Music Education

College of Music mourns passing of alumnus Ben Pollack

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 07:00:00 +0000

College of Music mourns passing of alumnus Ben Pollack Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 01/24/2024 - 00:00

Sabine Kortals Stein

The CU Boulder College of Music community mourns the loss of alumnus Ben Pollack (BME ’14) who unexpectedly passed away of natural causes on Dec. 14, 2023, in his home near Denver, Colorado. He was 31.

“While I am deeply saddened by the news of Ben’s passing, I fondly remember his passion for music and his love for teaching,” says Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies + Enrollment Management and Associate Professor of Conducting + Music Education Matthew Roeder.

“Ben’s dedication to music students and music education was recognized by his being named the Colorado Music Educators Association’s Young Teacher of the Year in 2019. His commitment to his students was rightly acknowledged early on in his teaching career by being honored as the first-ever recipient of this award.”

“Teaching music is the most important thing I do,” said Pollack five years ago in an interview celebrating his CMEA award. “It has to matter every day.”

Pollack was the recipient of a full out-of-state tuition scholarship from the University of Colorado Boulder where he earned a bachelor’s degree in music education. As an undergrad, he was principal chair of the CU Boulder Symphonic Band euphonium section and tuba/euphonium ensemble. Pollack was also a member of our Golden Buffalo Marching Band and the CU Buffoons, one of the state’s premiere a cappella groups.

“Suffering the loss of a student—current or former—is in many ways akin to losing a child,” reflects Associate Professor of Tuba + Euphonium Michael Dunn with whom Pollack studied. “When I heard about Ben’s passing, my first reaction was shock followed closely by gratitude—he was by all measures an extraordinary student.

“Ben was truly born to teach. Our lessons often revolved around how to deliver a view of the ‘bigger picture’ to students. He wanted his students to have a sense of their place in the world and for each of them to understand that they are capable of changing the world for the better. Ben happened to use music as his vehicle to deliver this message.”

Pollack continued his pursuit of excellence by earning a master’s degree in music education from the Jacobs School of Music at the University of Indiana, Bloomington, where he was principal chair of the IU Concert Band euphonium section.

As a band and choral music educator with a track record of success, Pollack sought to influence large-scale changes in education through music and community. Upon graduating from our College of Music, Pollack taught choir music at Carmel Middle School in Colorado Springs and later embraced the challenge of building up a music program in Walsenburg, Colorado, leaving an indelible mark on the students and community whose lives he touched and transformed. Last summer, he began a new chapter teaching instrumental music at Ponderosa High School in Parker, Colorado.

“We in the College of Music’s tuba and euphonium studio are grateful to have had Ben in our fold and know his star will continue to burn brightly,” says Dunn.

Benjamin Michael Pollack obituary (Legacy.com)

The CU Boulder College of Music community mourns the recent passing of alumnus Ben Pollack (BME ’14). As a band and choral music educator with a track record of success, Pollack sought to influence large-scale changes in education through music and community.

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Celebrating winter graduates: Ashley Civelli

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Celebrating winter graduates: Ashley Civelli Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 12/13/2023 - 00:00

Adam Goldstein

The fields of music and education are closely intertwined for transfer student Ashley Civelli.

Like any other musician, Civelli finds a very personal kind of magic in performing. As a clarinet player, Civelli depends on the instrument for inspiration. But she doesn’t operate in a musical vacuum.

Soon after Civelli began connecting with music and performance on a personal level, she knew she wanted to share the experience with others.

“I’ve known I wanted to teach music since I was in 7th or 8th grade,” recalls Civelli, who graduates from the CU Boulder College of Music this month with a bachelor’s in music education (instrumental band emphasis). “It’s always been something that’s been there.”

The dual drive to play and to teach is part of what brought Civelli from Connecticut, where she completed the first two years of her college career, to CU Boulder—a place she felt had more to offer in terms of her professional and personal ambitions. Transferring to the College of Music halfway through her undergraduate studies boiled down to a “gut feeling,” she recalls, a sense that Boulder was the right place to refine her skills.

Two years later, that intuitive leap to a new learning environment has proved invaluable. “I don’t think I really knew what was in store for me while I was transferring. I saw opportunities as they came up and I discovered more than I thought I would,” Civelli says, crediting her professors, TAs and fellow students with helping her find new dimensions to her playing and teaching. “I’m a far better clarinet player than I ever thought I could have been, and a far better teacher as well.”

