BYU School of Music January Journal

Journal

Sharing the Light January 2024

Ring Out, Wild Bells!

With the dawning of a new year, I am reminded of the wonderful poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, “Ring Out, Wild Bells.” So many lines of this poem carry such insight and significance for our time, though published nearly 175 years ago.

“Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true. . . .

Ring out the want, the care, the sin, The faithless coldness of the times; . . .

Ring in the love of truth and right, Ring in the common love of good. . . .

Ring in the valiant man and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand; Ring out the darkness of the land, Ring in the Christ that is to be.”

As disciples of Jesus Christ, our joyful desire should be to help the ringing of the bells described by Tennyson resonate throughout the world. If we try to do just a little bit more each day to help others around us see and feel the light and warmth that Jesus freely offers all, we will help create a resonance that expands beyond our comprehension. After all, it only takes a little more from everyone to have a huge effect.

“So try to do a little good Maybe give a little more Work a little harder than you did the day before It only takes a little good And some doin’ what you can Takin’ every chance to make the choice to help your fellow man So do a little good Just a little, just a little, just a little” (“Do A Little Good” from the musical Spirited, by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul)

With Appreciation,

Mark Ammons

Contents Recent Events ..................................................................... 2 Upcoming in January.......................................................... 3 Behind the Scenes of Wellness Wednesday ...................... 6 Saying Farewell................................................................... 10 Student Accomplishments.................................................. 14

Edited, written, and designed by Sarah Griffin Anderson and Zoey Diede

Recent Events December 9 Harp Ensemble The BYU Harp Ensemble and BYU Harp Faculty Ensemble performed familiar holiday tunes, pieces from the harp ensemble repertoire, and creative student arrangements at this recent concert.

Photo via music.byu.edu.

December 9 Tuba Christmas BYU’s student and faculty tubaists performed in a concert that featured traditional carols, classical Christmas pieces, and holiday standards from film and TV.

Photo via music.byu.edu.

December 12 BYU Christmas Devotional Several commercial music students and Professor Ron Saltmarsh performed “Some Children See Him” in the BYU Christmas Devotional—one of the most attended devotionals this year. The BYU Concert Choir also performed “Little Tree” and “Dulce Jubilo.”

Photo via byutv.org.

December 13 Q’d Up Jay Lawrence, professor and performer of twenty-seven years, presented fourteen compositions at this final Q’d up concert.

He was accompanied by a quintet of his colleagues. At the conclusion of the con2

Photo courtesy of Jay Lawrence.

cert, School of Music Director, Dr. Diane Reich, presented Jay with an award of recognition for his contributions at BYU.

December 13 BRAVO! Boston and the Brass All-Stars Big Band The iconic quintet Boston Brass, joined by local all-star brass players, created a boisterous big band of brass and rhythm featuring arrangements of Christmas favorites by the Stan Kenton Orchestra.

Photo via music.byu.edu.

January 6 Combined BYU Choirs Members of the combined BYU choirs sang the national anthem at the BYU Men’s Basketball home-opener for the Big 12 Conference.

Photo © BYU Photo.

Upcoming in January January 19 BYU Singers with Yuval Ron

Photo via music.byu.edu.

Joined by Yuval Ron—an internationally renowned world music artist, composer, educator, peace activist and record producer—the BYU Singers will perform the world premiere of a 40Hz a capella choral work written by Yuval Ron. He and Dr. Richard Gold have researched the benefits of music at 40Hz for brain health and 3

wellbeing. They will discuss their findings with a panel of BYU professors on Thursday, January 18, at 5:00 p.m. in 1151B Music Building.

January 23, 25, and 27 BYU Young Artists of Voice Competition Photo via music.byu.edu.

Come watch classical voice students compete for the coveted Singer of the Year Award! Attending this event is free.

February 2 Joseph Alessi and the BYU Wind Symphony

Photo via alessimusicstudios.com.

Joseph Alessi, the principal trombonist with the New York Philharmonic, joins the BYU Wind Symphony in a performance of Concerto for Trombone—a piece written for Alessi by legendary jazz pianist and Grammy Award–winner Chick Corea. Buy tickets for this event here.

