ncore! E THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI SCHOOL OF MUSIC ALUMNI MAGAZINE
ENCORE!
Welcome Superior Artistic Training, Exceptional Teacher Training, Innovative Research, Comprehensive Programs, World-class Faculty
all students in our programs. It will also challenge us to continue our own growth as teachers, artists and scholars. The artistic and intellectual energy will be mutually inspiring!
These are the values and tenets that have made the School of Music at Southern Miss one of the most respected programs in the country. It is these principles on which we will build the future of Southern Miss as we grow into a powerhouse in artistic and teacher training. We have a proud heritage of successful alumni in a myriad of positions in the music profession and look forward to our students reaching even greater heights in the future. Our commitment to a student-centric approach to education and recruiting the very best and brightest students, as well as our ability to attract world-class faculty, have resulted in exponential growth in the School of Music over the past three years.
Your School of Music is as healthy as it has ever been. During the economic downturn that resulted in the slashing of budgets in universities all over the country, we took aggressive measures to increase revenues in the School of Music. This prepared us well for the recent enrollment growth and has allowed us to continue to provide the highest quality of education while also updating aging buildings with new technology, some minor facelifts, and a major renovation to Marsh Auditorium. We have supplemented our talented faculty with 14 additional graduate assistantships giving us 62 in the school, which is more than any other program on campus.
At almost 500 music majors, we have reached a critical mass that is challenging our physical and fiscal resources. As we introduce initiatives to control growth, we will focus on raising the standards for incoming students. These students will immediately challenge the status quo, which will result in an upward spiral for
Our top performing ensembles still hold the gold standard of performance, but as we have developed more ensembles in all areas, they continue to push the bar higher for the top groups. Artistry abounds in our rehearsal and performance halls. Most importantly, our graduates continue to be employed by the
best school districts, colleges and universities around the country, and are accepted into the best music schools and conservatories in the world. We truly enjoy a national reputation that is fast becoming an international reputation. We enjoy the support of one of our colleagues as Dr. Steven Moser, former associate director of bands and director of The Pride of Mississippi Marching Band from 1990-2002, was recently named the dean of the College of Arts and Letters. As the university searches for a new president, we enjoy having Dr. Aubrey Lucas, whose leadership as president helped put our School of Music on the map, back supporting us from the dome. It is a great time to be a musician at Southern Miss! Looking to the future, our recent 20% enrollment growth puts our aging and inadequate facilities at the top of our priorities, but we have embarked on several other initiatives to enhance our programs. The Thomas V. Fraschillo Endowed Professorship in Wind Band Conducting will be the first endowed professorship in the history of the School of Music. This endowment is a tribute to Dr. Fraschillo’s legacy and will enhance the director of bands position at Southern Miss in perpetuity. The School of Music recently entered into an agreement with the Kawai America Corporation to pursue EPIC status. This
initiative will allow us to replace an aging piano inventory in a fiscally responsible manner while raising the profile of the School of Music on an international level. In an attempt to address the ever–increasing need for piano accompanying in our programs, we will seek IHL approval to offer a DMA in collaborative piano degree. We will also seek approval of a BM in musical theater that will be a collaborative degree with our outstanding Department of Theater. And we will continue to dedicate additional resources to the art of teaching, as we seek to carve out our niche as the dominant teacher preparation school in the South. We hope each of you will join us on October 20, for Homecoming 2012. We will again host an Alumni Band and a Homecoming Barbecue for lunch on the lawn behind the dome. Please keep your eyes on our website for more information about those activities. The support of alumni is a critical element in the success of any university program. We hope that you will be able to join us at performances whenever possible. Your support will ensure that we successfully carry forward the tradition of musical excellence at Southern Miss.
Marsh Auditorium renovations include new seats, handicap-accessible stage and seating, acoustical upgrades with curved reflecting wall and light-blocking entrance. Brand new Kawai pianos arrive and are prepared for practice rooms and studios with more on the way for 2012-13.
The MPAC got a few new touches with School of Music logos and images around the hallways.
Michael Miles, Director of the School of Music
On the cover: Senior violin performance major Patricia Quintero from Havana, Cuba.
Celebrate
When
Dr. Jay Dean takes to the podium to open the 93rd season of The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, it will be a much different group than the one he stepped in front of 25 years ago. Dean, who is celebrating his silver anniversary with the Symphony, has led the orchestra to enjoy an international reputation that enhances not only the university, but also the state and region. The symphony regularly performs to sold-out houses with audience members representing a diverse cross-section of the southeastern United States. His recruiting efforts have turned the organization into a multinational conglomerate.
Jay Dean backstage at Bennett Auditorium
Dean’s vision literally has brought the world to Mississippi, including performances across the state with internationally known classical icons such as Plácido Domingo, Renée Fleming, Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Sir James Galway, Joshua Bell, Denyce Graves, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Roberta Peters, John Browning, Manuel Barrueco, Christopher Parkening and Edgar Meyer. He has also conducted concerts with major popular artists such as Doc Severinsen, The Pointer Sisters, Patti La Belle, Dionne Warwick, Patti Austin, Ricky Skaggs and Sandi Patty. Dean has also guest-conducted many orchestras in the United States, Latin America and Europe.
