April & May 2019 College News

1 Martin McCain and masterclass students at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory on the campus of the National University of Singapore 2 Te Mariachi Juvenil de Washington Irving Middle School, under the direction of alumna Alicia Covarrubias (left) 3 Te stage production for Mariachi entitled, Soy Mexicano , written by John Lopez, Pedro Moreno, and Michelle Quintero 16 | April & May | College News MUSIC Music, Music Studies, Per formance, & Sound Recording Technolog y FACULTY ACCOLADES On April 4, theory professor Dr. Cynthia I. Gonzales delivered an invited two-hour lecture via video stream to the graduate Music Teory Pedagogy class at Youngstown State University, Ohio. Dr. Gonzales discussed how to develop harmonic listening skills that lead to taking harmonic dictation successfully. Hank Hehmsoth was feature-interviewed for the Fredericksburg Jazz Festival that took place on April 13, 2019. Te article appeared in the Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post, Kerrville Daily Times, and Heart Beat of Texas Magazine . In it, Hehmsoth discussed the diferent aspects of jazz and how it can mold students. Before the festival, jazz faculty Utah Hamrick joined Hehmsoth to work with high school players from more than a dozen Texas Hill Country schools. Alumnus and former student of Hehmsoth, Jason Younts is producer of the festival, as well as Director of Bands for FISD. Dr. Martin McCain performed two weeks as guest Principal Bass Trombonist with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. While in southeast Asia, McCain led a masterclass for the trombone studio at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory on the campus of the National University of Singapore. [1] Dr. McCain also performed as guest 2nd trombone with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and recorded with the ensemble for a future documentary about the life of Dallas Symphony Orchestra Principal Trumpeter, Ryan Anthony. McCain co-led an arts entrepreneurship lecture at the University of Memphis and the University of Texas at Austin. Additionally, he hosted guest artists, Dr. Mitch Butler of the University of Missouri – Kansas City, Dr. Rai Morales of Texas A & M University – Corpus Christi, and Brian Hecht of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on the Texas State campus. Todd Oxford was featured soloist with the New Texas Symphony Orchestra performing Debussy’s Rapsodie at the Moody Performance Hall in Dallas. His recent activities include: • Adjudicator for the Coltman National Chamber Music Competition, Butler School of Music, Austin. • Audition applicant for the American Prize in Instrumental Solo Performance in Connecticut. • Audition applicant for Contemporary Record Society Commercial Recording Grant in Pennsylvania. • Audition applicant for Global Music Awards - Best Instrumentalist, La Jolla, California. STUDENT ACCOLADES Laura Brackney , a Texas State graduate composition student, was featured in the Austin-based arts magazine Sightlines about her upcoming premiere of a new score performed live to a historic silent flm. Te score premiered on April 12 at the Bullock Museum in Austin, featuring Brackney on keyboard and Henna Chou on cello. TXST was well represented at South Texas Chapter of NATS at Del Mar University on Saturday, April 6. With support from collaborative pianists Alexis Korbe and Joung-A Yum, the following TXST singers took frst-place honors: Karissa Kim , Pedro Valdez and Gavin Magee . Second place: Reese Landis , Lucas Phillips , Darrin Ruiz , and Abraham Villarreal . Finalist Trenton Floyd won a third place award. Garrett Douglas and Taunty Motu placed as semi-fnalists, and William Phi was a fnalist for the Waldman Award. Lauren Gordon , a saxophone student at Texas State, received notifcation on April 4 that she won the tenor saxophone position to perform with the World Youth Wind Orchestra Project in Schladming, Austria this summer as part of the Mid Europe Music Festival. Te World Youth Wind Orchestra brings together musicians from around the world to perform wind ensemble repertoire at the highest level. Students have the opportunity to work with internationally-renowned conductors, composers, and soloists during an intense musical week in Schladming. Six students recently received the most prestigious award granted by TMEA; Te TMEA Collegiate Music Educator Award: • Emily Edwards • Dexx Moore • Peyton Grover • Shane Lemanski • Anna Trevino • Caitlyn Durkee ALUMNI ACCOLADES Texas State alumnus Luca Cubisino (MM in Piano Performance) has developed and will be directing the Advanced Preparatory Piano Program, a division of the Frost School of Music Preparatory Program at the University of Miami. Michael Johnson (M.M., 2017) has recently been appointed as a professor at Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa, AL. He is currently in the 2nd year of his doctoral degree at the University of Alabama. Te Mariachi Juvenil de Washington Irving Middle School, under the direction of Alicia Covarrubias recently took top honors at the Robstown’ El Cotton Picker Mariachi Festival. [ 2] Te San Antonio ISD students performed April 25 as part of the Ford Mariachi Festival along the River Walk. Covarubbias, who earned her Bachelor of Music in Music Studies in 2016, also directs the San Antonio College Mariachi Estrellas de Alamo. #SOYMEXICANO On May 4th, in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of Feria del Mariachi, the Latin Music Studies area premiered a stage production for Mariachi entitled, Soy Mexicano . [ 3] It was written by John Lopez (pictured), Pedro Moreno , Michelle Quintero . Te show featured, Mariachi Nueva Generacion, Mariachi Lince de Oro, Grupo Folklorico Ocotochtli, Marissa Hernandez, Jerry Diaz, Mia Gonzales as “Brenda" and Sebastien De La Cruz as "Art". You can watch the Facebook Live broadcast here. College of Fine Arts and Communication | 17