Music Todayat Iowa State UniversityFall 2005

Wayne BaileyArizona State University2005 Outstanding MusicAlumni Award

Paul BroIndiana State University2005 Outstanding MusicAlumni Award

Alan GreinerIowa State High SchoolMusic Association2005 Outstanding MusicEducator Alumni Award

Jay KawarskyRider College2004 Outstanding MusicAlumni Award

Four to receive music alumni awardsFour distinguished

Iowa State Universitymusic alumni are theinaugural recipients ofalumni awards from theDepartment of Music.

The four will berecognized during IowaState’s Homecomingcelebration Oct. 21-23.

To honor theseindividuals, a specialHomecoming concertwill be presented by theISU Wind Ensemble at 3p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 23.The concert will be heldin the Martha-Ellen TyeRecital Hall and is freeand open to the public.

Each alumnus willparticipate in theconcert which willfeature the premiere of acomposition entitled

Fastidious Notes by JayKawarsky performed bythe ISU Wind Ensemblewith fellow alumnussaxophonist Paul Bro.

Others participatingin the concert will befellow music alumniand award winnersWayne Bailey and AlanGreiner.

Wayne Bailey (‘77)is the director of theSchool of Music andprofessor of music atArizona State University.He has held similiarpositions at theUniversity of Tennesseeand Texas TechUniversity. A trumpeterand band director, he isthe author of threewidely used musiceducation textbooks

including CompleteMarching Band ResourceManual.

An associateprofessor of music atIndiana State University,Paul Bro (‘80) hasperformed throughoutthe United States andCanada as well asEurope and Taiwan. Aspart of the Bro/StreetDuo, the saxophonisthas appeared onMinnesota Public Radioand the CanadianBroadcastingCorporation.

Alan Greiner (‘85)is the director of theIowa State High SchoolMusic Associationwhere he is responsiblefor the all-state musicprogram.

Jay Kawarsky (‘81)is a professor of musictheory and compositionand chair of the musicaltheatre program atWestminster ChoirCollege of RiderUniversity in Princeton,NJ. He was the founderand conductor of theNew Jersey Gay Men’sChorus from 1991-98,conductor of theBrunswick Symphonyand was artistic directorof the Lehigh Valley GayMen’s Chorus inAllentown, PA, from1996-2004. As acomposer he has writtenfor all genres includingsolo instrument,orchestra, band, choir,voice and music theatre.

From the ChairAs new department chair, I’m

excited to tell you about thechanges and events for the newacademic year. As you may know,Dr. Sue Haug, our formerdepartment chair, is the newDirector of the School of Music atPenn State University. Sue was afaculty member of the ISU MusicDepartment for 30 years, the last13 as department chair. Althoughwe are all saddened to saygoodbye to Sue, we wish her thebest in this new and excitingchapter of her life. Penn State isindeed fortunate to have herheading its department.

As an alumnus or friend ofour music department, we wouldlike to know what you are doing!This newsletter, which ispublished twice a year, is theperfect forum to share withothers what is happening in yourlife. Please let us know aboutyour career and your family –weddings, births and deaths ofour alumni and friends. We’reproud of your accomplishmentsand will share this information inour newsletters.

We are justifiably proud offour alumni who will be honoredthis October as the firstrecipients of the MusicDepartment’s OutstandingAlumni Awards. These fouralumni – Wayne Bailey, JayKawarsky, Paul Bro and AlanGreiner – will receive theirawards at a special concert of theWind Ensemble on Sunday,October 23rd at 3:00 pm in theMartha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall.Please help us honor thesedistinguished alumni who willeach participate in this uniqueconcert.

And speaking of uniqueconcerts, the Symphony

Orchestra, State Singers, WindEnsemble, and soloist SimonEstes will appear at our third“President’s Concert” on Sunday,March 26th at 3:00 pm in Omaha’sbrand new performing artscenter. Please check our concertcalendar website for moreinformation about this event, andall of our concerts and programsat www.music.iastate.edu.

We are fortunate to havePulitzer Prize winning composerLibby Larsen on our campusfrom April 6-8, 2006 as ourartist-in-residence. During herresidency she will be teaching,lecturing, and assisting inrehearsals to prepare for twoconcerts of her music by variousensembles and soloists. We areexcited to have a composer of herstature on campus to work withour students.

Lastly, if you would like tosupport our department in afinancial way, please considerjoining our “Friends of Music”program. For a minimum

contribution of $30, yourmembership provides you with aprinted concert calendar andinvitations to special events.Joining “Friends of Music” is agreat way to provide support thatenhances the mission and visionof our department. If you wouldlike additional information about“Friends of Music” please contactme at mgolemo@iastate.edu.

Yours in music,Michael GolemoChair

Music TodayMichael Golemo, chairWilliam David, editorDave Gieseke, public relationsmanager, College of Liberal Artsand Sciences

Music Today is published twicea year for the alumni, friends,students and faculty of theDepartment of Music at IowaState University, an academicdepartment in the College ofLiberal Arts and Sciences.

www.music.iastate.edu

Please address allcorrespondence to the editor:wdavid@iastate.edu515-294-5364

Iowa State University does notdiscriminate on the basis of race,color, age, religion, national origin,sexual orientation, gender identity,sex, marital status, disability, or statusas a U.S. veteran. Inquiries can bedirected to the Director of EqualOpportunity and Diversity, 3680Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.

2 - Music Today

student news

When Shelby Sieverssubmitted an auditionvideotape for a

national conducting competitionlast October, she didn’t thinkmuch would come of it.

That was until she was homefor break between semesters.

“I got this letter saying thatout of 100 applicants I was oneof eight national semi-finalists,”the senior vocal music educationmajor said. “I was pretty ecstatic.So ecstatic that my mom thoughtsomething was wrong.”

As a national semi-finalist,Sievers traveled to Los Angelesfor the American ChoralDirectors Association (ACDA)national convention in earlyFebruary. Each semi-finalist wasasked to prepare a series ofmusical selections he/she wouldconduct at the competition.

“I hadn’t even heard thepieces before,” she said, “but as amusician I’m used to learning alot of new music.”

In the first round of thecompetition, Sievers and theother semi-finalists eachconducted an elite high schoolchoir from Salt Lake City, UT.Each student conducted thechoir in an eight-minuteperformance.

Sievers was the lastcompetitor to conduct the choirin the semi-final round –something that she thoughtwould work against her.

“The choir was tired and Ifelt like they just wanted to bedone,” she said. “I agonized overevery pitch and phrase prior tothe concert. Once I wasrehearsing with the choir, theeight minutes just flew by.

“I wasn’t very confident afterwe were through,” Sieverscontinued. “I wasn’t expectinganything but I was just happy tomake it to the semi-final round.”

But again Sievers was wrong.She was named one of fourfinalists who competed thefollowing night with the samechoir – albeit with two differentmusical selections.

