The collegiate newsletter of5Volume XXVII Number 3 January/February 2011

6

11

Leadership Institute 2011 —– Key ChangeThis issue of The Red & Black highlights

some of what’s in store at the 2011 LeadershipInstitute. At the event, the Men of Song Chorusreturns with a new conductor: J. Kevin Gray, (NuKappa) Winthrop ’95. Kevin conducted the chorusat Fireside Conference Northeast, and we’rethrilled he’ll be joining us again. At the FiresideConference, Kevin gave the keynote address;here’s the text of his speech.

Our history; it began so simply, but do notbe fooled. In these simple actions were great anddeep ideals that blossomed across this countryand even now are being perfected by this genera-tion. In Mills was a great need to mentor andspread this sense of unity among all those whowould meditate at the feet of the lyre. He musthave known that this sense of fraternal unity wasnot only what was best for the rise of Americanmusic, but that it was what was best for each ofus as an individual.

Since ancient times young men have hadtheir rituals whereby they begin to understand thepower they have to shape their own destinies. Butalso, in these rituals they are handed down thestory, the energy and knowledge of every otherpilgrim who came before them. I believe in myheart that these past pilgrims left behind theirlegacy not because they simply hoped we wouldsurvive as an order or that we would be theirequal, but they left all the knowledge from theirpast so we may soar to higher places than theythemselves.

Every day we have the choice to be better; tobe more divine in every thought, word and deed.And by making more divine choices, we producea more divine art. We read in ancient myth thatwhen Orpheus was faced with violence by theThracians, he chose death rather than compro-mise his ideal. It was in this clinging to his higherprincipals that he put off mortality and becamedivine.

My brothers, we make the same decisionsevery day; maybe not in the sense of physicaldeath, but truly we have the choice to give intoour more base and carnal nature rather thanfocusing on all that makes the world, us and the

(see “Gray,” page 3)

Leadership Institute 2011Key Change

I hope all ofyour new semestershave started offwell, and that thenew year is treatingyou and your chap-ters with the utmostcare. The new yearoften presents for usa time to reflect andregenerate; learn

and rededicate ourselves to whatever it iswe seek. The ultimate way for any of usto reflect on our Sinfonian lives is to sitthrough the ritual. Our initiation is theperfect reminder of both our experiencesthat brought us into this brotherhoodand the lessons we've learned that allowus to call ourselves Sinfonians.

With the new year comes the wantfor resolutions; to improve yourself mind,body, and soul. Our fraternity offers anexcellent summer program with a veryspecific and beneficial message that willenhance your abilities as a leader not onlyin your chapter but in whatever ventureyou pursue. John F Kennedy once saidthat leadership and learning are indispen-sable to each other. The LeadershipInstitute 2011 will be another inspiringand educational journey to be sharedwith your fellow brothers from aroundthe country.

You likely have heard me speakbefore about the fact that being a leaderwill educate you on how to be a leader,but it often comes with unpleasant trialsand tribulations. Most leaders, whether

they were prepared to lead or not, learnedvaluable lessons through trial an error.There are, to be certain, lessons to belearned in failing or struggling, but it isalways wise to make yourself as preparedas possible before taking on such respon-sibility. The skills you learn at LeadershipInstitute will allow you to skip the diffi-cult steps involved in learning many ofthese lessons.

But to be sure, the proof is in thepudding. As a well-known insurancecommercial advertises, don't take myword for it. Ask your brothers who havegone to Leadership Institutes in the past.Ask brothers who are leaders in yourchapter. Ask brothers you look up to.Any one of them will tell you that this isa great experience, as well as a perfectopportunity for growth. The LeadershipInstitute 2011 will be a truly great oppor-tunity for you to seek the truth to seemore of the life around you.

Be true in all endeavors Brothers,until next we meet!

Fraternally Yours,In Phi, Mu, and Alpha,

Benjamin “Twitchy” Strack,Delta Iota (Western Michigan) ’05National Collegiate Representative

Page 2

From the NationalCollegiate Representative

Operational UpdatesChapters: 232Colonies: 18

Omicron Theta (New Jersey City University)Iota Eta (Central State University)Pi Kappa (Langston University)Florida Eta (Florida Atlantic University)Zeta Pi (Loyola University)Eta Iota (University of Louisiana-Monroe)Epsilon Pi (Hartwick College)Iota Tau (Old Dominion University)Iota Beta (North Carolina A&T State University)Beta Psi (University of California-Los Angeles)Theta Phi (Eastern New Mexico University)Eta Phi (University of Southern Mississippi)Pi Nu (Jackson State University)Delaware Beta (Delaware State University)District of Columbia Alpha (Univ. of DC)Xi Beta (Benedict College)Nu Theta (Kennesaw State University)Omicron Delta (Alabama A & M University)

Alumni Associations: 20Collegiate members in Good Standing 4,782Collegiate members on Suspension 738Collegiate members (total) 5,520Percentage of total collegiate suspensions 13.37%Total amount of outstandingper capita tax owed to Sinfonia $93,031.00

Publication InformationThe Red & Black is published as an informational

newsletter for the Fraternity’s chapters, colonies, facultyadvisors, governors, committeemen, and national officers.

