BYU CFAC2013 Magazine

CFAC2013

Exceptional Achievements Across Disciplines Around the World |

COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS AND COMMUNICATIONS

CF AC 2013

Dean’s Message

CREDITS Dean Stephen Jones

Assistant Dean, Controller Scott Boyter Department Chairs Ed Adams, Communications Marilyn Berrett, Dance Kory Katseanes, School of Music Amy Jensen, Theatre & Media Arts Linda Reynolds, Visual Arts Assistant to the Dean, External Relations Yvette Arts Designer Jeff Barney Consulting Editor Joseph Sowa Guest Writer, Mentor Features Sarah Ostler Hill External Relations Team Shelbi Anderson Nate Deppermann Beto Gonzalez Derek Gurr Amber Larsen Sonya Nunes Frederick “RJ” Ward Emilee Young Photographers Val Brinkerhoff Scott Hill Mark A. Philbrick Nathalie Van Empel Jaren Wilkey

Dear Friends,

Photo by Nathalie Van Empel

Associate Deans Randall Boothe Ed Carter Rodger Sorensen

We hope you enjoy this brief look into but a few examples of significant learning experiences within the College of Fine Arts and Communications during 2013. It was a year of exceptional achievements, including a wealth of first place awards and top recognitions in both national and international competitions.

Guided by exceptional faculty mentors, our students are succeeding in every discipline and across disciplines, including the work done in the Laycock Center, which in its first ten years has awarded more than $1M to students and faculty in support of creative, collaborative projects.

As part of an ever-expanding global community, the faculty and students continue to impact for good the lives of people around the world. Through its decades-long touring activity, its internship and study abroad programs, and its faculty scholarship and creative work, the college outreach now extends to 95 countries.

To broaden your connection with our outstanding students and faculty, we’ve created a mediarich website at cfac.byu.edu/magazine that features videos, photos, and additional articles.

I hope you will take a few minutes to experience more of their work featured on the web and through our social media channels, as I believe their level of excellence, commitment to truth, and enthusiasm for learning and service are unmatched.

As our students begin a new year filled with promise and anticipation, we express thanks to the many faculty, administrators, alumni, donors, and friends who help them reach their goals and aspirations and who sustain us in fulfilling the unique mission of Brigham Young University.

Warmest regards,

Stephen Jones Dean, College of Fine Arts and Communications

View additional materials online at cfac.byu.edu/magazine

Table of Contents Visual Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

BYU's Production of The Phantom of the Opera. . . . . 9

Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

BYU Engineers Help Ballroom Dancers Shine . . . . . .16

Theatre and Media Arts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

The Laycock Center for Creative Collaboration in the Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Dance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Around the World

Across Disciplines

Contemporary Dance Theatre Bridges Cultures. . . . 20

New York Times Features BYU Animation Program . . 3 The Killers, Owen Wilson Make New Music Video with BYU Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

VA Student Visits Africa for Final BFA Show Project . . 22 BYU Performance Tours 2013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 World-Class Artists Mentor CFAC Students . . . . . . . 24

CFAC2013 is published by the College of Fine Arts and Communications at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. © 2014 by Brigham Young University. All rights reserved.

Direct queries to External Relations, A-501 HFAC, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602 • 801-422-8251 • cfac.publicrelations@byu.edu

Cover photo by Mark A. Philbrick

Exceptional Achievements

2013 National and International Awards

Exceptional Achievements

Department of Communications ElevenNEWS at Noon, Best All-Around Television Newscast, Mark of Excellence Awards Society of Professional Journalists Philips, Gold Addy, Best Student TV Commercial & Judges Choice Award, National Student Advertising Competition American Advertising Federation Most Promising Minority Student Recognition (3) American Advertising Federation Gracie Awards (3) Alliance for Women in Media Foundation The Universe, First Place, Breaking News Coverage, College News Design Contest Student Society of News Design The Universe, Pacemaker Award Associated Collegiate Press The Universe, General Excellence Winner & First Place Promotions/Typography, Better Newspaper Contest National Newspaper Association

Department of Dance First Place, United States National Amateur Cabaret Championship National Dance Council of America First Place, United States National Amateur Smooth Championship National Dance Council of America First Place, United States National Ballroom Formation Championship National Dance Council of America First Place, British Open Ballroom Formation Championship Blackpool Festival First Place, United States National Latin Formation Championship National Dance Council of America First Place, British Open Latin Formation Championship Blackpool Festival

School of Music Winner Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions First Place, Steinway & Sons National Young Artists Piano Competition Music Teachers National Association First Place, National Young Artists Brass Competition Music Teachers National Association First Place, National Solo Competition Double Bass Division National Federation of Music Clubs Winners, Ellis Duo Piano Competition National Federation of Music Clubs Winners United States International Duo Piano Competition Undergraduate College Winner, Large Jazz Ensemble DownBeat Magazine’s 36th Annual Student Music Awards

Department of Theatre and Media Arts A Second Birth, Harold and Mimi Steinberg National Student Playwriting Award Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Dante’s Hamlet, Redemptive Storyteller Award Redemptive Film Festival Dante’s Hamlet, Official Selection Seattle True Independent Film Festival, Los Angeles Women's International Film Festival, New Filmmakers New York

Department of Visual Arts Estefan, First Place, Animation Category, 34th College Television Awards Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation Platinum Award (1) & Gold Award (10) Graphis New Talent Annual Norman Rockwell Museum Scholarship (1) & Juried Selections (10), Student Scholarship Competition Society of Illustrators Award of Excellence VSA/Volkswagen Group of America Exhibition Program

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COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS AND COMMUNICATIONS

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DEPARTMENT OF

Screenshot from Estefan

Below: Lauren Taylor (middle) with her mother and husband at the award ceremony.