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Behind the Scenes of Wellness Wednesday

By Sarah Griffin Anderson

Music majors may very well be some of the busiest students on campus—at least, that’s what Dr. Erin Bailey thinks.

On top of being busy, “Most of us musicians, myself included, tend to struggle with overachieving and perfectionist tendencies,” says Dr. Bailey.

After observing the struggles of several music students, Dr. Bailey realized that the School of Music needed a specially designed wellness plan that would provide students with resources they need to handle their unique circumstances and stresses. Dr. Bailey shared a wellness proposal with Dr. Diane Reich (director of the School of Music), who wholeheartedly supported implementing a wellness plan and appointed Dr. Bailey as the School of Music Wellness Coordinator. After that, Dr. Bailey got right to work creating Wellness Wednesday.

What is Wellness Wednesday?

Wellness Wednesday is an initiative that encourages students and faculty in the School of Music to prioritize their wellness through organized activities, seminars, and service projects.

The goal of Wellness Wednesday is to give music students the tools they need to prioritize every aspect of their health without adding more stress to the students’ already busy lives.

Dr. Bailey notes, “Students can feel overwhelmed when they are trying to be ‘perfect’ in many areas—on their instrument, in their ensemble, in music theory, in music history, and the list goes on!” Dr. Bailey hopes that Wellness Wednesday can remind students that—in the midst of crazy schedules and 6

crazy lives—wellness matters. She says, “Hopefully it gives students the chance to recalibrate.”

Katie Schwarz, a senior in music education and Dr. Bailey’s research assistant, has helped build Wellness Wednesday from ground zero. Katie says that Wellness Wednesday is meant to give students the opportunity to make one change at a time to improve wellness—without the pressure of being perfect. “[Your wellness] isn’t going to be perfect all the time,” Katie says, “but doing something is better than doing nothing.”

Both Dr. Bailey and Katie hope that Wellness Wednesday will build communities between the different programs in the School of Music. “We all do different things in the School of Music,” says Dr. Bailey. “Some are in performance, some in compositions, some in music ed, but we all are experiencing very similar things.” Katie adds that, although students in different programs may feel disconnected from each other, “wellness is something that we’re all working on.”

How can students get involved with Wellness Wednesday?

Every School of Music student is invited to participate in bi-monthly wellness invitations, ranging from service projects in the main lobby to yoga in the north ensemble room.

For Katie Schwarz, participating in Wellness Wednesday has taught her “what wellness is and what wellness isn’t” and “We all do different things, but we are all experiencing very similar things.”

–Dr. Erin Bailey

“Wellness looks different for everybody.”

–Katie Schwarz, senior

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that “wellness looks different for everybody.” Students can learn about wellness events by following the Student Advisory Council on Instagram and watching for event announcements on the Wellness Wednesday announcement board outside of the North Ensemble Room.

Students serve during Wellness Wednesday activity. Photo courtesy of Dr. Bailey.

Students from all areas and majors are invited to participate in the Wellness Council. Students on the Wellness Council create and execute bi-monthly wellness invitations based on the six areas of wellness: emotional, physical, spiritual, financial, intel- Students share their visions the Wellness Wednesday annoucement board. Photo lectual, and social. Dr. Bailey courtesy of Dr. Bailey. shares that the students on the Wellness Council are vitally important to Wellness Wednesday because, as students, they can authentically share their needs and the needs of their peers in the School of Music. Students who are interested in joining the Wellness Council should email Dr. Erin Bailey (erin_bailey@byu. edu) to get involved.

Taking steps to improve personal wellness may seem daunting at first. But if students were to take just one step to improve their wellness, Dr. Bailey would tell them to start by having a relationship with God, studying His words, and communing with Him through prayer. “If [students] can feel His satisfaction with them, His stamp of approval that their life (although crazy) is going in the right direction [and that] they’re fulfilling His plan for them, I think that brings a peace that can sustain through all the crazy.”