True to the college’s mission to develop multiskilled, multifaceted universal musicians, Civelli found opportunities in both realms. Between playing high-profile performances with concert ensembles and coaching high school marching band students, Civelli’s time in Colorado has deepened her firsthand experience as both a musician and an educator, roles that are equally important as she looks beyond graduation.

“One of my strong beliefs in music education is that I am developing lifelong lovers of music,” Civelli says. “Whether they end up becoming professional musicians or not, at the end of the day they will be consuming music for the rest of their lives. Having the ability to explain why they like or do not like a song they hear, or why a guitar riff is really neat, is important.”

Congratulations to Ashley and all our winter grads!

Clarinetist Ashley Civelli doesn’t operate in a musical vacuum. Her College of Music education has deepened her firsthand experience as both a musician and an educator, roles that are equally important as she looks beyond graduation.

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Alumnus Dylan Fixmer—composer with a cause

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Alumnus Dylan Fixmer—composer with a cause Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 11/29/2023 - 00:00

Marc Shulgold

Not one to mince words, College of Music alumnus Dylan Fixmer gets right to the point: “I want music to have a purpose,” he says. But finding his purpose didn’t come right away.

Fixmer earned a bachelor’s degree in music education in 2010 and went straight into teaching. Which was fine. Still, he admits, “I’d been composing my whole life. I was always noodling on some sort of piece.

“Five years ago, my mom showed my wife [alumna Sarah Off] and me a song I’d written many years ago. I guess I’ve always been a composer.”

But first things first: With an undergrad diploma from CU Boulder in hand, he spent a decade teaching in small Colorado towns such as Hotchkiss and Rifle, also serving as a counselor at the YMCA of the Rockies. Along the way, he earned a master’s in music education from Indiana University. Truth be told, Fixmer got his biggest kick out of time spent in Hotchkiss, population 875.

“I put together a little 8^th-grade jazz band,” he reminisces, somehow managing to keep a straight face as he listed the instrumentation: “We had two tubas, a bass clarinet and drums. I played piano and there were some other instruments. But the best part was, they played my compositions.”

Are we starting to see a pattern here? Fixmer, 35, recalls that, yes, while pursuing his degree at our College of Music, he studied composition and theory with noted Professor of Composition Carter Pann. Even as he pursued his graduate degree in music education and found work in the classroom, life as a composer continued to beckon. “I was always going through textbooks on composing,” says Fixmer, exemplifying the college’s universal musician mission. “I wanted to expand my vocabulary.”

And so it came to pass, in a big and meaningful way. Fixmer not only found life as a composer, but he found a way of writing music with a purpose. “I’m not sure I’d ever want to write a piece of absolute music,” he admits, referring to a composition that is simply a collection of melodies with no storyline or subtext. Instead, Fixmer creates for a reason.

Consider his Violin Concerto, premiered by the Greeley Philharmonic in September 2022—in partnership with the Greeley Family House and other homelessness assistance organizations to increase support for the unhoused. This work has such an extraordinary backstory that it deserves a movie treatment. Off performed the premiere on an instrument once owned by Terri Sternberg—an accomplished musician who had fallen on hard times, became homeless and died in 2013. Learning her story propelled Fixmer to create a heartfelt concerto that generated critical raves, a radio broadcast on Colorado Public Radio and eventually helped bring attention to the cause of homelessness as far away as London and Paris.

His deep concern about people goes beyond writing a thoughtful piece of music, he stresses. “In Greeley, I’m on a homelessness task force. That’s part of my desire in identifying topics to write about—ones that focus on human connections.”

Those connections now include some of Fixmer’s neighbors in Northern Colorado. Recently, another of his orchestral works was premiered by the Greeley Philharmonic where he now serves as composer-in-residence and where he’s created an impactful education outreach program. His “Seven Symphonic Portraits: A Weld County Reflection”—commissioned by the Greeley Philharmonic and the Weld Community Foundation—was unveiled in October at the Union Colony Civic Center. “It’s for the people of Weld County,” he says, “to describe the experience of living here, of what brings people to this county.”

There’s not enough space to cover all that the JW Pepper Editor’s Choice Award recipient has to offer. No space to discuss his children’s Spanish-language opera, “Clara y los Cuarto Caminos” (“Clara and the Four Ways”). Nor to get around to his side career in a guitar-fiddle duo with his wife, appearing at folk festivals playing bluegrass and traditional foot-tapping Irish tunes. No time to write about a commissioned work aimed at increasing interest in mental illness.

Once again, Fixmer—with recent commissions and premieres under his belt from UC Health, Opera Guanajuato and the Crested Butte Music Festival, among others—doesn’t mince words. “I don’t want to be typecast,” he says.

