CONGRATULATIONS
December 2013 Grads
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Composition:
Joshua De Leon
Music Performance:
Bethany Jackson
Benjamin Osterhouse
Thomas Hastings Reeves
Music Education:
Rosalee Allard
Laura Kozamchak
Ross Resley
Michele Seiffert
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ALUMNI NEWS
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John Baumgartner ('12, BM Trombone Performance) is a freelance trombonist, composer, arranger, and private instructor. He is the regular trombonist with the Century Brass, Mike's Brass, top-40 cover band Big Toe and the Jam, and a brand new salsa band, Rumba Nueva. He subs for various groups, including modern big bands Adam Meckler Orchestra and Bill Simenson Orchestra, the Mankato Symphony Orchestra, the Compass Rose Brass Ensemble, and salsa band K-Libre 24.
Mike Borg ('04, BA Music) recently moved with his family to Sioux Falls, SD to become full-time Director of Worship at Abiding Savior Free Lutheran Church, a congregation of 1000. In his role, Mike has a broad range of responsibilities, including short- and long-term planning for all Sunday worship services throughout the year, organizing, rehearsing and conducting a 40-member choir. He has six worship teams comprised of over 100 volunteer musicians, including vocalists, guitarists, drummers, keyboardists, string, brass, woodwind players and percussionists. In addition, he oversees all technical aspects of ministry, overseeing a staff of 20 volunteer audio and video technicians. The congregation also has a bell choir director, children's choir director, men's ensemble director, and drama ministry team which are all under Mike's oversight.
Matthew Hagestuen ('13, BM Vocal Performance) is enjoying the warmth of Texas and had a productive first semester as a master's student in voice at Baylor University. A voice student of Prof. Jack Coldiron, he is preparing a recital this coming semester and will be singing a lead in one of Baylor's opera productions. He is also conducting one of the Baylor choirs this semester under the supervision of Dr. Lynn Gackle.
Bethany Jackson (Dec. '13, BM Vocal Performance) is playing the Princess of Monte Carlo in The Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company's production of The Grand Duke, at the Howard Conn Fine Arts Center in Minneapolis on March 7-30. Visit their website at www.gsvloc.org for more details.
Garrett Lahr ('11, Math/Engineering; NW Symphonic Band bass trombonist '06 -'10) performs regularly on bass trombone with the Nova Jazz Orchestra and St. Paul Civic Symphony, and has subbed on bass trombone with the Mankato Symphony Orchestra and Compass Rose Brass Ensemble. He recently participated in a newly-released compact disc recording by the big band Nova Jazz Orchestra, entitled "Concerto Nova & the Jazz Music of W.A. Mathieu."
Christine Park ('11, BA Music), after graduating from Northwestern, applied with NICS (Network of International Christian Schools) and prayerfully decided to apply for the same school she attended in high school, OASIS International School of Ankara, Turkey. Hired in fall 2012, she teaches K-12 music, secondary concert band, and high school choir. This year, she's been co-directing the musical, Seussical Jr. In addition, this past fall she became director of a prestigious community choir, Ankara A Cappella, with choir members consisting of diplomats, international business representatives, EU and UN members, their spouses, teachers, local musicians, etc. While attending the choir's annual spring concert, she heard that the current director was resigning and introduced herself to show her interest in the position. Last summer they extended the position offer to Christine and she began directing fall of 2013. She is grateful for God's faithfulness and provision, and we thank God with her for the opportunities He has given to her.
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STUDENT NEWS
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Eagle Scholar Brienna Rossiter (Junior, BS Music/Ministry) was national semifinalist for the prestigious Norman Mailer College Writing Award. Brienna submitted poetry that she had written for Inkstone.
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NEW JOBS FOR GRADS
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Lesley Rushton ('11) is a substitute teacher of Band and Orchestra in the Minneapolis schools.
Morgan Trang ('13) teaches music with Teach Beyond, in central China.
Ashley Tuley (Dec. '12) teaches K-12 music at Echo Charter School.
Ross Resley (Dec. '13) will teach K-5 general music at Lincoln Elementary, St. Cloud.
Michele Seiffert (Dec. '13) teaches 7-12 choral and special education at New Century Academy in Hutchinson, MN.
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We apologize for errors or omissions. Please keep us informed about your music performances, positions and education.
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Dear Friends,
The Denler Art Gallery here at UNW has a very nice
permanent art collection. Works from the collection adorn the walls of many of our campus buildings. A few years ago, the head of the gallery helped me choose a few pieces for my office. I'm no expert, but I know what I like. Also hanging on my office walls are works of art by my children. I framed abstract paintings by each of my children that they created when they were very young. Now they are older, and my file cabinets frequently display my daughter's princess coloring sheets or my son's line drawings of animals.
Although I am fond of all the art in my office, my favorite pieces are, of course, the ones by my children. Even though they have no monetary value and are not on the same artistic level as the paintings from the Denler collection, their paintings, drawings, and coloring sheets are special to me. I have enjoyed seeing their determination, creativity, and growth from those early abstract paintings (really just gobs of painted thrown on the paper) to recognizable objects and neat, orderly coloring.
I see a reflection of the Creator in all of this. God is the creator of the universe, and He continues to demonstrate His creativity through His creation. As image-bearers of God, we too can create. We offer back to Him our creative efforts-a sonata, a symphony, a poem, a painting, or an essay. Although our feeble efforts pale in comparison to His masterful creative touch, I imagine our Heavenly Father smiling down on us with pleasure as He watches us create and observes us developing our gifts.
As you create, remember that your gifts come from a Heavenly Father who loves you and gets pleasure from watching you create for His glory.
Jeremy Kolwinska
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January
23-26 Symphonic Band Winter Tour (OC)
February
1 1:00 p.m. Concerto-Aria Competition (NC)
14 5:30-7 p.m. MMEA Music Alumni Reception (OC)
Minneapolis Hilton, Room TBD
March
4 7:30 p.m. Symphonic Band Concert (MH)
6-13 Orchestra Arizona Tour (OC)
Symphony in the Southwest (Queen Creek, Scottsdale,
Carefree, Mesa, and Sun City, AZ)
18 7:30 p.m. Orchestra Homecoming Concert (MH)
24 7:30 p.m. Faculty Artist Series:
Frisch & Frisch Go Bolling (NC)
Roger Frisch, violin & Michele Frisch, flute
Guest artist Herb Johnson, piano, and friends
28-29 7:30 p.m. Opera Workshop: The Mighty Casey (MH)
William Schuman's one act opera
28-30 Varsity Men's Chorus Tour (OC)
(Southern MN cities, Red Wing, MN)
April
1 6:30 p.m. Percussion Master Class: (F1360/Band)
Fernando A. Meza, U of M School of Music
4-6 Women's Chorale Tour (OC)
(Duluth, MN)
7 7:30 p.m. Women's Chorale & Varsity Men's Chorus
Homecoming Concert (MH)
22 7:30 p.m. Faculty Artist Series:
Chamber Music Treasures (NC)
Sachiya Isomura, cello & Richard Lange, piano
Guest artist Catherine Schaefer Schubilske, violin
28 7:00 p.m. Chamber Ensembles Recital (NC)
29 7:30 p.m. Jazz Ensemble Concert (MH)
May
2 7:30 p.m. Symphonic Band Concert (MH)
6 7:30 p.m. Orchestra Concert with Concerto-Aria winners (MH)
11 4:00 p.m. Northwestern Choir Bon Voyage Concert (OC)
Calvary Church, 2120 Lexington Ave N
Roseville, MN
20-June 2 Northwestern Choir Europe Tour
(Ukraine, Hungary)
All events free and open to the public.
MH=Maranatha Hall, NC=Nazareth Chapel,
BR=Blue Room, OC=Off Campus location
All events subject to change. Up-to-date info at unwsp.edu/music (events).
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NEW CHORAL CD "INSPIRATION"
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The Department of Music is excited to announce the release of "Inspiration" on January 21, 2014. This is the first Northwestern Choir CD since the UNW institutional name change. The disk features selections from multiple choir years, including an array of sacred motets, hymns and spirituals sung by the Northwestern Choir (previously College Choir), conducted by Timothy Sawyer. You can purchase a CD by visiting or calling the music office at 651-631-5218. The CD will also be available soon through the UNW online store and at CD Baby!
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John Benham (UNW Music in World Cultures instructor) and Steve Sheldon (former executive director of Wycliffe Bible Translators and MIWC board member*) spent the first two weeks of October in Brazil. Steve and his wife Linda are Northwestern alumni and were Wycliffe Bible Translators (WBT) missionaries in Brazil for 36 years, working with the remote Pirahá people. Steve is now assistant to the Brazilian director of ALEM, WBT of Brazil. The trip took them from Saő Paulo, to Ciuabá, Brasilia, Anapolis, Vianapolis, Rio de Janeiro and back to Saő Paulo. They met with national leaders from Wycliffe/SIL, New Tribes Mission, South American Mission, Worldwide Evangelization for Christ (WEC), and individuals from a variety of indigenous people groups. In addition to providing encouragement to national musicians, particularly those of various indigenous minorities, John and Steve dialogued with missionaries about issues related to contextualization, cultural unity, and worship in the indigenous church. John presented several seminars on the theology of worship, the role of ethnomusicology in missions, and contextualization. Meetings were also held with the leadership of UniEvangélica University, a Christian university, about potential development of ethnomusicology training for Brazilian nationals. As one result of those meetings, plans are now being formed for a return trip in June 2015 to visit an indigenous group in the interior in which 80-90% of the people have become believers. Since this group had previously used music primarily as a means of spirit worship, they have stopped all music. The primary purpose of the trip will be teaching the principles of the use of music in the church, with focus on Ephesians 5:18-20 and Colossians 3:14-17. ( *Music In World Cultures (MIWC) is a non-profit mission agency founded in 1989 by John Benham. You may learn more of this work by visiting http://www.miwc.org.)