The Red & Black is printed bimonthly, September toApril. Articles from your chapter are highly encouraged forupcoming issues. Please send the articles and photographsto editor@sinfonia.org. The deadline for the March/Aprilissue is February 15, 2011.

Editor/Layout: Jeremy M. Evans, Delta Nu ’98

Lyrecrest Staff:Chief Operating Jeremy M. EvansOfficer evans@sinfonia.org Ext. 108

Director of Daniel E. Krueger, Xi Pi ’96Alumni Engagement krueger@sinfonia.org Ext. 104

Director of Collegiate William C. Lambert, Iota Alpha ’05Programs & Education lambert@sinfonia.org Ext. 101

Retreat Coordinator Drew B. Lewis, Theta Tau ’08& Programs Associate lewis@sinfonia.org Ext. 103

Administrative Kimberly J. DailyAssistant daily@sinfonia.org Ext. 100

Controller Tonya R. McGuiremcguire@sinfonia.org Ext. 105

Executive Assistant Debra L. Celuchceluch@sinfonia.org Ext. 107

Shipping Clerk Jon W. Raderrader@sinfonia.org Ext. 106

Did You Know?Want to see the National Archives? Many of the

resources and items available for viewing in the archiveshave been scanned and are available to be viewed at ourwebsite: www.sinfonia.org/history

At Leadership Institute 2011, KarlPaulnack will be initiated into the AlphaAlpha National Honorary chapter of theFraternity. Paulnack’s credentials arebeyond impressive. We’re hoping youcan learn a little bit about Dr. Paulnack,and why he’s being honored. What fol-lows is an excerpt from a welcomeaddress given to parents of incomingstudents at The Boston Conservatory onSeptember 1, 2004, by Dr. Paulnack.

One of my parents' deepest fears, I suspect, is that society wouldnot properly value me as a musician, that I wouldn’t be appreciated. Ihad very good grades in high school, I was good in science and math,and they imagined that as a doctor or a research chemist or an engi-neer, I might be more appreciated than I would be as a musician. I stillremember my mother’s remark when I announced my decision to applyto music school-she said, "you’re wasting your SAT scores!" On somelevel, I think, my parents were not sure themselves what the value ofmusic was, what its purpose was. And they loved music: they listenedto classical music all the time. They just weren’t really clear about itsfunction. So let me talk about that a little bit, because we live in a soci-ety that puts music in the "arts and entertainment" section of thenewspaper, and serious music, the kind your kids are about to engagein, has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with entertainment, in factit’s the opposite of entertainment. Let me talk a little bit about music,

and how it works.One of the first cultures to articulate how music really works were

the ancient Greeks. And this is going to fascinate you: the Greeks saidthat music and astronomy were two sides of the same coin. Astronomywas seen as the study of relationships between observable, permanent,external objects, and music was seen as the study of relationshipsbetween invisible, internal, hidden objects. Music has a way of findingthe big, invisible moving pieces inside our hearts and souls and helpingus figure out the position of things inside us. Let me give you someexamples of how this works.

One of the most profound musical compositions of all time is the“Quartet for the End of Time” written by French composer OlivierMessiaen in 1940. Messiaen was 31 years old when France entered thewar against Nazi Germany. He was captured by the Germans in Juneof 1940 and imprisoned in a prisoner-of-war camp.

He was fortunate to find a sympathetic prison guard who gave himpaper and a place to compose and fortunate to have musician col-leagues in the camp, a cellist, a violinist, and a clarinetist. Messiaenwrote his quartet with these specific players in mind. It was performedin January 1941 for the prisoners and guards of the prison camp.Today it is one of the most famous masterworks in the repertoire.

Given what we have since learned about life in the Nazi camps,why would anyone in his right mind waste time and energy writing orplaying music?

There was barely enough energy on a good day to find food and (see, “Paulnack,” page 4)

Page 3

(from, “Gray,” page 3)art we produce better. I would ask you today to strive into the nightwith a torch lighting not only your way but the way of all thosewho seek the truth and best in all things but especially in music.

Music has power to change the hearts of men for better orworse. In the Old Testament of the Bible we are told that the onlyremedy for the dark foreboding spirits that surrounded the King ofIsrael Saul was the singing and playing of the harp by David. Themusic we produce makes a difference. In music we have the abilityto transport people directly into the mind of the composer. Wewrite marches and people march; we write suites and people can’thelp but dance; we compose ballads and people are moved to tears.