Alumnus Dylan Fixmer’s variegated and prolific career aims to inspire empathy and advance community engagement.

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Discovering Vienna’s art history first-hand

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Discovering Vienna’s art history first-hand Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 07/14/2023 - 00:00

Marc Shulgold

There’s nothing wrong with the traditional college classroom. Nothing at all, Robert Shay stresses. But when it comes to teaching a course titled “Music, Arts + Culture 1880-1920 (Vienna, Austria),” the College of Music professor of musicology admitted that, sometimes, it’s time to leave the classroom behind.

In this case, when Vienna beckoned, Shay and 10 of his upper-level undergraduate students answered the call. During Maymester, they headed off to get up close and personal with the Austrian capital. Part of the CU Boulder Study Abroad program, this exciting, interdisciplinary two-week experience was one of the many instructor-led Global Seminars, Shay points out, noting that “CU does 30 or 40 of these around the world.”

Planning for such an intense on-the-road course began “a few years ago,” says Shay. “Before we left, we had three class sessions, sort of as a crash course. I wanted to get the basics in place.” Once in Vienna, everything changed. “By actually being there, you’re seeing these things we’re talking about,” Shay adds. “There’s an immediacy. I can see how rapidly students can internalize information.”

And there was a lot of information to internalize—and a lot of sights to see. Though Shay’s specialization is music, this course involved all of the arts, particularly new views of architecture and painting—creative breakthroughs that had made the city a hub of revolutionary activity at the start of the 20th century. “It was the birth of the Modernist movement,” he says. “There was enormous political upheaval.” The artistic explosion became known as the Vienna Secession, led by architects Joseph Hoffmann and Joseph Maria Olbrich, and painters Gustav Klimt, Alfred Roller and Koloman Moser. Their goal was to join Europe’s growing Art Nouveau movement. Secessionists sought a new purity that would chase away traditional styles and bring together all of the separated arts. Olbrich designed a Secession Building, which currently houses Klimt’s enormous “Beethoven Frieze” in the basement. Yes, Shay and his students visited the impressive gold-domed structure.

Besides a visit to Klimt’s remarkable 112-foot salute to Beethoven, Shay and his students were able to sample live music while in Vienna, attending a performance of Alban Berg’s opera “Lulu” and a concert in the famed Musikverein concert hall. In fact, Shay points out, the course was offered as a music course. Nine of his charges were music majors, the other a music minor. “We had focused on [composer Arnold] Schoenberg beforehand and one of the students chose him for the integrated topic.”

Shay explains that the course requirement included a paper based on the Vienna trip. Other topics chosen by the students included women composers of that period and Viennese architects.

Since nine of the 10 young travelers had never visited Europe, one wondered about the impact of visiting the great Austrian city. “We talked as a group afterward,” recalls Shay, “and I got a general sense of their response to the trip—I think I whetted their appetite for more learning and for more travel.”

Professor of Musicology Robert Shay and 10 of our students went beyond the traditional classroom this summer—to Vienna, Austria! Part of the CU Boulder Study Abroad program, this exciting, interdisciplinary two-week experience was one of several instructor-led Global Seminars.

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Passing the baton: Celebrating faculty retirements

Anonymous — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Passing the baton: Celebrating faculty retirements Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 04/27/2023 - 00:00

MarieFaith Lane

Photo (left to right): James Austin, Paul Erhard, William Stanley and Daniel Sher

For most of us, retirement is a major milestone. And for these esteemed faculty members—Professor of Music Education and CMEA Hall of Fame inductee James Austin, Professor of Double Bass Paul Erhard, Associate Professor of Trombone William Stanley, and Professor of Piano and former Dean Daniel Sher—their retirements this spring represent a tireless commitment and dedication to inspiring up-and-coming musicians and educators.

Austin, Erhard, Sher and Stanley have deeply influenced and helped shape the futures of countless students’ lives through their unique teaching methods and shared expertise. As we bid them farewell and look back on their contributions, achievements and legacy at the College of Music, we’re pleased to pass along some of their reflections:

What experience are you most proud of, during your career at CU Boulder?
SHER: My relationships with people come first. I was gratified by the number of faculty I became privileged to appoint and to come to know, the many students whose acquaintances I made, and the wonderful staff upon whom I relied every day for their work and support of our programs and people. It has been an added bonus that my wife Boyce and I now enjoy so many enriching and rewarding friendships to this day among Music Advisory Board members and former members, and the many patrons who chose to invest in our college.