Below: Lauren works with other students on the animated short Estefan.

ACROSS DISCIPLINES

2013 AWARDS Estefan, First Place Animation, 34th College Television Awards Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Foundation LAUREN TAYLOR

Photo by Jaren Wilkey

Photo by Brian Wilcox

Platinum Award (1) & Gold Award (10)

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Graphis New Talent Annual TYSON CANTRELL (Platinum), AMBER ASAY (2), TYSON CANTRELL, ROBERT COWAN, TJ DERRICK, BROOKE ENGLAND, AARON GARZA (2), KENT MILLER, JASON REDFORD

Norman Rockwell Museum Scholarship (1) & Juried Selections (10), Student Scholarship Competition

Society of Illustrators HANA SOLJEE LEE (Rockwell), RENEE BATES, KELSEY DAYWYLER, NATHAN HARDYMAN, MELISSA MANWILL (2), MIRANDA MEEKS (2), JOSH TALBOT, BRITTANY TINGEY (2)

Award of Excellence

VSA/Volkswagen Group of America Exhibition Program MADALYNE HYMAS

Photo by Val Brinkerhoff

I was excited to have my piece accepted into the Smithsonian. It was a very empowering moment for me. I became emotional as I reflected on the number of sleepless nights, hot baths, and tears I went through while creating it.

Students who worked on the award-winning animated short Estefan: STEPHEN ANDERSON MATTHEW ASANUMA KYLE ASHBY AUSTIN BALAICH JEFF BASCOM RENEE BATES AARON BISHOP JOSH BLACK BRANDON BLATTER SIMINI BLOCKER CALVIN BOICE JAMES BOURNE SAMANTHA BRAGG ALAN BRANCH ELIZABETH BRAYTON JEFF CALL TY CARTER DANIEL CLARK CARSON CRAWFORD AJ CREEK NATHAN CUNLIFFE ERIC DAVIS JOSH DAVIS THOMAS ELLSWORTH ETHAN ESTRADA KEKOA FA’ALAFUA BRITTA FRAZIER ALYCIA GARRETT

SARAH GATES PAUL GERLA MORGAN GIBBONS LANDON GRAHAM KRISTIN GULLEDGE SCOTT GWYNN ANTHONY HALL CHRISTOPHER HAYES SHELLEY HOUSLEY GARRETT HOYOS SHANE HUNT PETER JONES CALE LARSON HAZEL LAW CHRISTINA LEBARON JENSEN LILLYWHITE AARON LUDWIG EMILY MACHADO JOEY MAJDALI LAURA MERCER JARED MERRILL KEVIN MERRIMAN ISAAC MILLER QUAY MIMS MEREDITH MOULTON LAURA NETTLES JAROM NEUMANN LAUREN OPPENLANDER ALLEN OSTERGAR MOY PARRA BRANDON PEDERSON DAVID PEREZ

CHRISTINA PERRY PETRA PINTAR GARRETT POND MATT RADLEY JEFF RAINES LAURA RANDLE MURPHY RANDLE ALENA RANDOLPH TYLER RICKS EVAN ROBERTS CHAD RUGER JESSE RYAN MCADAM CHRISTINA SKYLES KAREN SORENSEN DANIELLE STEELE NATALIE STEPHEN RYAN STEVENS SIDNEY STRINGHAM PAIGE STRINGHAM JOSH TALBOT RAPHAEL TAVARES LAUREN TAYLOR AILEEN THOMAS DAVE THOMPSON BRITTANY TINGEY WESLEY TIPPETTS JONNY VAN ORMAN SCARLET VERDEJA DENNIS WEST JOSHUA WHITING TANNER WILSON

Photo by Brent Adams

— MADALYNE HYMAS, BFA GRAPHIC DESIGN

ACROSS DISCIPLINES NEW YORK TIMES FEATURES BYU ANIMATION PROGRAM Called “The Dream Academy” by the New York Times, BYU’s animation program is catching the attention of major entertainment companies like Pixar and Sony. Many animation grads are being recruited by big-name organizations due to their mature professionalism and team-effort mentality. In May 2013, the New York Times published an extensive article touting the merits of the program and culture that sets BYU grads apart from the rest of Generation Y.

» Read more at cfac.byu.edu/nyt 3

Photo by Nathalie Van Empel

Norman Rockwell Museum Scholarship

LINDA REYNOLDS

Professor, Visual Arts Department Chair

“At BYU, we’re blessed with a variety of general education classes as well as the spirituality,” Reynolds points out. “These classes expand the students’ minds and hearts as they explore meaning in their own disciplines. As artists are developing their own work, it really makes them so much deeper and richer. Spirituality expands that vocabulary.”

Photo by Scott Hill

BYU is a unique environment in which artists can perfect their skills, says Linda Reynolds, Visual Arts Department Chair. Visual Arts, at its core, is about the exploration of meaning.

Hana Soljee Lee Jinxed

See Hana's interview »at cfac.byu.edu/hana

Graphis New Talent Annual Winners

Reynolds, after years of professional and academic work, serves as the Chair for the Department of Visual Arts (DVA) at BYU. Her voice breaks with gratitude as she speaks of the faculty whom she serves.

“I love helping the students and faculty who come into my office every day," she says. "I love helping them be successful.”

Reynolds knows what it’s like to need a mentor.