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Saying Farewell Jay Lawrence, Clémence Destribois, and Marilyn Parks are concluding their time at BYU after spending many years contributing to the School of Music. They will be missed. We thank these amazing individuals for their service and time at BYU.

Photo courtesy of Jay Lawrence.

Jay Lawrence started his career as a performer—he never thought he’d be a teacher. As a teenager, Jay dove headfirst into the music industry and performed professionally six nights a week. Later in his career, he performed with celebrity musicians like Natalie Cole, Sammy Davis Jr., Liberace, and Nancy Sinatra and recorded music for numerous films, including Gettysburg, The Sandlot, and U-571.

But Alan Weight, a great musician and friend of Jay’s, eventually persuaded Jay to teach at his studio. In 1988, Henry Wolking (the jazz director at the University of Utah) recruited Jay to teach at the U. In 1996, Jay began teaching at BYU, sharing his love for jazz, percussion, and all things music with his students. Jay says that he teaches as a salute to the music teachers that inspired and influenced him, but also because he learns more and more about music and performing each day through sharing. Jay says, “The teacher often is the one that learns the most.”

Jay Lawrence also spent over twenty-seven years performing with Q’d Up—a jazz quintet composed of faculty members 10

from BYU. Even though the group members have changed over Jay’s twenty-seven years at BYU, Q’d Up has remained a group that Jay enjoys composing for. During Jay’s career, the group recorded eight albums, most of which featured Jay’s original compositions.

But for Jay, one of the most rewarding parts of his career is being able to have an impact on student’s lives, testimonies, and success in the music industry. The students in the BYU School of Music are of a “high caliber,” Jay says. “They’re respectful, humble, willing to learn, and hard-working.”

Jay wants students to be successful and reach their full potential. In pondering their futures, he says, “The students need to gain all the knowledge and skills that they can because it won’t be a degree that gives them a career. … It’ll be their people skills, it’ll be their performance abilities, their technical prowess, their creativity, their knowledge of technology and music theory, and their musical taste that they’ve developed.”

Clémence Destribois taught music history at BYU for ten years. She grew up in Normandy, France, where she studied trumpet, organ, voice, part-writing, and musical analysis. She earned her bachelor’s degree (organ performance) as well as her master’s degree (musicology) at BYU. Clémence studied for her doctoral degree (musicology) in London at Royal Holloway.

Photo via music.byu.edu

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Marilyn Parks started her administrative career at BYU in 1979. After working in the computer science department and the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church History, she became the Academic Administrative Assistant in the School of Music in August 2005. For almost nineteen years, Marilyn has served four directors of the School of Music. She has streamlined important processes, like distributing experiential learning funds, to make life easier for both students and faculty. Marilyn says, “My own testimony has increased as I have seen how God watches over the School of Music, sending us students who need to be here and faculty who are meant to be here.”

Marilyn’s time at the School of Music has also enlarged her background in and enjoyment of music. “I now know what kinds of music I like and don’t like,” Marilyn says. “And I now know what a bassoon is!” She says, “What I know is that music … can affect each of us in different ways, and the music that may move me closer to God and bring truth into my life may be totally different from that which moves my neighbor. I love that a piece of music or a song can remain with me over the years, bringing back to my mind moments and experiences where the Spirit moved upon me and shared truth or taught me necessary principles.”

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Student Accomplishments

Image screenshot from YouTube.

Utah. Photo courtesy of Jackie Biggs.

Photo via byumusicstore.com

Photo courtesy of Emma Hogge.

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The combined choirs’ and Philharmonic’s performance of “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” from the Inauguration of President C. Shane Reese has over 1.4 million views on YouTube.

Jackie Biggs (senior, piano performance) recently took first place at the Utah Liszt Festival and Competition in the Young Artist Etude Division. The Utah Liszt Festival and Competition—sponsored by the American Liszt Society—was held at the University of Utah.

BYU Singers released a new music video, “God Is Love” by Paolo Orlandi.

The Singers’ recent album, Inexpressible Wonder, has over 23,500 combined streams across Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music.

