CMS Awards for 2009
The College Music Society announced its 2009 engagement and outreach awards at the Annual Meeting of the Membership on October 24, in Portland, Oregon. The awards, given for innovative and exemplary programs, are made possible by the generous contributions by members and friends of the Society to The CMS Fund.
2009 Robby D. Gunstream Award in Music
Music Alive! (Patricia Sheehan Campbell, Director) in the Yakima Valley (MAYV) is a program instituted at the University of Washington with the intent of "making a difference" in music and through music in a place far beyond campus. Representing the UW School of Music, "we sing, we dance, and we play" for schoolchildren and youth in rural Toppenish, on the high plateau of the Yakama Tribal Lands, where Yakama and Mexican-American families live side-by-side. We also teach mini-lessons in music, listen to performances by the young students, and enter into musical exchanges with the young students of "the Valley." Our aims are multiple: to bridge the gap between privileged university music students and underserved school populations; to provide a civic engagement of music majors with children and youth of poor and rural communities; to perform for the Mexican-American and Yakama children vocally and on instruments they have never heard nor seen 'live'; and to listen to and participate in the music made in these communities. With this last action, we seek also to validate a diversity of musical expressions that is beyond the standard university music-major repertoire. Thanks to the work of Amanda Soto, Bob Pitzer, and Ethan Chessin—all graduate student assistants to the program (as well as Robert Roybal, Earl Lee, Ricardo Valdez, Steven Meyer, and John Cerna in the Toppenish community), we are managing to have meaningful experiences in music that are leading to cultural understanding.
2009 Seed Grant Awards
The Lake Cottage Duo (Sheri Mattson, oboe, and Juanita Becker, piano and harpsichord) explores connections between music and visual arts. A relationship with the Milwaukee Art Museum allows experiments with concepts of community engagement. A recital of modern works by composers Lenir Siqueira, Warren Gooch, Hendrik Andriessen, Francis Poulenc, Elizabeth Maconchy, and Gordon Jacob inspired our search for modern and contemporary artworks to pair with them from the Milwaukee Art Museum collection. Performances at Wisconsin Lutheran College and at the Milwaukee Art Museum explored connections between artworks, primarily paintings, and the music. During the recital at WLC a PowerPoint presentation projected images that paired each composition with a work of art. We used the artworks as the basis of our "talking points" during the MAM recital. Audience members expressed genuine interest in the pairing of artworks with musical compositions. After the museum program a group of audience members went on a "scavenger hunt" of the artworks mentioned. As performers we find that the research involved in preparing programs of this kind deepens our understanding of and appreciation for both the music and the art.
The Carolina Institute for Leadership and Engagement in Music (Gary Beckman, Director) at the University of South Carolina's School of Music has recently developed a unique community engagement project, the Newberry Opera House Residencies. We are musically supporting our state's K-8 schools, through a partnership with Newberry, South Carolina's center of musical activity, the recently restored 1881 Newberry Opera House. Our School of Music students will be presenting an audiovisual educational program on the topic of the flute in different cultures Asia, Latin America, Irish, Native American, and even Rock n Roll! This residency will culminate in a performance by School of Music students at the Opera House with the elementary students, parents, and the Newberry community invited as guests. These residencies are conceived as a two-year pilot project and we hope to replicate this model in other South Carolina communities. Unlike more metropolitan areas, small towns and rural areas in South Carolina generally lack exposure to different musical cultures. As globalization marches on, the next generation of musicians and educators will be called upon to become more culturally aware in order to sustain an economic future for themselves and their state. The CMS Seed Grant will help the School of Music leverage other funding sources in support of this critical effort.