This time, Sievers was thethird student conductor tocompete. And unlike the

previous night, afterwards shefelt good about the performance.

“The choir responded reallywell to me the second night,” shesaid. “Everything went like Iwanted it to. I felt really goodabout it.”

She should have. Sievers wasnamed the winner of the ACDAUndergraduate NationalConducting Competition,winning a $500 prize.

While at Iowa State, Sievershas taken conducting courseswith James Rodde, the LouiseMoen Chair in Music anddirector of choral activities. Shedirected a college student choirat Collegiate Methodist Churchand served as the assistantdirector of Celebration Iowa, asummer high school vocalensemble at Luther College.

Those experiences made iteasier for Sievers to compete atthe ACDA nationals.

“I had lots of opportunities topractice as well as watching awonderful group of (faculty)conductors here at Iowa State,”she said. “They taught me thatyou have to think one beat aheadwhen you are conducting.

“But it’s like an instrument,the more you practice, the betteryou get.”

That’s what made the ACDAexperience all that more difficult.

“As a conductor one has totry to predict the trouble spots achoir will have with a particularpiece,” Sievers said. “I had toguess at the trouble spots at thecompetition, since I had neverheard the choir before nor wasfamiliar with the pieces.”�

And a one, and a twoRecent graduate Shelby Sievers earns nationalundergraduate conducting award.

3 - Music Today

By Michael GolemoDirector of Bands

The ISU Wind Ensemblemade its second European tourfrom May 9-18, 2005. The 45-member ensemble performedconcerts in Prague, Vienna andSalzburg. In addition to the band,faculty member Don Simonsonperformed as tenor soloist.Former department chair SueHaug also accompanied us onthis tour.

The band’s tour began inPrague, where we toured thecastle district and visited theRoyal Palace, St. Vitus Cathedral,and the Golden Lane. Our tourguide led us over the famousCharles Bridge, crossing theMoldau River to the Old TownSquare area and its renownedAstronomical Clock. Old TownSquare is also the site of thehistoric St. Nicholas Church –where we performed to astanding-room-only audience.We played music appropriate to aBaroque church, including works

Director’s Journal: Wind Ensemble’s European Tour

by Schubert, Mozart and Dvorak.The concert concluded with

“Just a Closer Walk With Thee” –a similar arrangement to thatused by the Canadian Brass. Tobe honest, I was worried if thisselection would be appropriate orwell-received. Basically, itbrought down the house. TheyLOVED this jazzy selection andseemed to applaud forever. It wasan incredibly special concert.

After our time in Prague, wetraveled to Vienna. Although wehad a tour guide in each city, Dr.Simonson had lived in Vienna formany years and was able to pointout many additional sights tohelp us all to enjoy this beautifulcity. While in Vienna, the entireband enjoyed a cruise on the“Blue” Danube, and toured manyof downtown Vienna’s sights,including the Hofburg Palace,Belvedere Palace, and St.Stephens Cathedral. When wearrived at our hotel, they hadsachertorte (Viennese chocolatecake) waiting for us. It seems

that it was Ari Micich’s birthday(a trumpet player in the WindEnsemble) and his parents backin Des Moines had contacted ourhotel – arranging to provide thefamous sachertorte to helpcelebrate Ari’s birthday!

While in Vienna, weperformed at a very elegant“Senior Residenz Center.” Forthis concert we included liveliermusic than that used in thechurch performances, includingStrauss’ “Tales of the ViennaWoods” and the famous“Radetzky March” – whereeveryone claps along – somewhatlike an Austrian version of our“Stars and Stripes ForeverMarch.”

After leaving Vienna, wemade two short stops on our wayto Salzburg. The first was at theformer MauthausenConcentration Camp, where wereceived a guided tour whichreminded us of the cruelties ofthe Nazi era. Our tours were ledby young men who also sharedtheir personal experiences asthey had become friends of bothformer prisoners and guards.This chilling tour gave us all timeto reflect upon the inhumanity ofman and the horrors of war.

After a short drive to St.Florian, we visited the St. FlorianMonastery. This complex is anoutstanding example of AustrianBaroque architecture with a wingof apartments built especially forthe Habsburg royal family. Ofparticular interest to musicians isthe fact that the composer AntonBruckner was the organist andmusic director. His last wish wasto be buried beneath the greatorgan of the cathedral. Aftertouring the monastery, we

4 - Music Today

visisted Bruckner’s coffin, whichis placed in the crypt, directlybelow the organ.

Following St. Florian, wecontinued to Salzburg, thebirthplace of Mozart, and the cityused in the filming of “TheSound of Music.” Salzburg istruly one of the most beautifulcities in the world, featuring theimpressive Cathedral, thecatacombs, the Getreidegasse,Mirabell Gardens, and theHohensalzburg fortress. It is easyto think that you are living in the18th century when you visitSalzburg. One evening we had ameal at St. Peters Stiftskeller, asuperb restaurant. Thisrestaurant has been incontinuous operation since 883.Hard to believe – but true. Manystudents attended mass (evennon-Catholics) at one of theimpressive cathedrals. It wasstrangely beautiful to hear achurch service entirely inGerman.

During our stay in Salzburgwe performed as part of morningmass at a local church. Thisoccurred on Pentecost Monday,which is a national holiday inAustria. Following the mass, we

European adventure for Wind Ensemble

also performed a short concert.Again, they LOVED theDixieland selection!

While in Salzburg, the entireband was able to take a tour ofthe salt mines. After donningspecial white mining clothes, wetoured the mines on foot, on anunderground boat, and by slidingdown wooden chutes. What fun!

We concluded our tour witha day in Dinkelsbühl, Germanywhich is one of the pristinemedieval cities among theRomantic Road region.Exploring the ramparts,watchtowers, and citytransported us back 500 years.We enjoyed a group farewelldinner at our bed and breakfaststyle hotel – which was built over400 years ago.

This trip was a marvelouscombination of music, culture,

cities, sights and food. As anensemble, we truly became a“family” and created memoriesthat will surely last forever. Weare all grateful to those whogenerously donated to our travelfund that helped to make thistrip a reality.�

5 - Music Today

Previous Page: Wind Ensemblemembers (left to right) Chris Feay,Andrew Sprung, Alexis Olson, KariWilliamson and Laura Fergusonmodel their special clothing - requiredfor a tour of the Salzburg salt mines.

This Page - top left: The WindEnsemble takes a bow while receivinga rousing ovation at the St. NicholasCathedral in Prague.

Top right: Members of Kappa KappaPsi and Tau Beta Sigma BandFraternity and Sorority stand in frontof the birthplace of Mozart. From leftto right, Mary Beth Golemo, MichaelGolemo, Sue Haug, Ben Harper,Kathryn Norby, Chris Saito,Kimberlee Gage, Steve Hovey, OmarAleman, Stephanie Law and SarahWright.

Middle Photo: An outdoor view of theSt. Nicholas Cathedral in Prague - siteof the Wind Ensemble’s first concerton their tour.