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SILVERSEASON This season is designed as an entertainment package and features the orchestra in its many facets. Famed violinist and audience favorite, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg returns October 4 for a gala opening night. The orchestra’s longstanding partnership with the Southern Opera and Musical Theatre Company continues with a special presentation of Die Fledermaus on October 16 and 19. Chamber orchestra performances on November 1 and February 14 dot the season, and the popular Holiday Choral Spectacular returns December 4. A spectacular production of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd reopens the renovated Mannoni Performing Arts Center Auditorium February 28 – March 3. The incredible Mahler Symphony No. 5 showcases the orchestra in grand style on March 28, and the season wraps up with one of the most popular concerts, Future Stars, this year combined with a spectacular performance of Belshazzar’s Feast.
When Alejandro Drago looks back on his career at
“In addition to the exceptional programming, special events are planned throughout the year,” said Dr. Mike Lopinto, PR/marketing and event coordinator for the School or Music. “Initially, all season ticket holders are invited to an exclusive pre-season party at Longleaf Plantation. This is a great way to say thank you to symphony patrons and honor Jay for his incredible accomplishments with the orchestra.”
Southern Miss alumnus, Alejandro Drago
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DID YOU KNOW
The Symphony is a study in international relations as students from more than 15 different countries come together for one purpose music. Members of the orchestra play with virtually every other orchestra within a 100-mile radius, serving not only the South Mississippi community but also providing a service to other communities in the state and beyond.
Drago was born and spent his childhood and adolescence in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since his mother was a professional tango dancer, tango music was everywhere around him ever since he was born, but so was the folklore of the provinces and classical music. Being brought up around a variety of different musical genres provided him with the appreciation for all forms of music, whether classical or more popular forms.
Although Drago learned a lot about music in his native country, he sought to continue his studies abroad. This drive led him to Russia to study at the Moscow State Conservatory. After completing the Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in 1996, he devoted his life intensively to performing and teaching violin for a number of years. However, he eventually felt that he needed to add another layer to his education. He felt that it was time to transform his academic and practical experience as a musician into the skill of an orchestral conductor. That is how he ended up obtaining not one, but two graduate degrees from Southern Miss – a MM in violin performance, and a DMA in orchestral conducting and pedagogy. When asked what is his favorite memory of his time at Southern Miss, Drago easily points out the Placido Domingo concert. “Every bit of the whole event, from receiving the parts to every rehearsal, leading to our work with Mr. Domingo, was permeated with the vibrancy and sense of a true mission that are, or should be, the staple mark of true artistism.” He attributes the success of this event to Dr. Dean. “Those involved in the organization of the Placido Domingo project know what a leap of faith, but also what visionary stubbornness, it took on Dr. Dean’s part to make all the entities involved into believers and, later, eager participants of this unique, unforgettable event!” Drago is now the assistant professor of violin and viola and the director of strings/ orchestra at the University of North Dakota. He continues soloing in the United States and abroad. He regularly teaches in festivals in Brazil, and has a chamber music project, called “Tango Rendezvous,” with which they have successfully toured the U.S., South America and Romania. All of this would not be possible without the help from the School of Music, namely Dr. Dean. “One thing I will always remember about Dr. Dean is his ability to focus on a vision, to define it, articulate it, and once locked on it, he would never, no matter what, take his eyes off the ball.”
Superior artistic preparation
Dean is a musical ambassador for Mississippi. In 2009, the State of Mississippi recognized his and the orchestra’s efforts with the Governor’s Award for Leadership in the Arts. Dean’s central mission is to provide life-changing experiences for his students and raise the quality of life in the community and state of which he is a part.
Southern Miss, one person prominently stands out – Dr. Jay Dean. He permitted Drago to have a handson approach by allowing him to spend countless hours on the podium in front of either the Symphony or the Chamber Orchestra – such an opportunity is hard to overestimate. Dean also helped in providing a first-person experience in the dynamics of the inner life of academia, and particularly into the intricacies and the rewards of program development, a skill without which a program director could not succeed.
A Festive Farewell
Rolling Thunder finale with the 2012 Wind Ensemble and Wind Ensemble alumni
NOW AVAILABLE! Experience the magic of Festa Fraschillo and enjoy the final concerts on CD, DVD or digital download.