"An Eclectic Mix" (Valentin M. Bogdan and Julia Mortyakova) is an event hosted by the Downtown Community Concert Series in Miami, Florida. A middle school is visited by professional and student musicians for a short performance and discussion session. Afterwards, interested students are presented with a recording containing a number of classical works and are asked to create a large drawing (on a poster board) inspired by one of the pieces. The art teacher assigns an even amount of students for each work. Once the art work is completed, a committee comprised of volunteer University of Miami graduate art students chooses a number of winners. The winners' drawings are presented during a live performance hosted by the Downtown Community Concert Series at First United Methodist Church of Miami. This performance features the same pieces performed in the school concert, but the wining artwork is presented using a large projector while the music is performed. The concert is opened to students, their families as well as the general public. "An Eclectic Mix" is meant to introduce classical music to middle school students in communities where the opportunity for exposure to such an art form is very limited. In addition to presenting the music, the students are asked to respond to it and analyze it intellectually. Asking the student to respond via a drawing ensures that they listen attentively and ask themselves artistic questions. Students are also provided with all materials required to complete this project (poster boards, crayons and audio recordings).
The UT String Project offers instruction to students ages 4-17. The first of its kind, the University of Texas String Project was created in 1948 during an acute shortage of qualified string musicians. More than 60 years later the program continues to train teachers and serves 280 students in Central Texas. Most of the faculty are graduate students at UT Austin's Butler School of Music. Beginning in fall 2009, the UT String Project is partnering with the University of Texas Elementary School (UTES) to establish an after-school program in East Austin. The goal is to provide underserved children with musical instruments and training that they will not receive anywhere else. In year one, the UT String Project has accepted 30 students who are enrolled at UTES. The plan is to expand the program in future years and make it a permanent part of the UT String Project.
Muhlenberg College's newest student music ensemble, Musica da Camera (Diane Follet, Director), specializes in chamber music from the Baroque to the 20th Century. Through Muhlenberg's Office of Community Service and Civic Engagement we will be presenting an interactive program to The Caring Place, a youth development center that reaches out to inner-city youths who are at risk of becoming victims of today's urban problems. Our program, presented to 9-to-12 year-olds, will include a conversation about and performance of the last movement of Haydn's "Joke" string quartet. We believe the young people will respond to the rhythmic vitality and relative simplicity of the rondo theme. We will ask them to react to the music through movement. And we hope to help them "get" Haydn's joke. We will ask the young people to walk around us as we play so they can see the action of bow against string and feel the vibrations of our instruments. We will explain how our instruments work and invite the youngsters to try them out. The intimacy of chamber music invites communication, and the student performers will talk about music and its role in their lives. Musica da Camera is developing a program that we believe inspires active engagement, breaking down the barriers between audience and performers and introducing these young people to the power of classical music.
The Summer Flute Ensemble Initiative (Ellen C. Johnson, Director) provides opportunities for high school and middle school flutists from Austin, Texas, and surrounding areas to perform high-quality flute ensemble music (duets, trios, quartets) with flutists of similar age and performance level. The program offers ensemble coaching and recital opportunities for its participants. Flutists in Texas often find that their middle school and high school band programs focus on honor band and state solo-and-ensemble competitions. The Summer Flute Ensemble Initiative seeks to offer an outstanding musical experience to students over the summer in a non-competitive, engaging atmosphere where bringing music to life is a higher priority than individual recognition. Growing up in an environment where flute duets were part of early development was a lot of fun for both of us, especially in the summers. It is my hope that this new program will give others the same opportunity that I enjoyed and that the friendships formed will last a lifetime.
Music In Our World (Jean Pierce, Director) is a community engagement project bringing multicultural music education programs and live music performances to schools, community organizations, and various public venues. Performed by professional musicians and educators playing a variety of classical, jazz, and popular music style, programs are designed in consultation with music teachers and activity coordinators to meet the needs of each audience. We discuss topics to be presented and develop age- and level-appropriate programs including those for audiences with little or no music background. Programs presented highlight various musical styles and genres from around the world. Music In Our World audiences obtain a better understanding of musical elements, history, and styles through active listening and group participation activities led by the musicians. Audiences also learn about the history of music and musical styles from around the world and how cultural, social, and political events have shaped their evolution. Music in Our World performers also demonstrate various instruments within the programs. Past programs include The "Classical" Trumpet, Baroque and Blues, the Roots and Evolution of Popular Music, Blues and Jazz: Origins and Traditions, and Classical, Jazz, and an Introduction to Musical Instruments.