So often, long after people have forgotten the details of theirchildhood, they can still hum and sing the tunes they were taughtin kindergarten. It is up to us gentlemen to compose the future, toprovide the soundtrack for our time. It is not enough that we mere-ly study the great art of the past and feel that the zenith has beenexplored already. We have not reached the mountaintop yet. No mybrothers we must learn from them; let all of our heroes inspire us,but we must not simply revel in the past, we must be Beethoven,Stravinsky, Mozart or Copland to our generation.

Brothers sadly, what we would deem as classical music is indanger of being overwhelmed by a crushing wave of music thatappeals solely to our base self. I do believe that there is room at the

table for all types of music and I find enjoyment in them. That said,there will always be this music. But what does it say about us as aculture when so much of our art has no exalted theme at all but isjust a reflective of a drunken mind at a party. Friends by all meanslisten and enjoy, but when the party is over remember that we haveto be the ones who call the world’s attention to peace, to our histo-ry, to fighting injustice, to the questions that we struggle to answerabout ourselves and the universe.

So today and every day I call you to summon up that samespirit and fire that each of the master musicians and composers hadinside them and, like Orpheus, teach the world to reach for thedivine, the light, the seemingly unreachable notes that seem like animpossibility. Teach them to dream with you; inspire them, notwith myths and stories alone, but live out the myths and spirits ofthose great men before them. Let it be known that art is abovemere profit and not simply entertainment alone but that it is sacred,and that all who are touched by it are better for having been in itspresence. Write symphonies, sing alone with organs and guitars andbrass bands, pour your heart and soul out before the world andnever forget that you are not alone, but that you walk along a paththat has been traveled by some of the greatest men who have everlived. Know that when you do these things that Ossian Mills’ dreamis continuing to be made anew and more perfect. We have the bene-fit of today to make better music, better men and a better world.

National Honorary Spotlight: Karl Paulnack

Page 4

(from, “Paulnack,” page 3)water, to avoid a beating, to stay warm, to escapetorture–why would anyone bother with music?And yet–even from the concentration camps, wehave poetry, we have music, we have visual art; itwasn’t just this one fanatic Messiaen; many, manypeople created art. Why? Well, in a place wherepeople are only focused on survival, on the barenecessities, the obvious conclusion is that artmust be, somehow, essential for life. The campswere without money, without hope, without commerce, without recre-ation, without basic respect, but they were not without art. Art is partof survival; art is part of the human spirit, an unquenchable expressionof who we are. Art is one of the ways in which we say, "I am alive, andmy life has meaning."

In September 2001 I was a resident of Manhattan. On the morn-ing of September 12, 2001, I reached a new understanding of my artand its relationship to the world. I sat down at the piano that morningat 10 AM to practice as was my daily routine; I did it by force of habit,without thinking about it. I lifted the cover on the keyboard, openedmy music, and put my hands on the keys and took my hands off thekeys. And I sat there and thought, does this even matter? Isn’t thiscompletely irrelevant? Playing the piano right now, given what hap-pened in this city yesterday, seems silly, absurd, irreverent, pointless.Why am I here? What place has a musician in this moment in time?Who needs a piano player right now? I was completely lost.

And then I, along with the rest of New York, went through thejourney of getting through that week. I did not play the piano thatday, and in fact I contemplated briefly whether I would ever want toplay the piano again. And then I observed how we got through theday.

At least in my neighborhood, we didn’t shoot hoops or playScrabble. We didn’t play cards to pass the time, we didn’t watch TV,we didn’t shop, we most certainly did not go to the mall. The firstorganized activity that I saw in New York, on the very evening ofSeptember 11th, was singing. People sang. People sang around firehouses, people sang "We Shall Overcome". Lots of people sang“America the Beautiful.” The first organized public event that Iremember was the “Brahms Requiem”, later that week, at LincolnCenter, with the New York Philharmonic. The first organized publicexpression of grief, our first communal response to that historic event,was a concert. That was the beginning of a sense that life might go on.The US Military secured the airspace, but recovery was led by the arts,and by music in particular, that very night.

From these two experiences, I have come to understand that musicis not part of "arts and entertainment" as the newspaper section wouldhave us believe. It’s not a luxury, a lavish thing that we fund from left-

overs of our budgets, not a plaything or an amusement or a pass time.Music is a basic need of human survival. Music is one of the ways wemake sense of our lives, one of the ways in which we express feelingswhen we have no words, a way for us to understand things with ourhearts when we can’t with our minds.