LIMITED EDITION Relive some of Dr. Fraschillo’s greatest moments with a collection of performances selected by Fe him ta and released here in this special collector’s Fra ch edition. ill o S
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This past April, friends, family and colleagues from around the world came to Hattiesburg to celebrate the retirement of Dr. Tom Fraschillo. The weekend, titled Festa Fraschillo, was a fun-filled and emotional send off to the venerable director of bands, considered among the top music educators and band conductors in the world. On Friday evening, guests gathered at the Trent Lott Center for a banquet complete with “Fraschillo’s favorites” on the menu and a video presentation that moved the audience to a standing ovation. Dr. Michael Miles, Dr. Mohamand Schuman and Dr. Jamie Standland introduced toasts that were made by representatives of Fraschillo’s multi-faceted career; from his Meridian High School period, Mr. Don Carson; from his Southern Miss years, Dr. Aubrey K. Lucas; from the American Bandmasters Association, Ms. Paula Crider; from his Italian friends, Maestro Fulvio Creux; and his longtime assistant, and now dean of the College of Arts and Letters, Dr. Steven R. Moser. The organizing committee surprised the attendees with a gift bag that included a CD of Fraschillo’s Favorites, a note from him, and in a comical turn, a book of Fraschillo’s famous and infamous quotes and the most sought-after item, a bobble-head figurine of the conductor. On Saturday, one could feel the excitement as alums gathered to rehearse the finale for the evening’s concert. Friendships were rekindled as if almost no time had passed. That evening, a capacity crowd enjoyed Fraschillo’s final concert with the wind ensemble. The heavily Italian program was highlighted by guest artists and conductors. Emotions ran high as Luigi Zaninelli presented a surprise composition, “The Castle of St. Angelo” and Fraschillo’s mentor, Dr. William Moody, took the stage to premiere the work. Fraschillo was surprised again as he was inducted in the American Bandmasters Association Hall of Fame. The honorable distinction puts him in the company of band luminaries, including John Phillip Sousa. The final piece by the wind ensemble was Respighi’s The Pines of Rome. After a chill-bump upon chill-bump climax, the audience leapt to their feet and gave Fraschillo and the ensemble a well-deserved ovation – but there was one more surprise, this time from Fraschillo. As the opening strains to Puccini’s Nessun Dorma began, the audience collectively gushed their approval as the chill bumps began. More than a few people were wiping away tears to be in this place in this time with so many great memories. Then, alumni from generations of Fraschillo’s life took to the stage to performing his signature encore, Rolling Thunder. Clocking in at warp speed, the mass band brought the audience to its feet again in an emotional and overwhelming ovation. Fraschillo was visibly moved.
Dr. F surprised by office full of balloons.
Fraschillo plans to stay active in music, and is scheduled to participate in concert events in the U.S., Europe and Asia in 2012 and 2013. But he counts with more pride than any personal honor his many former students who dot the directory of high school and college band directors and music educators across the country and around the globe. “The most important legacy I can leave is the success of my students,” he said.
FRASCHILLO BOBBLE-HEAD
The Dr. Thomas Fraschillo Wind Band Conducting Endowment honors Dr. Fraschillo, a tenured professor at Southern Miss for 28 years who built the Southern Miss Band Program into one of the most highly regarded and respected programs in the world. This endowment will generate funds used to support the position of director of bands in perpetuity, thus ensuring that Southern Miss will sustain the quality band program it has come to enjoy and expect. With each gift of $50 or more, get the gift that was the hit of the Festa Fraschillo weekend - the Fraschillo bobble-head doll. This high-quality resin is sure to remind you to practice excellence and that tuning is not a perfunctory act!
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Welcome! Taking the helm as director of bands, the School of Music is pleased to welcome Dr. Catherine Rand. Dr. Rand has been an educator and conductor for more than 20 years. A native of Tampa, Florida, she taught in Hillsborough County for 14 years before earning her doctorate at the University of Miami. Most recently, she was the director of bands at Florida International University. While there, she transformed the band program by almost doubling the size of the winds, brass and percussion area. She also helped revise the curriculum and expanded the degree program for performance and music education. Her commitment to providing challenging performance opportunities for students and preparing future music educators and performers, are key parts of her vision for the Southern Miss band program. Building on the existing level of excellence and international reputation of the program, she will commission, premiere and record new works by today’s eminent composers, explore growing the number of ensembles, expand faculty collaboration efforts and continue to advocate for music education and its increased importance in today’s schools.
“The foundation of any successful program are the alumni. Graduates from Southern Miss bands have gone on to be extremely successful in their professions, committed civic and community leaders and avid supporters of the university,” said Rand. “I look forward to meeting alumni and invite you to stop by and say hello at a football game, join us at one of our concerts or just reach out and let us know how you and we are doing.” Dr. Rand has enjoyed moving to Hattiesburg and experiencing our unparalleled Southern hospitality. Asked about why she chose to come to Southern Miss, she replied, “It just felt right. The campus, the colleagues, the neighbors and, most importantly, the students were exactly what I was looking for. It isn’t just a saying when we say the Southern Miss School of Music is a family - it truly is, and I am thrilled and honored to be a part of it.” Don’t miss her first concert with the Wind Ensemble on October 9, as they continue the “Sound Tradition” of musical excellence.
Dr. Catherine Rand, director of bands
Keay
Halliday
Upton
Kalina
Waymire
Schlegel
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DID YOU KNOW We enjoy a 96% placement rate of all music education graduates. (2008-11)
Dr. Mark Waymire and Dr. Amanda Schlegel presented at multiple sessions at the National Biennial Music Educators National Conference sponsored by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME, formerly MENC). Waymire presented a research session titled, “Behaviors of High-Performing Versus Low-Performing High School Bands.” Dr. Schlegel presented three posters at the poster research session. In addition, Dr. Schlegel and Dr. James Byo from LSU presented their research with other music education faculty from Florida State University, University of North Carolina-Greensboro and University of Northern Iowa as part of the panel presentation titled, “Perception of Intonation and Tuning in String and Wind Instruments.” This presentation was for the Music Perception and Cognition Special Research Interest Group (SRIG). In July, Dr. Schlegel traveled to Thessaloniki, Greece, to present at the 12th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition (ICMPC) and eighth Triennial Conference of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music (ESCOM).
