CADENZA
CONTENTS
WELCOME
A word from Department of Music Chair, Dr. Tracy Cowden
UTSA UNDERGROUND
Annual music and arts festival celebrates its fifth anniversary
NAMM CONVENTION
Music marketing students attend national convention
MOVING THE TASSEL
Reflections from graduating seniors
YEAR IN REVIEW
A pictorial collection of 2018-2019 noteworthy events
A FOND FAREWELL
A spotlight on our four retiring faculty
FACULTY PUBLICATION
John Nix co-authors textbook on singing
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Featuring Edna Longoria
RIBUTORS:
den - Graphic Designer - Senior Events Manager - Editor ----------------------------------
Leon Camacho, Meme Castro, Dr. Stacey Davis, Danelle Etheridge, Abram Fernandez, Joseph Flores, Sarah Foy, Prof. John Nix, Amy Reece, Dr. Stan Renard, Rolando Ramon, Dr. Ethan Wickman, and Karla Zuniga
Welcome to CADENZA Showcasing UTSA Music
FRIENDS,
May is always a bit bittersweet in the Department of Music. We are concluding our semester with a whirlwind of performances and events; first comes our Extravaganza on Friday, May 3rd at 6:30 PM, to which you are all invited, which is a very special event celebrating the accomplishments of students throughout the year with performances, awards announcements, and special guests
But this month is bittersweet as we say farewell to our graduates and to four faculty that are retiring this summer: Eugene Dowdy, Matthew Dunne, Rita Linard, and Gary Mabry. This issue includes a feature article about these faculty members who have contributed so much to UTSA. We are excited to see what the future holds for all who are leaving us this spring and we look forward to honoring all of their accomplishments over the next few weeks.
As always, we have many stories to tell you in this issue of Cadenza, including stories about some of our graduating seniors, an alumni spotlight on Edna Longoria, and features on special student projects, faculty publications, UTSA Underground (May 4th!), and a recap of events we didn’t have the chance to share throughout the year. Please continue to check our calendar at www.music.utsa.edu or any of our social media pages for updated event information. Although summer is fast approaching, our work continues – we are hosting several summer camps (which you can read about in this issue), and we will have student performances at the UTSA 50th Anniversary Commemoration at the Alamo on June 5th (click HERE for the link), as well as at the UTSA 50th Anniversary Scholars Speaker Series events around San Antonio
We would love to hear from you with any feedback about Cadenza and Department of Music events; please reach out to us at music@utsa.edu with questions and comments. We hope you have a wonderful summer, and we look forward to hearing from you and seeing you at music events around town!
Tracy Cowden
Roland K. Blumberg Endowed Professor in Music and Chair
C O M P O S I T I O N
Th UTS Departmen of Music is prou t present
25 Extravaganza th annual
Friday May 3, 2019 6:30pm Recital Hall
The ceremony begins with a reception followed by the awards presentation at 7pm
UTSA Underground is returning fo its fifth year on May 4th, 2019. The music and art festival will be taking place in the University’s service tunnels and will feature four hours of local musical and v art from students, faculty, and staff.
festival is produced by members of Musicians of iness, also known as MOB. The student-led anization focuses on the music industry and learning ough hands-on projects.
ery year we let our members experience what it is like to duce a music festival. We give them roles such as king the talent, social media marketing, and graphic ign, as well as allow them to make important decisions ut the festival,” said Leon Camacho, President of MOB.
lineup for this year’s festival will showcase sixteen different bands and solo acts, ranging from rap, rock, indie, Latin, and more. Some of the featured bands include Granite Hands, a space surfin' instrumental rock ‘n’ roll band led by graduate student Sorush Ranjbar, Mirame Music and Xenobia, two bands that include students from the Department of Music, and solo acts like Raul Vargas, a music major and up-and-coming rapper.
“UTSA Underground began five years ago as a project for one of the Music Marketing courses. The purpose was to showcase the hidden talent of music majors on campus. There were about 100 people in attendance the first year the event was held. I’m proud to say that last year we saw more than 500 people having a great time in the tunnels and I can’t wait for this year!” said Camacho.
UTSA Underground runs from 7 PM to 11 PM. The event is free and open to the public. Food, drinks, and merchandise will be available for purchase. Parking is free in any of the employee A and B and commuter spots.