Some of you may know Samuel Barber’s, Zeta Iota (Howard) ’52,heart wrenchingly beautiful piece “Adagio for Strings.” If you don’tknow it by that name, then some of you may know it as the back-ground music which accompanied the Oliver Stone movie “Platoon,” afilm about the Vietnam War. If you know that piece of music eitherway, you know it has the ability to crack your heart open like a walnut;it can make you cry over sadness you didn’t know you had. Music canslip beneath our conscious reality to get at what’s really going on insideus the way a good therapist does.

Very few of you have ever been to a wedding where there wasabsolutely no music. There might have been only a little music, theremight have been some really bad music, but with few exceptions thereis some music.

And something very predictable happens at weddings-people getall pent up with all kinds of emotions, and then there’s some musicalmoment where the action of the wedding stops and someone sings orplays the flute or something. And even if the music is lame, even if thequality isn’t good, predictably 30 or 40 percent of the people who aregoing to cry at a wedding cry a couple of moments after the musicstarts. Why?

The Greeks. Music allows us to move around those big invisiblepieces of ourselves and rearrange our insides so that we can expresswhat we feel even when we can’t talk about it. Can you imaginewatching Indiana Jones or Superman or Star Wars with the dialoguebut no music? What is it about the music swelling up at just the rightmoment in E.T. so that all the softies in the audience start crying atexactly the same moment? I guarantee you if you showed the moviewith the music stripped out, it wouldn’t happen that way. The Greeks. Music is the understanding of the relationship between invisible internal objects.

(see, “Paulnack,” page 5)

On the morning of September 12, 2001,I reached a new understanding of my artand its relationship to the world.

(from, “Paulnack,” page 4)I’ll give you one more example, the story of the most important

concert of my life. I must tell you I have played a little less than athousand concerts in my life so far. I have played in places that Ithought were important. I like playing in Carnegie Hall; I enjoyedplaying in Paris; it made me very happy to please the critics in St. Petersburg. I have played for people I thought were important; musiccritics of major newspapers, foreign heads of state. The most impor-tant concert of my entire life took place in a nursing home in a smallMidwestern town a few years ago.

I was playing with a very dear friend of mine who is a violinist.We began, as we often do, with Aaron Copland’s, Alpha Upsilon(Arizona) ’61-Hon., Sonata, which was written during World War IIand dedicated to a young friend of Copland’s, a young pilot who wasshot down during the war. Now we often talk to our audiences aboutthe pieces we are going to play rather than providing them with writtenprogram notes. But in this case, because we began the concert withthis piece, we decided to talk about the piece later in the program andto just come out and play the music without explanation.

Midway through the piece, an elderly man seated in a wheelchairnear the front of the concert hall began to weep. This man, whom Ilater met, was clearly a soldier—even in his 70s, it was clear from hisbuzz-cut hair, square jaw and general demeanor that he had spent agood deal of his life in the military. I thought it a little bit odd thatsomeone would be moved to tears by that particular movement of thatparticular piece, but it wasn’t the first time I’ve heard crying in a con-cert and we went on with the concert and finished the piece.

When we came out to play the next piece on the program, wedecided to talk about both the first and second pieces, and wedescribed the circumstances in which the Copland was written andmentioned its dedication to a downed pilot. The man in the front ofthe audience became so disturbed that he had to leave the auditorium.

I honestly figured that we would not see him again, but he did comebackstage afterwards, tears and all, to explain himself.

What he told us was this: "During World War II, I was a pilot,

and I was in an aerial combat situation where one of my team’s planeswas hit. I watched my friend bail out, and watched his parachuteopen, but the Japanese planes which had engaged us returned andmachine gunned across the parachute cords so as to separate the para-chute from the pilot, and I watched my friend drop away into theocean, realizing that he was lost. I have not thought about this formany years, but during that first piece of music you played, this memo-ry returned to me so vividly that it was as though I was reliving it. Ididn’t understand why this was happening, why now, but then whenyou came out to explain that this piece of music was written to com-memorate a lost pilot, it was a little more than I could handle. Howdoes the music do that? How did it find those feelings and thosememories in me?"

Remember the Greeks: music is the study of invisible relationshipsbetween internal objects. The concert in the nursing home was themost important work I have ever done. For me to play for this old sol-dier and help him connect, somehow, with Aaron Copland, and toconnect their memories of their lost friends, to help him remember andmourn his friend, this is my work. This is why music matters.

What follows is part of the talk I will give to this year’s freshmanclass when I welcome them a few days from now. The responsibility Iwill charge your sons and daughters with is this:

"If we were a medical school, and you were here as a med studentpracticing appendectomies, you’d take your work very seriously becauseyou would imagine that some night at 2:00am someone is going towaltz into your emergency room and you’re going to have to save theirlife. Well, my friends, someday at 8:00pm someone is going to walkinto your concert hall and bring you a mind that is confused, a heartthat is overwhelmed, a soul that is weary. Whether they go out wholeagain will depend partly on how well you do your craft.