Most of all, I am proud of the collaborative spirit that grew during my tenure. It has been a joy to see faculty leadership and a robust participation in shared governance—and to observe, since I stepped away from the Dean position, that this trajectory continues its upward path.

STANLEY: Hosting the 1998 International Trombone Festival with 750 participants and 60-plus artists and teachers from all over the globe was big. As was the graduate brass quintet winning a bronze medal at the 2009 Fischoff Competition.

But the experience of working with the wide array of students who have come through the studio is what I’m most proud of. Many of them went on to outstanding graduate programs, to teaching and performing positions, and to other successful careers that include music in their lives. Seeing each student grow and learn about themselves as musicians, trombonists and humans is what kept me going.

AUSTIN: I’m most proud of my over two decades’ leadership provided to the College of Music as Music Education Chair and then as Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies. As chair, I advocated for the music education faculty to make their own admissions decisions and scholarship recommendations through a formal interview and evaluation process; instituted sophomore interviews as a gateway to upper-division licensure coursework; increased enrollment in both the undergraduate and graduate programs; and improved the placement record of program graduates into K-12 and higher education positions.

As associate dean, I established an early alert system to provide at-risk students with timely academic counseling and other forms of support; established a system for tracking budgetary implications of merit scholarship awards; expanded the student recognition program to include outstanding freshman and sophomore awards; and oversaw a major revision of the undergraduate curriculum.

What trends or culture shifts did you observe over the course of your career? What’s your career advice to students today?
STANLEY: It would probably be easier to list what hasn’t changed. Technological advances have had a huge impact on how students learn and how teachers teach. In 1985, when I started at CU, personal computers were pretty new, compact discs were new, the library had a card catalog, there was no internet, no email—even the copy machine was terrible. The enormity and speed of technological change over that period of time has been amazing to watch.

As well, an emphasis on offering a diverse cultural experience at CU has been under discussion for many years—it’s wonderful that these efforts are becoming actualized with increased diversity in repertoire selections, guest artists and speakers … and a genuine level of awareness throughout the college and across campus. Moving forward, I hope there can be continued efforts supporting the recruitment of diverse faculty and students.

Finally, my career advice is to go all in. A half-hearted effort during the college experience rarely leads to success. Students who can enjoy the process of preparation and improvement, and who are persistent and who have patience, will be better positioned for a life in music. But no one can say what that will look like. Given the rate of change in our society, flexibility and creativity will become not just catch phrases, but a way of life.

Oh, and go vote.

AUSTIN: One of the biggest cultural shifts I’ve observed is a broadening and rethinking of career paths open to music majors and, in a related sense, a steady increase in the number of undergraduate students pursuing dual degrees within music—or double majors in music and a second field outside of music. At the same time, unfortunately, it has been more difficult to attract students to a career in music education, largely because of the misperception of music teaching being a high-demand, low-status occupation.

SHER: The trends that I’ve watched and tried to nurture include the establishment of our Entrepreneurship Center for Music, the first of its kind when it was established back in the mid-90s; as well as the establishment of our collaborative piano program and jazz studies program; the growth of our scholarly/research programs which now boast a blossoming ethnomusicology division; and a music theory master’s degree. Also of note are our Soundworks series, and I’ve been especially pleased to observe the chamber music program which is thriving and has grown to new heights.

As I look back on my 20-year tenure as dean, I think of it as a dream position during which time I tried my best “to do no harm” (borrowing from the physicians’ oath) and to enable a gifted, talented and perceptive faculty to work together—which has, in turn, enabled their students to be the best that they can be.

Join us on May 5 from 3-5 p.m. (E160) in honor of our retiring faculty members and in celebration of their many years’ dedicated service to the college and the university. They will be greatly missed by their colleagues and students. RSVP to Lauren Petersen by May 1.

Professor of Music Education and CMEA Hall of Fame inductee James Austin, Professor of Double Bass Paul Erhard, Associate Professor of Trombone William Stanley, and Professor of Piano and former Dean Daniel Sher have dedicated their careers to inspiring up-and-coming musicians and educators. We reflect on their contributions, achievements and legacy with gratitude.

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Meet Allan McMurray: Honoring a career in service to music

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Meet Allan McMurray: Honoring a career in service to music Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/26/2023 - 00:00

Marc Shulgold

His dad played a little ukulele and liked to collect sheet music, but that’s about how serious it got for music in Allan McMurray’s home way back when. And yet, the boy had developed a hunger. “I was learning trumpet,” he recalls. “We moved around a lot, and I found that music was a way to make friends.” He would spend time with his dad’s sheet music, connecting his trumpet to the song’s melody lines. “I liked practicing.”

