Colorado Music 2020

Lullaby Project makes most of social distancing

Anonymous — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 19:14:58 +0000

Lullaby Project makes most of social distancing Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 10/16/2020 - 13:14

Pranathi Durgempudi

This spring, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, an ambitious partnership brought together the Entrepreneurship Center for Music, CU Boulder’s Reneé Crown Institute, Boulder Community Health, Children's Hospital of Colorado and Carnegie Hall. The Lullaby Project paired new parents with musicians to create a personal lullaby for their new baby, forming strong parent-child bonds and fostering early childhood development. In the face of social distancing, coordinator and master’s student Grace Law says the project evolved into something even bigger than originally planned. “We were able to do everything virtually,” she says. No longer bound by geography, organizers used Zoom video conferencing to work with more than 30 families from across the country to brainstorm ideas for the lullabies, while professional audio engineers and innovative technological tools made it possible for student musicians to record the original works at a distance. “The fact that we could draw on all of the skills we learn in school and turn that into something that serves the community was really rewarding,” Law says. She adds, as the only university currently partnering on the project, the College of Music’s innovative approach drew interest for its ingenuity.

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Collaboration

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 20:32:06 +0000

Collaboration Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/13/2020 - 14:32

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Allan McMurray

When I was a graduate student studying conducting, my mentor recommended an autobiography by conductor Bruno Walter titled Of Music and Music-Making.

In that little book, Walter dispelled the notion that a conductor must be a tyrant (as many of his peers believed) and eloquently described his relationship with music and with those who make music. He described his craft as “creating a spiritual communion.” His words reminded me of the musical experiences that had been most meaningful to me and to this day resonate as a reason that we teach music, make music and listen to music.

Fast forward to 1978, when I joined the faculty of the College of Music. Creating and participating in musical growth with faculty and students became the fuel for 35 years of exciting collaborations.

The community of artists and scholars at the College of Music understands and desires musical connections. And with those connections come listening, anticipating, reacting, leading, following, adjusting and communicating. Students at the College of Music must listen to each other and must seek unity of style, pitch and tempo before the beauty of their music is delivered without distraction. And the example for this awakening comes from the faculty.

In my third of a century at CU, I was awakened by magical performances from faculty artists who collaborated with me and the ensembles I conducted, as well as faculty composers who entrusted us with premieres of their masterful creations. But it was not just College of Music students, faculty and staff who sought a connection: Non-music majors also participated in countless hours of dedicated rehearsal and performance, not because it was part of their curriculum, but because the opportunity to make music was a requirement of their life.

Music needs collaboration. It needs people to share in a passionate commitment to informed listening and informed intuition in real time. It needs diverse points of view that agree to create “spiritual communion” in service to an artistic representation of imagination in sound. It needs historians to study where we came from and how music was conceived; it needs theorists to study and reveal the language of music; it needs composers who create new sounds in new ways; it needs performers on every instrument and every voice who bring the printed page to life while revealing their own musical DNA; and it needs recording engineers who capture the fleeting moment of beauty and save it for future audiences.

For a century, the College of Music has inspired a community of artists who celebrate the humanity within us all. And it has been one of the great honors of my life to contribute to this community with students who have enriched my life with their relentless pursuit of artistry.

Distinguished Professor Emeritus Allan McMurray shares his thoughts on one of the College of Music's biggest assets.

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Lessons for the road

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 20:31:51 +0000

Lessons for the road Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/13/2020 - 14:31

Claire McCahan (MM ’18, AD ’20)

Shoes off, iPad out, nothing in pockets, please don’t confiscate my snacks … I pass through security in the Denver airport and head down the now familiar grey walkways. In the past three months, I’ve spent enough time away from home to make my own bed feel like a vacation. I am on the road yet again, seeking what many young opera artists in my position are hungry for: opportunity. The chance to be heard, valued and employed in a competitive field within an industry struggling to redefine its relevance. Is this dismal? Maybe. Or perhaps, like many things experiencing change, opera is allowed complexity. In seeking to maneuver this uncertain path, like many music students do upon graduation, I ask myself:

How can I take care of myself?

Developing the Whole Musician is a CU group that offers therapy from which every music student can benefit: breathing exercises, meditation and a safe space to share fears, doubts and insecurities. Because of it, I feel more free in my music making and more accepting of and patient with myself, and I have a new foundation of resilience. It’s the type of work that has helped me to face pain and to achieve healing by welcoming openness to the world and what it may bring.

How might I continue to seek diverse opportunities I am passionate about?