You’re not here to become an entertainer, and you don’t have tosell yourself. The truth is you don’t have anything to sell; being a musi-

cian isn’t about dispensing a product, like selling usedcars. I’m not an entertainer; I’m a lot closer to a para-medic, a firefighter, a rescue worker. You’re here tobecome a sort of therapist for the human soul, a spiritualversion of a chiropractor, physical therapist, someone whoworks with our insides to see if they get things to line up,to see if we can come into harmony with ourselves and behealthy and happy and well.

Frankly, ladies and gentlemen, I expect you not onlyto master music; I expect you to save the planet. If there isa future wave of wellness on this planet, of harmony, ofpeace, of an end to war, of mutual understanding, ofequality, of fairness, I don’t expect it will come from agovernment, a military force or a corporation. I no longereven expect it to come from the religions of the world,which together seem to have brought us as much war asthey have peace. If there is a future of peace forhumankind, if there is to be an understanding of howthese invisible, internal things should fit together, I expectit will come from the artists, because that’s what we do.As in the Nazi camps and the evening of 9/11, the

artists are the ones who might be able to help us with our internal,invisible lives."

5Page

“I expect you not onlyto master music;

I expect youto save the

planet.”

This fall the gentlemen of Beta Mu havebeen busy and we have more in store for the restof the year. We started our pledge period onSeptember 23 with a Probationary Member classof twelve. Their initiation date was December 4,2010. So far this fall for fundraisers, we have had apiano bash and are planning on having a Halo tour-nament in November. Half the funds raised fromthe piano bash were sent to the VH1 Save TheMusic Foundation.

At our homecoming football game on October 9,the active members and alumnae sang “The StarSpangled Banner” at the beginning of the game. Afterthe game, we had a barbecue under the clock tower andhad our room in the tower open for alumnae to reminisceand to hang with the active members.

On October 23, we had our 2nd annual Phi MuAlpha/Sigma Alpha Iota Hayride, and we sponsored a BloodDrive with the Red Cross on November 2. We have a Mills

Music Mission planned to happen in the near future and wewill be going caroling to different rest homes and care places inthe Fayette area. We will have our American Music Recital nextsemester. Along with that we are busy planning and figuringout more fundraisers and different places and opportunities forMills Music Missions.

CNewsewsNews ampusFrom

Beta Mu Chapter Central Methodist University • Fayette, Missouri

The colony has been successfully establishing a strongethic of brotherhood, charity, and fundraising. In coopera-tion with our University’s chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi, thecolony has been providing a pep band on Friday evenings fora local school that does not have a music program. We areperforming at five games this semester and we believe wehave made a positive impact and having music at events canenrich the experiences of other activities, such as sports.

Last year, the colony participated in the annual KEDMfall membership drive. This event is hosted by theUniversity’s own radio station. Much of the programmingcomes from National Public Radio, and the fall member-ship drive helped in the collection of funds to continueplaying those shows. The colony assisted in answeringphone calls for donations. The colony is pleased toannounce that they will be participating again this year.We feel that this is an important forum for the listenersin Monroe and it is necessary to the development of thearts in our community.

The colony has also been hard at work designingnew t-shirts to build brotherhood amongst our mem-bers and to show our presence on campus. We felt thatour t-shirt design last year made a positive impressionon our fellow students and they gave the colony asense of pride. We would like to continue the experi-ence with a fresh design that shows other students

that we are working diligently to be recognized in our commu-nity.

One of our events this year was a gathering on Labor Day,which was hosted by our faculty advisor at his house, to workon colony projects and eat some delicious food. The membershad a wonderful time reliving our past experiences while look-ing over pictures of colony activities that took place over theprevious year. This was a great opportunity to welcome newmembers and show them that our colony has a superb workethic along with having fun.

We are currently in the planning stages of a public recitalthat will take place on November 18, 2010. The colony isexcited to host such a great event because of the opportunity itprovides to make our love of music known to everyone whoattends. We take pride in hosting such an event. We hope thatthis allows the music department to recognize the colony asbeing not only capable musicians but responsible students thatcan create such a large event.

We hope that the events we have planned and any otherfuture events provide a sense of brotherhood amongst ourmembers and promote a strong and positive influence on othersand ourselves. All of our members are committed to providinga great and educational experience for all. It is my absolutepleasure to be part of such a wonderful group of people and tohelp the surrounding community in making music an integralpart of life.