His playing got good enough so that he could jam with a few small ensembles. “Later, I turned professional and was in a brass quintet, and I found I was not afraid to share my views on how a piece should be played. I’d say to them, ‘Why don’t we try it like this?’” The path toward a career as a conductor of winds clearly beckoned. But he was haunted by the memory of his parents’ scoldings.

“They wanted me to be a lawyer,” McMurray says. “For years, I kept hearing the same warning from them: ‘You’ll never amount to anything if you pursue music.’”

In 2013, McMurray retired after 35 years as professor at the University of Colorado Boulder College of Music, directing the college’s bands, developing the master’s and doctoral programs in instrumental conducting, hosting the first College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) Summer Conducting Symposium and becoming the first in the College of Music to receive a lifetime appointment as a Distinguished Professor.

No reason to stop there. McMurray has guest-conducted in 15 countries, guest-taught at more than 200 universities and conservatories, been keynote speaker at various CBDNA events and—you can catch your breath here—he has just been awarded the University Medal by the CU Board of Regents, one of five individuals to be honored on May 10 at a private ceremony on the Boulder campus.

Now, at age 76, McMurray is truly a man of the world. He continues to travel and work with no sign of slowing down. He’ll be conducting in Canada through April, then in Illinois, finally returning to Boulder early in May to receive his award. “CU will always be a significant part of who I’ve been as a musician,” he noted. “This [University Medal] is a great honor.”

Few in music can boast such an impressive résumé, and few can speak with such modesty and passion for their chosen profession. “My life has been so enriched by music,” he says. “I love working with students.

“You know, the term maestro translates as teacher. When I teach, I dialogue with my students a lot—I ask them about the score we’re working on. I tell them, ‘The score is your friend. Talk to it. Get to know it.’ I tell them that you have to work hard, and if you do, you’ll get closer to where you want to be. Learning is a journey. What’s better than that?”

McMurray bubbles with endless optimism, even in these chaotic times. Amidst all the divisiveness around us, there is a common source of unity, he reminds us. “Everybody loves music—from lullabies for babies to taps at the end, there is music. The world needs music. Life needs music.”

Congratulations on your well-earned distinction, Allan McMurray!

Professor of Conducting Emeritus and Distinguished Professor Allan McMurray was nominated for the University Medal by Dean John Davis and Conducting Area Chair, Professor of Conducting and Director of Bands Donald McKinney; Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Enrollment Management, and Associate Professor of Conducting and Music Education Matthew Roeder; and Professor of Piano and former College of Music Dean Daniel Sher. Also supporting his nomination was alumna Karen Fannin who earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in conducting from our College of Music, studying with McMurray; she’s now professor and director of bands at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

In 2013, Allan McMurray retired after 35 years as professor at the College of Music, directing our bands, developing the master’s and doctoral programs in instrumental conducting, and more. He was the college’s first to receive a lifetime appointment as a Distinguished Professor and he’s recently been awarded the University Medal by the CU Board of Regents.

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Alumna builds career on multifaceted CU Boulder experience

Anonymous — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Alumna builds career on multifaceted CU Boulder experience Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/08/2023 - 00:00

Adam Goldstein

Sarah Stoneback was already an accomplished musician when she enrolled in the master’s program at the University of Colorado Boulder College of Music in 2008.

She had earned a bachelor’s at Arizona State University in Tempe and she’d built up an impressive performance résumé with band members who just happened to be family: The Stoneback Sisters and Brass featured Sarah and her sisters, as well as her mother and father—all of whom played trumpet and brass. Complementing her undergraduate studies, this experience offered Stoneback real-world credits as a touring musician and a professional artist.

It was her experience at the College of Music, however, that helped steer the course of her chosen career.

“When I think about the College of Music, I think about a vibrant learning environment and a vibrant space to grow,” says Stoneback, an active Conn-Selmer Bach clinician and artist. “I had the opportunity to work with faculty and administration in ways that helped me learn about the way the academic system runs and operates. That’s how I navigate my career at Montana State University.”

At MSU—as Assistant Professor of Trumpet Pedagogy and Performance—Stoneback is a respected educator, clinician, soloist and chamber musician who’s been featured on stages across the globe in various ensembles. She credits many of her accomplishments directly to the guidance, inspiration and encouragement she found at our college, where she earned a Master in Music degree and a Doctorate of Musical Arts in performance and pedagogy.