Symbolic cymbalsMarching band unit honors former member serving inIraq.

The following story is about the2004 Cyclone Football “Varsity”Marching Band.

Every break the talk wouldgravitate back to Adam.

"The drumline meets aweek before the rest of the bandin August and all of the cymbalswere returning members, or werein the band last year, so we hadlots of time to spare," said SusieSchreck.

"And we talked about Adama lot."

That's because instead ofwearing the uniform of the IowaState University Cyclone Football"Varsity" Marching Band, AdamStorey is donning the uniform ofthe United States Marine Corps.He is currently serving as areservist in the Marine Corps andhas been stationed in Iraq for thepast two months.

But before his duty in Iraq,the Des Moines resident was aforestry major at Iowa State hisfreshman year where he was acymbal player in the marchingband.

Yet his duty with the Marines

almost derailed his chance to bethe marching band as a freshman.

"I got lucky getting in," hewrites by e-mail. "I was at bootcamp during tryouts, but myhigh school director was an IowaState alum and he pulled stringsfor me.

"Being in the drumline wasthe best thing I did at Iowa Stateand I'm so glad I got a chance tobe a part of that group."

In just a few short weeks,Storey made quite an impressionon his fellow cymbal players.

"When he first showed uplast year after missing all of bandcamp, I was surprised because hewas at the Music Hall ready forband at nine on a Saturdaymorning after graduating just theafternoon before," said RobFranz. "I was expecting a verydisciplined, very serious no-nonsense type of person due tothe fact that he had just comefrom boot camp.

"It didn't take me long torealize, however, that he was oneof the goofiest guys I know. Buthe was also the kindest and mostcaring person I know."

So during breaks in marchingband camp this past August, theconversation among Storey'sfellow cymbal players typicallyturned to the goofy, kind andcaring cymbal player in Iraq.

One of those discussions ledto a symbolic gesture in supportof Storey.

"We wanted to come up witha way to remind ourselves ofAdam, but also to show otherpeople that we were thinkingabout him as well and weremissing him," said Sarah Besch.

So instead of talking aboutAdam one break, the groupdecided to do somethingtangible.

A trip to Hobby Lobby laternetted handkerchiefs with starsand stripes and some puffy paint.The group met at an apartmentand spent the rest of theafternoon decorating theircymbal bags with homemadeAmerican flags made from thehandkerchiefs and messages toAdam.

"We didn't do this to showother people necessarily, or tomake people pay attention,"Schreck said. "We mostly did itfor ourselves and Adam."

Schreck's fellow cymbalplayers agree.

"The concept of putting theflags on the bags was anextremely thoughtful one to me,"said Nick Elliott. "But it wasn'tuntil later on in the season that Irealized that it was the least wecould do, considering whatAdam is doing for us and ourcountry."

"We think about him everygame - it's just not the samewithout him," Besch said.

The tight-knit groupcontinues to correspond withStorey on a weekly basis throughAOL instant messenger. Schreck,

6 - Music Today

who attended high school in DesMoines with Storey, says she tellshim about life on campus andwith the band.

"Susie tells me how the lineis doing," Storey said. "When Iheard about the flags, I was verysurprised. I can't believe all thesupport I got from those guys.

"Their concern more thananything has been very touching.I only knew them for one year,and they care that much for me.My friends from the drumline,and specifically the cymbal line,have really shown me a lot oflove and given me more than Iever gave them."

The caring goes beyond thedecorated cymbal bags.Invariably the conversationduring breaks turns back toStorey.

"We just talk about Adam,telling stories and sharing whatwe've heard from him," Schrecksaid. "We plan on sending him apackage with this year's drumlineand cymbal shirt and otheritems."

"This is just something oursection does because we misshim a lot and want to show oursupport of him to others and toinclude him on the (cymbal) linewhile he is in Iraq," said RitaTisinger.

Other members of the cymballine included Kylie Behm, RossBradshaw and Kristi Kingland. Itwas Behm's idea to decorate thecymbal bags.�

Symboliccymbals

California singingThe Iowa State Singers

traveled to California in February2005 to perform at the AmericanChoral Directors Association(ACDA) national convention inLos Angeles. This was the firstappearance at the nationalconvention by the ensemble,directed by James Rodde, theLouise Moen Endowed Chair ofMusic and director of choralactivities.

Leading conductors, througha blind tape audition process,chose the Iowa State Singers toparticipate in the national ACDAconvention.

“It’s reasonable to say thatbeing selected to sing a soloperformance at a national ACDAconvention represents thepinnacle of achievement for anAmerican choir,” Rodde said.“Since there was anunprecedented number of tapessubmitted for this year’sconvention, I feel especiallyproud that the Iowa State Singerswere selected.”

The Iowa State Singers gavethree solo performancesincluding concerts at theWilshire Boulevard Temple, andtwo at the Cathedral of OurLady of the Angels.

Prior to these concerts, themixed chorus were featured at aspecial reception andperformance of Iowa Statealumni at the Hyatt Regency atMacy’s Plaza in Los Angeles.

More than 75 alumniattended the event, whichconcluded with the singing of“The Bells of Iowa State” bycurrent and past members ofIowa State choirs.

Dr. James and KathleenRodde and members of theIowa State Singers pause bythe Cathedral of Our Ladyof the Angels after threeconvention performances.

7 - Music Today

Going to ChinaThe Iowa State Singers are

preparing for a performance tourin China, May 14-24, 2006.

The group will sing concertsin Beijing, Shanghai, andHangzhou, sharing someperformances with choirs fromChinese universities.

In addition to preparing theirmusic, which will include someChinese and American folksongs, the singers are workinghard to raise funds for the trip.Contributions in any amount tohelp these students with thisonce-in-a-lifetime experiencewould be greatly appreciated.

Donations may be sent to:ISU Foundation, 2505 ElwoodDrive, Ames, IA, 50010

department newsEnsembles Omaha-bound for concert

After appearances inMinneapolis and Chicago, theDepartment of Music is onceagain taking its President’sConcerts on the road - this timeto the new Holland PerformingArts Center in Omaha, NE.

The third annual President’sConcert will again feature theIowa State Singers, the ISU WindEnsemble and the ISU SymphonyOrchestra. International operastar Simon Estes, the F. WendellMiller Distinguished Artist inResidence, will again be featured

The Ames Children’s Choirs(ACC) program celebrated itstenth anniversary in 2005. Theprogram has included anapprenticeship program, whichhas provided training for morethan 30 ISU students over theyears.

Current ISU studentapprentices include Melissa Dayand Cathy Compton. Former ISUstudents who serve as theassistant conductors of the PrepChoir and Chorale include:Shauri Bair (2004 grad), SoniaGoodrich Johnson (1996),Hannah Keeling (2003), andMindy Phomvisay (1998). Three

Ames Children’s Choirscelebrate 10th anniversary

former ACC singers are currentlyISU music majors: Ted Brimeyer(ACC singer from 1995-1997),Cathy Compton (1996-2000),and Pavithra Rajagopalan (2001-2003).