Emma Hogge (senior, brass performance), a member of the Philharmonic, learned the F tuba this semester in time to perform Pictures at an Exhibition (which includes an extremely difficult tuba solo) with the Philharmonic. She also worked to prepare repertoire on the F Tuba in time for juries.

Photo courtesy of Kaitlyn Ritter.

Photo courtesy of Daniel LeCheminant.

Photo courtesy of Jihea Hong-Park.

Photo courtesy of Jacob Warnick.

Kaitlyn Ritter (senior, flute performance) was the principal flutist in the BYU Philharmonic during the fall semester, performing works by Beethoven, Strauss, and Mahler.

Daniel LeCheminant (sophomore, vocal performance) accepted a contract for the 2024 Spoleto Festival USA Chorus Fellowship—a program that offers paid performance engagements and career developmental opportunities to professional vocalists.

UTMA Conference The BYU UMTA collegiate chapter won the Utah Collegiate Chapter of the Year Award at the UMTA (Utah Music Teachers Association) Conference in October, 2023. Several students placed in the piano competition both at the state and international levels. These accomplishments are listed below.

Jacob Warnick (senior, piano performance) performed the first movement of Beethoven Sonata no. 21 in C Major, Dante Sonata by Liszt, and Summerland

by William Grant Still. This was not the first time Jacob competed in the UMTA competition—in fact, for the past two years, Jacob has taken second place.

This year, however, Jacob won first place and advanced to compete in the Southwest MTNA division. “Music is part of my soul,” Jacob says. “I feel deeply 15

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passionate about the repertoire that I perform. I hope that when people hear me play, they can come away different than they came.” In January, Jacob won the Southwest MNTA competition. He will compete at the national competition in March.

Photo courtesy of Amberlee Abbott.

Amberlee Abbott (second-year masters student, piano performance) says that the UMTA competition pushed her to her limits as a performer. “It takes so much mental, emotional, and physical energy to prepare that much repertoire to a high level,” she says. “I grew a lot as a performer.” Amberlee performed “February” and “December” from Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel’s Das Jahr suite, Sonata in D Major by Mozart, Two Fairy Tales by Nikolai Medtner, and Concert Etude, op. 40 no. 3 “Toccatina” by Nikolai Kapustin. “I love performing,” she says, “even if it’s to a handful of judges.”

Amberlee won Honorable Mention for her performance.

Christopher Papenfuss (sophomore, piano performance) traveled to his home state, Virginia, to compete at the Virginia Music Teachers Association (VMTA) competition; he performed Toccata in C Minor by Bach, Sonata no. 4 in C Minor Photo courtesy of Christopher

by Prokofiev, and Transcendental Etude Papenfuss. no. 12 “Chasse-neige” by Liszt. Of this experience, Christopher says, “I enjoy performing great music because I think it moves people emotionally and helps 17

them better connect with others around them.” Christopher won first place in the VMTA competition.

Photo courtesy of alissa Dorman.

Alissa Dorman (senior, piano performance) worked on her competition pieces for over a year before traveling to her home state, Idaho, to perform at the Idaho Music Educators Association (IMEA) competition. She was very proud of her performance, saying, “Musicians are hyper-aware of every single flaw and shortcoming in a performance, and to produce something that I was satisfied with was very meaningful after countless hours wrestling with these pieces.”

Alissa performed Sonata in C Major no.

3 by Beethoven, Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp Major by Bach, and Sonatine by Ravel. Alissa performed in front of one of her previous instructors and realized how much progress she has made at BYU. She says, “I’m grateful for the musician BYU has helped me to become.” Alissa won first alternate in the IMEA competition for her performance.

James Wilson (piano performance) won alternate at the UMTA competition.

C

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Let’s make beautiful music together.

Come and feel the joy of making great music and great friends. BYU offers three programs for talented musicians ages 14–18: BYU Musicians’ Institute followed

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visit summerfestival.byu.edu for more information June 11–22 June 11–15 June 16–22

The BYU School of Music seeks truth in great music. We strive to lead in the composition, performance, teaching, and understanding of music and to serve the university, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the world through this divine gift.