At CU Boulder, Stoneback embraced world-class performance opportunities: As a member of Flatirons Brass, she participated in numerous national competitions and world tours. In 2009, the ensemble was a Bronze medalist in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. And in 2011, Flatirons Brass worked as artists in residence at the University of Renmin in Beijing, China; the group conducted workshops, provided individual instruction and performed recitals.

“That was a major part of my time at CU Boulder,” Stoneback recalls. “We did competitions, traveled internationally and did a lot of educational outreach. We had so many experiences that were musically enriching.”

Stoneback also leveraged opportunities to record professionally—and to participate in the marketing, design and packaging of the “Of Love and Life” CD, a performance she participated in with the CU Boulder Wind Symphony under Professor Emeritus Allan McMurray.

“The university invested in me by inviting me to work with them,” Stoneback says. “They welcomed my skills and interests. It was a pivotal experience.”

Just as critical to Stoneback’s development were the teaching opportunities she found at the University of Colorado. Stoneback participated in the college’s graduate teacher program, an opportunity that taught her how to teach students of all backgrounds and specialties how to build a professional portfolio, refine different performance styles, and effective ways of becoming better musicians and scholars of their chosen discipline. These teaching experiences, along with the chance to serve as an adjunct professor at Denver’s Regis University, laid the groundwork for her current role.

“The College of Music provided me the tools that I keep developing in pursuing my own teaching career,” notes Stoneback whose approach to teaching incorporates her evidence-based research in applying the Kolb Learning Style Inventory. “The academic side of my experience at CU Boulder helped me become more multifaceted.”

She concludes, “I loved every aspect of studying at the College of Music. I loved earning my graduate degrees in Boulder. I remember driving in the first time and thinking, ‘I just have to be here. This is exactly where I want to be.”

“When I think about the College of Music, I think about a vibrant learning environment and a vibrant space to grow,” says alumna Sarah Stoneback. “The College of Music provided me the skills and tools that I keep developing in pursuing my own teaching career.”

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Meet incoming Associate Professor of Music Education Kelly Parkes

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Meet incoming Associate Professor of Music Education Kelly Parkes Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 02/14/2023 - 00:00

Sabine Kortals Stein

The College of Music is pleased to announce the appointment of Kelly Parkes who will join our faculty in August 2023.

“We’re thrilled that—after a comprehensive national and international search—Kelly Parkes has accepted our offer to join the College of Music as associate professor of music education,” says Associate Professor of Music Education David Rickels. “Parkes brings an incredible level of expertise and experience that inform her ideas about course content, research topics and preparing students to be 21st-century music educators. We’re delighted that our students—from bachelor’s to doctoral study—will get the chance to work with her.

“She also brings an international reputation as a well-regarded and highly published researcher, looking at important and timely issues in our field. She is strongly committed to serving the needs of K-12 teachers and our Colorado community will be stronger for having her be a part of it.”

Originally from Australia, Parkes’ primary research interests are in music and music education assessment; measuring musical learning within K-12 settings and the applied studio; teaching readiness, professional dispositions and reflective practices in pre-service teachers; as well as teaching effectiveness and teaching quality. She served as chair of the National Association for Music Education’s (NAfME) Society for Research in Music Education (SRME) Assessment Special Research Interest Group. She also co-chaired the national Model Cornerstone Assessment research project in partnership with NAfME and served on its Music Teacher Evaluation Taskforce.

Parkes appreciates the legacy of Professor of Music Education James Austin, her esteemed predecessor who will retire this year. “I’m very much looking forward to joining the faculty at the University of Colorado Boulder College of Music,” she says. “I’m honored to continue in the footsteps of Professor James Austin and work with the outstanding music education faculty in an environment of inclusive excellence.”

Parkes was elected to the International Trumpet Guild Board of Directors (2015-19) and was awarded the Lowell Mason Fellow award (2018) by the National Association for Music Education for her leadership in music education. She served on the editorial committee for the Journal for Research in Music Education (2014-2020) and currently serves on the review boards of the Music Educators Journal and the Research Studies for Music Education journal; she’s also a member of the NAfME Society for Research in Music Education’s Executive Board. Additionally, Parkes’ co-authored books—“Developing and applying assessments in the music classroom” (2020) and “Applying model cornerstone assessments in K–12 music: A research-supported approach” (2018)—serve as models for classroom music educators and resources for music teacher educators.

“I'm grateful for the opportunity to get to know the City of Boulder and the CU Boulder campus,” adds Parkes. “I know I’ll enjoy collaborating with students, staff and faculty across the university.”