For more information contact MOB President Leon Camacho at mob.utsa@gmail.com
Reflecting on the WinterNAMMConvention
The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) is a foundation that focuses on philanthropy in the music industry by funding various public service programs as well as scientific research. However, NAMM is most known for putting on a biannual music industry trade show open to all professionals and students of the music industry. This legendary trade show has been going on since 1901. Every year larger than the next, NAMM brings together industry professionals to network, test out equipment and instruments, and have a great time going to shows, workshops, and lectures
Music marketing majors Abram Fernandez and Joseph Flores made the journey to Anaheim, California to attend this larger than life conference in January. To top it off, Abram Fernandez received the prestigious NAMM President’s Innovation Award which honors college students who demonstrate excellence in the field of music and who are passionate about pursuing a career in the music products industry
"Upon entering the convention center in Anaheim, you can find businesses, musicians, artists and educators set up all across the floor. You can witness big name companies such as Fender, Bose, Martin, Alfred Printing, and Yamaha throughout the showroom as they display their new music tech and instruments,” says Fernandez Many well-established musicians and professionals in the industry were present to promote new ideas and products. One such example and a highpoint for many attendees was the Korg exhibit, featuring a performance by Herbie Hancock followed by a live Q&A session “Meeting the legendary musician was an unforeseen pleasure and surely the highlight of my NAMM experience,” says Flores. In addition to exploring the convention center as a consumer, Flores and Fernandez were able to make meaningful connections and network with leaders in the industry for future career opportunities
“I went to NAMM this past January with the aspirations of landing a potential internship for the summer in Los Angeles, California,” says Fernandez He explains that “My music marketing professor, Dr Stan Renard, had always advocated insistently on going to NAMM to network with various business professionals in the music industry, but I had no idea how much NAMM really had to offer until I arrived there myself.” Though Abram went to NAMM in pursuit of an internship, he gained a great sense of clarity in what type of company he would be passionate about working for in the future. “Walking from booth to booth, it’s amazing to be able to talk to professionals representing all areas of the industry This made it very easy for me to get an idea of what I want to do in the future. I believe it’s the biggest thing I took away from NAMM,”says Fernandez.
In the world of music conventions, NAMM is among the most exciting to attend. Music industry professionals and students flock from around the globe to attend the massive convention Not only was it a great place to network with seemingly every company in the music manufacturing industry, but it also felt like a music festival The convention offered an overwhelming number of concerts to attend from hundreds of worldrenowned musicians, including artists such as Herbie Hancock, Zane Carney, and Melanie Faye. The companies who had booths at the convention also held plenty of promotional workshops led by these artists to introduce and demonstrate the capabilities of the latest and most advanced instruments, gear, and software in the industry This also gave NAMM attendants the chance to meet their favorite artists in person after the various workshops and performances.
“I strongly encourage all music students, educators, and industry professionals to attend NAMM this upcoming year, as it is truly an event that attracts a conglomerate of the industry’s best talents,” says Fernandez Whether you are looking to build valuable connections, test out the latest gear, or see some of your favorite artists
UTSA
SUMMER CAMPS
Summer Band Institute
June 16-22
Summer is right around the corner and UTSA is offering a variety of music and fine arts camps. The programs offer something for all ages and musical interests.
Performing Arts Camp
June 10-21
For the younger campers, UTSA offers a Performing Arts Camp for students in grades 3-8. This camp is workshop style and students will be able to receive instruction on acting, voice, dance, and more! This summer, Michelle Pietri and Dr. William McCrary will be putting on a new production, and will be focusing heavily on William Shakespeare. This camp will be held at the Downtown Campus.
The Summer Band Institute is a playing intensive camp for students in grades 6-12. Students will perform with a concert band and attend daily music classes. This camp has a more traditional summer camp feel with recreational activities in the evenings. Students must complete a placement audition at check-in to determine their band and chair placements.
All-State Choir Camp
June 23-26
In its 23rd year, the All-State Choir Camp is offered for grades 9-12. This camp will give students an opportunity to get a head start on their All-State audition music and get to know the UTSA campus and learn about life at UTSA.
Percussion Camp
July 7-12
The second annual Percussion Camp is also for grades 6-12. Campers can play in a variety of ensembles to get the total percussion experience and will have the opportunity to develop their percussion technique and skills with mallet percussion, orchestral instruments, marching percussion, and much more!. This year, the camp will feature renowned guest artist Ivan Trevino.