The Concert Choir was theonly children’s choir selected toperform a solo concert for thesixtieth Anniversary Conferenceof the Michigan Music EducatorsAssociation in January. The choiralso toured to Washington, DC,where it performed a solo concertat Washington’s NationalCathedral on Sunday, June 26.The choir laid a wreath at theTomb of the Unknown at

Arlington and performed aspecial service in honor of Dr.Munsen’s brother, Lt. CraigMarvik Munsen (USN, 1966-1996) who has a memorialmarker at Arlington. Additionalconcerts were performed at theJefferson Memorial, the WWIIMemorial, Mt. Vernon, and forthe Lake Barcroft Association.

with each ensemble.Another special aspect of the

President’s Concert will be theIowa State Singers’ performanceof the world premiere of a newwork by René Clausen entitledThe Early Bird. The piece is asetting of a poem by Ted Kooser,current U.S. Poet Laureate and2005 Pulitzer Prize winner.

Kooser is a Iowa Statealumnus and resident of nearbyLincoln, NE.

8 - Music Today

During a break at a recentrehearsal of the DesMoines Symphony, a

photo (above) was taken ofeveryone in the group who hasan Iowa State Universityconnection. It was quite amixture.

Professors in the Departmentof Music were there. Current ISUstudents, long-time members andrecent additions to theSymphony all lined up for thephoto. In fact almost one-fourth ofthe entire symphony membershipeither works, goes to school or isan alumnus of Iowa State. Itwasn't always that way. The Des Moines Symphonywas established in 1937 as anadjunct of Drake University andremained that way for the next30 years. Recently, however, thegroup has taken on a decidedlyIowa State flavor. "The Iowa State membershipin the Symphony has fluctuateddepending on openings," saidJoseph Messenger, professor ofmusic and a long-time clarinetistwith the group. The Des Moines Symphony is

Orchestra pipeline Faculty, students and alumni maintain strong presence with Des Moines Symphony.

a full-service professionalorchestra which performs sevenpairs of classical concertsthroughout the season as well asa pops performance, familyconcerts, in-school ensembleperformances, and its annualYankee Doodle Pops concert onthe State Capitol grounds. Messenger auditioned for theorchestra when he first arrivedon campus 36 years ago. He hasbeen a member ever since. "It's an extra job foreveryone" he said. "I would sayabout three-fourths of theorchestra is involved in some sortof musical employment, typicallyteaching, while the rest camefrom various careers. "There are a number ofpeople who have been in theorchestra 15 to 25 years," hecontinued. "Amazing, we've hada very stable membership." One of those stable membersis David Stuart, associateprofessor of music, a membersince 1976. "A job opened up right whenI came to Iowa State," thetrombonist said. "Performingwith a symphony orchestra is the

nature of the research forperforming musicians. You haveto play – that's what you do. Iwould compare it to other facultymembers presenting papers." Stuart and Messenger say thatthey are lucky to have aprofessional orchestra in closeproximity to their primary job. "In some ways it's the best ofall possible worlds," Stuart said."You have to go where the job isand playing jobs aren't asplentiful here in the U.S. as theyare in Europe, South Americaand, in some regards, Asia." While playing with the DesMoines Symphony or any othergroup is secondary to teaching,the Iowa State music facultymembers say that performing hashelped them in the classroom. "The Symphony hasdefinitely helped my playing,particularly in the areas ofrhythm and pitch consistency,"said Jonathan Sturm, associateprofessor of music and theSymphony's concertmaster. "It has also helped myteaching because I demand moreprecision in these areas from my

9 - Music Today

Continued on page 10

students as well.” "Being in the company ofother musicians, making musicwith other people, working withdifferent conductors – it allmakes me a better teacher,"Stuart said. "It's good for me tofind out a different approach tosomething." Stuart uses rehearsals andperformances to find outdifferent approaches. TheSymphony rehearses on averageabout one week per month.Sturm says he spends anotherfive to 10 hours practicing themusic to be ready for rehearsalsand concerts. It's a little different situationfor Gretchen Theesfield, whoplays second violin in the DesMoines Symphony. A 2005 violinperformance graduate of IowaState, Theesfield is in her fourthseason as a member of theorchestra. "I always thought if I stuckaround Ames I wanted to be apart of the Symphony," she said. Theesfield worked her wayup through private lessons whileshe was a student in the AmesSchool District. Then she joinedthe Central Iowa Symphonywhile in high school and is amember of the ISU SymphonyOrchestra. Now she juggles her on-campus responsibilities with theDes Moines Symphony. "It was nerve wracking at thebeginning and a littleintimidating because theprofessionalism of the Symphonyis at a whole different level than I

Orchestrapipeline

was used to playing for," shesaid. "But it's the most rewardingexperience musically I've had,especially performing withworld-renowned guest artists likeYo-Yo Ma, which was earlier thisyear. That was quite special." Theesfield is a permanentmember of the group. Othermembers, some with Iowa Stateconnections, are extras who willperform on a special compositionduring a concert. Auditions areheld for the extra players,primarily in the wind andpercussion sections. The principal percussionistfor the Symphony is BarryLarkin, associate professor ofmusic. Like Messenger andStuart, Larkin auditioned for thegroup right after he arrived oncampus in 1993. One of the perks, he says, tothe job is that he hires extra

performers in his section.Typically he will seek out anIowa State student. "If I can walk up to a studentand tell them they can make$500 for a week's work doingsomething they love, they jumpat it," Larkin said. "It's a realthrill to have students up on thestage with me during aperformance." The performances are whatkeep Larkin, Sturm, Stuart andMessenger coming back. "I keep thinking it would befun when I retire to spendanother year or two just playingwith the Symphony," Messengersaid. "It would be fun to have ayear when I only had to play theclarinet. I have been an orchestrajunkie all my life. It's a wonderfulthing I get to do – to perform themost gorgeous music everwritten."�

Continued from page 9

10 - Music Today

By Christopher HopkinsAssistant Professor of MusicThe Department of Music

has taken large steps forward inits initiatives to provide newtechnological resources forteaching, professionalpreparation, and curriculumexpansion. This fall, with theassistance of over $61,000 ingrants awarded by the College ofLiberal Arts and SciencesComputer Advisory Committee,the department opened arenovated and expanded musiccomputer laboratory. The labwas redesigned to provide anincrease from eleven to twentystudent workstations and toreorient the student“workstations” to better takeadvantage of “smart classroom”technologies. Beyond serving anexpanding need for

Music technology initiatives awarded granttechnological support ininstruction and learning, thenew design provides animportant operational model foruse in the professionalpreparation of future musicteachers. Recent changes in themusic education curriculum notonly incorporate technology inthe process of learning, butprovide practical instruction inthe use of software, servers, andcomputer labs for teaching.