Glen Larson, UNW adjunct guitar instructor, arranged "Carol of the Bells" for his UNW guitar ensemble, and the arrangement, featured in the Moody Bible Institute's Christmas Carol Concert, now appears on their promotional CD this year. You can obtain a copy of the CD recording, "Merrily on High: Candlelight Carols," on iTunes or by contacting Moody's Online Store or 1-800-DLMOODY. To obtain a score of this arrangement for $10, contact Glen Larson directly at gclarson@unwsp.edu.
On January 6-15, Director of Choral Activities Timothy Sawyer performed with The South Dakota Chorale, a 32-voice professional choir based in Sioux Falls. In a program entitled "Sacred Songs of Life and Love," the choir's concerts and CD recording sessions were held at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Sioux Falls, and also in the choir's first appearance in the Twin Cities at the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas on the campus of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. Mr. Sawyer also recently led the Two Rivers Chorale in recording its new Christmas CD entitled "Yuletide Treasures" in collaboration with guitarist Jeffrey Van.
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Opera Workshop with Doreen Hutchings
By Lori Bunce (based on Interview with Doreen Hutchings, Dec '13)
Each year, Doreen Hutchings, director of opera and instructor of voice offers Opera Workshop to serious vocalists. The importance of this program is three-fold: (1) train up UNW singers, preparing them for performance careers and/or graduate school, (2) train up future educators for musical production in both schools and the community, and (3) train up church musicians in music and dramatic productions. She works hard alongside these students to present a good production with a limited budget and simplified set, costumes and instrumentation. Though working on a small budget has its limitations, the benefits of teaching students to produce a show on a small budget is priceless. Accompanists Janet Scovill and Barbara Rogers add their expertise to the mix as well. As Ms. Hutchings says, "If the music and drama are of high quality, everything else is just icing on the cake!" Though many of our vocal students come to UNW with very little familiarity with opera, they are often surprised by how much they have grown to love it! Music alumni now performing in opera or musicals include Hannah (Nelson) Lu in Houston, April Fredrick in London, Erin Swindler Oberlander, Megan Obed Wagner-Floan, Nathan Bird, Melody (Wolleat) Johnson, Christy (Anderson) Jones, Barrett Radziun, Shawn Fletcher, Matthew Hagestuen, and Bethany Jackson.
Doreen Hutchings's background began with Musical Theatre (which she loves). She was involved in musicals throughout high school, and her choir director (Steve Goldstein) saw in her a "teacher's heart" and encouraged her to pursue a degree in Music Education, which she completed at SUNY Fredonia (NY). When Ms. Hutchings didn't get cast in a production of The Marriage of Figaro, she asked if she could assist the director. This first Assistant Director position led to many other opportunities, including the chance to direct opera scenes during her junior year as an undergrad. It was her voice teachers who noticed her vocal gift for performing opera. She spent two summers at Chautauqua Institution as a voice and opera scholarship recipient and assistant director for the student opera program. There she was strongly encouraged by the voice teachers to pursue a Masters in Vocal Performance at West Virginia University, where she performed extensively. After teaching and directing at several other academic institutions she came to Northwestern in 1999, and Opera Workshop performances began in the spring of 2001.
When asked to describe the difference between musical theater and opera, she said there is a fine line between opera and some of the more sophisticated musicals (such as Side Show and Phantom of the Opera), but generally opera is more sophisticated and difficult to perform, requiring technically trained singers who can perform without amplification. Ms. Hutchings hopes to present opera productions that appeal to intergenerational families, to educate and draw them in to a type of music they may never experience otherwise. For people who wish to better understand opera, she encourages them to (1) go to English performances, (2) read a plot synopsis first - come informed to watch opera, and (3) come to UNW productions that are intended to be "user friendly" and educational.
Spring 2014 Opera Workshop: The Mighty Casey by William Schuman
On March 28 & 29 in Maranatha Hall, the Opera Workshop will perform The Mighty Casey, libretto by Jeremy Gray and music by William Schuman, a one-act opera based on the famous poem "Casey at the Bat" (1888) by Ernest Thayer. A copy of this opera is actually on display in the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame! This fun and colorful opera is about "community" - where folks from all walks of life come together behind a star baseball player. The "Watchman" (narrator) tells the story, incorporating the poem into the action.
There are many ensemble numbers and solos, and performers will include Tony Potts, Julia Pagh, Mason Henderson, Brandyn Tapio, Josh Cofield, Angela Godwin, Marissa Jacobus, Ben Witt, Bryan Beck, Forest Anderson Mares, Isaac Haugen, Gracie Lugo, Maggie Benham, Abby Thompson, Eric VanBruggen, and Barak Zierhut. Doreen Hutchings will direct, and faculty pianists Janet Scovill and Barbara Rogers will accompany. More information can be found at unwsp.edu/events
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Festival Collegiate Piano results On Saturday, Nov. 23, The UNW Department of Music hosted this very first Collegiate Piano Festival. Seventeen students representing three collegiate schools performed for three adjudicators, Dr. Herbert Johnson, Dr. Richard Lange and Dr. Barbara Rogers. The winners performed at the Honor Concert at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Congratulations to the following winners from Northwestern! Piano Festival Competition results: Undergraduates ages 19 and younger: 2nd place, Rudolph Heuer, student of Richard Lange 3rd place, Elizabeth Boggs, student of Barbara Rogers Honorable Mention, Rachel Revennaugh, student of Richard Lange Undergraduates ages 20 and older: 1st place, Emily Baltzer, student of Richard Lange 3rd place, Kathleen Daugherty, student of Barbara Rogers Honorable Mention: Bethany Pertzsch, student of Richard Lange NATS Singing Auditions results On November 1-2, nineteen UNW singers participated in the Minnesota NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) Student Auditions at St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota. Carol Eikum, Doreen Hutchings and Catherine Larsen were audition adjudicators, and Sonja Grimes, Barbara Rogers and Janet Scovill accompanied the students. Ten UNW singers were in the top 25% and advanced to the Semi-Final Round on Saturday morning. Five of those singers advanced to the Saturday afternoon Final Round. We are grateful to God for the results below, especially considering that the NATS participants include students from other excellent Minnesota music programs such as St. Olaf College, Concordia College and the University of Minnesota. Soli deo gloria! (To God alone be the glory!) NATS AUDITIONS SEMI-FINALISTS: Maggie Benham (College Women - through age 19) Sharayah Bunce (College Women - through age 20) Alyssa Laansma (College Women - through age 20) David Reeves (College Men - through age 18) Erika Sawyer (UNW PSEO Student; High School Girls - through age 18) NATS AUDITIONS FINALISTS: Nicole Moran, First Place (College Women - through age 18) Gracie Lugo, Second Place (College Women - through age 18) Tony Potts, Second Place (College Men - through age 20) Julia Pagh, Third Place (College Women - ages 21-25) T. Hastings Reeves, Third Place (College Men - ages 21-25) Fall Production of OKLAHOMA! This past fall, the music department worked together with the theatre program to produce Oklahoma! Working alongside theater director (and Northwestern grad) Nathan Cousins, Musical and Vocal Direction were provided by David Kozamchak (orchestra director) and Doreen Hutchings (vocal instructor). The full UNW Orchestra performed beautifully in the pit for this production, and Emily Baltzer was the rehearsal accompanist. The outstanding cast included many music students, including music majors: Jonathan Horn, Bethany Jackson, Austin Lewis (Jud Fry), Sarah McCord, Julia Pagh (Laurey Williams), Tony Potts (Curley McLain), Brandyn Tapio (Dream Curley/Dance Captain), Abby Thompson, and Ellie Walton; and these current members of UNW choral ensembles: Sharayah Bunce, Matt Groen (Andrew Carnes), Mason Henderson (Ali Hakim), Marisa Jacobus (Dream Laurey), Russell Sharper, Josh Stevens, Lydia Wildes, and Ben Witt (Ike Skidmore).  Top: Full cast sings "Oklahoma!". Center Left: The Ladies sing "Many a New Day." Center: Curley and Laurey in "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top." Center Right: Curley sings "Poor Jud is Daid." Bottom: "The Farmer and the Cowman" |
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If you have noteworthy news to share with us about students or alumni, please send your comments to labunce@unwsp.edu.
God Bless you,
Lori Bunce
Project & Events Coordinator
University of Northwestern - St. Paul
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