Eta Iota Colony University of Louisiana-Monroe • Monroe, Louisiana

Page 6

October 6th came quicker than we had expected.Founder’s Day was our first true test as a colony in terms oforganization, preparation, and overall dedication to Phi MuAlpha Sinfonia. It was truly an enlightening experience. Theexecutive committee took the role of the six attendants. Themood was calm and peaceful, and listening to the words leftby brothers past made us realize that there is a powerful bondthat still exists through the celebration of the work of OssianE. Mills and all previous Sinfonians. The objects and nobili-ties of this fraternity still move onward and upward.

Upon the completion of the ceremony the men ofOmicron Theta, uplifted by the words of brothers past, wentto celebrate the life of Ossian E. Mills.

We took our Founder’s Day celebration to a localApplebee’s. There the colony members ate a fine meal andenjoyed each other’s company. Also that night, we per-formed our first public serenade. To express our gratitudeto our waitress, we sang “A Serenade To a Girl” in themiddle of the crowded restaurant.

CNewsewsNews ampusFrom

Our workshop was hosted by the Kappa Sigma Chapterat Valparaiso University. We opened with a session onChapter Reports and discussed the importance of the variousreporting requirements of the Fraternity. Next on the agendawas one of the big highlights, the Province Musicale. We hada jazz band, step team, several choirs and some of the funniestskits ever seen. This was followed by a Sinfonia Sing withover 70 brothers. Our Province Governor, David Fidler II,Delta Lambda (Ball State) ’95, donated 28 pizzas which we all

went back to the chapter’s house to eat and have somegreat times with brothers.

The next day started with Province business and somehistory discussion, then to officer training and lunch. Theday ended with the first annual Province 28 Game Show,which was won by Delta Lambda. The prize they receivedwas The Percy, the Fraternity’s national traveling trophy.Many brothers said that this was the most fun Provinceevent that they had been to in their time in Sinfonia.

Province 28 Northern and Central Indiana

The chapter was successful in the American MusicChallenge by continuing the advancement of music inAmerica that we do every year. We have annual Americanmusic recitals and encourage all of our brothers to performAmerican music. We worked especially hard last year to sharethis music on our campus and to the community as much aswe could. Our faculty advisor encouraged us to participate inthe challenge and helped us to document everything properly.After two recitals of our own and many other individual per-formances by our brothers, we were able to perform 17 piecesof American music.

With the money that we have won from this prestigiousacknowledgement for our work we will further advancemusic in America by implementing those funds in several of

our upcoming service events for the community. It is alwaysimportant for us as Sinfonians to remember our unspokenobligation to the community. The advancement of music inAmerica never comes with a lack of sacrifice but we mustremember that the reward is greater. In future challenges, weplan to continue to work towards advancing music inAmerica first and foremost. We will not perform numerouspieces of American music just for the compensation, but tosincerely advance music in America.

Hopefully, many people have appreciated and learnedmore about American music through the efforts of our chap-ter and will continue to in the days to come. The AmericanMusic Challenge is a great tool for realizing the object of ourfraternity and we encourage all chapters to participate.

Zeta Mu Chapter Sam Houston State University • Huntsville, Texas

Page 7

The colony has been very active this semester, in fullfill-ing the requirements for Phase I. We have hosted and suc-cessfully held our Phi Mu Alpha Week, which included arecital, a basketball tournament, and a dodge ball gamebetween the band and the choir. The highlight of the weekwas the recital. Members of both Mu Phi Epsilon and TauBeta Sigma attended all of the events and pledged their sup-

port of our week. We held an interest meeting which addedsix new members to the colony. We also assisted the bandwhen on trips to help load and unload buses. The colonysubmitted our application for Phase II of the colony processand look forward to progressing to become members of thisgreat brotherhood.

Iota Eta Colony Central State University • Wilberforce, Ohio

Omicron Theta Colony New Jersey City University • Jersey City, New Jersey

This new section of The Red & Black will highlight news articles related to the Mills Music Mission. Has your chapter recently conducted a Mills Music Mission? We’d love to hear about it!

Send an article to editor@sinfonia.org.

CNewsewsNews ampusFrom

Mills Music Mission News

On October 10th, 2010, the colony presented theirannual Mills Music Mission. The Kappa Gamma Chapterfrom Berry College accompanied the colony as a joint ven-ture. The Music Mission was held at Ross MemorialHealthcare at Shady Grove in Kennesaw, Georgia.

While at Shady Grove the group sang a few SinfoniaSongs, including “A Sinfonian Anthem,” “Viva L’Amour,”and “Phi Mu Alpha Girl.” The ensemble also sang somemore familiar songs for the residents including “The Star

Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful,” among others.The group took time after their performance to talk and spendtime with the residents of Shady Grove.