Welcome, Kelly Parkes!

We’re thrilled to announce that—after a comprehensive national and international search—Kelly Parkes has accepted our offer to join the College of Music as associate professor of music education!

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Meet international student Samantha Torres: Music educator + DEI advocate

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 20:57:54 +0000

Meet international student Samantha Torres: Music educator + DEI advocate Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 11/30/2022 - 13:57

MarieFaith Lane

In this photo, the sash worn by Torres is a handwoven Sablay, which is used instead of a traditional cap and toga. The design and pattern come from various indigenous groups from the Philippines, and the text is written in Baybayin, a pre-colonial script. Learn more.

Samantha Torres is a first-year international graduate student pursuing a master’s in music education at the College of Music. She recently shared with us how her culture influenced her to pursue a career in music education, the challenges she’s overcoming, and why our Boulder College of Music is the best institution to support her in achieving her goal of becoming a music educator, and her mission to serve as an advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in the classroom … and beyond.

Why did you choose to attend CU Boulder and the College of Music?
Torres: CU Boulder is a well-known institution and has an amazing faculty. When I researched the music education program, I discovered that it offered a flexibility that would be difficult to find elsewhere. I loved the idea of having freedom to build your specialization based on your interests. It was important to me to have that room to customize my own curriculum to fit my needs.

And once I received the details of a generous offer of support, the College of Music was an obvious choice. The beautiful campus was another bonus!

What inspired your academic and real-world career, thus far, in music education?
Torres: My discovery for my love for music and teaching can’t be traced back to one single moment. Rather than one defining moment, my desire to be an effective teacher for all students was built through multiple experiences and encounters I’ve had over the years. Much like many Filipinos, I grew up surrounded by music. It’s embedded deeply in our culture. I’ve been singing and playing instruments for as long as I can remember. However, part of that culture was also believing in the idea that music was only a hobby. It never occurred to me that pursuing it professionally was even an option until I applied for college.

When I decided that I wanted to study music education, it was because of that exposure to music at an early age, as well as my various teaching experiences up to that point. Unfortunately, my parents were firmly against it. They believed that teaching was not a practical choice, let alone teaching music. Despite that, I was determined to follow through with my decision, so they eventually allowed me to, but it came with a cost.

Throughout my years of undergraduate studies, I was constantly being told that I was making the wrong choice. The elation I felt upon being accepted into the University of the Philippines Diliman was short-lived. This eventually took its toll, and I began to doubt my decision. I still attended my classes, performed gigs for events and on TV, taught applied lessons and participated in various musical activities … and yet, I felt lost.

It was when I began taking my major courses specific to music education majors that I reached a turning point. Once I started peer teaching and student teaching, I realized I made the perfect choice for me all along. Being in the classroom in front of kids was one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling things I’ve ever experienced. Receiving positive feedback from my professors also helped reaffirm my decision to pursue teaching.

In my junior year, I joined a student organization that advocated for children with special needs. We would organize countless events such as sports days, art exhibitions and musical performances for children with all kinds of exceptionalities. This inspired me to organize my own workshop for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for my capstone project. Along the way, I discovered the need to advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in the classroom. For me, this means accepting students and working with their differences. I learned that one of the most important parts of being a teacher is making sure students feel valued and respected. Once I began teaching full-time, my experiences in and out of the classroom continued to inspire me to continue to be an advocate, and to pursue honor and excellence.

What has your experience been at the College of Music, so far?
Torres: It’s been surreal, but not without difficulties. I’m enjoying the challenging classes I’ve been taking so far. All my esteemed professors have continuously been inspiring me to push myself as much as I can. And that’s only in the classroom.

Outside the classroom, the number of resources that the university offers are unbelievable. The most helpful resources for me so far have been the Graduate School’s Peer Mentoring Program, CUServes and Counseling + Psychiatric Services (CAPS). As an international student, it’s understandable that I would be encountering some difficulties. The culture shock, the financial struggles, feeling isolated due to feeling different and actually seeing just how different I am wherever I go. It’s my first time being this far away from home. While I was anticipating the culture shock, I did not expect that I would constantly carry with me the weight of loneliness from just being in a foreign place, and not meeting even a single person who’s also from my home country.

However, the resources I mentioned have made this burden lighter, little by little, every single day. The Graduate School paired me with a mentor who is also from Asia. While she is not from the same country, just having someone who has been through a similar experience, guiding me through the little things I wasn’t prepared for, has been helpful.

CUServes’ Buff Pantry, which provides basic needs like food resources, and the various mental health resources that CAPS provides, allows me to make sure that I am still taking care of myself.

Of course, the relationships I’m building with my peers in the music education department, my fellow Teaching Assistants and my colleagues at the Advancement Team of the College of Music, all contribute to the improvement of my overall well-being while I’m here, as well.

What’s your advice for aspiring music educators?
Torres: Always pursue growth. Allow yourself to make mistakes, own up to them, learn from them. No matter where you are in your career, there will always be opportunities for growth. Whether you’re a prospective or current student or already handling your own classroom, each day is a valuable part of your journey … make the most of it.

As for me—while it is true that I have grown due to the relationships I’ve had with my peers, colleagues, mentors and professors—at the end of the day, I know with conviction that with every step and even misstep, I continue to learn. All the decisions I’ve made thus far have molded me into the person I am today, a music educator. And in the future, hopefully a great one.

Related: International college enrollment ticks back up after pandemic (The Washington Post)

International student Samantha Torres candidly shares how her culture influenced her to pursue a career in music education, the challenges she’s overcoming, and why attending our College of Music is the best institution to support her in achieving her goals and her DEI mission. “I know with conviction that with every step and even misstep, I continue to learn,” she says.

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Musicking in the time of COVID

Anonymous — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 17:35:00 +0000

Musicking in the time of COVID Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 08/26/2022 - 11:35

Brandon Stover

Brandon Stover, a College of Music PhD candidate studying the transmission of Japanese shakuhachi online, recently reflected on making music and doing research during the time of COVID. Among others, he asked Allison Cawthon—a master’s student pursuing music education with a concentration in ethnomusicology—what it’s been like to make, teach and/or perform music recently; and her advice for students specific to “musicking in the time of COVID.”

According to Cawthon, who earned a bachelor’s in music education with an emphasis in choral and general music from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, “Music teachers had to rework their curriculums, typically from a performance focus to a creating-responding-independent focus to leverage online teaching platforms.

“I shifted my teaching focus from community-based music making to more independent projects that students could do on their own. Some examples of projects I had my students do included research and composition within various assigned or chosen genres, lyric writing activities, use of digital audio workspace [DAW] to compose and analysis of music videos.

“There were objectives to teach musicological features—such as dynamics, form, time signatures, instrumentation, beats, polyrhythms, key signatures, timbre and so on—but most of all, I wanted students to be able to express themselves and have an outlet for their emotions during COVID.

“Students, like many of us, are terrified, frustrated, angry, confused and sad because of all the shifts in their normalcy, and my most prominent goal in the classroom is always safety—emotional, physical, mental, social and emotional safety. These composition and responding-oriented activities left space for students to safely work through some of their emotions, should they choose to do so, in a safe and comfortable environment.”

A proud member of the Choctaw Nation, as well as a part-time employee of the Chickasaw Nation Arts Academy, Cawthorn’s heritage drives her studies of culturally relevant pedagogies in the field of Ingenious music of the United States. As an undergrad, she worked closely with the Multicultural Student Affairs office, as well as faculty members and administrators, to set up committees and policies for Indigenous students. Currently, she’s engaged with the CU Boulder Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies to connect with other Native students on campus and to obtain her Certificate in Native and Indigenous studies.

She adds, “Trying to teach ensembles exactly the same way that we have in the past will not work on Zoom. Creativity and flexibility are essential when redefining what you’d like to do in your classrooms.

“Rather than mourn what we have lost, try to find new, different ways of music making. I tried to take this as an opportunity to create long-term curriculums with student-centered projects, and this was a great way for my students and me to interact with music in new, safe ways.”

Stover—who previously taught middle school band and choir before coming to CU Boulder, and who earned a bachelor’s in music education from Millikin University and a master’s in ethnomusicology from Goldsmiths, University of London—offers an additional perspective: “Go where the music is happening. Don’t be afraid to join online groups or take online lessons from teachers as they can really provide some insight into what is happening in the field.

“For those researching, the field is definitely a hybrid of in-person events and online interactions, so don’t neglect one or the other. There are a lot of new YouTube videos that people have made in the last two years while stuck at home explaining different aspects of their tradition. These can be an invaluable tool, but watch out that you do not devote too much time going down the rabbit holes.”

“Rather than mourn what we have lost, try to find new, different ways of music making. I tried to take this as an opportunity to create long-term curriculums with student-centered projects, and this was a great way for students and myself to interact with music in new, safe ways.”

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