The lab expansion alsoprovides support for anexpansion of the curriculum inmusic technologies, the goal ofwhich is to establish thedepartment as a significantcontributor to the university’sstrengths in science andtechnology. The department’slong-range initiatives include anContinued on page 17

faculty news

The eighth and latestrecording the Ames PianoQuartet has just released

is unlike anything the residentchamber music ensemble at IowaState University has ever done.

"This a departure for us fromthe recordings we've done in thepast," said William David, thepianist in the group. "We've donemost of the traditional pianoquartet repertoire out there."

Instead of names like Mozart,Bach and Brahms this recordingfeatures composers such asHoiby, Bolcom and Willis.

Not exactly householdnames.

"It's critical that the music oftoday be heard," he said. "Themusic on this recording is allvery powerful and intense. If thathappens it's not a bad thing nomatter when the music wascomposed.

Non-traditionalNew Ames Piano Quartet recording featurescontemporary American music instead of standards.

"This music is all important,"David continued. "However we'refinding audiences are somewhatafraid of this type of music. Theywant more works by familiarcomposers."

Dark Rosaleen - Rhapsody onan Air of James Joyce by composerLee Hoiby was commissioned bythe Ames Town and GownChamber Music Association tocelebrate its 50th anniversary in2000. Hoiby wrote the piecespecifically for the Ames PianoQuartet, which has performedDark Rosaleen several times oncampus and throughout theUnited States.

This one movement, a 20-minute piece, is based on amelody that young James Joycewrote while in school. Hoiby wasextremely interested in gettingthe work recorded and assistedthe Ames Piano Quartet insecuring a recording contract.

"Lee (Hoiby) was anxious toget the piece recorded," Davidsaid. "This company (AlbanyRecords) focuses on Americanrepertoire and was extremelyhelpful in recording the Hoibypiece."

Also included on therecording is a piano quartet byPulitzer Prize-winning composerWilliam Bolcom. Written in1976, the piece is the “oldest” onthe recording. Instead of focusing

on the patriotic aspects of theBicentennial, Bolcom insteadchose to focus on what hedescribed as "a tragic flaw in theAmerican psyche that seems tolead inexorably toward violence."

David describes the piece asmore avant garde and "verydifferent from the Hoiby -strikingly dissonant andcompelling."

Like Dark Rosaleen, the AmesPiano Quartet has performed thispiano quartet before. It was onthe concert program for theirNew York City premiere.

The final piece is RichardWillis' Variants, which wascommissioned in 1990 for apiano quartet at Texas TechUniversity.

“Variants is similar to theHoiby piece," David said. "It'smore contemporary and anexcellent example of Americanmusic."

The CD is available at theAlbany Records web site(www.albanyrecords.com).

Besides David other membersof the Ames Piano Quartetinclude George Work, cello;Mahlon Darlington, violin; andJonathan Sturm, viola.�

11 - Music Today

Talk about making themost of a chance meeting.

Just over 25 years ago,Jeffrey Prater struck up aconversation with a Germanwoman and her 12-year-oldgranddaughter in a restaurant inSalzburg, Austria.

Turns out these Germans andPrater had something in common– a love for music.

The Iowa State professor ofmusic stayed in close touch withthe family over the years, andthat relationship has led tonumerous cooperativeinternational projects.

The girl’s father, Dr. EberhardNeumann-von Meding is aphysician, musician, historianand patron of the arts. Neumannhelped find housing in Germanyfor Prater and his family duringPrater’s Faculty DevelopmentAssignment leave in 1988-89.Then, in 1995, Neumann helpedPrater raise funds for a trip toGermany by the ISU ChamberSingers, which participated in afestival honoring the composerJohann Christoph FriederichBach.

Five years later, withNeumann’s assistance, theChamber Singers and Praterreturned to help publicize andraise funds for a joint German/Russian efforts to rebuild theKoenigsberg Cathedral located inRussian city of Kaliningrad.

During the 2000 visit, Prater’s55-minute composition VeniCreator Spiritus for solo flute,solo soprano, mixed chorus andorchestra was performed on twobenefit concerts for therebuilding of the Koenigsberg

To Russia with ISUTwo major projects beckon Music’s Jeffrey Prater toKaliningrad, Russia.

Cathedral. These performancesfeatured American soloists, theISU Chamber Singers and theKaliningrad State SymphonyOrchestra, conducted by ArkadiFeldman.

Just last month, Prater ledanother Iowa State delegationback to Kaliningrad at thebequest of Feldman andNeumann. This time, Prater,three other Iowa State musicfaculty members and twoprofessional musicians withformer Iowa State ties performedtwo full-length concerts as part ofa citywide festivalcommemorating the 750th

anniversary of the founding ofthe city of Koenigsberg/Kaliningrad.

Once again, Prater’s largework Veni Creator Spiritus wasthe featured composition in aperformance which took place inthe newly renovated KoenigsbergCathedral

“This is the most significantpiece I’ve composed in terms oflength, weight and content,” saidPrater.

Prater admits that VeniCreator Spiritus, which is basedon an 8th-century Gregorianchant tune and text of the same

title, is hard to categorize.“This work is not an oratorio

although the forces required aresimilar, and it’s not a concerto,although the solo flute andsoprano parts are weightyenough for that consideration,”he said.

“Neither is it a symphony,although the unifying musicalelements and developmentalprocedures used in thecomposition could be thought ofas symphonic. Veni CreatorSpiritus is really a combination ofall these musical genres.”

A more recent musicalcomposition by Prater was alsoperformed on the second half ofthe orchestral concert. Promise isa nine-minute piece for flute andstring orchestra and waspremiered on campus last spring.

Autobiographical in nature,Promise was composed in justthree weeks. Prater says it waswritten, in part, as a way to helphim come to terms withrebuilding his life following therecent death of his wife Jane,former medical recordsadministrator at Thielen HealthCenter.

“Although I am planningsoon to compose a large workspecifically in memory of Jane, Iwrote Promise for myself in orderto help me deal with my personalgrief and to help the healingprocesses,” Prater said.

After the rest of the IowaState delegation returned home,Prater stayed on in Kaliningrad.as a Fulbright lecturer inKaliningrad. He is lecturing toAmerican Studies Programstudents at Kaliningrad StateUniversity (Albertina University)on “Musical Culture in theUnited States.”�

12 - Music Today

He’s studied at theAcademy of Music inVienna with members of

the Vienna PhilharmonicOrchestra.

He himself has been a long-time trombonist with the DesMoines Symphony.

Rock ’n roll however hasalways held a special place inDavid Stuart’s heart.

“I’ve always been a legit(classical) musician,” says theassociate professor of music. “ButI’ve been into pop music sincehigh school.”

That’s when Stuart first heardThe Beatles. Later when hestudied abroad in college he got

Rock ’nrollDavid Stuart and agraduate student explorethe history of the musicgenre.

experience the British Invasionfirst hand.