Exceptional teacher training
The Music Education division enjoyed many accomplishments among its faculty and students during the 2011-12 school year. Graduate students in music education had quite an incredible year, winning awards, presenting research and securing coveted teaching positions. Doctoral students Ashley Tyler, Lindsey Keay and Becky Halliday presented their research at local, national and international venues. Ashley Tyler presented research at the Alabama Music Educators Association Poster Session and also at NAfME Biennial Music Educators National in St. Louis, Missouri. Lindsey Keay presented research at the Louisiana Music Educators Association Research Poster Session and, along with Becky Halliday, presented research at the AERA (American Educational Research Association) conference in British Columbia. Halliday also presented her research on campus in Hattiesburg at the Graduate Sutdent Research Symposium. She was the 2012 Yarbrough Award-winner for her research project titled, “Please Shut the Door: Impressions and Actions of a NineYear-Old Boy with Asperger’s Syndrome in the Context of the OrffSchulwerk Music Classroom.” Most notably, she was offered and accepted a position as an assistant professor of music education at the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, Alabama. In addition, master’s students Tyler Kalina, Nicole Knower and Rachel Upton also presented their research on music listening at this symposium.
Raise your voice!
Mack Wilberg rehearsing the Hattiesburg Choral Union
Choral Activities is preparing for another exciting year.
This past academic year saw record attendance at choral conferences, a long-to-be-remembered Chamber Singers tour to Italy, and the large undertaking of the Bach B Minor Mass by student singers, soloists and orchestra under the baton of Gregory Fuller.
Mack Wilberg with choral grad students
An invitation to Romania has been extended to the Hattiesburg Choral Union to join the Transylvania Philharmonic in Cluj to perform William Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast on May 24, 2013. A Hattiesburg presentation of the Walton will be May 2, at Main Street Baptist Church. In conjunction with the Choral Union tour, the Southern Chorale will perform a concert of American A Cappella on this same tour and Spirit of Southern, the men’s acapella chorus, will be featured. In December, the graduate choral conducting studio will spend several days in Salt Lake City for a short internship with the Morman Tabernacle Choir as special guests of conductor Mack Wilberg. Dr. Wilberg visited Hattiesburg and is returning our hospitality with a very exciting invitation. Students will not only attend rehearsals and presentations of their nationally televised holiday concert, they will have access to the rehearsal facilities, library and administrative staff of the organization. It promises to be a great opportunity.
Holiday Choral Spectacular
In addition to The Southern Experience Showchoir and Choral Camp this past June and the Southern Invitational Choral Conference coming in September, Southern Miss will host the state convention of American Choral Directors and Mississippi Music Educators on campus in April. Assistant director of choral activities, John Flanery, is current state president of ACDA and will organize the event. Southern Miss choral staff will be central to the hosting process, and the Southern Chorale will be a featured performer at the opening session on Thursday night. The choral season at Southern Miss is plentiful and diverse. Consider making a concert part of your plans in Hattiesburg.
Southern Chorale in performance
J.D. Frizzell’s parents will tell you that his favorite toy as a young child was his walkman, firmly attached to his diaper at all times. While he loved music
from a young age, Frizzell did not start formal music training until his sophomore year of high school. He then started making up for lost time, taking piano, guitar, voice and saxophone lessons in addition to joining the school and church choir. As a high school senior, he had only been in music for a couple of years, so his musical skills were not as developed as his peers pursuing a career in music. However, he knew music was his calling. Frizzell had never stepped foot in Mississippi, but Dr. Fuller was insistent that Southern Miss could be a great place for him. Once he participated in a rehearsal with Dr. Fuller’s top ensemble, the Southern Chorale, Frizzell never looked back. He even remembers spending his lunch break every day his first semester at Southern Miss listening to the chorale. His second semester, Frizzell made the ensemble and spent the next six years making unforgettable music with them. His fondest choir memories are the tours to England and France, Los Angeles for the National Choral Directors Association Convention, and Germany and Austria. He also enjoyed tours with the Southern Miss handbell choir, Carillon, to France, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium and Luxembourg under the direction of Dr. Larry Smith, who was also his voice teacher. Upon graduating from Southern Miss in 2008, Frizzell accepted the position of director of vocal music at Briarcrest Christian High School in Memphis, Tenn. He was later promoted to director of fine arts for the entire Briarcrest School System, K-12. In this role, Frizzell supervises a faculty of a dozen teacher-artists and curriculum and development in the areas of vocal music, instrumental music, theatre, visual art and technical production. In addition to his job at Briarcrest, Frizzell is an active composer, adjudicator and clinician. Winner of the 2007 Integrales Composition Contest at Southern Miss, he has best-selling works performed around the world. His music is available through Colla Voce, Choristers Guild, Lorenz, Red River and AGEHR. Fueled with a vision for the future of the sheet music industry, Frizzell founded CadenzaOne, a digital reseller of sheet music, in 2011. The website already carries music from more than 30 of the world’s top publishing companies. Through his experience in this area, he is also piloting a first-of-its-kind digital sheet music program with the choirs at Briarcrest Christian Middle and High Schools. Using iPads, this program allows individual student recording, assessing, listening and practicing without interrupting the dynamic of an ensemble rehearsal. Frizzell hopes that the data gleaned from this pilot will revolutionize ensemble music assessment at local, state and national levels.