When she began her studies in graphic design, she had such an overwhelming insecurity with her work that she even changed her major to special education. She never lost that initial pull to the arts, however, and returned to her design studies a year later. After completing her undergraduate degree, she worked as a graphic designer for BYU publications and as a freelancer. more about Linda in Sarah Ostler Hill’s article »“GetRead Inspiration from Anywhere: How to Succeed in Design by Trying Really Hard” at cfac.byu.edu/linda

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Robert Cowan QVEST Magazine

Brooke England Angelika Film Center

TJ Derrick Boston Opera House

Kent Miller Museum of the City of New York

Tyson Cantrell Shakespeare Book Series, Space

Jason Redford Baku Magazine

Juried Selections

Miranda Meeks The Gardner

Renee Bates The Changeling

Nathan Hardyman See How They Run

Brittany Tingey Hazel

Amber Asay The Voyager Shop, Neon Museum

Melissa Manwill Communal

Josh Talbot Alcohol Iceberg

Kelsey Carlson Haute Route

Aaron Garza Dolcetti, Edith Wharton Book Series

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DEPARTMENT OF

Everyone who goes through this program puts in a lot of hard work. I learned to work hard to keep up in a fast-paced environment where you need to meet deadlines. This made it very easy to enter the job market where a lot is expected.

Photo by Nathalie Van Empel

— JEFF MERRILL, PRODUCER, BYU NEWS

CHRIS CUTRI Associate Professor, Communications

Photo by Nathalie Van Empel

BYU’s advertising students have had a history of winning at the Student ADDY’s, but this past year was the first time a BYU student was awarded the Judges’ Choice Award. Chris Cutri attributes this success to beginning with a good, clever idea. If the idea isn’t compelling, it won’t be competitive.

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“I’m not interested in creating something mediocre or status quo,” he says. “It’s always about raising the bar. We’ll deconstruct a good piece and see how we can do something like that next time.”

The best way to inspire students, Cutri says, is to expose them to outstanding work in art, design, and advertising. This shows students where the bar is and excites them. He also encourages students to read a variety of material and learn how to think critically.

Read more about Chris in Sarah Ostler Hill’s article “Inspiring People »to Live a Better Life: How Chris Cutri Helps Advertising Students Excel in a Competitive Field” at cfac.byu.edu/chris

2013 AWARDS

PHILIPS, GOLD ADDY, BEST STUDENT TV COMMERCIAL & JUDGES CHOICE AWARD, NATIONAL STUDENT ADVERTISING COMPETITION American Advertising Federation DALLIN CERVA (TMA), MICHELLE BRODRICK, BRI HEPWORTH, KASEY AHLSTROM MOST PROMISING MINORITY STUDENT RECOGNITION (3) American Advertising Federation CJ CHACON, AARON DORIA, DANIEL TYGARD GRACIE AWARDS (3) Alliance for Women in Media Foundation LYDIA DEFRANCHI (OUTSTANDING HARD NEWS FEATURE), ALEXIS FLAKE ARIAS (OUTSTANDING REPORTER/CORRESPONDENT), TAYLOR LANSFORD, (OUTSTANDING HOST-SPORT PROGRAM) THE UNIVERSE, FIRST PLACE, BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE, COLLEGE NEWS DESIGN CONTEST Student Society of News Design THE UNIVERSE, PACEMAKER AWARD Associated Collegiate Press REBECCA LANE (Editor) THE UNIVERSE, GENERAL EXCELLENCE WINNER & FIRST PLACE PROMOTIONS/TYPOGRAPHY, BETTER NEWSPAPER CONTEST National Newspaper Association

Photo by Scott Hill

ELEVENNEWS AT NOON, BEST ALL-AROUND TELEVISION NEWSCAST, MARK OF EXCELLENCE AWARDS Society of Professional Journalists ASHLEY MUNGUIA, BRENNA DONNELLY, DEVON DEWEY, JEFF MERRILL, JEN BENSON

STEVE FIDEL

Director, The Universe A voice and a message — that’s where journalism is going, Fidel says. He believes his job is to instill that in his students. He’s been a part of the newsroom evolution from independent media to integrated newsrooms. Where once the stories were dictated by the newspaper owner’s bias, today the branding is shifting from the publication to the individual journalist.

“Building an audience is all about the journalist, rather than who they’re working for,” Fidel says. “There’s a larger freelance base and a smaller newsroom. We’re helping students recognize how to really identify themselves as a brand.”

A student can take the classes, work at The Universe and know the material, but Fidel says that’s only 80 percent.

The other 20 percent is about pure innovation.

“That’s where the success will be,” Fidel says. “What they bring to the table, their intellect, the hustle. Unless they bring their 20, they won’t be competitive.”

Be curious, he says. Take an interest in things outside of work. He points back to his love of cars and how he never lost that. Even today, as a self-proclaimed “garage inventor,” he works on a hot rod with his son.

“Journalism is a lifetime of exploration,” he says, talking about both his professional and personal life.

“Journalism gave me a meaning to my inquiry. I didn’t lose an interest in cars, I just added to it.”

Read more about Steve in Sarah Ostler Hill’s article “A »Lifetime of Education in Journalism: Steve Fidel Discusses

Screenshot from the award-winning TV commercial for PHILIPS

How His Career Path Led Him to The Universe” at cfac.byu.edu/steve

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A Second Birth, Harold and Mimi Steinberg National Student Playwriting Award

2013 AWARDS

Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival ARIEL MITCHELL

Dante's Hamlet, Redemptive Storyteller Award Redemptive Film Festival

Dante's Hamlet, Official Selection

Seattle True Independent Film Festival Los Angeles Women's International Film Festival

»

Watch an interview with Ariel at cfac.byu.edu/ariel

New Filmmakers New York BABETTA KELLY (Writer, Director) BRYNN ZIMMER (Producer)

I’ve learned that writing is not a solitary experience.