It took the assassination ofex-Beatle John Lennon, however,to really get him started on theorigin and history of rock ’n’ roll.

By then, Stuart was on themusic faculty at Iowa State andalong with sociologists andothers on campus, he taught aseminar that included music ofThe Beatles era.

That seminar evolved into ahistory of rock ’n’ roll course thathe teaches every spring semesterwith assistance from RyanSheeler, graduate student ininterdisciplinary studies.

For years, the two have usedthe same textbook for the course,but in the most recent editionswitched to a chronologicalapproach.

“If you write a textbook forthe arts you need a hook ordifferent approach,” Stuart said.“So when a publishingrepresentative asked us if wewere interested in writing atextbook on rock ’n’ roll wethought about it for a while andthen said yes.”

From Bakersfield to BealeStreet – a Regional History ofAmerican Rock ’n’ Roll isscheduled to be released inJanuary 2006 by Kendall-HuntPublishing. Stuart and Sheelerplan to use the book during therock ’n’ roll course in the springsemester.

While many texts organizeinformation chronological or bymusical genre, in their bookStuart and Sheeler take theunique approach of organizingtheir material by regional musictastes.

One section will look at howthe classic Memphis Blues was

transformed by such artists asFats Domino, Chuck Berry andLittle Richard in the 1950s.

“These artists took the Bluesformat, sped up the tempo andadded youth-oriented lyrics totheir music,” Stuart said.

“Correspond that with theBaby Boomer era that now hasdisposable income and thingsstart happening in the industry.”

At approximately the sametime, something similar washappening in New York Citywhere songwriters were takingthe music from Americanmusical theatre and transformingit into pop music.

On the West Coast the “surf”music of the Beach Boys and Janand Dean spoke of a differentlifestyle. Latin rock in the late1950s with such artists as RitchieValens became popular as did therockabilly music of Buddy Holly.

“I think when we talk aboutthis country’s melting pot andhow it affects culture, thatmelting pot is reflected more inpop music than anything else,”Stuart says.

From Bakersfield to BealeStreet will look at the history ofAmerican rock ’n roll through itsorigins until the 1990s.�

13 - Music Today

David named University Professor William David, professor ofmusic, has been named aUniversity Professor at IowaState.

A founding member of theinternationally-acclaimed AmesPiano Quartet, David has had along-lasting impact on Iowa Statethrough his work on curriculumcommittees and the universityand college levels.

The title of UniversityProfessor recognizes facultymembers who have had asignificant impact on theirdepartments and the universityin the course of their careers atIowa State.

Michael Golemo, associateprofessor of music and directorof bands, has been named chairof the Department of Music.

Golemo replaces Sue Haug,professor of music, who is nowthe director of the School ofMusic at Pennsylvania StateUniversity.

A faculty member in theDepartment of Music since 1999,Golemo is the conductor of theISU Wind Ensemble and teachescourses in music education andsaxophone. As director of bandsat Iowa State, he oversees aprogram of eight bands.

Under Golemo’s direction,the ISU Wind Ensemble hasperformed for the IowaBandmasters Association, inMinneapolis’ Orchestra Hall andin Chicago’s Orchestra Hall. Thegroup just recently returned froma 10-day tour of Central Europewith performances in Vienna,Prague and Salzburg. This is thesecond time the ISU WindEnsemble has toured Europe

Golemo selected as department chairwhile Golemo has been thedirector. In 2003 the group hadperformances in Stuttgart,Munich and Salzburg.

With over 200 instrumentalarrangements, transcriptions andcompositions to his credit,Golemo has had worksperformed by a variety ofperformers including WyntonMarsalis, Anita Baker, SimonEstes and Louie Bellson.

As a saxophonist, Golemohas performed with such artistsas Natalie Cole, The Temptations,Ray Charles, Robert Goulet, RedSkelton, the Rockettes, MitziGaynor and several symphonyand jazz orchestras.

He is a past nationalpresident of Kappa Kappa PsiHonorary Band Fraternity and ispresident of the Big XII BandDirectors Association.

William David, UniversityProfessor of music, has beennamed the department’s assistantchair.

In the spring of 2005, LINC,Leaders INspiring Connections,asked Iowa State students tonominate outstanding faculty andstaff members on campus.

On March 8th, 2005, aFaculty and Student recognitionceremony was held in theCampanile Room to honoroutstanding faculty/staffmembers, outstanding studentleaders, and the Senior ClassCouncil Award Recipients.

Among the faculty/staffmembers selected by studentsand among peers for theirdedication to Iowa Staters wasJames Bovinette, associateprofessor of music.

Bovinette is the director ofthe Jazz Ensemble program atIowa State and a professor oftrumpet.

As a solo artist he hasperformed works for trumpet andorchestra with the St. LouisPhilharmonic Orchestra, IllinoisContemporary Chamber MusicEnsemble and the ClassicalMusic Festival Orchestra inEisenstadt and Vienna, Austria.

Bovinette topteacher

James Bovinette

14 - Music Today

William David

During spring of 2005 the Ames Piano Quartet(Mahlon Darlington, Jonathan Sturm, GeorgeWork, and William David) performed in Orangeand Palm Springs CA. For the second consecutivesummer, they gave three concerts and served on thefaculty at the Madeline Island (WI) Music Festival.

James Bovinette was awarded a FacultyImprovement Leave fall semester 2004 to conductresearch at the French Bibliotheque National inParis, and the Library of Congress in WashingtonDC. Professor Bovinette is working on a book aboutthe famous nineteenth century cornet virtuoso andfounder of the first cornet class at the ParisConservatory, Jean Baptiste Arban. Other projectsassociated with this research include hiscollaboration with James Tenor to produce neweditions of Arban’s music for cornet à pistons andpiano, and the production of a CD featuring theISU Wind Ensemble accompanying Dr. Bovinetteperforming Arban’s music arranged for cornetsoloist and band. Dr. Bovinette gave the premiereperformance of the first of these arrangements byDr. Golemo with the Ames Municipal Band thisJuly.

During 2004, Christopher Hopkins hadperformances of his Voices of the Autumn Wind, inNew York City, Boston, and Los Angeles, with LucyShelton and Karl Paulnack, and conducted thepremiere of Mirror Antiphonies II: The Mirror ofEnigma at the Krannert Center in Champaign-Urbana with University of Illinois Faculty. InDecember, his recording conducting the Society forNew Music in his own Sonatas in Dark to Lightappeared on an Innova CD “Society for New Music:American Masters for the 21st Century”. Sonatas inDark to Light was commissioned by the Societywith funds from the National Endowment for theArts. During Spring 2005 Dr. Hopkins had twopremieres, Inscape and Relinquaries, a compositionfor musical speaker and instrumental ensemble onpoems of Ted Kooser, premiered during aUniversity Lectures/CEAH event with the poet, andSonata of the Seaven Teares, a sonata for ‘cello andpiano commissioned by the Iowa Music TeachersAssociation and premiered by George Work andWilliam David. James Hannon and the CentralIowa Symphony will premiere his Fanfares and

Faculty notesFantasies in October.