J. D. Frizzell conducts choir performance
Innovative research
Frizzell thanks his former professors at Southern Miss for setting him up for his professional musical career. In particular, he would like to thank Dr. Gregory Fuller, Dr. Joe Brumbeloe, Dr. Larry Smith and Dr. John Flanery for their positive influence on his life. He is now watching his students go to Southern Miss for music, knowing that they will benefit from the incredible tutelage and experiences just as much as he did.
David Vernon after winning his audition
The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps is one of the foremost rudimental drumming organization in the United States. It is an honor in itself to have one student make it into such a prestigious company, but having two is unheard of. The University of Southern Mississippi School of Music now has that exact honor, thanks to the exceptional talents of Scott Jamison and David Vernon. Both Jamison and Vernon are natives of Mississippi, and their music roots run deep. David grew up in a musical family. After doing some piano playing and singing starting at a very young age, David chose to focus his attention on the drums, his favorite instrument. He was successful from the very beginning, and that success has continued throughout his musical life. After receiving his associate degree in music, David continued in his parents’ footsteps by transferring to The University of Southern Mississippi and majoring in music education. Scott’s musical involvement was never anything to be questioned. “Music is something that has always been encouraged in my family,” he said. After becoming involved in the high school marching band program at Oak Grove, he knew that he wanted to teach percussion. Southern Miss offered an incredibly strong percussion department, a great music education curriculum, and had already been home to Scott throughout the years, so the choice was clear. “I think my favorite time in the School of Music was late at night in the basement of the Performing Arts Center, where the percussion department is located. There are always drummers down there practicing in various rooms and hallways. Sometimes you just have to take a break. I walked into the percussion ensemble room and found David Vernon there practicing, and asked if he
Scott Jamison performing with the Old Guard wanted to take a break. At that time, one or two other people came in. I don’t remember how it happened, but we eventually all found the biggest mallets that we could and started playing improv rhythms on the biggest drums in the room. At one point, we got so incredibly soft that I wasn’t sure if any of us were still actually playing, or just moving our hands. Then, the final crescendo happened. We ended up playing as loud as we possibly could on concert bass drums, Brazilian samba drums, timpani, a drumset, etc. I think it was the first time I ever had a true musical conversation. I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face for a long time afterward.” Since that day, their friendship has flourished. Five years ago, Jamison made the United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. When Scott heard that there was going to be a snare drum audition, his list of people to contact was very short. “It takes a very strong and specific type of personality to flourish here, so when you put that together with the Army’s age restrictions and physical demands, and the playing abilities of people you know, the list of potentials really makes itself.” David Vernon was at the top of Scott’s list. Having marched together for three years in The Pride of Mississippi Marching Band at Southern Miss and been co-captains of that drum-line together in the fall of 2005, Scott knew David as a person and as a player enough to know that he was exactly the kind of applicant that the Fife and Drum Corps was looking for. “When David came and ‘blew the audition out of the water,’ I wasn’t surprised. David has always been the kind of person to exceed the standard, and his performance at the audition was no exception. Words can’t express how ecstatic I am to welcome David into the family of The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps. It will be an honor to perform music with David again, and the fact that it will be in a uniform that represents our great nation’s rich history...it just doesn’t get any better than that.”
One might think growing up in a small town would make a career
path as a classical musician challenging. For Purvis native and Southern Miss alumnus Hope Fairchild Thacker, those challenges were easily overcome with an innate love of music and the support of a nurturing family firmly rooted in the principles of hard work and dedication. Hope began her musical journey at an early age, first taking piano lessons with her mother Susan Fairchild. Not satisfied with just piano, she took up the violin and sang in the Hattiesburg Children’s Chorus under the direction of Althea Jerome and Beverly Shaw, which presented her with not only her first exposure to opera, but also to Southern Miss. It was this introduction to opera and the stage that ignited her deep passion for the performing arts. Hope turned her attention to the violin and achieved a position in the top ensemble of the Southern Miss All South Honor Orchestra as an eighth grader, a rare feat. However, the call of the trumpet was too much for the young violinist, and she turned her attention to that instrument, eventually earning a position in the Mississippi Lion’s All State Band.
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DID YOU KNOW Southern Miss alumna Hope Fairchild Thacker will present a recital in Hattiesburg on January 25, at 7:30 p.m. in Marsh Auditorium.
Hope Fairchild Thacker to perform in Carnegie Hall The School of Music played a large role in preparing Hope for her recent success at the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Awards competition in Orlando, Florida. Her studies at Southern Miss had seen the alumna through the national semifinalist round of NATSAA in 2004, a first for a Southern Miss student. The combination of the solid musical background provided by the School and the wealth of experience presented to her by her voice professor, Dr. Larry Smith, helped prepare her for her national fourth place finish in June 2012. Some of her fondest memories include performing the role of the Witch in Into the Woods under the direction of Obra Quave, participation in a European tour with Carillon under the direction of Dr. Larry Smith, and performing with The Southern Chorale under the direction of Dr. Tim Koch and Dr. Gregory Fuller. Dr. Thacker holds a BMEd degree with vocal/choral emphasis and a MM degree in choral conducting and vocal performance from Southern Miss. She completed her doctoral studies in vocal performance at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. As a lyric mezzo-soprano, she performs regionally in recitals and oratorio and teaches voice at Union University in Jackson, Tenn. In Fall 2013, Dr. Thacker will be making her Carnegie Hall debut, giving a solo recital in Weill Hall, presented by Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY). She resides with her husband, Dr. Brian Thacker, and their three sons, Hartley (5), Robert (3) and Joseph (1).