It takes hours of work and help from friends and teachers who believe in what you are trying to say and want to help you create something better than you ever could on your own.

— ARIEL MITCHELL, BA THEATRE ARTS STUDIES

GEORGE NELSON

Professor, Theatre and Media Arts

Photo by Nathalie Van Empel

“Proper elements of theatricality create the perfect learning environment,” Nelson says. “Theatre is a representation of life in a microcosm. Theatre helps people experience things they normally wouldn’t, takes them places they’ve never been, and allows them to see the consequences of choices and decisions.”

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The combination of dialogue, action, and the audience members’ imaginations sets theatre apart from film. Film is a realistic medium, Nelson says, easily jumping from location to location. Theatre depends on the members of the audience to use their imaginations to transport them to the worlds the play is representationally exploring.”

Ariel Mitchell’s A Second Birth, directed by Nelson, tells the story of a girl in Afghanistan who has been raised as a boy to improve her family’s social standing and must, when she comes of age, return to being a girl so she can marry.

Read more about George in Sarah Ostler Hill’s article “Theatre is Life: Professor »George Nelson Talks About Successful Playwriting” at cfac.byu.edu/george

Photo by Scott Hill

DEPARTMENT OF

Photo by BYU Center for Animation

ACROSS DISCIPLINES THE KILLERS, OWEN WILSON MAKE NEW MUSIC VIDEO WITH BYU STUDENTS “Working on a music video was pretty surreal, especially because the opportunity came in my first semester,” said BYU animation student Josh Poulsen. “It was the most fun and enthusiastic group I’ve ever worked with, and the process was exhausting.”

Every Christmas season since 2006, The Killers have released a new single. In tune with the season of giving, the proceeds from sales go entirely to charity.

Read more about »Babetta and Brynn at

cfac.byu.edu/hamlet

Top: Screen shot from Dante's Hamlet Above Left: Babetta Kelly Above Right: Brynn Zimmer Left: Storyboard from Dante's Hamlet

“Seeing the end product was really rewarding,” said BYU film student Cassie Hiatt. “When we were in the process, we thought it was something that was never going to end. But now that it’s done, it’s awesome to look back at and think, ‘Wow we did that.’”

The cinematographer on the project was BYU alum Bengt Jonsson. A number of BYU faculty were involved: Mike Warner and Seth Holladay did visual effects; Cynthia Hogan was heavily involved in the animation; and Brent Adams, Tom Lefler, and Kyle Stapley helped manage the project and resources. The key students involved in the project were Cassie Hiatt, Josh Poulsen, Nick Dixon, Jordan Hunter, John Jackson, and Stephanie Tse.

» Read more at cfac.byu.edu/thekillers ACROSS DISCIPLINES BYU’S PRODUCTION OF THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA A COLLABORATIVE EVENT Just one year after its 10,000th performance and 25th anniversary on Broadway, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera was performed at BYU as one of the first university productions of the epic musical. Tim Threfall directed the production that drew more than 21,000 visitors, a record attendance for a BYU theatre event.

Photo by Mark A. Philbrick

BYU’s production of The Phantom of the Opera saw unprecedented cooperation from within the College of Fine Arts and Communications in order to present the best possible version of the show.

The Music Dance Theatre Program and the Department of Theatre and Media Arts worked together to present the musical, along with the BYU Symphony Orchestra, who performed the score. Further cooperation came from various theatre classes assigned to work on hair and makeup as well as stage crew and management duties.

Media arts students created the projections.

» Read more at cfac.byu.edu/phantom 9

Rebecca’s interview »andSeeperformance at cfac.byu.edu/rebecca

Conlan’s interview »andSeeperformance at cfac.byu.edu/conlan

See Spencer Park’s »interview and performance at cfac.byu.edu/spencerpark

See Spencer Jensen’s »interview and performance at cfac.byu.edu/spencerjensen THIS SPREAD Left: Darrell Babidge, Rebecca Pedersen Below: Conlan Miller FOLLOWING SPREAD Top Left: Synthesis in Brazil Left: Spencer Park Center: Spencer Jensen Top Right: Hilary Heideman Mauler, Tiffany Winkel Delgado

Even in my musical and personal imperfections, I was still able to share my gift. Auditioning at the Met was an emotional and spiritual high because every time I got off that stage I did something that I didn’t think I could do.

— REBECCA PEDERSEN, MUSIC, VOCAL PERFORMANCE 10

Photo by Mark A. Philbrick

SCHOOL OF

2013 AWARDS Winner

Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions REBECCA PEDERSEN

First Place, Steinway & Sons National Young Artists Piano Competition

Photo by Nathalie Van Empel

Music Teachers National Association CONLAN MILLER

First Place, National Young Artists Brass Competition Music Teachers National Association SPENCER PARK

First Place, National Solo Competition Double Bass Division National Federation of Music Clubs SPENCER JENSEN

Winners, Ellis Duo Piano Competition

DARRELL BABIDGE

National Federation of Music Clubs HILARY HEIDEMAN MAULER TIFFANY WINKEL DELGADO

Assistant Professor, Music

Winners

United States International Duo Piano Competition HILARY HEIDEMAN MAULER TIFFANY WINKEL DELGADO

Synthesis, Undergraduate College Winner, Large Jazz Ensemble DownBeat Magazine’s 36th Annual Student Music Awards JORY WOODIS. JUSTIN HAMMER, BEN NICHOLS, DEREK CRANE, ERIC BACKMAN, KEVIN JENSON, DANIEL BURT, CURTIS BIGGS, GREG RUMSEY, CHARLIE CARR, BRYCE CALL, AUSTIE ROBINSON, CELESTE KNOWLES, DALLAS CRANE, JORDAN KAMALU, AARON MCMURRAY, BRADY BILLS, JAY TIBBITS, RAY SMITH (Artistic Director)

The first thing you notice about Darrell Babidge, assistant professor of voice in the BYU School of Music, is that, for one whose record as a teacher and performer is so distinguished, he is incredibly humble. Yet with students winning the Metropolitan Opera competition, singers Skyping him from all over the world for lessons, and his own performances across the globe, he is a hidden gem in BYU’s faculty.