Engagement Research and Survey (Erica Schulte, Director) There is ample research, past and on going, which shows a high correlation between students who are participating in music in public school classrooms and their improved abilities in all school subjects. If decision makers truly understood the nature and connection of the arts with other subjects, the arts would be celebrated and readily included in the curriculum, not reduced or cut. In the first stage of the project, a frame of reference for future studies will be created through a survey/interview of principals, at the elementary, junior high, and senior high levels, in Idaho Falls School, District #91. The survey/interviews will be the basis for ideas that could be useful in creating tool for providing relevant and accurate information to decision makers regarding the value of music in the schools. In addition, it is hoped that the survey/interview will begin community discussion of ways to fund and support music in the public classroom. Rarely does relevant information get presented to decision makers in a manner that is complete and convincing. The purpose of the project is to find a way to do this. After the survey/interview responses are evaluated, it may be necessary to go back for follow-up interviews. The second step can only be determined after the first has been completed and analyzed. Possible future steps might include (with permission from principals): speaking at faculty meetings; speaking with parents; creating/holding workshops with principals and other administrative officials.
Yamaha In-Residence Fellowships
Fabiana Claure and William Villaverde are Doctor of Musical Arts candidates in piano performance at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music, studying with pianist and composer Dr. J.B. Floyd. Their programs will reach, through a highly original concert format, several multigenerational and diverse audiences. A series of lecture/recitals, performed during the 2009-2010 academic year, will reach a wide audience consisting of children, teenagers, and senior citizens in the Miami area. The purpose of the program is to expose these diverse audiences to wide-ranging musical styles. The concerts' theme will be "A Journey on Improvisation and Variations: from Bach to Jazz." In addition, due to the great Cuban and Hispanic population in the Miami area, the program will include standard classical piano repertoire and Cuban music, Jazz-influenced classical music, and improvisation on jazz standards. In this way, the program will create an effective and unique connection with the local community. Moreover, in order to give the audience further insight into major historical and formal aspects of each piece, both performers will offer a series of introductory remarks before each piece with valuable pointers for the audience. The conclusion of the program will include a brief question and answer session that will allow the audience to interact with the performers, allowing each event to be an engaging and meaningful experience for everyone.
The Dahlia Flute Duo (Mary Matthews and Melissa Wertheimer) will develop a series of adult education lecture-recitals which demonstrate the relevance of classical music to the humanities. A vital component of these lecture-recitals is inclusion of comprehensive information about how audience members can directly impact the musical environment of their communities, including and beyond monetary support. These lecture-recitals will be presented at senior centers and museums in the greater Baltimore area. "Art and Flute Music" will juxtapose visual art with contemporary flute duo compositions, such as John Cage flute duets and paintings by Jackson Pollock. "Literature and Music" will discuss programmatic flute arrangements with their corresponding literary works, including Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream. "The Operatic Flute" will focus on the relationship between flute and opera with selections from The Magic Flute, Carmen, and The Barber of Seville. "Women Composers of Flute Repertoire" will cover 18th20th century flute compositions by women. Informational booklets tailored to each lecture-recital will be provided for audience members. Each booklet will contain a program, program notes, performer biographies and photos, information about the CMS-Yamaha In-Residence Fellowship, an outline of the lecture, and blank pages for audience members to take notes. The largest section of each booklet will be the uniform "Arts Advocacy Appendix," which will contain information about how each audience member can become an active supporter of the arts. This section will include a directory of organizations, such as local arts councils; professional, locally-based ensembles and their main performance venues; local arts scholarships for students; recommended reading and listening materials; and a "How To" list for every day arts advocacy.