Alliance and Hal Leonard recently published fournew editions ofchoral works byJames Rodde,includingSweelinck’sPseaume 43 andEv’ry Time I Feelthe Spirit by Moses

Hogan. Dr. Rodde has been invited to conduct All-State choruses in Wisconsin in 2005, and in Texas,South Dakota, and Iowa during 2006.

In the fall of 2004 Donald Simonson performed thetitle role of Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito in Taiwan,Republic of China. He also performed as soloistwith the ISU Wind Ensemble during their tour ofthe Czech Republic, and Austria. Dr. Simonsonpresented a paper at the sixth InternationalCongress of Voice Teachers in Vancouver, BC, inAugust, 2005

During the past year Matthew Smith judgedmarching band competitions in Raceland, LA, andAnkeny, IA, during his free weekends in the fall. InMay, he served as guest conductor of the CentralIowa Symphony, leading a program of Beethoven,Schubert, Stravinsky, and Hanson. In addition, headjudicated the ISHA Orchestra Festival in WestDes Moines. During the summer of 2005 he was inEast Lansing where he began work toward theDMA degree in wind conducting at Michigan StateUniversity.

During the summer of 2004 Jonathan Sturm spenttwo weeks in Albania teaching and performing. Inaddition to continuing to serve as concertmaster ofthe Des Moines Symphony Orchestra, he was afeatured soloist with the orchestra last February. Dr.Sturm’s violinstudents haverecently beenchosenwinners ofthe CentralContinued on page 16

15 - Music Today

Iowa Symphony Concerto Competition, the DesMoines Symphony competition, and third prize inthe national MTNA high school string competition.

During the summer of 2005, Tin-Shi Tamperformed carillon recitals at the 63rd Congress ofThe Guild of Carillonneurs in North America at

The Grand ValleyState University inGrand Rapids, MI;Middlebury Collegein Middlebury, VT;and NorwichUniversity inNorthfield, VT. Dr.Tam’s carillon CD The

Bells of Iowa State, featuring Cyclone favorites and acommissioned work by Jeffrey Prater, is availablefrom the ISU Alumni Association.

In addition to becoming Chair of the MusicDepartment on July 1, replacing Sue Haug,Michael Golemo, director of bands, was electedChairman of the Board of Trustees for Kappa KappaPsi National Honorary Band Fraternity. Golemoserved this past spring as an adjudicator for boththe state of Illinois and Nebraska high schoolconcert band competitions. He served as a guestconductor for several honor bands, and continuesto conduct the Ames Municipal Band during thesummer. Golemo is also serving as President of theBig XII Band Directors Association.

Sylvia Munsen recently conducted at the followingfestivals: OPUS Fifth and Sixth Grade Honor Choirat C. Y. Stephens Auditorium; Iowa ChoralDirectors (ICDA) Association; NC District Fifthand Sixth Honor Choir in Hubbard; NW DistrictFifth and Sixth Grade Honor Choir in LeMars; andMidwest Children’s Choir Festival at C. Y. Stephens.She also presented several workshops for theArizona Music Education Association StateConference in Phoenix.

Faculty notesSonja Giles was appointed assistant professor

of flute beginning fall 2005. Dr. Giles hasperformed with the American Wind SymphonyOrchestra, the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra, theCedar Rapids Symphony,the Oskaloosa SymphonyOrchestra, the Center forNew Music and theOttumwa SymphonyOrchestra.

She holds a Doctorof Musical Arts fromUniversity of Minnesota,a Master of Music fromthe University of Iowa,and a Bachelor of Musicfrom the University ofAlabama.

In the past year, she was a featured soloist withthe ISU Symphony Orchestra and ISU WindEnsemble. In April, she premiered Jeffrey Prater’sPromise for flute and orchestra. Dr. Giles gave theRussian premiere of this work with the KaliningradSymphony Orchestra in August.

Sonja GilesContinued from page 15

16 - Music Today

Introducing new faculty

Michael GilesMichael Giles joins the music faculty as a

lecturer this fall teaching saxophone and jazz. Anative Iowan, Giles studied vocal jazz at theSouthwesternCommunity CollegeSchool for MusicVocations andclassical saxophoneat the University ofIowa (B.M., M.A.)He has taught at theUniversity ofWyoming and in theMinneapolis Public Schools while maintaining abusy freelance calendar.

He focuses on contemporary classicalsaxophone repertoire, and is an active improviser.He also moonlights as a jazz pianist.Last summer,Giles performed in Kaliningrad, Russia.

James Hannonjoined the music facultyas the Director ofOrchestral Activities inthe fall of 2004. At IowaState he conducts theISU SymphonyOrchestra and teachesinstrumentalconducting.

A native of BattleCreek, MI, Hannon

began his musical studies on the violin. He receivedhis bachelor’s degree in music education fromMichigan State University, where he studied violinwith I-Fu Wang and Lyman Bodman and stringpedagogy with Judith Palac.

Hannon went on to earn a Master of Musicdegree in orchestral conducting from SouthernIllinois University at Edwardsville, where he wasalso a Suzuki pedagogy student of John Kendall.

He has completed all coursework for adoctorate in orchestral conducting from theUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison as a student ofDavid E. Becker.

Hannon has served as orchestra director andviolin professor at the University of Wisconsin-EauClaire, as well as assistant professor of music anddirector of orchestras at the University ofWisconsin-La Crosse, where he also taught violinand viola.

He was recently appointed conductor of theCentral Iowa Symphony.

James HannonChristopher Hopkins

works in musiccomposition, theory andanalysis, performance,and applications oftechnology. As acomposer his interestsinclude bothexperimental andtraditional forms, withspecial interests inelectroacoustic music anddialectics of historical and contemporary musicalforms. He joined the Iowa State faculty in the fall of2004. His analytic and theoretic research includesphonological description of unusual performancetechniques, innovative computer-based musicalnotations, and tonal analysis of pre-Classical andearly twentieth-century music.

He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree fromCornell University, where his principal mentorswere Karel Husa (composition) and John Hsu(performance), and a Master of Music degree fromthe Cleveland Institute of Music.

His compositions have been performed atmajor festivals in Basel, Grenoble, Hong Kong,Honolulu, Melbourne, New York, Tanglewood,Toronto, Vienna, and Zürich.

He has been director/conductor ofcontemporary music ensembles at CornellUniversity and the Cleveland Institute of Music, aswell as guest conductor with professional newmusic ensembles.

Christopher Hopkins17 - Music Today

undergraduate minor in music technologies as wellas an expansion of courses appropriate forinterdisciplinary programs in broader performingarts technologies, art and design, engineering, andmedia studies. During 2005-2006 two new coursesin music technology will be added. The firstprovides an integrated introduction to thefundamentals of theory, composition, and musicsoftware, taught entirely through technology. Thisis a course for non-majors and is being tested as amodel for a future ‘gateway’ course for the musictechnology minor. The second course specializes inMIDI and fundamental digital audio techniques.