“I’ve always loved music. It hits the soul more immediately than other things. With singing, it’s even more profound. You’re able to engage your body and soul at the same time. It is the most immediate art form,” Babidge said. “And with opera, you find a way to sing from a primal place.

You connect with something holistic.”

Photo by Scott Hill

Babidge has most recently been praised as the teacher of two winners (Rachel Willis-Sorensen and Rebecca Pedersen) in the Metropolitan Opera’s Annual National Council Auditions, which some see as “the Super Bowl of singing competitions.”

“I am amazed at how quickly some of these vocal students can develop their talents to a professional level,” he said. Babidge’s students can also be found performing in such places as the Santa Fe Summer Opera program, the Metropolitan Opera, the Houston Grand Opera, many major opera houses in Europe, and even on Andrea Bocelli’s most recent album.

Read more about Darrell in Sarah Ostler Hill’s »article “Breathe the Music: Darrell Babidge Helps Opera Students Flourish” at cfac.byu.edu/darrell

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Photo by Nathalie Van Empel

Photo courtesy of Synthesis Photo by Scott Hill

LAURENCE LOWE

Professor, Music

Spencer Park, student award-winner, had the unique opportunity to perform a piece from composer Laurence Lowe and to study with him. “Not only was he a good teacher in helping me know how to play it, he wrote the music,” Park remarked in a recent interview. “He gave me great advice on how to play the music and how to really execute this music.”

Photo by BYU Photo

It is little wonder that Park, winner of the Young Artists Brass Competition, did so well. Looking at his teacher’s résumé, it’s clear Lowe is an expert in his profession.

Lowe, professor of horn in the School of Music, has established an international reputation as a horn soloist, composer, orchestral player, and teacher.

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“As a mentor and composer, there is no reward greater than to work with a student of Spencer's caliber,” said Lowe. “He took my Sonata No. 1 and truly made it his own. I would compare his interpretation and performance to the finest soloists that have played it professionally in many parts of the world. Spencer will undoubtedly find a secure and influential position in the music world, and I am honored to have been a part of his progression.”

» Read more about Laurence Lowe at cfac.byu.edu/laurence

Photo by Mark A. Philbrick

IRENE PEERY-FOX

Professor, Music

Irene Perry-Fox has a remarkable track record for teaching stellar young pianists. She recently coached Hilary Mahler and Tiffany Delgado through winning the prestigious United States International Duo Piano Competition in Colorado Springs as well as the National Federation of Music Clubs Ellis Duo Piano Competition in Mississippi. And earlier this year, Conlan Miller, under Peery-Fox’s tutelage, won a national competition for which the prize was a Steinway piano valued at more than $25,000.

Practice the music, she says, and then practice performing. “Performing is a vital part of performing,” Dr. Peery-Fox advises. “The more you perform, the more comfortable you become with performing.”

Read more about Irene in Sarah Ostler Hill’s article “Music is the Language »of the Soul: Dr. Irene Peery-Fox Shares Her Experience and Love of Music” at cfac.byu.edu/irene

Photo by Nathalie Van Empel

Peery-Fox is often asked her secret to success. “Practice. Practice, practice, practice,” she laughs as she repeats it about ten more times. “It’s good for the mind, good for the muscles. Practice hard, practice consistently. Practice.”

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DEPARTMENT OF

Curt Holman, a faculty member at Brigham Young University, was the mastermind behind everything. Not only was he our coach, he also served as our mentor by showing us he truly cared about us as individuals and as a partnership.

Photo by BYU Photography

— SYDNEY JENSEN

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First Place, United States National Amateur Cabaret Championship Sanctioned by National Dance Council of America TREVOR GUTHRIE, SYDNEY JENSEN

First Place, United States National Amateur Smooth Championship Sanctioned by National Dance Council of America BRANDON PERRY, KIMBERLY ROSEN

First Place, United States National Ballroom Formation Championship

Sanctioned by National Dance Council of America (undefeated since 1982)

First Place, British Open Ballroom Formation Championship

Blackpool Dance Festival (11 titles in this division) AARON HOLMES, ALEX TAYLOR, ASHLEY BUSHNELL, BRANDON PERRY, CHARLIE ROBERTS, CLAIRE VON NIEDA, COURTNEY EARL, EMILY MCVEA, GIOIA RENI, JARED KELSON, JESSIE LYON, KATIE THORNHILL, NICOLE STOLLE, STERLING STOLLE, TIM COLVIN, ZACH LYON

First Place, United States National Latin Formation Championship

Sanctioned by National Dance Council of America (undefeated since 1982)

First Place, British Open Latin Formation Championship

Blackpool Dance Festival (12 titles in this division) AJ HEAPS, AMY BUKARAU, ASHLEY NIXON, BECKY BIORN, BRADLEY GREGORY, BRIAN YOUNGBLUT, CAILTLIN DOWELL, CORTNEY CHADBURN, JARED BUKARAU, KIM ROSEN, KYLE TREU, MAKENZIE HAMILTON, NANETTE SHEETZ, SETH GROVER, TODD WAKEFIELD, TREVOR GUTHRIE

Photo by Mark A. Philbrick

Photo by Todd Wakefield

2013 AWARDS

Left: Trevor Guthrie and Sydney Jensen Above: Brandon Perry and Kimberly Rosen

CURT HOLMAN

Associate Professor, Department of Dance Associate Chair Ballroom dance, according to Holman, is movement, music, costuming, and lights coming together to present something out of nothing. He enjoys working through the creative process and seeing the product presented. But most people don’t recognize the amount of work that goes into preparing a two minute dance piece.

