Cadenza | Opus 23

CADENZA

UTSA DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC | SEPTEMBER 2020 Opus 23

BACK TO SCHOOL DURING COVID-19 We applaud our advances, welcome new faces, and collectively manage a “new normal” in the age of coronavirus.

CONTENTS

03 04 06 08 10 14 17 18 20

WELCOME A word from Department of Music Chair, Dr. Tracy Cowden

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Dr. Emma Garcia-Dromgoole

SUMMER RENOVATIONS Much needed changes came to #UTSAMUSIC

SOSA DURING COVID Marching to a different beat

FACULTY FUNDING Research and performance grants are awarded

NEW FACULTY JOIN US Take note of new faces

LYRIC THEATRE Using technology to adapt and innovate

COVID PULSE POLL Checking in with our #UTSAMUSIC fam

COLFA 2020 CREATING TOGETHER A collaborative project headed

by Music and History

CONTRIBUTORS: Jason Guzman - Graphic Designer Cindy Solis - Senior Events Manager Rebekah Alegria - PR Assistant/Editor

Welcome to

CADENZA

Showcasing UTSA Music

FRIENDS, I am delighted to welcome all of you to this issue of Cadenza on behalf of the Department of Music! The beginning of this semester may look like no other in our department’s history, but we are still filled with anticipation and energy, and our creativity is rising to the challenges of this time. We are eager to share our good news with you!

If this is your first issue of Cadenza, you will find a wide range of content, from articles about the accomplishments of our students, faculty, and alumni, to news about our department, as well as introductions to several new faculty in our department this fall. While we normally include announcements for upcoming performances, we are waiting until it is safe to proceed with concerts later this fall. In the meantime, we encourage you to follow us on social media, where we will post livestreaming and pre-recorded performances regularly.

I invite you to read ahead to learn about alumna Dr. Emma Dromgoole, who is making an impact in the lives of San Antonio students every day. You will also learn about notable faculty research awards, recent renovations to our facilities, and some very creative upcoming projects related to current events. I am particularly excited to see the COLFA 2020 project take flight!

One of our primary purposes of Cadenza is to connect with you!

To our alumni, in particular, we invite you to submit your news and reconnect with your UTSA Music friends. We would love to hear from any of 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 September, and we look forward to the time when we can gather together for live music at UTSA! Tracy Cowden Roland K. Blumberg Endowed Professor in Music and Chair

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: DR. EMMA GARCIA-DROMGOOLE When Roadrunners graduate and begin their professional or post-graduate lives, many encounter unexpected detours on their journey.

The detours are not always detrimental; in fact, many can be serendipitous. For Dr. Emma GarciaDromgoole ‘96, her post #utsamusic journey involved taking side steps, making brave leaps of her own, and comfortably placing her feet upon a trail blazed by her role model. Currently, Dr. Garcia-Dromgoole is serving as the assistant principal in the Edgewood Fine Arts/STEAM Academy, a position offered to her when her previous occupation as the fine arts coordinator was dissolved as the district moved to innovation zones. We caught up with Emma and asked if this was a stepping stone or her final destination.

You graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music education (studies) in 1996 and returned in 2004 to receive your master’s degree in counseling. What did you do in the interim years?

You were the first in your family to earn a master’s degree and a Ph.D.; how did these extra years of learning affect your professional trajectory?

At the end of my student teaching, one of my music professors mentioned there was an opening in Boerne ISD [for a middle school band director]. I did not get the position, so I picked up substitute jobs that fall semester. Back then, it was really difficult for December grads to find a band job mid-year.

A few months later, the same principal called me and said an assistant middle school band director position was open if I was interested. I jumped at the job! I spent two years teaching middle school and high school band in Boerne ISD. I had the best experience with Kevin Arnott, Michael Olson, Sal Mauricio, and Francisco Dean. My first year, Mr. Olson was the Texas Bandmaster Association President.

I became a high school counselor and finished up my Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership at Our Lady of the Lake University. I missed music and came back to band directing at Kennedy High School in Edgewood ISD. When I finished my Ph.D., a [newly-developed] district fine arts coordinator position opened up. I served as the first fine arts coordinator in Edgewood ISD for seven years.

Why did you choose to attend UTSA? I felt comfortable at UTSA because I grew up sitting in on my mom’s classes. My mom was the first in our entire family to go to college. She started out at San Antonio College and then transferred to UTSA in the early 1980s. [She graduated in 1984 with a degree in elementary education and ESL endorsement]. Many summers, my mom could not afford childcare, so I went to class with her. I sat in the back of the class coloring or reading a book.

Sometimes I hung out in the massive [JPL] library.

Being a college graduate from UTSA was a very big deal for my mom. It felt natural to follow her footsteps and attend UTSA. While at UTSA, whom would you say had the most impact on you as a musician; as an educator?

Dr. Bob Rustowicz had the most impact on me as a musician and as an educator. I loved how he always prefaced things with, “For you future band directors…” He was firm but kind and patient.

Two examples stick in my mind. During one Wind Ensemble [recruitment] tour, I forgot my horn in the hotel room! How does one forget their horn?

I had switched out the case to a gig bag. Afraid to have my horn knocked around in the moving truck, I put my sax in the hotel room. Once I realized my mistake, I had to humbly tell Dr. Bob I didn’t have my horn. Dr. Bob didn’t get upset. He gave his keys to an ensemble member, we picked up my horn and I made the performance on time. Lesson to self: good kids make mistakes. The second incident was when a local band wanted me to drop out of college to tour Mexico and South Texas. Dr. Bob advised me to finish college and if the band was still around, they’d take me back. The band broke up while I was student teaching. He was right.

Lesson to self: think about the long term. I am thankful for the musicianship and life lessons Dr. Bob taught us all.

Can you share some of your fondest memories while at UTSA? There are too many to count. I loved the time right before Wind Ensemble [rehearsal] when everyone was sitting outside on the chairs talking.

You would hear about who was teaching at a school, what classes you needed to take (due to rotation of availability), and who was graduating soon and where they were hoping to work. I loved practicing in the evenings in the practice rooms.

As you walked by, you heard people getting ready for recitals and juries. I especially loved our Wind Ensemble tours. You felt like a professional musician on a tour. You were provided room and board and played several times a day at different schools. It was such a fun experience.

Do you keep up with what is happening at UTSA? Would you recommend UTSA to others?

I was a [Roadrunner Football] season ticket holder for a few years and I am a UTSA Life Alumni Member. My husband is an associate Life Member of the Alumni Association, too. As a high school counselor, I always recommended UTSA to my students. It is economical and growing. I loved being able to live at home and go to college during my undergrad years. The downtown campus was very convenient for my graduate studies as well.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I hope to be working at a university. My experiences at UTSA and Our Lady of the Lake have given me so many great memories, life-long friendships, and a fulfilling career. I would enjoy working in a music department, helping music students with their music education journey, or teaching a prep class to freshmen that introduces freshmen to the university world.

Summer Renovations COVID-19 Preparations While COVID-19 was hard at work, the UTSA Music Department was just as busy getting some much needed updates. Whether a part of some critical technological upgrades, or a better use of an old space, the changes that came over the summer in the Band Hall, Recital Hall and locker areas were overdue and welcome.

The Band Hall The Band Hall is the heart of the instrumental ensemble area. It is where instruments work together in perfect harmony and unity; therefore, it must be in perfect working condition. The need for renovation was prompted by visiting educators from our accreditation agency, the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). During their visit a few years ago, they noted that rehearsals in the band hall were louder than what was deemed safe for the musicians. While the actual volume of the room during rehearsals was not dangerous, the perception of the loudness and lack of clarity was always present.

by flipping it 180 degrees. By changing the orientation of the room in this way, the balance between instrument sections would improve by placing the louder instruments in the part of the room with the tallest ceiling.

This translates to students being better able to hear themselves in relation to others in their respective instrument sections, as well as in relation to other sections in the ensemble. It will provide a better learning experience for everyone in rehearsal.

In addition, new sound absorptive panels were added to the lower parts of the walls, barrel diffusers installed on some of the upper walls, Enter acoustic design firm Kirkegaard and and acoustic drapes mounted to the wall Associates. After much research and analysis, behind the conductor’s podium. After getting it was discovered that the room would better a fresh coat of paint and new carpet laid out, facilitate the acoustics of a large ensemble the transformation was complete!

The Recital Hall Because COVID-19 mercilessly forced a “virtual reality” on us, changes needed to be made in order to provide an effective learning and representative experience in all areas of the department. Dr. Tracy Cowden charged faculty Ron Ellis, Vicente Barrera and staff member Cindy Solis to create a plan to install a live streaming system in the Recital Hall. The department’s growing presence on social media necessitated a way to reach a greater audience through live streaming. “The Recital Hall is a 500 seat facility, but with live streaming we can showcase the department’s talent to a wider audience,” says Cindy Solis. When COVID forced us to practice social distancing by limiting the amount of attendees at events (or by cancelling them altogether!) the ability to stream live from our Hall grew urgent. Unfortunately, the piano pedagogy room and computer lab, but needed equipment was delayed in getting here once again, due to COVID receipt has been (due to COVID) and the project is taking longer delayed. than expected.

The locker project is being done in two phases: The next and last phase of the project will be 1) Move and update existing lockers making handled by Vicente Barrera who is in charge of it easier for students to access them at any installing the software and training the events time, 2) Purchase new lockers that will house staff to operate the system. Once the system is instruments like guitar, tuba, and trombone. up and running, four cameras in the Recital Hall Lockers designed to fit these instruments tend will give viewers a right stage view, a left stage to run short every semester. Music lockers are view, a rear stage view and a central audience available for all music majors and ensemble view. Audio recordings will still be the norm, students to check out, including piano and and the visual that comes from the new live vocal students. The small blue lockers that were streaming technology will be a bonus feature. It located on the 3rd floor lounge were donated is expected that the live streaming capabilities to the Art and Art History Department who in will be in place and in use by mid-September. return helped us with another major project.

The blue lockers can still be seen being used on the 1st floor by Art. The Music Lockers When the Band Hall was being re-configured, the lockers inside the space were removed and relocated to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors. Students will be able to access their instruments without disturbing ongoing classes or rehearsals. The metal grills on the lockers were replaced with new solid wood doors to keep the instruments safe and secure. The Department has ordered additional lockers to replace the old wooden ones located near the

Much has happened over the summer months, and although we are not able to experience these improvements together, it is gratifying to have had the opportunity to refine and perfect our environment for the betterment of both students and faculty. “I am delighted that we received support from the university to make these much-needed changes, and I cannot wait to hear students and faculty make music in the band hall together again!” says Dr. Cowden.

SOSA: Rain or Shine‌ or COVID

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ach summer the Spirit of San Antonio marching band’s student-staff meets for a week of extensive training in preparation for the upcoming football season. The hand-picked staff of about 50, who are also marching band members, learn how to assist Director of Bands Ron Ellis and Assistant Band Director Mike Steiner with logistical, musical, technical and on-the-ground management of the 200+ member band. The student-staff would have completed this training during the usual band camp week, followed by the SOSA pool party, and the traditional dunking of the drum majors; however, nothing is normal in the time of COVID-19. With the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic still plaguing our lives, studentstaff camp was moved to online Zoom sessions, marching band camp week was cancelled, and drum majors remained dry. The Spirit of San Antonio has checked in for the 2020 season, there is no doubt about that, but things will look very different for their historic 10th anniversary.

The Preparation

Because the usual in-person s taff camp was cancelled this year, the student-staff members of the SOSA 10.OSA marching band played a much bigger role in preparing for the season. Along with Professors Ron Ellis and Michael Steiner the staff met in two Zoom sessions to plan, brainstorm, and productively outline the new and unique procedures that come with conducting a 200+ piece band during a health crisis. Although much is still unknown about the upcoming football season this year, professional and student-staff were hard at work to make things happen. The

10.0SA band will be split up into smaller “pep bands” during the usual Monday, Wednesday, and Friday rehearsal times to adhere to social distancing guidelines. Band members will be given uniquely crafted masks that they can wear while also playing their instruments and will be required to bring their own form of hydration, as opposed to the usual community water jug provided by the professional staff. Although unsure of the future and weary of potential exposure, the professional and student-staff remain positive and their collective spirit is through the roof.

The Performance

The first football game and newly synchronized start of the marching season is slated for September 26th against The University of Memphis in the Alamodome.If the 2020 Roadrunner football season turns out to be a relatively “normal” one, the Spirit of San Antonio will be prepared for the remaining 12 games. As of this writing, SOSA will not be allowed to perform--or even step onto the field--at the Alamodome due to guidelines put forth by the university and Conference USA, but the band will be allowed to perform in the stands. The 10.0SA members will be spread out and socially distanced with 5 seats separating one member from another per CDC and Alamodome guidelines. With a band that contains more than 200 people spread out at this distance, the Spirit of San Antonio will likely take up a whole end zone of the ‘Dome

and maybe more. Although far apart from their comrades, SOSA members will still be able to do their usual blasting of “Neck” and “Hey Baby”, both very popular stand tunes and crowd pleasers, with even more room to boogie! If by chance football season is cut short, Professor Ellis has plans to keep SOSA active in other ways.

Ellis mentioned the possibility of performing in smaller “pep bands” across the campus to lift the spirits of those attending inperson classes, as well as UTSA personnel on campus. There were also discussions of having performances across town in manners and conditions that were safe for the students and the community. Football or no football, SOSA will move forward.

The Health

Health is of the utmost concern during this upcoming season and there is no doubt that there is a risk that comes with the

2020 marching season, but the professional staff and studentstaff leaders are hard at work to make 10.0SA the safest marching season possible.

With the implementation of masks, smaller rehearsal bands, social distancing and many other precautions, safety is the number one priority this year. Because of the pandemic, the Spirit of San Antonio is offering three options for the class meetings: in-person, fully online, or a hybrid of both. The UTSA music department staff and faculty have been working diligently all summer to come up with lesson plans that keep online/hybrid students as fully involved with SOSA as in-person students. While it is clear that everyone wishes things could be normal this year so they would not miss out on SOSA camaraderie, Ellis has encouraged students to “make the decision on doing SOSA virtual or face-to-face [based] on health concerns” rather than on a communal basis. “SOSA will be here either way,” says Ellis.

The Spirit

Seven months into the pandemic and things are still far from normal. SOSA studentstaff and professional staff for the 10th anniversary season are beyond ecstatic to see where this season takes them but are mindful of COVID-19’s impact. Whether it be on the sidelines with masks and 5 feet apart from their colleagues or performing a half-time show across the Alamodome field, SOSA will march on for another legendary season.

Faculty Receive Funding for Research and Performance

Dr. Kristen Pellegrino , who was just

promoted to Full Professor, was recently awarded funding from the Internal Research Awards (INTRA) Grant Program at UTSA for her project entitled, “Music Teacher Identity Development: A Longitudinal Study.”

Dr. Pellegrino is an active researcher whose 30 scholarly publications have been cited over 500 times. Pellegrino will use the $5,000 grant to complete researching the journey of 15 music teachers over the course of 7 years. Along with co-authors, Pellegrino will examine (a) In what ways were participants’ pre-teaching orientations maintained, strengthened, challenged, or changed during teaching? and (b) In what ways were participants’ teaching identity influenced by their teaching contexts or by their personal resources?

Projects

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n addition to being talented musicians in their own right, UTSA music faculty members are also respected and renowned researchers and consistently search for sources to support their study and outreach. Despite the hailstorm of challenges the pandemic brought, faculty remained consistent and hopeful that their applications for grants would be productive and they remained hopeful that the time would come when the monies could be utilized. The Department of Music is proud of the sheer determination and indefatigability demonstrated by our faculty as they secure external support for their academic projects-especially during times of adversity.

Dr. Kristen Pellegrino

According to her proposal submitted to the INTRA Grant Program, the results of the casestudy research will be “a unique contribution to music teacher identity development, as there have not been any longitudinal studies like this in music education.” In addition, the research will have a timely COVID-19 related element to it whereby the researchers will add “an element of examining the teaching practices and teaching identities of those who were early career teachers before necessary accommodations were made due to COVID-19 and how, if at all, this impacted them as teachers.”

Pellegrino was co-editor of the Oxford Handbook of Preservice Music Teacher Education in the United States (Conway, Pellegrino, Stanley, & West, 2019), and wrote or co-wrote three of the chapters: Preservice Music Teacher Identity Development (Pellegrino), Teacher preparation for beginning strings (Hopkins & Pellegrino), Setting an agenda for practice, research, and policy (Conway, Pellegrino, Stanley, & West). She also co-authored an Oxford book, Teaching instrumental music: Concert hall to rock stage. She was also on the editorial board of String Research Journal and has worked collaboratively on many varied publications.

Pellegrino’s background as a K-12 music teacher and performer has formed the basis for much of her work. Pellegrino has presented over 90 sessions/posters sessions at conferences and symposia across the country.

She is currently President of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA), 20202022, although she will spend six years on the executive board, first as President-Elect (20182020) and then as Past-President (2022-2024).

A transplant from Rhode Island, she continues to perform as part of RI’s Music on the Hill Chamber Festival as a violinist.

These awards are given annually to faculty members to explore new areas of research.

“…the research will have a timely COVID-19 related element…”

awarded to the artists, but they do receive a fee. “Texas-based presenters apply for grant monies...to present one of our programs,” explains Jarrell Johnson. According to Parker, “The Touring Roster provides a 1:1 match for artist fees...It’s not actually a grant per se, but will assist with future opportunities throughout Texas and the Mid America region.”

According to the website www.texas.gov, “artists must have a history of touring and must be willing to travel outside of their community to do a performance.” In the age of COVID-19, how are Parker (a trombonist) and Deux managing to meet this expectation?

“Simple, I’m not touring! Everything’s canceled,” explains Parker. “I’ve been focused on making sculptural work for different projects -- one in Ketchum, Idaho, and another for the KMFA Sound Garden.” For a third project examining

C

Crystal Jarrell Johnson

ongratulations are in order for lecturers Crystal Jarrell Johnson and Dr. Steve Parker who as separate performers, have been added to the Texas Commission on the Arts’ Texas Touring Roster for 2020-2022. Parker has been on the roster for the past 5 years, but this was the first time Jarrell Johnson, along with Angela Malek as part of the vocal duo Deux has been selected. “The roster features ‘outstanding Texas-based... artists,’ and Deux is honored to be amongst such fine artists representing the Lone Star State,” stated Jarrell Johnson.

Applications by the artists for inclusion in the September 1, 2020 to August 31, 2022 roster were due in January, and the chosen presenters were announced in early summer.

The grants from the TCA are not directly

Dr. Steve Parker

the connection between native plants and sound, Parker was awarded grants from the NEA ($70,000), the REA Trust ($25,000), Mid America Arts Alliance ($15,000), and New Music USA. In late summer, Parker was also named a winner of the 2021 Rome Prize and Italian Fellowships by the American Academy in Rome. The highly competitive award was bestowed on only 22 other Americans this year. It supports advanced independent work and research in the arts and humanities and it includes a stipend, workspace, and room and board for four to seven months at the academy’s campus in Rome.

As for Deux, their performance schedule is a bit more open-ended and flexible. “The timing of all of this is a bit unfortunate as currently, performing arts organizations have largely halted most performance-based opportunities,” stated Jarrell Johnson. In light of these challenges, the TCA has allowed its grants to include possible virtual offerings. “It will be up to each artist or group to determine what that might look like if they choose to offer virtual programming.”

Nevertheless, Jarrell Johnson is ready should face-to-face performance opportunities arise in the upcoming months. “We have multiple programs in queue ready for touring including Salon pour Deux as well as Christus Natus Est and arrangements of Advent and Christmas selections for 2 voices and organ.”

The mission of the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) is to advance our state economically and culturally by investing in a creative Texas.

TCA supports a diverse and innovative arts community in Texas, throughout the nation, and internationally, by providing resources to enhance economic development, arts education, cultural tourism, and artist sustainability initiatives. For more information on TCA and its programs, please visit: www.arts.texas.gov.

TCA supports a diverse and innovative arts community in Texas, throughout the nation, and internationally, by providing resources to enhance economic development, arts education, cultural tourism, and artist sustainability initiatives.

Every fall semester we extend a warm and proper welcome to faculty new to the Department of Music. This semester is no exception--albeit an exceptional start to a new academic year!

Willing and able to share in this new experience with the rest of the #utsamusic community are Dr. Thomas Yee, Dr. Nicole Cherry, Erin Webber, Paul Millette and Dr. Nicholas Councilor.

Thomas B. Yee discovered his love from the beeps and boops of the family Super Nintendo.

Thomas’ music of Holocaust remembrance synthesizes his fierce commitment to musical meaning with a passion to spotlight acts of racial injustice throughout history and the world.

Similarly, his research in music semiotics and ludomusicology explores the creation and interpretation of music as a meaningful, communicative, and quintessentially human activity.

Dr. Thomas Yee Adjunct Faculty - Basic Skills, Aural Skills Some composers can trace their love of music to the first time they heard a symphony perform Brahms or Beethoven — Dr.

Thomas’ opera Eva and the Angel of Death presents the powerful story of Holocaust survivor and educator Eva Mozes Kor, and will premiere starring Page Stephens in Austin, TX. His work has been performed by the NOW

Ensemble, Ensemble Mise-En, Density512, Hear No Evil, Indiana University Symphonic Band, The University of Texas at Austin’s New Music Ensemble, Kansas State University Percussion Ensemble, and Mary Pickford Ensemble; honored as a finalist in the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, ISCM World Music Days, and winner of the Hear No Evil and Voices of Change Composition Competitions; and received grants from the Austin Cultural Arts Division, Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies, and Friends of Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission. His scholarship has appeared in the United States and internationally in journals, conferences, and a forthcoming monograph on musical meaning in video game soundtracks. Thomas completed his DMA at the University of Texas at Austin and is Lecturer of Music Theory at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He joined the department in the spring of 2020.

Thomas lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Tori. In his spare time, he can often be found cooking gourmet cuisine from the “Yee Bistro” with her or on walks with their affectionate dog, Cassie the Kelpie.

Congress of Racial Equality’s MLK JR. Award for Outstanding Arts Achievement and Chamber Music America’s Guarneri String Quartet Award. Dr. Cherry has given a TED Talk on string education and presented for Texas Music Educators Association, American String Teachers Association, Chamber Music America, and the Texas Touring Roster.

Dr. Nicole Cherry Assistant Professor of Violin Dr. Nicole Cherry is the incoming Assistant Professor of Violin and the current second violinist of the award-winning Marian Anderson String Quartet. Based in Texas for nearly twenty years, Dr. Cherry has held artist-teacher residencies at Texas A&M, Prairie View A&M, University of Washington, and Brown University where she, with the quartet, trained promising string players of all ages. Dr.Cherry has performed extensively in distinguished venues including the Library of Congress, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Smithsonian, and the Banff Centre. A solo tour of the Middle East and Asia included performances before Queen Noor of Jordan and in underdeveloped townships in Johannesburg during Apartheid.

Dr. Cherry served as artistic director of the Marian Anderson String Quartet Chamber Music Institute held in the underserved areas of Brazos Valley, Texas, and St.Thomas, Virgin Islands. In recognition of this outreach with the quartet, Dr. Cherry garnered two Mayoral Proclamations, the

Dr. Cherry’s doctoral research on the nineteenth-century AfroEuropean violin virtuoso, George Bridgetower, which explores historical socio-cultural theories in string music led to interviews on Lubbock, Texas’ PBS stations, and awards that include Texas Tech University’s Paul Whitfield Horn Award and the President’s Excellence in Diversity and Equity Award. As a graduate of the Master’s degree program, The Juilliard School profiled Dr. Cherry in the Journal’s 100thanniversary issue, “A Quiet Revolution: Juilliard Alumni and the Transformation of Education in America Through the Arts.”

Dr. Cherry is passionate about learning new skills and is currently adding the pastoral sport of golf to her growing list of accomplishments.

Erin Webber Adjunct Faculty - Oboe Erin Webber is thrilled to join the woodwind faculty this fall as the new instructor of oboe. She teaches oboe at the University of the Incarnate Word, maintains a large private studio, and operates a thriving online reed business.

Webber holds the position of principal oboe with Symphony Viva and San Antonio Sinfonietta and is a founding member of San Antonio Harmonie. In addition, she plays regularly with regional orchestras such as Laredo Philharmonic and Symphony of the Hills and has played in several musical productions at both Woodlawn Theater and The Public Theater. She is the premier oboe instructor for Bocal Majority’s San Antonio summer camps.

Webber holds a Bachelor of Music from Western Kentucky University and a Master of Music from Arizona State University.

She also studied extensively with David Weber of Weber Reeds.

In addition, she is a published composer with two compositions

available through Trevco-Varner Music under her maiden name of Goad.

Dr. Nicholas Councilor Adjunct Faculty - Clarinet This fall Dr. Nicholas Councilor joins UTSA as Lecturer of Clarinet. He previously held teaching positions at Texas A&M University—Kingsville and The University of Texas at Austin. He also maintains a large private studio in Austin, where his students frequently make the TMEA All-State ensembles and earn top accolades in solo competitions. As a clinician for the D’Addario Woodwind Method Program, Dr. Councilor has taught nearly 100 clinics to students of all ages throughout Central Texas.

Dr. Councilor is a versatile freelance musician with an active schedule of solo, orchestral, and chamber music performances.

He has performed as a featured soloist with the Austin Symphonic Band, the Waterloo Wind Band, and performed John Corigliano’s Concerto with the University of Texas Wind Ensemble in a premiere performance of a new wind band transcription by Craig

B. Davis. Nicholas is a member of the Central Texas Philharmonic and regularly performs with the San Antonio Symphony, the Austin Symphony Orchestra, and other regional orchestras across the state. He has also appeared as guest principal clarinetist with the San Antonio Symphony and the Dallas Winds.

As an avid chamber musician, Dr. Councilor has earned the silver medal at the prestigious Fischoff Competition and is a prizewinner of the Coleman and Plowman chamber music competitions, as well as the American Prize. He is also a skilled woodwind doubler and has performed for dozens of musical theater productions.

Dr. Councilor earned his Doctoral of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Eastern Michigan University. In his spare time, Nicholas enjoys daily walks in the park, game nights with friends, and spending time in the water during the summer.

Paul Millette Adjunct Faculty - Percussion

Paul Millette joins UTSA as a new member of the percussion faculty. Millette has enjoyed a career as a performer, educator, and composer throughout the United States. He has performed with the King’s Brass, the Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra, the Four/ One percussion quartet, and was a semifinalist in the Great Plains International Marimba Competition. As an educator he has presented clinics and masterclasses throughout the Midwest, has taught at the Interlochen Arts Camp, and currently serves as a percussion specialist at Harlan High School.

An active composer, Millette’s music is published through C. Alan and Tapspace Publications.

His music has been performed by ensembles such as the Patterns Quartet, the Indiana University Percussion Ensemble, and was recently featured at Troy University’s performance at the 2019 Percussive Arts Society International Convention. He received his Master of Music degree from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and his undergraduate degree from the University of North Dakota.

UTSA Lyric Theatre Forges Ahead

By Dr. Jourdan Laine Howell

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s we move through the epic year that is 2020, UTSA Lyric Theatre is marching under the banner of adaptation and innovation. Under the leadership of Dr. William McCrary, Dr. Jourdan Laine Howell, and Michelle Pietri, students will continue to explore their creativity in meaningful ways despite any limitations set forth by the pandemic.

This fall, students in Chamber Opera will begin a year-long venture which culminates in the production of an entirely new opera work, inspired, written, and performed by UTSA students. With the goal of a Fall 2021 premiere, singers kick off the project this semester with the creation of an original libretto. Once complete, the libretto will shift to the capable hands of the Composition students who will work on a score in the spring.

Chamber Opera students will devote time to the traditional scenes program as well, although Lyric Theatre faculty is prepping singers for an unconventional performance. Slated for November, the scenes presentation will likely be a hybrid of live and recorded offerings and will feature visual representations of both faculty and student design concepts.

Lyric Theatre charges into the spring with three exciting projects on the docket: the continued development of our new opera, a

virtual-friendly adaptation of Opera on the Run, and our mainstage productions.

Chamber Opera will be available to voice majors and non-voice majors once again as Lyric Theatre dives into a full-fledged workshop of the original opera with students not only stepping into the their respective sung roles, but also taking on the responsibilities of stage manager, scenic designer, costume designer, and other major parts needed to mount a production.

Opera on the Run, an in-school touring production which is not possible this year, will move forward with a fresh look that will be fit for the computer screen, providing our singing artists the chance to safely teach opera’s melodies to K-5 students. We are thrilled to know that UTSA Lyric Theatre will help supply our youngest community members with access to vital arts programming.

The Lyric Theatre faculty are dreaming big for the spring and making plans to present a fully staged production. With social distancing at the forefront of their minds, the faculty is exploring a collaboration with dance students that will enhance the performances for cast and audience members alike. No matter what the future holds for this school year, Lyric Theatre students will engage in creative projects that develop their artistic skills, inspire their imaginations, and equip them to entertain.

COVID-19 Quarantine Pulse Poll As we continue to navigate the higher education learning experience during COVID-19, we will reach out to denizens of #utsamusic to ask how the pandemic and quarantine have affected (and are continuing to affect) their lives. Music faculty, staff, and students have been “wired-in”-- attending classes online and/or working remotely from home-- since March 20. For such a socially interactive department like ours, that kind of social distancing and isolation is bound to have an impact, so we invited a few folks to answer our first monthly poll. Here are their responses.

How did you “stay sane” during the past months of quarantine and how do you plan to manage going forward should quarantine be extended?

Steven Hill Administrative Associate II

Dr. Patty FaganMiller Adjunct Faculty (bassoon)

“The only way I ‘stay sane’ during our isolation or any other time is by spending some quiet time with the Lord every morning. Knowing that He can and will take a bad, or even horrible, situation and turn it into something good keeps me going. I also maintain a regular schedule, just like when we actually go to work [on campus]. Getting sunlight and walking almost every day is also primary.

There’s nothing like a good walk to relax a stressed-out mind and body.”

“Oh, how I miss everyone! I’ve been spending most of my “quaran-time” working on musical projects - practicing my bassoon and working on my secondary skills on oboe and piano. I’ve read lots of books, put together puzzles, and cooked many delicious meals at home. If we must continue to be in exile during the semester, I hope to connect virtually with my students and music friends for online collaboration, motivation, and inspiration.”

Hannah Plemons Music Studies (trumpet) “In the past months of quarantine, I stayed sane by practicing both my trumpet and color guard; I made a painting, and I spent time with my family.”

Dr. Sean Johnston Adjunct Faculty (music theory) “I think the key to staying sane under quarantine has been developing some routines. To keep my mind sharp, I played the piano every day, went running a few times a week, continued learning Spanish using Duolingo, read books on a variety of topics, and worked on my chess game. While I miss going to movie theaters, I was able to fill the void by watching Netflix, including First Man, Selma, Parasite (what a crazy ending!), and a handful of Marvel films.

Socializing has been especially hard during the pandemic. I have kept in touch with friends, family, and colleagues via Zoom and am looking forward to doing much more of that as the fall semester begins! Although I hope the quarantine is not reinstated, I take some comfort in the fact that teaching four online classes will keep me busy and make the time go faster.”

Fernanda Cuevas Music Studies (violin) “Throughout the past few months of quarantine, I have been making sure to stay in contact with many of my friends and family.

Occasionally, we will hang out on Zoom and have game nights or movie nights. When it comes to my family, we eat together and have occasional game nights and movie nights as well! On my own, I do try to keep a schedule, or a routine throughout my days so I am not always sleeping in and letting the whole day just pass me by. I have incorporated a little yoga into my days. I do about half an hour of yoga a day. It is very relaxing and peaceful. It helps get me through the days.”

Kenyon Harris McCrary Music Studies (tuba) “Working at Great Clips with my mom and practicing keeps me sane during these uncertain times. If I’m not working or practicing, I’m either playing video games or catching up on some of my favorite shows on Netflix and Hulu. Whether quarantine will be extended or not, I plan to manage by starting a workout routine and maybe pick up some old hobbies from the past.”

Dr. Susan Dill Assistant Professor (music education) “I used the power of music therapy to manage the roller coaster of emotions, the pandemic, being deprived of making music with my choir, and current social justice issues provoked in me.

I took a journey back to the roots of my love affair with music and watched at least one concert on YouTube daily letting myself re-experience the joy that discovering new music and listening to old favorites brings. My favorite discovery this summer was BTS, I’m too old to join their Army but (idea for their total commitment to their performances has inspired my own music-making and I’ve started learning Korean. If quarantine is extended the students in my classes will be sharing their jams with me so together we will keep our spirits up.”

COLFA 2020 Project: A Collaborative Response

By Dr. Jourdan Laine Howell

All alone together.

We’ll get through this together.

Staying apart is the best way to stay connected.

These are a few of the slogans to which we have grown accustomed in 2020. As we move into another semester in the time of COVID-19, faculty, students, and staff are looking to safely connect to one another through their shared experiences. Many are searching for an arena to voice their concerns and pain in the face of great turmoil in our country.

Others desire to raise awareness about issues that are of the utmost importance to them.

With the need for connectivity and community in mind, the University challenged faculty to develop a wide-reaching project that would unite Roadrunners in a common pursuit. The Department of Music and The College of Liberal and Fine Arts answered the call with the COLFA 2020 Project.

The COLFA 2020 Project is a collaborative interdisciplinary project designed to gather, create, and preserve UTSA’s stories of the present with a focus on the pandemic, human rights, personal, and global issues. The collaboration is led by Dr. Jourdan Laine Howell (Department of Music) and Dr. Jodi Peterson (Department of History; 2020 UT Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award recipient), and includes dedicated professors from the Departments of English, Art and Art History, and the School of Architecture.

The project begins in September with the Department of History, where students will write personal reflections on 2020. These narratives will make their way through each participating department where students from the various disciplines will have the opportunity to respond and create their own works inspired by the feelings and experiences of their fellow Roadrunners. The collaboration continues through the spring with student contributions featured in a live exhibition and a digital archive.

As COLFA faculty and students embark on this large-scale project, another popular COVID slogan comes to mind: we will be stronger on the other side. Through the COLFA 2020 Project, we will be stronger as a Roadrunner family. #RoadRunnerNation

SEPTEMBER DATES

04 MUSIC CONVOCATION 11:30AM - Zoom

07 LABOR DAY

Offices are closed in observance of the holiday

https://www.utsa.edu/fall2020/

FALL 2020 STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THE FALL SEMESTER AT #UTSAMUSIC MUSIC.UTSA.EDU

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