagine . It is imagination and innovation that drive the disciplines in our School. It is our ability to hear, see and interpret that reflects the world around us and allows us to create new imaginary worlds that stir the emotions, give us insight into our existing world and raise questions for us to consider. We stand at the threshold of a new beginning for our School. I invite you to contact me at [email protected] with your ideas, hopes and concerns, so that together we can forge a path that we’ll all be proud to walk.

Enjoy Imagine and be in contact!

Most sincerely yours,

Noel Zahler, DMA Dean School of Visual and Performing Arts LIU Post SCHOOL OF VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS • LIU POST

Using advanced technology, Strommen helps his students hear their results instantly, receiving feedback and making appropriate adjustments in both composing and scoring.

Advanced Music Composition

Renowned composer Carl Strommen , adjunct professor of orchestration and composition in the Department of Music, uses advanced computer programs to move his students into a new frontier for their music composition. Using advanced technology, Strommen helps his students hear their results instantly, receiving feedback and making appropriate adjustments in both composing and scoring. While the technology is state-of-the-art, there is no substitute for hearing one’s compositions live, with all the human inflections and emotions.

Strommen’s passion for composition began in middle school, carried through his service in the National Guard Band, his high school years, and eventually into his professional career. In his earlier days, Strommen wrote everything out by hand on manuscript paper, unable to hear the results until an ensemble performed his pieces. Strommen still composes regularly, working with companies such as Warner Bros. and Alfred. In 2009, Strommen arranged the Symphonic Band’s biggest hit, “Polska Przeplatanka”, a piece based on Polish folk songs, which they performed on their trip to Poland.

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“Playing at Carnegie Hall was the absolute best experience of my entire life,” said Music major Kaitlyn Heal.

Symphonic Band and Chorus Perform at Carnegie Hall

The LIU Post Symphonic Band, conducted by Director of Bands Dr. James McRoy , made its Carnegie Hall debut on April 26, 2011 in a benefit concert for victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. World Projects Corp., the organizer of the festival, and Carnegie Hall, agreed to allow all proceeds from “Songs for Japan: Concert Benefitting Earthquake and Tsunami Victims” to be donated to ShelterBox, an organization that provides tents, blankets, water purification and cooking equipment and other emergency supplies to disaster victims.

In their 60-minute performance slot, the LIU Post Symphonic Band performed five works representing styles from early baroque to the 21st century. Included in the performance was a horn concerto by Camille Saint-Saëns, performed by LIU Post Horn Professor Sharon Moe . The group received two standing ovations and fantastic praise from concert attendees. “Playing at Carnegie Hall was the absolute best experience of my entire life,” said Music major Kaitlyn Heal . “When I walked out onto the stage it really hit me that I was performing on the stage where world class musicians have before me. Nothing in the entire world will ever compare to that performance.”

On April 21, 2012, the Long Island University Chorus will join the St. Cecilia Chorus and Orchestra for a performance of the Verdi Requiem at Carnegie Hall, under the direction of LIU Post Assistant Professor of Music Mark Shapiro . In recent seasons, the LIU Chorus and Dr. Shapiro have twice appeared in concert performances of opera at Lincoln Center with the chamber chorus Cantori New York and the verismo company Teatro Grattacielo. Dr. Shapiro said, "It is always a pleasure to work in professional contexts with the Long Island University Chorus. The students reliably perform at a high artistic level that does them enormous credit. The energy, joy and musicality they bring to each event has invariably impressed everyone who has had the pleasure of collaborating with them."

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Music Technology Lab Celebrates 10 Years in the Fine Arts Center

Music Education students advance their computer What does a Music Technology Lab contribute to a Fine Arts Center on a 21st century university campus? skills and learn to

At the School of Visual and Performing Arts, the lab contributes quite a lot! Students receive basic to advanced instruction in electronic keyboards, MIDI integrate sequencing, notation software and digital audio. Music Education students advance their computer skills and learn to integrate technology in the music education curriculum. The lab consists of 15 work stations, including technology in the Internet access, a studio-quality synthesizer a computer designed for audio production, professional mixing and monitoring equipment, as well as software for music and audio creation, editing, sequencing and notating scores. So, as Music Education you can see, the Music Technology Lab contributes much to the learning experience of the music students studying in the Fine Arts Center. curriculum. Happy 10th Anniversary Music Tech Lab!!