“I’m always looking to do something new,” Holman says. “I try to always be aware of what is going on around me. I can’t just say, ‘Now I will create.’ The creative process happens in the moment.”

When it comes to choreography, Holman brings what he calls a “bag of ideas” along with music selection. Then, with the dance partnership, he will try different steps out to see how it all comes together. Sometimes, Holman says, what seems like a good idea doesn't necessarily translate as the best idea for the piece. And sometimes he gains inspiration in the movement from the abilities of the dancers. The process is collaborative.

“Sometimes I get music ideas in the funniest places,” he laughs, remembering. “I was at my child’s grade school Halloween party. As the kids paraded in their costumes, I realized it was a version of ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ (by Edvard Grieg), and I was struck by what a great piece it would be for a haunting medieval tango.”

Read more about Curt in Sarah Ostler Hill’s »article “A Dialogue Without Speaking: Professor Curt Holman Talks About BYU’s Ballroom Dance Success” at cfac.byu.edu/curt

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When my team really excels and becomes highly skilled at what they’re doing, it’s extremely rewarding.

Photo by Jaren Wilkey

2013 AWARDS

Photo by Mark A. Philbrick

Photo by Mark A. Philbrick

LEE WAKEFIELD

LEE & LINDA WAKEFIELD

Lee Wakefield Professor, Dance

Linda Wakefield Adjunct Instructor, Dance

Lee Wakefield is the celebrated artistic director who, along with his wife, Linda, has choreographed the BYU ballroom dance company to fame and success. Together, they are legends in the ballroom dance community. more about the Wakefields in Sarah Ostler »Hill'sReadarticle “From Cotillion to Ballroom Dance Champion: Professor Lee Wakefield Explains How Ballroom Dance Has Room for Everyone” at cfac.byu.edu/wakefields

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ACROSS DISCIPLINES BYU ENGINEERS HELP BALLROOM DANCERS SHINE Engineers and ballroom dancers might not be the most typical collaborators on a college campus, but the combination recently paid off for BYU. Part of the praise for BYU’s ballroom first place win at Blackpool goes to BYU engineering students Frank Morley and husband-wife duo Stephen and Ali Wood, who built the custom-made LED light dresses that wowed the audience. Over the course of the routine, the lights in the dresses progressed in sync with the music.

» Read more at cfac.byu.edu/shine

Photo by Jaren Wilkey

Laycock Center for Creative Collaboration in the Arts A Student Laboratory for Real-World, Interdisciplinary Collaboration Tucked away behind a stairwell in a corner of the Harris Fine Arts Center, a group of enterprising students and faculty are making things happen—big things.

Animators are working meticulously with illustrators to bring characters to life in a digital storybook that will reach millions of American school children. Advertising and media arts students are teleconferencing with a high-profile client whose innovative company provides microcredit loans that make college affordable for students in developing countries. A composer is working with a student film production team who will engage more than 200 students in an upcoming film shoot of his new musical.

This hive of innovative, interdisciplinary endeavors is known as the Laycock Center for Creative Collaboration in the

Arts. Under the guidance of director Jeff Sheets, the Center brings together students from different disciplines within the College of Fine Arts and Communications and across campus and provides them with opportunities to collaborate on real-world projects.

These ventures are as varied as the students and faculty who plan and carry them out. With the help of the Center, they are constantly cooking up projects that range from facilitating students’ artistic visions to solving world problems.

The experience is one that transcends what any of BYU’s programs could accomplish individually.

The year 2013 marks the 10th anniversary of the Center, a landmark undertaking that embodies the use of creativity to enact positive change in the world. The Center began as a generous endowment to honor George Elijah and Fern Redd Laycock and their children and has blossomed into a model for excellence in interdisciplinary collaboration.

Across Disciplines

The Center, according to Sheets, was created to develop the next generation of creative leaders, “whose spirit, intellect and character will influence and inspire the world through creative collaboration.” Students are also taught to develop creative ideas that promote “the good, the true, and the beautiful” in order to serve God and humanity. More than 140 projects have been executed with well over a million dollars in funding, creating unparalleled opportunities “for students to develop and excel in collaborative environments under the tutelage of master mentors.”

The Center has begun to see the fulfillment of one of its key missions, which is “to facilitate an unprecedented culture of mentoring, creativity, and collaboration in the College of Fine Arts and Communications” through innovative activities in which students receive increasingly elevated roles of responsibility and creative ownership. As the world continues to change and evolve, the Center’s purposes will become even more relevant and impactful on a global scale.

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—John H. Sayers, Office of Communications Library of Congress

Recent Projects Produced by the Laycock Center

Left to right: Student illustrator Melissa Manwill poses with some of the characters she helped create for Readers to the Rescue; Screen shot from the Sacred Gifts introductory film; Students from various disciplines collaborate on virtual tour project; Screenshot from fan loyalty film for Hyundai Motor Company; Student shooting footage for a Vittana story; Student recipient of a Vittana microloan.

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Photo courtesy of the Laycock Center

I had no idea how WONDERFUL it was going to be. Everyone is tickled. You good folks have completely outdone yourselves. Thank you so much for your great, great work!