String Project Summer Camp
July 29-August 2
The String Project Summer Camp is for students in grades 6-9 (or younger if they are enrolled in private music lessons and can read music proficiently). This camp includes orchestra and guitar rehearsals, sectionals, and Little Kids Rock Sessions where students can learn to play guitar, keyboard, and drums. This summer, the camp will offer three levels of orchestral strings and two levels of guitar classes and the camp will conclude with an end-of-camp concert!
All of these camps will feature classes taught by UTSA faculty and private lessons are available at the All-State Choir Camp and the Summer Band Institute! Pricing and other additional information about all of these camps is available at
A Year in Review
Dr. Rita Linard and Dr. Drew Stephen were recipients of the President’s Distinguished Achievement Award in Performance, Creative Production or other Scholarly Achievement award in April.
Dr. Kirsten Broberg discusses her works with the UTSA Composition Studio during the Festival of New Music in March.
Alum Patrick Johnson-Whitty of the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra conducts a bassoon masterclass in the Recital Hall in March.
So many extraordinary things happen within the Department of Music in the course of a normal year. For this reason, we present the Year In Review, a pictorial reflection on the achievements, acknowledgements and accolades bestowed upon the individuals that make the Department of Music the great place it is.
Dr. Stacey Davis was selected by the UTSA Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award Selection Committee as the sole Tenure/Tenure-Track nominee representing UTSA in January.
The UTSA percussion studio had an alumni reunion at Chuy’s on January 5. It was wonderful to see so many former students gather together.
The Rio Rio Cantina was the place for UTSA Department of Music alumni and faculty to reconnect during the Texas Music Educators Association convention in February.
Seven students received the most prestigious award granted by TMEA: the TMEA Collegiate Music Educator Award:
Gid De La Rosa
Danielle Poblete
Alexia Barrera
Jennifer John
AJ Magallan
Jennifer Perelstein
Sunny Yam
Maestro Sebastian Lang-Lessing of the SA Symphony gave a guest lecture to music majors in January.
Professor John Nix is the co-editor of the The Oxford Handbook of Singing published in April.
Composition students
Nicole Russell (far left) and Jamail Chachere-Stuart (far right) received 3rd and 1st place in the SOLI Invitational Composition Competition in March.
Pianist Jihye Cheon won the Outstanding Student Accompanist Award at the South Texas Chapter NATS Competition held on April 6th at Del Mar College.
Dr. Gary Mabry conducts the UTSA Concert Choir on tour in North Texas in February.
A recital was given in February by student recipients of the Gillman Scholarship which allowed them to study abroad in Urbino, Italy in the spring of 2018.
UTSA Indoor ranked 7th place in the WGI World Championships in Ohio this April.
Pianists from UTSA were invited to perform a recital at the Center for Fine and Performing Arts Recital Hall at Texas A & M International University in Laredo on April 7.
In August, Dr. Tracy Cowden conducted her first annual meeting on the upcoming new school year.
Department of Music Chair
Dr. Tracy Cowden was the first faculty member presented as part of UTSA’s 50th Anniversary Scholar Speaker Series in January. Her topic: “Music as Medicine: The Power and Influence of Music on our Health.”
Dr. Jennifer Beavers organized the Joint Meeting of the Society of Music Theory and American Musicological Society in October at the Institute of Texas Cultures.
Bidding adieu...
This year brings the retirement of four faculty who have made tremendous, long-term contributions to the UTSA Department of Music. Their superb musicianship, artistry, pedagogy, and leadership have profoundly impacted all those who have had the privilege of working with them and learning from them. The UTSA music family is deeply grateful for their many years of dedicated service and wishes them all the best in their upcoming musical and personal endeavors.
Dr. Gary Mabry has been an integral part of the UTSA voice area and the choral conducting faculty for the past 28 years. He came to UTSA in 1991 after previously teaching at Montana State University and Abilene Christian University. While at UTSA, Dr. Mabry has inspired countless students as both a choral conductor and studio voice teacher. Amongst his many significant contributions to UTSA are the creation of the Women’s Choir, Men’s Glee Club, and Jazz Choir. He has also mentored many music education students and helped them make important career connections in the San Antonio
community. After retirement, Dr. Mabry plans to continue teaching private voice lessons, offering choir clinics to schools, leading his church music program, working with the Opera Guild of San Antonio, and supporting the continued growth of the UTSA Department of Music.