Comprehensive programs
With her academic prowess and musical talent, the decision to attend Southern Miss was all but made for her when she was presented with both a music scholarship and a Presidential Scholar award. The rigors of Honors College and being a music major were not enough for Hope, and in addition to her vocal studies, she was recruited by Dr. Larry Smith to ring in the handbell choir, Carillon.
Noteworthy What began as a desire to hone
her Broadway singing skills for a faculty recital more than five years ago has now developed into a highly successful teaching curriculum for associate professor of music, Dr. Maryann Kyle. The Command Performance Workshop® for teachers and singers was presented in five states and two foreign countries during the 2011-12 academic year, and is to be presented in Houston., Gaineseville, New York and Boston during the 2012-13 year. The curriculum, which focuses on Broadway singing styles, with particular emphasis on a style of singing referred to as “belt voice,” caters to both teachers of singing and performers. The workshop attendance and positive feedback from participants during the last year has resulted in Kyle being appointed the artistic director of the International Belt Voice Symposium in Germany beginning in the summer of 2013. The symposium will include faculty from Boston Conservatory, NYU Tisch School and the New England Conservatory of Music, as well as internationally known Broadway performers from the United States, Germany and Austria. “The more I practiced, the more I physically understood how to sing in this style, and my teaching language formed around the practice,” said Kyle. She spent a year exploring this technique, reading pedagogy and anatomy books, articles on the subject of belt voice singing and expanding her teaching language while working with her students at Southern Miss. The ultimate proving ground for Kyle came in 2010, when she was asked to serve as the vocal coach for Twist: An American Musical at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. Directed by star of Broadway and television, Debbie Allen, Kyle becme an invaluable member of the team. “I have been telling actors and dancers for years that if they truly wanted to expand their vocal technique as a singer and as an actor, they need to train in Bel Canto,” said Allen. “And what a gift that Maryann Kyle came to visit us and jumped right on the bandwagon and trained our young actors as well as some of our veteran professionals. Within hours performances were greatly expanded.” The curriculum has now grown into 13 teaching units which will be presented in June of 2013 on the campus of Southern Miss, and will be the basis of the International Belt Voice Symposium in July. For more information visit www. maryannkyle.com.
This summer proved to be an exciting one for Dr. Marcos Machado with more than 7,000 miles of travels, meeting bassists from 3° to 30° South - yes, below the Equator. The summer started with master classes close to the home at the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra’s annual Premier Orchestral Institute held in Jackson. That event showcased our state and began recruiting talented students for the School of Music from Guatemala, Ecuador, Honduras and Peru to Mississippi. Then, it was off to South America for a 10-week trip. First stop, 3° South, in Fortaleza, Brazil to work with the Eleazar de Carvalho’s Orchestra. The concert was scheduled to celebrate the 100th birthday of its namesake, one of Brazil’s most important conductors. Arthur Barbosa composed and dedicated Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra to Dr. Marcos Machado with whom performed the world premiere on June 28, 2012. Second stop, 23.5° South, in São Paulo, Brazil, at a festival dedicated to young musicians from 10 to 17 year olds and in Sarzedo and in Minas Gerais, for another music festival where he taught and performed intensively. Third stop, 31° South, in Bagé, Brazil, for a week at the third Festival Internacional Música no Pampa, where Machado is the creator and pedagogic director. This year the bass world had their eyes turned to this small town as double bassist François Rabbath, at 81, came to Brazil for the first time. Machado was on tour with François Rabbath and traveled with him for 25 days including stops in important cultural centers such as Montevideo, Uruguay, and in São Paulo. Rabbath and Machado’s master classes atracted more than 80 bassists. Soon, Machado will be adding 10,000 miles to his mileage log with an invitation to perform and teach in the Amazon region September 9 to 15. There, new frontiers will open, and talented students will learn about the School of Music at The University of Southern Mississippi.
Academics do lots of research and publishing—it’s a job requirement.
Dr. Chris Goertzen enjoys this because he loves learning new things and because he has a sense of a double professional legacy, through intangible influence on lots of students and through books and articles that tug the general body of knowledge in some direction just a bit. Why work on fiddling rather than, say, Beethoven? Fiddle tunes are little gems that lots of people agree are artistically good. A given melody doesn’t have a single nameable genius behind it, but rather the cumulative genius of generations of instrumentalists that have refined the tune until it glows.