Photo courtesy of the Laycock Center

Across Disciplines

2 1 Library of Congress

2 Sacred Gifts

“The Library of Congress came to us with a problem,” said Jeff Sheets, director of the Laycock Center. “How do you get 3rd to 5th graders to want to read? Well, we’ve lost them to the screen, so maybe the solution is we use the same technology that got them out of books to get them back into books.”

The Laycock Center played an integral role in the presentation of the BYU Museum of Art exhibition Sacred Gifts: The Religious Art of Carl Bloch, Henrich Hofmann and Frans Schwartz. The Center sent a team of collaborators from multiple disciplines to many of the castles and churches where the artwork resides to capture video footage for the exhibition.

To address the challenge, students at the Center assembled a team of collaborators from the fields of illustration, animation, film, music, advertising, and computer science. Pooling their talents, the group pictured a mix between Mad Libs and Choose Your Own Adventure in digital form. The result was Readers to the Rescue, an interactive storybook website, soon to be a featured activity on read.gov.

With the on-location footage that was gathered, students from the Center planned and produced the introductory film that visitors watch when attending the exhibition. Their team also assisted with the creation of the iPad app that provides patrons with information about the artwork and the artists.

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3 BYU Virtual Tour

4 Fan Film

5 Vittana Stories

Before anyone ever steps on the BYU campus, they can now experience a virtual tour of BYU unlike anything that’s been available before.

Hyundai Motor Company challenged 25 universities across the country to a film contest called the Hyundai Lens of Loyalty.

After submitting a one-page treatment for a film, seven finalists were chosen to produce the final product and were funded $10,000. BYU was among those chosen to participate in the contest.

The Laycock Center partnered with Vittana, a nonprofit organization that connects willing microloan lenders worldwide with students in need of financial assistance for school. The team sought to create a clarion call, through commercials and documentaries, to inspire people worldwide to help provide educational opportunities to struggling students. The students pay back the loans upon graduation, and loaners can donate again to another student.

In six months, 15 BYU communications, theatre and media arts, information technology, and music students came together and created a product that required a unique level of collaboration.

“Our goal was to get totally different students working together,” said Jeff Sheets, director of the Center, who helped organize the project with BYU IT professor Derek Hansen. “This project stretched the students and provided them with handson learning they wouldn’t have been able to experience otherwise.”

The film was then created, produced, and edited by a student team at the Center. Dustin Locke headed the effort as advertising director with Layne Russell as film director.

Of the seven finalists, BYU was awarded the additional $10,000 grand prize for its five-minute film highlighting BYU football fans from around the world.

Photo courtesy of the Laycock Center

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Photo courtesy of the Laycock Center

Photo by Jaren Wilkey Photo courtesy of the Laycock Center

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The Center’s team travelled to Bolivia, Ghana, and the Philippines to meet individual recipients of the microloans and help tell their stories. The Center collaborated on the project with the Marriott School's Ballard Center for Economic Self-Reliance.

Read more at cfac.byu.edu/ »thelaycockcenter 19

Photo courtesy of National Centre for the Performing Arts

Around the World

Contemporary Dance Theatre Bridges Cultures, Builds Connections in China BYU’s Contemporary Dance Theatre recently returned from a trip to Beijing where they performed as invited guests in the prestigious National Centre for the Performing Arts. Their program, Encounters, was part of the annual Chun Hua Qiu Shi festival that celebrates the achievements of students from China’s finest conservatories and universities.

This trip marked the 28th time since 1979 that BYU ensembles have visited China. “We’re honored to be the first non-Asian university to have been invited to perform in this festival,” said Stephen Jones, Dean of BYU’s College of Fine Arts and Communications. “The invitation came because of the strong impression our many tours to China have made with our Chinese colleagues.”

Nathan Balser, the artistic director for the performance, was first elated but then a little overwhelmed. “The invitation was for CDT to represent the whole dance department, which is tricky to do because we’re just one part of it,” said Balser.

Balser’s effort to represent the entire department was a success.

The program included the performance of BYU faculty member Jiamin Huang’s piece, When We Encounter, that brought together 20

dancers from BYU and the Beijing Dance Academy. “The unity these students felt as they performed together on stage overcame any differences they had in language or culture,” said Huang. “It was marvelous to see how movement could convey a message larger than words.”

Echoing these feelings, Wang Wei, vice president of the Beijing Dance Academy, said she hoped these students “will use their gifts to express to the world their conviction that beauty and goodness will always overcome the challenges and difficulties of life, and that through our work together we can preserve the best fruits of our cultures and societies for future generations.”

» Read more at cfac.byu.edu/ncpa Top Left: As one of the most recognized performance venues in the world since it opened, the 2,398-seat dome-shaped opera house boasts the most advanced staging equipment available for operas and dance dramas.

Top: Logan McGill and Mathew Davies perform on the stage of the National Centre for the Performing Arts.

Bottom: Nathan Balser, artistic director (left), and Jiamin Huang, choreographer for the final dance number (right), direct dancers from the Beijing Dance Academy and BYU Contemporary Dance Theatre.

Despite the language barrier between us, we were able to communicate through our body language and our actions. This allowed us all to become friends with one another.

Photos by Mark A. Philbrick

— LOGAN McGILL, BYU dancer

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Josée Uwimnana (21) and her son, Christian (3 months) Soonga, Rwanda

VA Student Visits Africa for Final BFA Show Project

I get respect because of this child. But his father doesn’t like this child. He left when he discovered I was pregnant. He has done this to other girls, too. He does not help with the child and only came back to give him his name. But I like being a mother. I thank the Lord for giving me this child. When Christian grows up, I want him to be a reader.

I found that African mothers believe in their families and the future of their children. They know that education is the future of their continent.