Dr. Matthew Dunne began teaching at UTSA in 1992 while still a doctoral student at the University of Texas at Austin. During the 27 years since then, he built a successful guitar program that attracts undergraduate and graduate students of the highest quality from both national and international locations. His artistry as both a guitarist and a composer is also a hallmark of his contributions to UTSA. In addition, Dr. Dunne served as coordinator of the music marketing program and director of the Southwest Guitar Festival for many years, both of which brought significant growth to the Department of Music. After retirement, Dr. Dunne plans to move to Keene, NY where he has already started a summer program for guitarist-composers. In Keene, he will continue composing and playing jazz guitar while also enjoying his hobbies of hiking, climbing, and skiing.
Dr. Rita Linard began teaching at UTSA in 1986 after previously teaching in the Illinois public schools, Texas State University, St. Mary’s University, and Texas Lutheran University. During her first year at UTSA, the flute studio consisted of a single music major. Throughout the subsequent 33 years, Dr. Linard established that studio as one of the strongest and most stable in the department, with a total of 13 majors this year. She also started the UTSA Flute Ensemble, provided invaluable leadership as the long-term coordinator of the woodwind and brass area, and maintained a dynamic performance career of solo, chamber, and orchestral music. In addition to continuing her work at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and as principal flute of the MidTexas Symphony, Dr. Linard’s post-retirement plans include trips to Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, and Glacier National Park.
Dr. Eugene Dowdy is a proud alumnus of UTSA, earning a Master of Music degree in 1990. After completing his doctoral studies, he returned to UTSA in 1996 as an assistant professor of music, with responsibilities to conduct the orchestra and build a student string program. During his 23 years at UTSA, Dr. Dowdy developed the orchestra into a thriving ensemble that has performed with prestigious artists and was selected as the featured orchestra at TMEA in 2017. In addition, Dr. Dowdy offered many years of exceptional leadership, with the most significant being his tenure as department chair from 2002-2008 and 2017-2018. Dr. Dowdy also leaves a lasting legacy as the founding director of the UTSA String Project. After retirement, he looks forward to conducting the Symphony of the Hills, spending time with his family, and offering continued support to the faculty, students, staff, and alumni of the UTSA Department of Music.
If you would like to honor any of these faculty on the occasion of their retirement from UTSA, please consider a contribution in their honor to the following funds:
The String Project Opportunity Endowment Fund supports the activities of the UTSA String Project. The Music Faculty and Alumni Endowed Scholarship Fund awards competitive scholarships to UTSA music majors each year.
Donations can be made at this link: https://giving.utsa.edu/givetocolfa. Please choose “Other” as the designation and write “Music Faculty and Alumni Endowed Scholarship Fund” or “String Project Opportunity Endowment Fund” in the box below.
After 9 years of work, the Department of Music’s John Nix, Professor of Voice and Voice Pedagogy, is relieved and gratified: he and co-editors Graham Welch and David Howard, both on the faculty at University College London, are celebrating the long-awaited publication of The Oxford Handbook of Singing, a 1200 page volume on all facets of the act of singing.
Singing has been a constant human activity for several millennia. Recent trends in performance only mark the latest evolution of a means of expression that starts at a very early age and can last a lifetime (think of Tony Bennett, still performing at 92). Singing is an activity done by amateurs, elites, and everyone in between: research performed by Chorus America in 2009 estimated that 42.6 million adults and children regularly sing in one of 270,000 choruses in the US, representing more than one in five households. Similarly, recent European-based data suggest that more than 37 million adults participate in group singing. Add all those who sing with their children, perform along with the radio in the car, belt out a tune in the shower, or sing in church services each week, and it becomes clear that singing is a very integral part of many lives. This book explores all of these kinds of singing, and more – such as the training of Chinese, Indian, and African singers; electronic manipulation of voice sounds; and the impact of mothers singing on their unborn and newly born children.
Advance publicity about the book states: “The Oxford Handbook of Singing is a landmark text on this topic. It is a comprehensive resource for anyone who wishes to know more about the pluralistic nature of singing. In part, the narrative adopts a lifespan approach, pre-cradle to senescence, to illustrate that singing is a commonplace behavior which is an essential characteristic of our humanity.”
The contents have been clustered into eight sections, with fifty-three chapters illustrating and illuminating a particular aspect of singing. Offering a multidisciplinary perspective embracing the arts and humanities, physical, social and clinical sciences, the book is designed to be valuable for a broad audience within those fields.
Professor Nix’s role in the book was as a co-editor, with Drs. Welch and Howard. Initially he and his colleagues planned the structure of the book and selected chapter authors. Next, he wrote one chapter on vocal technique and co-authored two other chapters. As chapters by other authors started to roll in, Professor Nix was the funnel through which each chapter passed before it was sent to Oxford University Press, editing syntax, confirming and formatting references, converting figures and images to proper formats, and making sure each chapter met Oxford’s rigorous style guidelines. After the chapters were ready for publication online (each chapter was posted on Oxford Handbooks Online as it was completed, in advance of the final print compilation), Mr. Nix was the proof editor before the content online went live. Click here for the list of online materials
For more information on the book itself, click here
ANewWay toTuneIn
WearesopleasedtoofficiallylaunchtheUTSA CODAPodcast.OnCODA,youwillfindanonline compilationofinterviews,videos,anddiscussions rangingfromindustryexperiences,artiststricks andtips,andrareinformationthatyoucannot findanywhereelse.
Mostofthecontentcomesfromstudent-led conversationswithindustryprofessionals CODA istheculminationoffouryears ’worthof interviewscollectedbyUTSAstudents participatinginDr.StanRenard’smusic marketingcourses.
“Wehavebigplansforthefuture,”saysRenard “Weintendtohaveatleastthreeseriesofpodcasts: anArtistSeries,aMusicIndustryLeaderSeries, andaMeettheFacultySeries.”
Thecurrentpodcastcontentalreadyencompasses awiderangeofinterviewsincludingconversations withtheTobinCenterforthePerformingArts CEO,MikeFresher,ExecutiveArtisticDirectorfor theWoodlawnTheatre,ChristopherRodriguez, MusicEntertainmentLawyerBobDonnelly,Music SupervisorScottpatrickSellitto,Tresona’sCEO, MarkGreenburg,VicePresidentofEntertainment atSeaWorld,SharonAguillen,ExecutiveDirector ofYOSA,BrandonHenson,andmanymore!
Weinviteyoutogiveitalisten!
Newcontentisalwaysbeinguploaded.Tocheckoutthepodcast,headoverto http://coda.utsa.edu. IfareinterestedincontributingtoCODA,pleasesendanysubmissionsorinquiriesto stan.renard@utsa.edu.
Moving Tassel
Now and Forever Roadrunners the
AsSpring2019drawstoaclose,sodoesthe collegeeraformanyseniorswithinthe DepartmentofMusic.Thejourneyleadingup totakingthatwalkacrossthestageisnoteasy byanymeans,andtheculminationofover120 credithoursservesasatestamenttothe perseveranceofmusicmajors.
Formusicmajors,timespentintheclassrooms, performinginensembles,andlaboring inthe practiceroomhasnotonlyallowedthemto blossomasmusicians,butasindividualsas well.Manycanrememberfeelingsofdoubtand confusionduringthefirstsemesters.For CamilleMojica,overcomingself-doubtinher musicalabilitiesandknowledgewasthe biggestchallengeshehadtoface.Camilleisa musiceducationmajorwho,asaresultofher dedicationandbeliefinherselfhasblossomed intoanaccomplishedviolinistreadyforthe nextstepaftergraduation.
Muchlikeintheprofessionalworldofmusic, thereisastrongsenseofcompetitionamong studentmusicianstobeatthetopoftheir game,whichcanbeveryintimidating.Aiden Witten,aseniorguitarperformancemajorsays thatthispressurestemsfromperformanceego thatmanyfreshmenbringwiththem.By allowinghimselftofocusmoreonartistryand creativityandlessoncomparinghimselftohis peers,hewasabletonotonlyfindhisown voice,butalsogainnewperspectiveonwhatit meanstobeamusician.Whilehehasnotlost sightofmasteringhisinstrumentand technique,hehasrefreshedhisapproachto music."IamdoingthisbecauseIenjoyit,and mostimportantly,becauseIwanttoshare music."
BecausethemusicprogramatUTSAisso rigorousgraduatingseniorshavewordsof adviceforincomingfreshmen.SteveCastor,a seniormusiceducationmajor,saysthatoneof thebestthingsanewcomercandoisstopand breathe.Understandingthatcollegeyearsare aspecialtimeforindividualstolearnabout theworldaroundthemandthemselveswill makeforabetterexperience."Cherishyour timehereandtakeinasmuchknowledgeas youcan."saysSteve.Studentsmayfeel pressuretocrameverythinginsoastofinish withinthefouryeartimeperiodthathas becomethestandard,butasmusicmajors knowbynow,everyonehastheirownnatural workpaceandallowingfortimetoappreciate andexploreisvitaltomaintainingahealthy mindsetthroughoutcollege.
Amidstthestresseatingandall-nighters,many seniorstestifythatitwasthesupportoftheir friendsthathelpedthemsurvive.Jamail Chachere,aseniorcompositionmajor,advises freshmentofindfriendsand"stickby them...theywillhelpyouthroughtoughtimes." Notonlydosomeoftheserelationshipslast lifetimes,buttheyarealsovitaltohow studentsdevelopasindividualsandbecome moreopenmindedtonewperspectives. "Withoutmyfamily,friends.andprofessors,I wouldn'thavebecomethepersonIamtoday,” saysCamille.
EvenastheseseniorsendtheirtimeatUTSA, theirjourneyscontinue.CamilleMojicaplans togainhands-onexperienceasshebegins studentteachingintheFall.JamailChachere willusehisskillsasacomposerandaudio engineertoworkonvideogamescores.Steve Castorhashiseyessetonpursuinggraduate schoolandadegreeinjazzperformanceinthe nearfuture.AidenWittenhasplansfor pursuinggraduateschool,travelingtheworld, andcontinuingtoperform.
Wherevertheirchoicesleadthem,our graduateswillnowandforeverbe Roadrunners.
U T S A
STRING PROJECT
Young musicians enrolled in the String Project perform their final concerts of the semester.
Monday, May 6 | 5:30 PM
Buena Vista Theatre - UTSA Downtown Campus
Tuesday, May 7 | 5:30 PM
Recital Hall - UTSA Main Campus
For more information on the String Project, click HERE
MESAMIX
SEMESTER REFLECTIONS
It all started with a winter holiday experiment in Dr. Stan Renard’s garage. Dr. Renard was seeking a project-based learning opportunity for his students that was tangible and had the potential to teach a wide range of skills, while conveying how to build a business all the way from idea incubation to customer delivery. And that was not all. It had to happen within one semester! And then….it clicked! Dr. Renard and his father-in-law, an avid craftsman, designed and built a cassette tape coffee table prototype.
“At first, I had no idea if we could really pull it off or if the students would want to engage with this project,” says Renard.
Within the first week of the semester, Dr. Renard presented the class with a plan, a projected timeline, and a budget to keep everything on track and make sure the business didn’t fall behind. The class was then presented with 12 job sections: purchasing, assembly, painting, sanding, quality control, sales, videos, photography, public relations, CAD design, brochure design, and concept design. The students were asked to place themselves in whichever category they found most interesting to them and were encouraged to choose up to three roles to get a more immersive experience. Once that process was sorted and finalized, the students began to get to work.
The first objective was to create a brand. We needed a name, a logo, and a slogan. We needed to know “the why” of what we stood for. The MESA Mix brand was born. The mission of MESA Mix was to connect generations through this unique piece of furniture as we hoped to bring a little bit of joy, and nostalgia to people’s living rooms.
The video and promotion team got to work quickly as they began to sketch the layout of the video while the photography team took several shots of the prototype table. Pricing was determined on base models and custom tables with made-to-order work and stenciling. Using these details, the brochure team began making the rough draft of a brochure, while the manufacturing team worked in the wood shop assembling the tables.
At this point, we are on target to produce four beautiful custom tables for a wide range of customers. It has been quite a ride!
“The hands-on aspect of Mesa Mix really helped us gain experiences that we wouldn’t have received in the traditional classroom setting. It was a fun process, and it kept the class and the semester exciting!” -Sydney Guerrier
“Mesa Mix was a very cool project and showed me how you can go from a simple idea to a finished product in a short amount of time. With being on the brochure team, the public relations team, and working on other aspects of the project, I was able to see how great leadership, class collaboration, and hard work all pays off in a small business style class project ” -Cameryn McCullum
“Mesa Mix acted as a vessel for us to experience and demonstrate applied business and industry skill which we learned in class with Dr Renard I'm so thankful for all of the opportunities we've had to grow with it.” - Dito Sáenz
“Being able to see Mesa Mix come to life was an incredible experience. This project really gave insight into what it is like to start and run a business Throughout this semester I have gained experience that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.” - Taylor Bartley
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT:
E D N A L O N G O R I A
In the seven years since Edna Alejandra Longoria (BM ’12) graduated from UTSA with her degree in music composition, she has begun her career on promising footing With a master of music degree in composition from Cal State Long Beach, where she had the honor to participate in a workshop with the Kronos Quartet, and have her music premiered by the Los Angeles Percussion Quartet, members of the E A R Unit, and the Elixir Piano Trio Her original score for the film Carving a Life was recently nominated for the Mary Austin Award for Excellence in Film Scoring, as well as the Marshall Hawkins Award for Best Musical Score in a Feature Film at the IDYLLWILD 2018 International Festival of Cinema Just this past year, her work has been programmed by the prestigious North/South Consonance concert series in New York, the SCI National
Conference in New Mexico, the Verdent Vibes concert series in Rhode Island, the Music by Women Festival in Mississippi, as well as part of the Alba Music Festival in Alba, Italy Her music stands to reach an even wider audience later this year when her work "Los ritmos para tres" (Rhythms for Three) will be recorded by the Trio Casals on the Navona Records label.
With such a formidable array of accolades, we wanted to ask five questions about her career, as well as her time as a student at UTSA. Graciously, she obliged:
...no matter how difficult things can get, or how many doors close on you, you can’t give up.
Q: What are you working on right now?
A: Right now I’m about to be finished with a piano duet called “Cuatro ritmos,” and getting started with a big project called “Chicana Art Song” in collaboration with soprano Noel Archambeault, who went to UTSA as well, and teaches at The University of Delaware.
Q: What would you consider your greatest professional success to date?
A: In 2019 I have had my greatest professional successes to date. I have been blessed and honored to have had multiple opportunities to showcase my work in several conferences and concerts. It has given me the motivation to keep working hard
Q: What is your greatest memory from your time as a music student at UTSA?
A: I think the greatest memory I have is being at Extravaganza with all my family and getting awarded the Presser Scholarship. It is not so much because of the award, but this memory always reminds me that if I hadn’t auditioned again (I didn’t get accepted the first time I auditioned) and I would have given up, none of that would have been possible It’s something that I always think of, no matter how difficult things can get, or how many doors close on you, you can’t give up. If you really want to accomplish something you can do it as long as you work hard for it So when I feel like giving up, I always come back to this memory.
Q: What advice would you give to new incoming students at UTSA?
A: I would tell them that they have picked an amazing music program with very talented and great teachers1, and to enjoy the ride because it goes too fast I would also tell them to always keep their goals in mind, and to never let go of them. This will help them work hard every day.
Q: When did you realize you were a composer?
A: It was my senior year of high school when I realized it. I tore my ACL in a basketball game, which meant I wasn’t going to be able to finish my last year as a basketball player, so I was pretty sad I had surgery and was in bed for several weeks One day I decided to bring my keyboard to my bed, and I started composing, letting all the emotions that I was feeling out. That’s the moment I realized I loved writing music, and decided to become a composer
Edna continues a legacy of talented composers, performers, educators and musicians who began their careers as Roadrunners. We expect that the star of this versatile composer of rhythmically and lyrically engaged music will continue to shine!
1 While at UTSA, Edna studied composition with Dr. David Heuser (currently associate dean at the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam), Dr. James Balentine, and Professor James Syler. She also studied piano with Dr. Kasandra Keeling.
MAY DATES
ABRAM FERNANDEZ
Guitar student Abram Fernandez performs a solo recital
7:30PM - UTSA Recital Hall
JACOB REPINO
Trombone student Jacob Repino performs a 30 minute recital accompanied on piano by Mary Lowder.
5:00PM - UTSA Recital Hall
LAST DAY OF CLASSES
Spring semester classes end.
Extravaganza celebrates its 25th year as the ceremony highlighting student achievements, a special alumni and donors to the department.
6:30 - UTSA Recital Hall
UTSA UNDERGROUND
Annual music and multi media art fest in the tunnels
7:00PM - UTSA Tunnels
FALL 2019 AUDITIONS
Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion, Strings, Guitar, and Voice 8:00AM - Music Building
SPRING COMMENCEMENT
Graduation ceremony times can be found at http://www utsa edu/commencement/ 1819
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Parking for many UTSA Department of Music events is on an individual pay basis in the nearby Ximenes Avenue Garage.
Click on the icon to find XAG (Ximenes Avenue Garage) off of UTSA Blvd and Ximenes Avenue
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