Grant to aid music technology effortsThis course will serve a dual purpose of being arequirement in the music technology minor and anadvanced elective for the music major. These newcourses also allow beneficial changes to establishedcourses, Introduction to Music Technologiesbecoming more specialized for the music educationcurriculum and the course in Electronic MusicSynthesis focusing on more advanced soundsynthesis techniques.

On the horizon are initiatives to provideadditional studies in the areas of recordingtechniques, interactive and live performancetechnologies, and advanced applications oftechnology in music education.

Continued from page 10

18 - Music Today

Join the Alumni Band!An invitation:

Do you miss the music? The marching?The memories?

You can relive your college days in the bandone more time and join us for the 25th AnnualISU Alumni Band Reunion. Our goal is to have250 marchers on the field to commemorate thepast 25 years.

In addition to the Alumni Band reunion,thee will be a very special reunion of past banddirectors. In attendance will be Marty Province(1996-2002); Dustin Seifert (1998-2000); WillRapp (1986-88); Dan Phillips (1980-88); andJimmie Howard Reynolds (1972-80).

So whether you haven’t picked up yourinstrument in decades or you’re fresh out ofcollege, mark your calendar for HomecomingWeekend, Oct. 21-22, 2005 and return to Amesto celebrate with the greatest Alumni Band inthe land!

Information on hotel rooms and reunionupdates can be found at the AlumniAssociation’s web site (www.isualum.org/events/alumniband) or on the Alumni Bandwebsite (www.isualumniband.org/home.php).

We’ll look forward to seeing you atHomecoming 2005!

Dennis GoeringAlumni Band President

alumni news

25th Annual ISUAlumni Band ReunionFriday, October 214:10 pm - 2005 “Varsity” Marching Band Rehearsal

Band Practice Field, south of DesignCollege

7 pm - Silver Anniversary CelebrationSun Room, Memorial Union

8 pm - ProgramSun Room, Memorial Union

Saturday, October 22Times to be determined when game time is set

Alumni Band RehearsalBand Practice Field

Combined Band RehearsalBand Practice Field

Meal & Annual Business MeetingScheman Building

Line up to march to stadiumHilton Coliseum west doors

Halftime PerformanceJack Trice Field

Executive Board MeetingScheman Building

ALUMNI:Send your professional andpersonal news towdavid@iastate.edu

19 - Music Today

Making a lasting impact

Raising funds to support theDepartment of Music continues to be apriority in the College of Liberal Arts andSciences, recognizing the impact thedepartment has on so many students atthe university. From support for studentscholarships to professorships andoutreach events like the President’sConcert to technology and equipmentupgrades, the department has identifiedmany important funding priorities for the next several years.

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the alumniand friends who have supported the efforts of the Department ofMusic over the last year. Few pleasures in life offer more personalsatisfaction or endure longer than helping others to achieve theirdreams.

When I talk with alumni and friends about why they decided tomake a gift, they give several reasons. For some, it is a way to saythank you to the department for opportunities they received as adirect result of their education. Others feel compelled to assiststudents of today and tomorrow to ensure they receive opportunitiesthey experienced while in school, creating memories that have lasteda lifetime for them.

The department received many gifts this past year, but there wasone very special gift to recognize. Ellen (’61 Journalism) and TomWalvoord (‘61 Animal Science) have committed to support thedepartment with a gift of $1 million. And although the focus of thegift is yet to be determined, Ellen and Tom’s generosity will impactthe department and countless students for many years to come.

As you think about your reasons for giving, please know thatyour generosity provides much needed financial support to students,faculty and the department. It is impossible to overstate the impact ofpersonal contributions to the Department of Music. Knowing yourgift, no matter what size, touches the lives of so many is one of thegreatest personal rewards you will experience.

Perhaps you have said that once you are comfortable and secure,you would like to help those causes near to your heart. If you are oneof those people, making a charitable bequest by including the IowaState University Foundation in your will or codicil is an easy way toturn your good intentions into action. We can help you and yourestate planning advisors develop a plan best suited to satisfy bothfamily and philanthropic goals.

Please remember that every gift has a lasting impact on thequality of education, research, faculty and service we provide. Yourgift counts and we are deeply grateful for your ongoing support. Formore information about making a gift to the Department of Music orincluding it in your estate plans, please contact me atmjohans@iastate.edu or 515-294-8868.

Danny Dickinson, B. Mus. (’05)received a Fulbright Fellowshipfor the summer of 2005. Heworked in the Laboratory forMolecular Radiobiology atUniversity Hospital in Zurich,Switzerland. He describes hiswork as follows: “My projectseeks to better understand, on amolecular level, the changes thatoccur in a cell upon treatmentwith radiation. This fall, Dannywill begin graduate study atStanford University.

Jennifer Porto, B. Mus. (‘00) hasreceived a Fulbright Scholarshipto study at the Hochschule inLeipzig. Her area of emphasiswill be lieder not usuallyperformed or known in theUnited States. Her scholarship isfor the 2005-2006 school year.She will spend six weeks in Kielat the Goethe Institute beforegoing to Leipzig in October.

Recent ISU graduates haveaccepted teaching assignments inIowa public schools:Becky Christensen (‘05),VenturaMelissa Danforth (‘05), EarlhamJaqui Scanes (‘05), Fort DodgeHigh SchoolShelby Sievers (‘04), LewisCentral High School, CouncilBluffsAmanda Tomlinson (‘05), PrairieCity-MonroeRose Rumohr (‘05), UnitedCommunity, BooneSarah Wright (‘05), NortheastHamilton

Alumni newsBy Melissa JohansenDirector of Development

Music TodayDepartment of MusicIowa State University149 Music HallAmes, IA 50011

Upcoming Special EventsoctoberSaturday, October 8Naoko Takada, marimbistMartha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall7:30 pm $

Sunday, October 9Collage of ChoirsStephens Auditorium3 pm $

Sunday, October 23ISU Wind EnsembleHomecoming Alumni ConcertMartha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall3 pm

Friday and Saturday, October 14-15Lipa Festival ofContemporary MusicMartha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall

novemberThursday & Friday, Nov. 10-11ISU Opera Studio“Side by Side by Sondheim”Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall7:30 pm $

Sunday, November 13ISU Band ExtravaganzaStephens Auditorium3 pm $

decemberSunday, December 4ISU Holiday Festival ChoralStephens Auditorium3 pm $

januaryFriday and Saturday, January 13-1441st ISU Madrigal DinnerGreat Hall, Memorial Union5:30 pm $

marchSunday, March 26The President’s ConcertHolland Performing Arts CenterOmaha, Nebraska3 pm $Reception, 1 pm $

aprilApril 6-8Libby LarsonComposer-in-ResidenceMartha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall