JAZZ MAKES HEADLINES 

Lake Jiroudek '12

In other Jazz news, Cal State University Northridge (CSUN) Jazz "A" Band was recently recognized as one of the best college ensembles in the nation. One of our recent graduates, Jacob Scesney '11, said joining the Jazz "A" Band was something he's wanted to do since he was in sixth grade and saw them perform live.

Christmas in Rockefeller Center

Scesney joined the CSUN band as an alto saxophone player and occasionally gets his own solos. As a child, Scesney started out as a piano player then evolved to woodwinds then saxophone, which led him to be accepted into the band. 

Graham Dechter '05 recently performed with Michael Bublé on the NBC-TV Today Show. He also played on Michael Bublé's album and is on tour with him now. Here is a clip of Graham's beautiful duet with Michael as they performed in Rockefeller Center.  

Idyllwild is a magical place; it's beautiful and refreshing, but most importantly, it makes me want to be better and to improve myself. I worked harder than I have ever worked before during the two weeks in Idyllwild and as a result, I improved a lot. I improved not only my playing skills, but also the attitude I should have to approach a challenge, something that I will always use in life.

-Festival Orchestra Participant 

CASEY ABRAMS '09 SIGNS WITH

Signed

CONCORD MUSIC GROUP

"Casey Abrams' talent is deep and untapped," said Concord Music Group chief creative officer

John Burk. "We're excited to work with Casey and 19 Entertainment on fulfilling his great promise."  

Mystral Echavarria '05, Casey Abram '09, Trustees Christina and Tony Echavarria

Following the American Idol competition, Abrams joined the American Idol Live! Tour, signed with 19 Entertainment, collaborated with fellow Idol alum Haley Reinhart on the holiday classic, "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (A Top 10 iTunes video and Holiday chart debut!) and began writing songs for his new album.  

NATIVE AMERICAN PROGRAM WINS NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS GRANT  

Participating here, far right, is Ernie Siva, Trustee of Idyllwild Arts Foundation

The Idyllwild Arts Foundation received a $20,000 Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support its summer Native American Arts Program and Festival. It was the only NEA grant awarded in Riverside or San Bernardino counties. This is the fourth year the program has won an NEA grant.  

SPOTLIGHT ON STAFF AT IDYLLWILD ARTS  

R. Scott Schroeder-IAF Director of Capital Campaign and Individual Giving 

R. Scott Schroeder

Scott is to be congratulated for winning the Association of Fundraising Professionals 2011 Outstanding Fundraising Professional Award. He was recognized for his work in successfully raising funds, mentoring colleagues, and advancing the efforts of the profession. He comes to the Idyllwild Arts Advancement office following six years as Director of Development for the Palm Springs Art Museum.  

Previously, Scott served as a consultant to such organizations as the Brooklyn Children's Museum, Fraunces Tavern Museum, Hospital for Joint Diseases, and served as Director of Development at the Brandywine River Museum and Conservancy in Pennsylvania for 27 years. Welcome Scott! 

Mary Metcalf-Collier-IAF Web Manager 

"Ride the Divide", an award-winning documentary, was featured at the  Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema, January 12-15. It is a story about Mary Metcalf-Collier, Web Manager at Idyllwild Arts, and her 2008 Tour Divide mountain-bike endurance race from Canada to Mexico.  She raced the rooftop of North America self-supported along over 2,700 miles. It is the longest off-pavement bike route in the world. 

Mary was the first woman ever to finish the grueling race. It took her 29 days, 17 hours and 37 minutes from Banff, Alberta, to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. Not only has she been an inspiration to women bicyclists all over the world, but she has also inspired her co-workers. She and other Idyllwild Arts staff will participate in a 400 mile race this April. It will start in Idyllwild, tour through San Diego, then on to the Salton Sea and back. 

HARRY KILLIJIAN WILL BE MISSED 

Carol and Harry's visit to campus. Shown here are Brian Cohen, Harry Kallijian, Carol Channing, and Howard Shangraw

Harry Kallijian and Carol Channing are an inspiration and model for a life committed to living one's passion, fulfilling one's potential, and giving back to the community. 

Elliot Mercer

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS ELLIOT MERCER '05   

Elliot Gordon Mercer is a professional dancer, dramaturge, and dance scholar. He attended the Idyllwild Arts Academy and began dancing with Company C Contemporary Ballet upon graduation. Professionally, Elliot has performed principal roles in works by such choreographers as Antony Tudor, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Paul Taylor, David Parsons, and Charles Anderson. Elliot graduated summa cum laude from the Liberal Education for Arts Professionals (LEAP) Program at St. Mary's College of California and received an M.A. in Performance Studies at NYU, where his thesis won the Performance Studies Award from the Tisch School of the Arts. Elliot has also received certification in Labanotation from the Dance Notation Bureau.

This summer Elliot spent three weeks in Portugal in residence at the performance festival Escrita na Paisagem and the 16th Bienal de Cerveira, where he was the National Representative of the United States. Over the course of his time at these festivals Elliot reconstructed four evening-length sections of Anna Halprin's The Myths (1967) among other post-modern and audience-participatory dance works from the 1960s.

TRADITIONS OF GIVING AT IDYLLWILD ARTS 

LONGTIME FRIEND AND CHORAL DIRECTOR "GIVES BACK" 

"Do you see what you started, Bee Krone and Idyllwild Arts?" said Mary Val Marsh Twist a few years ago when discussing her designation of Idyllwild Arts as a charitable beneficiary of her IRA fund. "I feel it is my privilege and responsibility to do all I can to keep the inspiration alive and ensure the future of choral music in the summer program."

Mary Val, a longtime supporter of Idyllwild Arts, passed away recently, leaving a generous cash bequest and an in-kind donation of music books to Idyllwild Arts. Both gifts are deeply appreciated and serve as an example for other friends and alumni who are motivated to give back to the Summer Program and Arts Academy. But there is much more to the story of this remarkable woman and why she chose to designate Idyllwild Arts in her estate plans.

Mary Val Marsh Twist ISOMATA Assistant Choral Director circa 1960

For Mary Val, working with ISOMATA co-founder Bee Krone was the inspiration that led to a lifelong passion for music education and a remarkable journey in the musical arts. "Bee could have inspired the rocks to sing," said Mary Val when reminiscing about the daily "Morning Sings" up high in the pines.

The two first met in 1950 when Bee and Max Krone were recruiting well-known leaders in music, the visual arts and dance to present an integrated-arts summer program in the mountain community of Idyllwild. Mary Val had graduated from UCLA, received an M.A. in Education from Pomona College, and been offered a consulting position with the San Bernardino County Schools. Together, for two weeks they traveled the county as Bee presented music workshops for elementary school teachers. Following this mentorship experience, Mary Val changed her career emphasis to music education and thereafter spent summers in Idyllwild as an ISOMATA student, teacher, and Assistant Choral Director until 1961. Meanwhile, she worked as a distinguished music educator, consultant and supervisor in the Redlands, San Bernardino and Beverly Hills school districts.

Beginning in 1962 after marrying Dr. Dwight Twist, Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Schools in San Diego, Mary Val spent the remainder of her life in that community. But she credits her experience with Bee Krone and ISOMATA as the foundation for a lifetime of teaching college music education courses, soprano solo performance, consulting and writing. Mary Val co-authored Macmillan Publishing's first music textbook series for kindergarten through grade 8 that was used throughout the United States and Canada for the next 30 years and presented at workshops, conferences, summer classes, and the Music Educators National Conference.