January & February 2017 College News

MUSIC Music, Music Studies, Per formance, & Sound Recording Technolog y FACULTY ACCOLADES Mary Ellen Cavitt presented four presentations in Warsaw, Poland to the Association for Music in International Schools in November. [ 1 ] Richard Hall represented two music projects displayed at Texas State’s recent Health Scholar Showcase. One project he is collaborating on is Thomas Clark’s ORIGAMI Project, planning a series of events providing opportunities to experience music and related visual images designed specifically for serenity and meditation in gallery format in an informal, tranquil environment. Todd Oxford [ 2 ] was recently Performer and Artist/ endorser at the National Association of Music Merchants Show 2017 in Anaheim, California with Eastman Saxophones. NAMM is one of the largest music trade shows in the world. Todd was also adjudicator for 2017 ENKOR International Chamber Music Competition, Düsseldorf, Germany, and the MTNA/TMTA Solo and Chamber Music Competition at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches. He was a soloist at Austin Presbyterian Seminary, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Austin, and Highland Park Baptist Church in Austin. Dr. Nico Schüler presented research about the forgotten African-American composer Jacob J. Sawyer (1856-1885) at the College Music Society National Conference, the American Musicological Society Southwest Chapter Conference, and the Society for Ethnomusicology Southwestern Planes Chapter 1 2 3 Mary Ellen Cavitt presenting in Poland Todd Oxford Alumnus Major Leo Peña with music professor Lynn Ledbetter 12 | January & February | College News Conference. Sawyer was a well-published composer and pianist, leading several famous minstrelsy groups in the early 1880s and working with the leading black musicians of the time. Texas State School of Music jazz faculty Bennett Wood , Utah Hamrick , Russell Scanlon , former faculty John Mills , and Hank Hehmsoth convened in New Orleans at the JEN Jazz Education Network convention. Hehmsoth and Scanlon were featured performers with Times Ten, directed by John Mills, on January 7. STUDENT ACCOLADES Texas State trombone students Ramiro Cortez , Camden Scarborough , and Matthew Flores were accepted and received scholarships to attend the Winter Trombone Workshop held at Ithaca College. The Texas State Trombone Octet, coached by Dr. Martin McCain , performed a featured concert at the recent Big 12 Trombone Conference. The ensemble also performed outreach concerts at Bowie High School and San Marcos High School. They also got to meet with New York Philharmonic principal trombonist and Juilliard professor, Joseph Alessi. Texas State’s small trumpet ensemble was just named semi-finalists in the prestigious National Trumpet Competition to be held in Denver in March. Other schools in the semi-finals include the University of Michigan, Boston University, McGill University, Cincinnati Conservatory, Indiana University, New England Conservatory and the University of Miami. The group, Connor Towns , Esteban Borjas , Scott Crum , Aaron Rachui , Michael Lehman , and Jason Martinez , will perform an arrangement by Connor of Jennifer Higdon’s Sky Quartet. Connor, who studies composition with Dr. Michael Ippolito , recently found out that Ms. Higdon is going to publish his arrangement. ALUMNI ACCOLADES School of Music alumnus Major Leo Peña , executive officer, The United States Army Band, and conductor of the U.S. Army Chorus, shared the stage with Texas State music professor Lynn Ledbetter and the Arlington Philharmonic in a joint concert in Arlington, Virginia. [3] M.M. performance student Michael Johnson has been named one of three finalists in the Big 12 Trombone Conference’s Bach Bass Trombone Solo Competition and the American Trombone Workshop’s National Bass Trombone Solo Competition Graduate Division. College of Fine Arts and Communication | 13 ONE OF THREE F INAL ISTS . . perfor ance student ichael Johnson has been na ed one of three finalists in the Big 12 ro bone onference’s ach ass ro bone Solo o petition and the erican ro bone orkshop’s ational Bass Trombone Solo Competition raduate ivision. BIG 12 TROMBONE CONFERENCE