The IMPRESS Project (Claudio Olivera, Director) IMPRESS (Innovative Multimedia Piano REsidency SerieS) is a series of educational and entertaining piano recitals directed mainly to, but not exclusively for, middle schools where lack of appropriate funding results in deficient music education programs. The multimedia recitals will focus specifically on programmatic repertoire, which will be introduced to the audience through a casual, humorous and storytelling approach, including anecdotes and age appropriate facts about the music and the composers, all this accompanied by multimedia presentations depicting the particular program with images, animations, videos, and audio samples of related orchestral or instrumental works. Thus, the students will have the opportunity to experience program music in a manner seldom found in a concert hall or classroom, understanding and even creating individualized "stories" to the music that's being played. To encourage a more engaged listening, tasks regarding the identification of various elements in the music will also be assigned to the students during the presentation of the pieces. The primary educational goal is to help middle school students to develop active listening skills and audience involvement, targeting mainly economically disadvantaged communities of the Columbia area in South Carolina, where many schools have been forced to cut their music education programs due to decreasing budgets. By helping these students to increase their level of interest and participation in Classical Music, through a model of Arts education articulated in an innovative and modern way, this project also seeks to plant the seeds for a wider and younger audience in the future.
A Low Brass Choir (Julie Wilder, Master's Tuba student at Western Michigan University, Director) in the Parchment, Michigan, schools is being used to encourage students to chose a low-brass instrument. With the cooperation of Beth Jonker, Parchment Schools Band Director, the choir is meeting weekly during the school day, continuing the positive rehearsal techniques students have come to enjoy in band while further developing musicianship. Supplying the students with more individualized attention encourages students participation; having small-ensemble music to play also heartens them and provides a unique opportunity to explore their instruments. Chamber music performance is a great tool for developing independent playing, as well as teaching balance and blend with other musicians. All music for the ensemble has been arranged by Julie Wilder, to allow for each member to have his or her part and a greater responsibility within the ensemble. The high school brass players will have the opportunity to perform, learn, and appreciate brass choir craft, and through teaching and encouraging younger students, enjoy further musical motivations. The ensemble will perform at each of the regularly scheduled Parchment High Band Concerts, as well as at the yearly Solo and Ensemble Festival.
Music of Argentina (Maria Fernanda Nieto Pulido, DMA Candidate, Piano Performance, University of Colorado at Boulder) An engagement program for elementary school students, "A Musical Trip to Argentina" is a lecture recital of piano music that will show the variety of musical and folkloric expressions of the country, together with the most distinctive geographical and cultural features of its regions. This engagement program is intended for elementary school students, specifically fourth to seventh grade students in Boulder, Colorado. Even though this program is directed mainly to students to students in later elementary school and middle school, it would be also suitable for students in earlier grades. The main objective of this program is to acquaint elementary school students with the folklore of Argentina, share the Argentinean cultural identify, and provide a learning experience based on rich South American music. Because Argentina covers such a wide geographical area, the cultural expressions that characterize it vary from region to region, as do the characteristics of the population, their customs and traditions. Each region of the country reflects the interaction between indigenous groups and European immigrants to a different extent. Thus, Argentina's musical identity is kaleidoscopic. Argentina's identity has always been attached to the tango an urban musical expression born in Buenos Aires and many of the dances and rhythms of the country are unknown to the world. This engagement program is a unique opportunity for elementary school students to learn about Argentinean folk music that they may not encounter otherwise. The lecture recital will contribute to students' experience and appreciation of diversity, enriching their perception of the world through music. Through this program, students will not only understand the cultural features of this South American country but will also experience it closely, performing its rhythms, listening to its music and meeting an Argentinean native. The lecture recital will be accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation showing maps of the regions, examples of the music performed in these areas, and the traditions of the people that inhabit them. The instructor of the class and the students will be directly engaged and included by identifying and performing the rhythms that characterize the various musical expressions. After participating in a rhythmic, melodic, or harmony-oriented activity, the students will listen to a performance of the musical examples discussed at the piano. I will perform pieces by the Argentinean folklorist Ariel Ramirez and the father of Argentinean nationalism, Alberto Williams.
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