Goertzen is working on a book meant to be a companion to his Southern Fiddlers and Fiddle Contests (2008). That book is about the sociology of current fiddling, while the current project concerns the history of American fiddle styles. Fiddling, mostly in oral tradition, can slip into historical view in manuscripts and publications and, more recently, in recordings. The sparsest evidence is from the middle of the 19th century. “There’s one neat stand-alone publication,” said Goertzen. “A German immigrant named George Knauff who, through marriage to a Southern belle ended up in rural Farmville, Virginia, published 35 tunes collectively named the Virginia Reels in 1839. Mr. Knauff was trying desperately to earn a living connected to music: he built and sold pianos in this unlikely location and gave lessons. After his wife died and his home/store burned, he worked at a fancy girls’ school and published music, including these piano arrangements of fiddle tunes that he seems to have transcribed from local oral tradition.” He is basing his history of the sound of American fiddling on the fates of those 35 tunes. ome of Knauff ’s melodies were already in circulation in print and in music commonplace books (manuscripts in which aspiring fiddlers or flutists or fifers S wrote down tunes that they intended to learn, thus records of musical taste). Some still are played today for dances and in fiddle contests. For instance, there’s Knauff ’s melody “Natchez on the Hill,” the first known version of the rare southeastern fiddle tune “Natchez Under the Hill.” It looks like Knauff ’s fiddle informant or that fiddler’s source—however far removed—thought a title describing a city as being under a hill was too strange to repeat, though we know that “Natchez Under the Hill” was the low-lying (and low-down!) entertainment district of Natchez, the part right next to the Mississippi. This tune has relatives that span the history of American fiddling. A Scottish tune with exactly the same contour briefly called the “Irish Lilt” and “Old Lea Rigg” was borrowed for a ballad opera and renamed “The Rose Tree.” That song was famous here in the 1780s-1820s under that name and also as retexted in Thomas Moore’s Irish Melodies, which were widely circulated in the young U. S. starting in the 1810s. Some of the Scottish fiddle versions of this song were heavily ornamented, reflecting their performance practice. Then, the English versions dumped the fancy stuff, and American-published versions seem to have followed English practice (though lots of Scots settled in our eastern mountains). Then the tune was reworked for blackface minstrelsy in the 1830s-1840s as “Old Zip Coon,” and survives today as “Turkey in the Straw.” Goertzen is gathering and comparing many dozens of versions of tunes in this group . . . and of the 34 others in the Virginia Reels. When that’s done, he should have the raw material for a good history of the American fiddling.
Out of the 570 submissions, 154 papers were selected for spoken presentation and 258 for poster presentation. The poster presentation included fiveminute “speed presentations” in which an overview of the posters were presented. These presentations were grouped by topic and provided an opportunity to expand and preview work to those who might be interested in it. “The conference was uniquely interesting due not just to the research presented but to the intellectual challenge that it presented,” said Schlegel. “At a music education conference, most everyone is motivated by the same charge: improve the status of music education. That was not the case at ICMPC, so it required an amount of intellectual aggressiveness that was invigorating.” As research was presented, one might initially judge it to be too far removed from music education to be relevant. However, researchers using new technologies, analysis and methods that had the possibility to illuminate questions of unique relevance to the field. The conference also provided Schlegel the opportunity to interact with leaders in the field through which new relationships and possibilities were explored while propelling the stature, reputation and visibility of the School of Music at Southern Miss.
World-class faculty
Recently, Dr. Amanda Schlegel was asked to present at the joint meeting of the 12th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition (ICMPC) and the eighth Triennial Conference of the European Society for the Cognitive Sciences of Music (ESCOM). This multidisciplinary conference brought together leading researchers from a wide variety of disciplines united by a common interest in music perception and cognition. Presenters came from a range of disciplines such as psychology, psychophysics, philosophy, neuroscience, psychoacoustics, music theory, linguistics, anthropology, cognitive sciences, and music education.
A bloody good time
and newcomers to the decadent and heinous story of revenge,” said Dr. Michael Miles, director of the School of Music and music director of the show.
of people if not for my time at Southern Miss.”
“Southern Miss has a great tradition of putting on excellent stage productions,” said Hart, a vocal performance master’s graduate (2010) and current DMA conducting candidate. “I have enjoyed collaborating with the Theatre department and am excited about the various people working on this project and the gifts they bring to it.”
S o p h i s t i c a t e d , macabre, visceral and uncompromising, Sweeney Todd nevertheless has a great sense of fun, mixing intense drama with howlingly funny moments of dark humor. Audiences find themselves laughing hysterically one moment and gasping in surprise the next.
Also part of the production team are Stephen G. Judd, head of design and technology and professor of The creative team also scenic design at Southern includes Jennifer Hart, Miss, who will create the chorus master; Tammy dark and mysterious world Mansfield, production the characters inhabit, and manager; and Daniel Lewis, Kelly James-Penot, costume stage manager – all of whom shop supervisor at Southern have close ties to the Music Miss, will design the period department. costumes for the large cast.
Director Mike Lopinto gets a close shave
In 2013, the Mannoni To direct the production, Performing Arts Center will the School of Music had to reopen after a brief hiatus look no further than its’ own for some much-needed Mike Lopinto, who is no renovation. To celebrate the stranger to grand spectacle refreshed hall, The University and theatrical showpieces. of Southern Mississippi Equally adept on and off School of Music plans a the stage, Lopinto has been show on epic scale and a first the creative genius behind for Hattiesburg – Stephen spectacular, award-winning Sondheim’s chilling, Tony events around the South. Award–winning musical, The Southern Miss alumnus Sweeney Todd. On and off and current staff member the stage, current students, has written, directed and community members and performed in innumerable most recently some of our alumni will shows, directing Maryann Kyle’s be a part of this large-scale one-woman-show, Sondheim production. in the City in its Broadway premiere.
“This is without a doubt one of my favorite musicals, and I am honored to have been asked to helm this masterwork,” said Lopinto. “The incredible team that we have assembled makes this an even more exciting proposition, and I have no doubt audiences will be wowed.” Sweeney will be presented in collaboration with the Department of Theatre. “Showcasing the incredible talents of our faculty and students, it will be a night to remember for both followers of the musical
Since receiving an bachelor’s (1993) and a master’s (2009), Mansfield has enjoyed music directing and arranging opportunities across the South. “I consider Southern Miss to be my music home,” she said. “Being part of a Sweeney Todd production has been a life-long dream, and having the opportunity to produce it with my alma mater is just icing on the cake.” For Lewis, this show brings him full circle. “I would have never had the honor to return to Southern Miss to mount this production with an absolutely incredible team
ON STAGE
Feb. 28 - March 2, 7:30 p.m. March 3, 2 p.m. Mannoni Performing Arts Center Auditorium
TICKETS
On sale October 31 800.844.8425 601.266.5418 southernmisstickets.com
Longtime faculty member and senior associate dean Dr. Steven Moser has been named the new dean of the College of Arts and Letters at The University of Southern Mississippi. Moser has been serving as interim dean since May of last year. Following a national search, Moser emerged as the top choice to replace Dr. Denise von Herrmann, who left Southern Miss last spring to take the provost position at Oglethorpe University. “I am gratified and humbled that the faculty and staff in the college have shown confidence in me,” said Moser. “Arts and Letters is a remarkable college. It is an honor to serve our faculty, staff and students.”
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DID YOU KNOW Over the past three years, the undergraduate enrollment increased 12%, the graduate enrollment increased 28%, and the Master of Music Education degree grew 100%. (2008-11)
New faces The School of Music is pleased to welcome
new faculty and staff members:
Dr. Catherine Rand - Director of Bands Dr. Ben McIlwain, Assistant Professor of Trombone Dr. Jason Bergman, Assistant Professor of Trumpet Dr. Mark Waymire - Assistant Professor of Music Education Stacey Miles - Professor of Practice in Music Education Dr. Webb Parker - Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Education Dr. Joohae Kim - Staff Accompanist
Passing tone After a long battle with cancer, retired professor of music, Dr. Dana Ragsdale, passed away on August 1. A memorial service was held August 25, at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension, followed by a social rememberance. A memorial concert in her honor is being planned. Information will be posted at www.usm.edu/music as it becomes available.
Faculty Euridice Alvarez, A.B.D.—oboe Danny Beard, Ph.D.—music theory Jason Bergman, D.M.A.—trumpet Joseph Brumbeloe, Ph.D.—music theory Nicholas Ciraldo, D.M.A.—classical guitar Kimberley M. Davis, D.M.A.—voice Jay Dean, D.M.A.—orchestra Ellen Price Elder, D.M.A.—piano John Flanery, D.M.A.—choral activities Gregory A. Fuller, Ph.D.—choral activities Chris Goertzen, Ph.D.—musicology Lawrence S. Gwozdz, D.M.A.—saxophone Edward Hafer, Ph.D.—musicology J. Taylor Hightower, D.M.—voice Jonathan Holden, D.M.A.—clarinet Joohae Kim, D.M.A.—accompanist Maryann Kyle, D.M.A.—voice, opera Hsiaopei Lee, D.M.A.—viola Lois Ann Leventhal, D.M.A.—piano Heidi Lucas, D.M.A.—horn Marcos Machado, D.M.A.—bass Ben McIlwain, D.M.—trombone Danilo Mezzadri, D.M.A.—flute Michael A. Miles, D. M. A. — director, School of Music Stacey Miles, M.M.Ed.—music education Elizabeth Moak, D.M.A.—piano Steven R. Moser, Ph.D.—conducting/music education Lawrence M. Panella, M.M.—jazz studies Eun Hee Park, D.M.A.—accompanist Webb Parker, Ph.D.—music education Richard Perry, D.M.A.—tuba/euphonium Catherine Ann Rand, D.M.A.—bands, conducting Stephen Redfield, D.M.A.—violin Alexander Russakovsky, D.M.A.—cello Douglas Rust, Ph.D.—music theory Amanda Schlegel, Ph.D.—music education Mohamad Schuman, D.M.A.—bands Larry D. Smith, D.M.A.—voice, handbells James Standland, D.M.A.—bands Mark Waymire, Ph.D.—music education Kim Woolly, D.M.—bassoon John A. Wooton, D.M.A.—percussion
Homecoming 2012
Join the fun on Saturday, October 20. Be part of the alumni band or just come and show your pride! For more information on alumni band, please call the band office at 601.266.4990.
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CALENDAR
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Food, music and fun from last year’s homecoming. Join us this year!
LET US HEAR FROM YOU!
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AA/EOE/ADAI 15 AUG 2012