Many of them have taken in children left as orphans of sickness and war, and loved them as their own. Above all, African mothers find joy in the simple aspects of motherhood and strength in the unity of their families.

The differences in our lives may seem remarkable, yet through this project, I have found a deep and powerful connection with each woman I photographed.

I found strength in their perseverance and selflessness. I found sorrow in their trials, but hope in their futures.

— SARAH STROBEL HILL, DEPARTMENT OF VISUAL ARTS, PHOTOGRAPH FROM BFA FINAL SHOW

» Sarah’s story continues at cfac.byu.edu/sarah 22

Photo courtesy of Synthesis

Around the World

BYU Performance Tours 2013 This past year 630 BYU student performers presented 238 concerts in 106 cities in nine countries to more than 200,000 live audience members.

Contemporary Dance Theatre February 9 – 16 Longmont, CO Sterling, CO Pueblo, CO Alamosa, CO Denver, CO Montrose, CO

Young Ambassadors February 22 – March 2 Nampa, ID Richland, WA Everett, WA Marysville, WA Kent, WA Bremerton, WA Olympia, WA Hillsboro, OR April 28 – May 20 Beijing, China Tianjin, China Jinan, China Shanghai, China Hefei, China Xi’an, China Hong Kong

Folk Dance Ensemble March 8 – 16 Mesquite, NV Las Vegas, NV Santee, CA San Diego, CA El Centro, CA San Gabriel, CA Oxnard, CA June 3 – 16 Nauvoo, IL

Living Legends

April 29 – May 16 Guatemala City, Guatemala Quetzaltenango, Guatemala Guatemala City, Guatemala Copan, Honduras San Pedro Sula, Honduras Tegucigalpa, Honduras Managua, Nicaragua

Synthesis

May 17 – June 7 Belo Horizonte, Brazil Betim, Brazil Belo Horizonte, Brazil Contagem, Brazil

Ouro Preto, Brazil Vitoria Jazz Festival, Brazil Campos, Brazil Rio das Ostras Jazz Festival Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Sao Paulo, Brazil

Ballroom Dance Company

May 25 – June 16 Blackpool, England Sheffield, England London, England Kaiserslautern, Germany Heidelberg, Germany Stuttgart, Germany Nürnberg, Germany Dortmund, Germany Basel, Switzerland Zurich, Switzerland

Vocal Point June 17 – 30 Nauvoo, IL

Above: Living Legends on Central America tour

Performing Arts Management is the managing agency for BYU’s performing companies. For booking information contact: Performing Arts Management, perform@byu.edu, 801-422-3576 or toll free 800-432-3576.

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World-Class Artists Mentor CFAC Students In addition to dazzling BYU audiences with world-class performances, stars from BYU Arts’ BRAVO!* series have been enriching BYU students’ education.

Photo by Nathalie Van Empel

“We want to give our students the opportunity to learn from these artistic professionals who are actively working in their fields,” said Jeff Martin, BYU Arts Manager for the College of Fine Arts and Communications (CFAC).

In September, the BRAVO! series kicked off with a visit from vocalist Audra McDonald for an evening of Broadway and classic songs. McDonald is a five-time Tony Award–winning actress who recently stared in a Broadway production of Porgy and Bess.

Photo courtesy of Erik Kabik

Prior to her evening of singing, McDonald spent time instructing students.

She coached and sang with five singers who had prepared musical selections.

Afterward, McDonald mentioned how impressed she was with the students.

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Top: Audra McDonald Center: Frank Wildhorn Bottom: Joshua Bell

McDonald wasn't the only one impressed. Frank Wildhorn, a Grammy and Tony Award nominee, taught two master classes prior to his performance in October. Wildhorn is the composer of several musicals, including Jekyll and Hyde and The Scarlet Pimpernel. “The talent here at BYU is immense,” Wildhorn said. “I don't know if it's in the water or what.”

Most recently, the CFAC welcomed world-renowned violinist Joshua Bell to perform in the de Jong Concert Hall in November. Prior to his performance, Bell conducted a rehearsal and held a question and answer session with about 300 students and faculty from the BYU School of Music.

* BRAVO! is the visiting artist performing arts series at Brigham Young University that showcases live music, theatre, and dance by professionals working and performing at the highest level. cfac.byu.edu/bravo

Photo by Jaren Wilkey

Around the World

The Religious Art of Carl Bloch Heinrich Hofmann and Frans Schwartz

Photo by Bradley Slade

sacredgifts.byu.edu

More than 50,000 visitors have already been inspired by this all-new exhibition.

Come and partake.

Open through May 2014 at the BYU Museum of Art.

“Absolutely breathtaking artwork!”

“I have truly felt my Savior’s love!”

—Angela Sawyer, CA

—John Cannon, UT

“Thank you many times over for this inspiring gift.”

“My heart is so full of gratitude. . .”

—Sharon Bigelow, UT

—Julie Smith, GA

“. . . the most moving paintings of the Savior that I have ever seen.”

—Allen Ostergar, CA

Our students soar with your support.

HEIDI PLEWE JORGENSEN 海蒂·约根森 My experience in China was absolutely incredible. Performing on that NCPA stage filled me with more joy and awe than I have ever felt before. I am so thankful for the donors who made this performance possible, and I’m very grateful for the ways this experience helped me grow.

If you would like to learn more about how you can make a positive impact in the lives of students such as those featured in this report, please contact Jennifer Amott, Associate Director of Major Gifts in the College of Fine Arts and Communications.

801-422-9219 | jennifer_amott@byu.edu Helping Change and Save Lives

Photo by Peddecord Photo

» Learn more about Heidi at cfac.byu.edu/heidi