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MMeeeett ssoommee ooff oouurr ssttuuddeennttss,, wwhhoo wwiillll sshhaarree wwiitthh yyoouu hhooww mmuucchh yyoouurr hheellpp hhaass mmeeaanntt,, aanndd ccoonnttiinnuueess ttoo mmeeaann,, ttoo tthheemm..

Angelique Cruz, Sophomore Dance major

Giving

In today’s economy, it is not easy to provide an exceptional education for dedicated student artists. That is why we need your support. By making a contribution to the School of Visual and Performing Arts, you help us continue to offer bright futures for generations of artists to come. Your donation can be targeted toward student scholarships, technology, and facilities. All donations are fully tax deductible and can be made in several ways: • Give By Mail Send your check payable to Long Island University with the designation “SVPA” to: Office of Development & Alumni Relations LIU Post 720 Northern Boulevard, Brookville, N.Y. 11548-1326 • Give Online Go to www.liu.edu/alumni-and-giving and include the designation “SVPA” in the comments section.

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The economic downturn of 2008 hit and I plan to make the most out of this opportunity. These home, and hit hard. My mother lost her scholarships have fortified my motivation to perform my job and my father picked up extra best; not only in dance, but in academics as well. Without hours, just to make ends meet for my being awarded these scholarships, I do not know if I would family of six. I was not able to rely on have the chance to study at such a prestigious university. my parents for complete financial This achievement has taught me that with hard work and support. My saving grace was my dedication comes the sense of honor and accomplishment. scholarships. Without them, I would Angelique Cruz, Sophomore Dance major not be pursuing the career that I have always dreamed of. My academic Being an Arts Management major for awards aid greatly, but without my music scholarship, I one’s undergraduate career is not very would be, as they say, flipping burgers instead of attending popular. Choosing a university such this university. Its absence would have robbed me of such as LIU Post was a must. If I had not experiences as performing in two operas at Lincoln Center, received the various scholarships the working with great musicians in master classes, listening to school had to offer, I would unfortu - incredible performances at the Tilles Center, exposing me to nately have been unable to attend this beautiful music that I never would have known otherwise, university. I have been fortunate enough and performing Verdi’s Requiem at Carnegie Hall this to receive scholarships that covered most coming Spring. The alumni of Post understand the potential of my tuition. I will be forever grateful seen in us, as they too once had only this potential. The for this. Knowing that I was fortunate enough to receive alumni turned their potential into skill and talent, and they financial assistance from the university plays a part in now invest in our future; my future. For this trust, I am motivating me to do well. I know one of my goals for when eternally grateful. I graduate and become financially secure is to give back to Nicholas Errico, Junior Music major the university. Briana Turner, Senior Arts Management major Art, and sharing it with those around me, has always been a passion of mine. I was selected to be a part of the Higher I believed my dreams of becoming an Education Opportunity Program, HEOP. Art teacher would be fully achieved to This gave me the chance to attend their highest potential at LIU Post. It LIU Post as a journalism major. The was after receiving the Art Portfolio Media Arts Department also awarded Scholarship in the fall of 2008 that I me a Journalism scholarship. This felt there was an entire community scholarship motivates me to push behind me, supporting me during my myself harder and to earn better grades. educational journey. Not only did the Receiving opportunities like these are scholarship help with the financial burden of obtaining a like energizers that help me run faster higher education, it encouraged me to excel in all my along the track until 2015 comes along, when I know I will courses. It has been this feeling of support that has helped cross that finishing line with my other classmates. I am me get the most out of my studies, and continues to give me proud of myself for what I have accomplished as a student at confidence as I prepare for student teaching in the Spring Post and I know will achieve more. It is such a great feeling semester of 2012. when others see the hard work you do and you are awarded Heather Leonbruno, Senior Art Education major in this manner. The greatest prize you can give to a student is a scholarship or an award of some sort. I thank my support My name is Angelique Cruz (photo on page 2) and I am a system, mentors, Media Arts Department, my professors, sophomore at LIU Post. As a commuter and dance major, the HEOP, and the university itself for such a great experience scholarships that I have been awarded have allowed me to and the exceptional academic opportunities they have further my education and follow my passion. I am very provided. grateful that this school has invested money in my future, Natalie Villanueva, Sophomore Journalism major liu.edu/post/svpa 5 SCHOOL OF VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS • LIU POST

Pyware Technology: Marching to a Different Beat

Modern marching band is a blend of music and complex choreography known as drill. A good program must demonstrate both musicality and artistry. Students in the Marching Band Techniques class, taught by Adjunct Professor of Music Education Dennis Dewey , utilize the music technology lab to study the pyware 3D marching band program software. This software is used to plot marching band member positions on a grid representing a marching band field. Students learn to conceive, design and finally plot positions representing the members of a band. “Pyware helped my ideas come to life,” wrote Music student Jessica Kitson ’11. “It added a new dimension to the drills we learned about in class.”

When complete, the choreography written by our students is put into 3D motion. The completed software drill is then set to a virtual music score. This gives student choreographers the opportunity to see and hear the marching band performance before it is taught. Their working knowledge of this software, and a command of techniques used to organize and develop a marching band, give our students an advantage when applying for band positions at the high school level. Samantha Komaroff ’11 said, “I think the program is great for anyone writing basic drills for marching bands. You can link the music to the drill and watch it all move like it would out on the field.”

Students in the Marching Band Techniques class perfect their skills by viewing and reporting on high level marching ensembles on YouTube each week. They are required to study web pages of successful marching band programs and write summaries on how they are organized.

Professor Dewey has taught band and music classes for 33 years at Brentwood High School. He has extensive experience writing music and marching band drill. He has taught many drum corps, including the world champion Sunrisers and the Garfield Cadets.

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“Maritime Images of Neill Slaughter”

Art Professor Neill Slaughter exhibited “Maritime Images of Neill Slaughter” at the Annapolis Maritime Museum from August 26 to October 9. The exhibit consisted of 30 paintings in oil, acrylic and watercolor inspired by a life on the sea and shore. As the son of a professor at the U.S. Naval Academy, with roots in Annapolis, Professor Slaughter is inspired by his voyages aboard schooners and tall ships. He has crewed aboard a 90-foot gaff-rigged schooner and sailed around Great Britain aboard a replica of Darwin’s 1820 brig-sloop Beagle. He has documented sea and harbor life along the North Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the United States, as well as from the Virgin Islands to Long Island. “A ship under sail is a perfect example of form and function,” he said. “Sails, molded by wind, sun, and shadow, suggest a sculptural abstraction.”

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High School Camp

In July, students from Seoul, Korea’s Chun Nam Art School visited our campus with their educational leader Goowon Kang to study English, drawing and painting with professors from our school. The program, organized by Professor Seung Lee of the Art Department, and Kay Sato of the School of Continuing Education, also gave the visiting students an opportunity to enjoy the sights of Manhattan with graduate M.F.A. student Dong Hee Lee . Their artwork reflected experiences in New York City as well as their visit at LIU Post. They incorporated images from photographs made on their iPads, cell phones, and digital cameras and then transformed them into conceptual works of art. Heewon Kim, one of the visiting students, said, “I had so much fun in this class. It is different than our traditional Korean classes. I have realized many new things about art.” The Chung Nam High students have expressed an interest in returning and SVPA looks forward to having them and seeing their success as future artists.

“I HAD SO MUCH FUN IN THIS CLASS. IT IS DIFFERENT THAN OUR TRADITIONAL KOREAN CLASSES. I HAVE REALIZED MANY NEW THINGS ABOUT ART.”

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Art Foundations iPad Initiative

The University-wide iPad initiative for freshman and transfer students was declared “awesome” by the Art Foundation classes who took to the new tool like ducks to water. Within a day they SVPA ART MAJORS downloaded apps for Facebook, Pandora Radio, and the Museum of Modern Art, among others. ARE WELL They adventurously tried out assorted imaging programs and declared Sketchbook Pro and POSITIONED Brushes their favorites as they gleefully finger-painted away on their tablets. AT THE In Professor Joan Harrison’s 2D Design Foundation class, student Joseph Di Girolomo created FOREFRONT OF TECHNOLOGY his drawings for the book project on his iPad, e-mailed them to himself and opened them on his TO APPLY THEIR laptop in Photoshop to create his pages and subsequently an animation. Students in Professor EXPERIENCE Winn Rea’s Art Foundation Drawing Class explored the iPad as an alternative drawing medium. TO THE NEXT “We found direct parallels between digital drawing and traditional charcoal drawing in relation to GENERATION value contrast,” said Rea. Students preferred drawing with a stylus to the more imprecise drawing OF DIGITAL with a finger. One student was particularly innovative, creating a stylus on the spot by rolling up a DRAWING AND piece of metal from the side of a soda can. INNOVATION. During the Fall semester, 2D Design students will be sending iPad 2 sketches to Photoshop, creating elaborate patterns with the software and then uploading them to an online short run fabric printing site to see the potential of their work in an actual commercial application. The iPad 2’s were taken on a class field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to be used as a drawing, note taking and photographic tool. SVPA Art majors are well positioned at the forefront of technology to apply their experience to the next generation of digital drawing and innovation.

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Art Professor Charles Conover Publishes 2nd edition to Famed Graphic Design Book

Art Department Professor Charles Conover has recently published the 2nd edition of his book, “Designing For Print.” This graphic design text, published by John Wiley & Sons, covers page layout, typography, digital illustration, imaging techniques, pre-press production and more.

Since its initial publication in 2003, Professor Conover’s book has been adopted by numerous design programs and is currently used at over 100 campuses nationwide. The newest edition is printed in full color and the text and graphics have been updated to address the latest software and technologies. Digital Art & Design student Brian Sander (B.F.A. Digital Art & Design ’12) finds Professor Conover’s book extremely helpful, writing that it “gives a useful reference if I want to go back later and recreate a specific technique.” Professor Conover is the director of the Art Department’s Digital Arts & Design program.

Museum Learning Course

Each Spring the Art Education program offers “The Art Museum as Educator: Interpreting Art for Education,” a course that challenges undergraduate students to facilitate a unique museum education program. With a focus on visual literacy and the use of new technologies, pre-service art educators research current exhibitions at the Nassau County Museum of Art and The Hillwood Art Museum to create interactive learning experiences for local school children. The objective of the program is to introduce young students to new ways of experiencing art and to enrich the preparation of future teachers by giving them both the tools and the opportunity to train in museums. “This is much more than just talking about art,” says Dr. Donna Tuman , Chair of the Art Department. “It is about engaging both new teachers and young students in an empowering process for life-long learning in the visual arts and we’ve modeled how digital technologies can play a vital role in this process.” The students experiment with various technologies in order to enhance the preparation and implementation of the museum education program. In addition to researching on laptops and iPads students use Dropbox.com to share files and photo- graphs. They incorporate Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator Smartphones are used on a daily to develop visual teaching components and build websites to document their projects. Smartphones are used on a daily basis for all tasks related to basis for all tasks related to teaching and learning. These technologies are catalysts to inspire a genuine enthusiasm teaching and learning. for working in a museum setting. By expanding the possibil- ities for teaching and learning, they work to cultivate a deeper aesthetic understanding of art, experiencing it face to face. Second year exchange M.F.A. student standing next to on blackened tides 2004 by Arden Scott Bronze, lead, builder’s felt, 120 x 22 x 17 inches 10 liu.edu/post/svpa SCHOOL OF VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS • LIU POST

SVPA Launches New Digital Game Design & Development Program

Students work in a new lab, where they project, play and analyze games.

Program Director, Elena Bertozzi

Digital gaming is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the economy. Game environments are increasingly used to train players in a variety of skills, ranging from laser surgery to military drone operation. The Media Arts Department’s new Digital Game Design & Development graduate program prepares students to enter this challenging field. Students study game theory and learn programming, interface design, 3D modeling, content creation and usability testing, among other things. Students work in a new lab in Humanities Hall, where they project, play and analyze games. Students and faculty have access to cloud storage for team collaboration and project development. Although the program is currently for graduate students who work together on teams to create large projects, classes are open to interested undergraduates as well. Program Director Elena Bertozzi’s Engender Games Group Lab provides students and faculty with a hands-on environment where games are developed for specific clients. The lab is currently working with a hospital on a game encouraging children to get flu shots as well as another that will train midwives delivering babies in rural Mexico. For more information, contact Program Director, Elena Bertozzi at (516) 299-2250 or [email protected] . liu.edu/post/svpa 11 SCHOOL OF VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS • LIU POST

WCWP Celebrates continued from cover Journalism Students Gain Real World station to provide entertainment and information for the campus community. Experience at With a staff of 20 passionate students, the Radio Club of C.W. Post College was initiated. From a small studio and control room, WCWP first Patch.com signed on the air at 12 noon, October 18, 1961. After operating from these quarters for two years, plans were made to extend WCWP’s services to Students in Journalism Professor Sandra the Long Island community through the facilities of a noncommercial Mardenfeld’s Intermediate Reporting class educational FM station operating from the campus. In January 1965, last Fall gained professional experience as WCWP acquired its new quarters, named after Benjamin Abrams, who real world beat reporters for Patch.com , a was a pioneer in the communications industry. community-specific news service owned by AOL. The Media Arts Department has In September 1999, the Internet radio station mywcwp.org began developed this affiliation with Patch.com in operating, followed in the fall of 2009 by WCWPSports.org, an all-sports order for students to not only earn experience Internet radio station bringing LIU Post Pioneer athletics to the world. and a grade, but also to receive professional Today, the Internet radio stations can reach anyone anywhere in the world. clips and even a paycheck. Class members wrote six articles for Patch.com as part of their coursework and were assigned to work with a Patch.com editor, who sent them on assignments. Both Professor Mardenfeld and the Patch.com editor vet the students’ work. “Students not only go out in the field covering breaking news, meetings and sports stories, but they also have opportunities to shoot accompanying video and photographs. Plus, they learn Patch.com’s content management system (CMS) as they input their articles, which is a great resume skill to showcase,” said Mardenfeld. Pioneer iPad App

Beginning in the Fall semester of 2011, LIU Post’s award-winning student newspaper, The Pioneer , became available for students to read on their iPads. In addition to this technological advancement, the print edition of the Pioneer is delivered on campus every Wednesday. With so many students receiving iPads, the Pioneer editors wanted to expand their readership by creating a way for students to read the Pioneer online. The Pioneer’s WCWP alums in their second home. website, http://postpioneer.wordpress.com, receives several hundred hits each week, Throughout its 50-year existence, WCWP has interviewed some of the from readers both on their iPads and computers. biggest names in music and entertainment, given countless unknown Not only can students, faculty, staff and artists their first radio play and served as a “second home” to many administrators enjoy reading the Pioneer students who became successful in broadcast media, voice-acting, digitally, parents and grandparents who are journalism, public relations, and other fields. WCWP is, and always not on campus to pick up a paper can now will be, the voice of the students. read the latest LIU Post news. 12 liu.edu/post/svpa SCHOOL OF VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS • LIU POST

Carlomusto Documentary Aired on Showtime Networks

Professor Jean Carlomusto , Director of the Television Center in the Media Arts Department, produced and directed a documentary entitled “SEX IN AN EPIDEMIC,” which was shown on Showtime Networks on December 21, 2011, World AIDS Day. SEX IN AN EPIDEMIC is a feature length documentary exploring the past, present and future of HIV prevention efforts in the United States. By focusing specifically on the need for honest comprehensive sex education, this engaging documentary provides a socio-cultural perspective on the history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and its ongoing impact on the most affected populations, including the gay, African American and Latino communities. Carlomusto stated, “It’s important for our students to know that we don't just teach in our disciplines, we are out there doing the work that makes change possible in the real world.”

Recent SVPA Graduate Enhances Her “Social” Skills

Recent SVPA graduate Nhyasa East (’11 B.F.A. in Journalism) is utilizing the technology skills that she acquired in the Media Arts Department as a social media specialist at mylifetime.com, a part of A+E Television’s Lifetime Channel. In her new position, East handles all of the tweets, Facebook updates, forum responses, and fan responses. She generates conversations for fans and followers and keeps abreast of social media trends and advances. She also writes about entertainment and women’s lifestyle news. East credits her success in landing this position to the internship at iVillage that she had while at SVPA, and the blog and website that she created as part of her coursework. “All of my experience in the field as an intern focused on keeping up with my company’s social media outreach so I was able to build my online writing skills,” East said. “Now I write about my two loves every day: entertainment and women’s news!” liu.edu/post/svpa 13 SCHOOL OF VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS • LIU POST SPOTLIGHT ONF

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Film Majors The work of our SVPA film majors is increasingly more accomplished. In September 2011, our student films were showcased at the Long Island Fringe Festival to excellent reception. The Film program is also beginning a new initiative called LIU Film Festival Outreach, through which it will offer personal advisement on film festival submissions. At the end of each school year, the faculty will select up to five student films to receive direct festival assistance. It is often hard for members of the movie-going public to appreciate how much work and dedication goes into making a film, even a short one. After production is complete, the next challenging but rewarding step is to develop audiences. Our students are already taking their work and themselves into the wider world, building new networks, and laying the foundation for their future projects. Here are a few of their recent accomplishments: Paul Taylor (’08), an editor and digitizer at NBC News, writes, “After all the hard work and stress that has to be endured while making a film, it feels good to know that there are audiences out there who appreciate your work besides your parents. I was fortunate enough to have my film, ‘In Memoriam,’ chosen for festivals spanning the country, as well as several in Europe, including the Oldenberg Festival in Germany. This was a great opportunity to travel, meet other filmmakers, get legitimate feedback, see new work, and network.” Straight out of college, Gia McKenna (’10) formed her own business, 1909 Productions, LLC, a full-service videography/ production company, with another SVPA Film graduate, Stephen Ditmer (’10). McKenna is also working as the assistant technical director in our Film Program. McKenna’s thesis film ‘Poker Face’ was shown at the Long Island International Film Expo, where it was nominated for Best Long Island Short, and has also won a place at the Big Apple Film Festival, where it was screened in the Tribeca Cinemas on November 5th and the Williamsburg Independent Festival on November 18th. Working at a major festival is also an important learning and networking opportunity. Jeremiah Wenutu (’12) landed the desirable position of operations intern for the Woodstock Film Festival last summer. He organized film submissions, screen - ing films, pursuing ad sales, and then earned a special opportunity. He was selected to work on a short film by Festival co-founder Laurent Rejto. Wenutu said, “I was brought on as a camera intern, but very rapidly became 2nd Assistant Camera. I have worked on numerous student shorts and features but this was my first professional shoot. It was exhilarating and I applied everything I learned from LIU Post.” Alex Megaro (’08) is working as a digital media librarian at NBC News. “My thesis film ‘Backyard’ made it into 17 film festivals throughout the country, including the San Francisco Independent, San Antonio Film Fest, and Burbank International, as well as many smaller ones.” For Megaro, the best thing about festivals is that people see his film, which encourages him to keep working.

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Robert Wildman Joins SVPA as Director of Arts Management

Robert Wildman has joined the Department of Theatre, Film, Dance and Arts Management as Associate Professor and Director of the Arts Management program. Wildman comes to SVPA from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he created the nationally- renowned M.F.A. program in Performing Arts Management. Wildman worked for many years at theatres affiliated with professional training programs such as the Yale Repertory Theatre, the American Conservatory Theatre/San Francisco and Connecticut Repertory Theatre/UConn.

“Undergraduate arts management programs are a recent phenomenon – the field began with primarily graduate programs – so LIU Post’s Arts Management program is an undiscovered gem. Therefore, student recruitment, and simply getting the word out, are high priorities for us,” noted Wildman. Wildman took over the Arts Management program from Carter Anne McGowan, who served as the director from 2006. During her tenure, McGowan made significant improvements to the program and increased the number and level of internship and job placement opportunities for Arts Management students.

Theatre Students Present Play at Fringe Festival

Greg Cioffi ’12 (M.A. Theatre), a graduate student in the Department of Theatre, Film, Dance & Arts Management, has written a play, THE INTERIM, that was a featured presentation at the 2011 New York Fringe Festival. This competitive festival accepts fewer than one third of its applicants. Cioffi’s play was directed by SVPA alumnus Dan Capalbo ’95 (M.A. Theatre), and stage-managed by theatre student Emily Edwards ’12. THE INTERIM is a place located between life and death where guardians have always existed for the sole purpose of observing the living. The play investigates what would happen if the guardians choose to no longer just observe.

Cioffi credits the Theatre, Film, Dance & Arts Management Department with “properly preparing me for life beyond school and helping me become a working actor.” He said, “The acting training instilled here has allowed me to step onto an off-Broadway stage rather quickly, similarly to many other alumni.”

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Post Theatre Alum Revives the Famous Woodstock Playhouse

The facade of the Playhouse in front of Woodstock's Overlook Mountain at the gateway to Woodstock.

The venerable Woodstock Playhouse, opened in 1928 and rebuilt after a 1931 fire, hosted such luminaries as Helen Hayes and Edward G. Robinson. Important productions continued to tour there until a second fire in 1988 closed the theatre. This past summer, SVPA Theatre alum Randy Conti ’86 and Douglas Farrell (Directors of the New York Conservatory for the Arts) bought and revived the Playhouse, kicking off the season with three well-known musicals, “A Chorus Line,” “Anything Goes,” and “Hair.” With a NYC-based cast, lighting and sound by Post students Rob Garner ’12 & Chris Catalano ’13, and under the supervision of Post faculty member Mike Gugliotti , the season proved to be a successful endeavor enjoyed by all! Nonprofit U.S. Postage PAID Long Island University

School of Visual and Performing Arts 720 Northern Blvd. • Brookville, N.Y. 11548-1300

Welcome to Our New Dean

The School of Visual and Performing Arts is thrilled to welcome our new Dean, Noel Zahler, who joined our school on October 1. Dr. Zahler is a highly respected composer, researcher and administrator who has led departments, schools of music and interdisciplinary programs at universities across the nation. Most recently, he was the head of the School of Music at Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Zahler is the former director and professor of music at the University of Minnesota. He also served as the Sylvia Pasternak Marx Professor of Music at Connecticut College and is the recipient of numerous awards and prizes, including a National Endowment for the Arts Consortium Commission, a Fulbright/Hayes Fellowship to Italy, two MacDowell Colony Fellowships and an Aaron Copland Foundation Grant. A fellow of the Associated Kyoto Program, Dr. Zahler also received the Italian National Research Council Award and a National Endowment for the Humanities Scholarship. Dr. Zahler’s compositions include a variety of vocal and instrumental works as well as well as electroacoustic, interactive and multi-media works. Several internationally acclaimed ensembles have performed Dr. Zahler’s compositions, including the American Composers Orchestra, The Manhattan Sinfonietta, The Arden Trio, The Charleston String Quartet, the Meridian String Quartet, the League of Composers/ISCM, and the University of Iowa Center for New Music. He also is the co-author of three computer software programs including the Artificially Intelligent Computer Performer, Score Follow and Music Matrix, as well as numerous articles. Dr. Zahler has a D.M.A. from Columbia University, an M.F.A. from Princeton University, a Certificato di Perfezionamento from L’Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy, and a B.A./M.A. from City University of New York's Queens College.

The C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University is now LIU Post.