The representative from the assisted living center was veryhappy to have the group back again. She said, “I was extremelypleased to hear that they would be back again this year. Theresidents always love their performances!” Nu Theta plans onreturning to Shady Grove next year as well as adding other ven-ues to their list of Mills Music Mission locations.

Nu Theta Colony Kennesaw State University • Kennesaw, Georgia

On the date of March 22, 2010 at Ridgecrest Nursinghome, the colony visited the residents to share in musicalenjoyment. We made it our duty to spread the joy of musi-cal harmony and compassion for our fellow man. Wearrived at 4:00pm to meet and greet the residents of thefacility. We were surprised to have the honor of speakingwith retired war veterans from World War II, boxers, andeven retired professors.

We then began the musical presentation with “HailSinfonia.” We sang old church hymns such as “Amazing

Grace,” “The Old Rugged Cross,” “How Great Thou Art,” and“Swing Low Sweet Chariot.” We then concluded with CharlesPridgen and Douglas Bennett singing “Nothing But the Bloodof Jesus” with the rest of the colony accompanying them.Finally, we said our goodbyes. The nurses and administrationhad nothing but good feedback to give about our singing andhow much the residents enjoyed our company and the musicthat they heard.

Recently, the colony went to the Avante NursingHome in Boca Raton in order to share the joy of music towonderful people who live in residence there. OssianMills dedicated his whole life to making sure people inhospitals and homes were treated with the art of music.

The Mills Music Mission serves as an excellent serv-ice to residents, patients and the elderly. The MillsMusic Mission is synonymous with the Object of PhiMu Alpha in how it promotes music. Music is foreveryone, from children to the elderly. A Sinfonianmust remember that if one does not spread the gift ofmusic than a man is truly not happy.

Once Florida Eta arrived at the Avante Nursing Home, we wereled into the activities room where we sang to a group of elderlywomen. We ended up singing most of the songs out of theMills Music Mission Songbook, including taking somerequests.

One of the women there joined us in some of the songsand told us about herself. She grew up in Russia for a shorttime before moving to America. Her father was a cantor for achurch. It turns out she went to school to study voice. Wealso sung to an elderly man who just turned 100 years old!

Overall, this experience has served our colony greatly onwhat it is to truly be a musician and a real Sinfonian.

Page 8

Eta Iota Colony University of Louisiana-Monroe • Monroe, Louisiana

Florida Eta Colony Florida Atlantic University • Boca Raton, Florida

9Page

From the Retreat Coordinator and Programs Associate

Job Opening At Lyrecrest!Have you ever considered spending a year working for the

Fraternity? Looking for an unique job after college? Would you enjoyleading and facilitating groups of brothers from across the nation? Doyou want a flexible and fun work experience that would apply toalmost any future endeavor? This may be the opportunity you arelooking for!

Job Title:Retreat Coordinator and Programs Associate

Responsibilities include:The Retreat Coordinator and Programs Associate shall be responsi-

ble for all chapter and province retreats and other weekend Fraternitygatherings at Lyrecrest. He will maintain the Fraternity’s colony pro-gram and perform membership records duties. He will serve as the pri-mary contact at the national headquarters for collegiate members.

Eligibility:Must be a Sinfonian in good standing possessing a Bachelor’s

degree in any field. Experience with Mi crosoft Office a must.Must have a vehicle and be able to lift at least 50 pounds.

Benefits include:Competitive salary, free housing and utilities, health/dental

insurance, trip to the 2012 National Convention, great profesionalwork experience and the opportunity to meet and interact with broth-ers from all over the country.

Hours:Full-time-plus, with adjusted work week schedule centering

around weekend retreats and events at Lyrecrest.

Application deadline:March 1, 2011

Term of employment:August 1, 2011 — July 31, 2012 (position turns over annually)

This position is ideal for a graduating brother with an outgoingpersonality who is looking to gain valuable work experience and isinterested in working at the national headquarters. The experiencegained through this position serves as a great starting-out point for anyyoung professional.

Past Retreat Coordinator Sean Leno, Phi Omega (Dayton) ’00,describes his experience this way:

My time as Retreat Coordinator at Lyrecrest provided me with a valu-able new skill set and a truly one of a kind work experience. Theopportunities given to me for both personal and professional growthwere unparalleled in quality and value. You, just as I did, will experi-ence the Fraternity on a level never before imagined, gaining the“insider’s” view of a large, successful organization as well as meetingand interacting with the Brothers that keep this organization moving.

Past Retreat Coordinator and Programs Associate MatthewDowning, Beta Lambda (Muskingum) ’04 had this to say about his timeat Lyrecrest:

Rarely in life do you get the chance to know you’ve positively affected the lives of others. As the Retreat Coordinator and ProgramsAssociate, I was challenged and privileged to meet and work with over500 Sinfonians. Though my time of service to the National Fraternitywas relatively short, I know I accomplished some of my lifetime careergoals. I was extremely lucky to work for an organization I feel pas-sionate about helping to elevate others and work towards benefitingsociety through music. The memories and experiences I have gainedfrom my work at Phi Mu Alpha are truly irreplaceable.

To apply, please send résumé, cover letter, contact information forthree references, and a detailed history of Fraternity experience to:

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia FraternityNational Headquarters

Attn: Retreat Coordinator & Programs Associate Search10600 Old State Road

Evansville, IN 47711-1399

Searching for Next Year’s Retreat Coordinator and Programs Associate

Don’t Delay! Application Deadline isMarch 1! Apply today!

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia recently launched a new resource forchapters to use to communicate with their alumni. Because of therising costs of printing and postage, this new e-newsletter functionwill give chapters the opportunity to communicate on a regularbasis and do so in a cost effective manner.

The e-newsletter has the following features:• Three interchangeable templates • Fifteen content boxes that can be moved and resized• The ability to upload pictures• A calendar of upcoming events• An archive listing of past issues• HTML content editor

Where a printed newsletter might cost a chapter hundreds ofdollars, the cost of sending an e-newsletter to your alumni will beonly $20 per issue, regardless of the amount of alumni e-mailaddresses you include. Upon submission and approval, every alum-

nus from your chapter with an e-mail address in the Fraternity’sdatabase will receive notification of the issue being available.

Your chapter’s Alumni Relations Officer has an important rolein this process.

1. He is able to access the layout wizard by logging intoMyDesktop at www.sinfonia.org.

2. He is responsible for creating content for the newsletterand laying it out appropriately.

3. He is responsible for adding and updating e-mailaddresses to ensure delivery to alumni.

At the website, you can find online tutorials to help youthrough some of the basic functions of the e-newsletter. If you haveany questions about how the resource works, please contact DanKrueger at krueger@sinfonia.org or (800) 473-2649 ext. 104.

Page 10

New Resource: Chapter E-Newsletters

Upcoming Fireside Conference EventsSinfonia Fireside Conference Midwest:

April 8-10, 2011Butler University

Indianapolis, IndianaSinfonia Fireside Conference West

Details coming soon

Check www.sinfonia.org/fireside for the latest info!

“A big thanks to you and all of the active Gamma Phi members for keeping in touch with us. “William Ehrke, Gamma Phi (Texas State-San Marcos) ’64

After a successful first year, the American Music Challenge isback! The three chapters that perform the most American musicin the 2010–2011 school year will receive cash awards. It is ourhope that Sinfonia’s strongest chapters in music will use thesefunds to build upon their successes and become centers for thepromotion of the best in American music on their campuses, intheir communities, and in the nation. Winning chapters willreceive prizes in the amounts of $800, $600, and $400!

To take the challenge, simply save documentation of allAmerican music performed by your chapter or collegiate mem-bers during the 2010–2011 school year, and submit it with thesigned Application Form no later than May 31, 2011. You candownload a copy of the application form and learn more aboutthis opportunity at www.sinfonia.org/amc.

Page 11

The American Music Challenge Is Back!

On November 1, 2010, the Epsilon Iota Chapter at FloridaState University (Tallahassee, Florida; Province 36) was placed onProbation for violations of the Policy on Hazing.

Through the investigation process, multiple allegations againstthe chapter were confirmed, including that the chapter requiredprobationary members to refrain from speaking to women during aportion of its new member education process, and that the chaptersubjected probationary members to an intentionally intimidatingquestioning period, commonly known as a “grill session.”

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia strictly prohibits hazing and considersall forms and degrees of hazing detrimental to the Object of theFraternity and destructive to the morals and character of its mem-bers. Hazing is defined as any activity or situation that createsapprehension, fear or mental distress in a member; harasses or

intimidates that member; threatens the member’s physical or emo-tional well being; or any other activities which are not consistentwith fraternal ritual, the policies or regulations of the educationalinstitution, or applicable state law. In July 2006, the Fraternitylaunched an Anti-Hazing Movement with the adoption of an offi-cial Resolution Concerning Opposition to Hazing.

The most effective means of preventing the abuses of hazing,potential criminal and civil penalties, and potential Fraternity anduniversity discipline is for chapters to conduct regular, thoroughself-analysis of their membership development programs. Chaptersor individuals with questions regarding hazing are highly encour-aged to contact their Province Governor or the NationalHeadquarters.

Chapter Placed On Probation For Hazing

Resources for guidance are available at:www.sinfonia.org/riskmanagement

PHI MU ALPHA SINFONIA2012 NATIONAL CONVENTION

JULY 11-15, 2012WWW.SINFONIA.ORG/CONVENTION