I love classical singing. The repertoire I study is remarkable in its capacity for complex and evocative expression. This year, I added Mozart’s endearing character Cherubino to my repertoire during the Eklund Opera Program production of Le nozze di Figaro. Outside of opera, I have performed as a soloist and ensemble member exploring the genius of baroque-era music; I have performed newly written works with CU New Opera Workshop and the Pendulum New Music concert series; and my relationships at the College of Music have led to further projects, such as singing on a movie soundtrack and performing with an international ambient rock band. I even pursued a project combining artistic practice with scientific research and won the College of Music’s Centennial song contest. Looking back at these experiences, I see a breadth of possibility for my future music making that will include a colorful array of creative projects that appeal to my values.

How will I hold failure as well as success?

Looking out of the plane window at the outline of the Rocky Mountains, I feel ready: ready to take a risk and not know the whole picture of my future. Supported by teachers, friends and family, I believe in the value of what I have to offer and am inspired by my colleagues and the CU alumni who have forged their paths before me. This community helped me grow as a professional artist, one who is able to take criticism, manage her time and energy and trust her instincts. I am ready to strive, and to fail, and to strive again, and will always look for the next opportunity.

Recent graduate Claire McCahan (MM ’18, AD ’20) reflects on the most important lessons she learned at the College of Music

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Legendary scientist, lover of music

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 20:31:36 +0000

Legendary scientist, lover of music Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/13/2020 - 14:31

Sabine Kortals Stein

In this article

Bill Weber's early life and exposure to music in New York City
Weaving together music and science
Honoring a centenarian

For William A. Weber—a renowned botanist and CU Boulder professor emeritus who passed away on March 18, 2020, at the age of 101—his early exposure to music was people singing on the streets of the Bronx.

“New York had music,” said Weber (right, photo couresty of Boulder Daily Camera), a former curator of the University of Colorado Museum Herbarium who received three lifetime achievement awards for his research on lichens and mosses. “It wasn't expensive, either. You could stand outside the Metropolitan Opera until the boxes were filled and then go in for a dollar.”

In a wide-ranging, intimate interview at his home in Boulder in February, Weber shared more musical memories. “One of my aunts had a player piano and when people walked by the house, they'd wonder ‘who's playing?’

“Radios weren’t common, then, so my father made his own radio. I remember the Met’s first radio performance of Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck. That was my first music.”

From there, Weber’s mother taught him the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor “Quasi una fantasia,” Op. 27, No. 2 (“Moonlight”). And as an undergrad at Iowa State University, he joined a chorus where he met his wife, Selma, who sang alto. “For more than 60 years, we sang in choruses together,” he said, lovingly noting his wife’s courage upon being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis two years after they married. “We sang again in 1967-68 when we lived in Australia, in the chorus of Canberra.”

The couple came to Boulder in 1946 and joined the CU Festival Chorus when it was just getting started. “We rehearsed in a little house on campus and our first big concert had to be George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, of course,” he mused.

And so began Weber’s long love affair with the musical arts on the CU Boulder campus—well beyond his retirement in 1990. “We staged operas, operettas, and Gilbert and Sullivan,” he recalled, citing Princess Ida, The Gondoliers and The Mikado as his favorite works by the Victorian-era theatrical duo. “We had chamber music, too.”

An admirer of French Romantic composer Louis-Hector Berlioz, Weber fondly remembered visiting France, Italy and Switzerland where he not only deepened his musical interests, but also worked with a group of botanists. He went on to describe a brief encounter with late-Romantic pianist, composer and conductor Sergei Rachmaninoff at Iowa State, as well as his great admiration for Danish tenor—and later baritone—Aksel Schiøtz, considered one of Europe's leading ‘Lieder’ singers, post-World War II. “His singing helped keep morale high,” Weber said. “He was much better than any other tenor I've ever heard.

“[Schiøtz] came to Boulder to teach [1961-68] and his wife became the curator of the music library. They were a wonderful couple and I was so lucky to celebrate Christmas with them—their Christmas tree had real candles.”

All three of Weber’s daughters—Linna, Heather and Erica—inherited their parents’ love of music, graduating from the College of Music and pursuing their own musical paths.

Weber’s inquisitive mind not only served him well in his professional life as a botanist and naturalist but also drove his insatiable quest to know and understand music. “I've been thinking about the origin of music,” he said, as our conversation drew to a close. “It seems to me that music has probably been around as long as people have.”

An ardent fan of the College of Music, Weber regularly attended our Faculty Tuesdays concert series and was honored at a concert in January 2019—celebrating his 100th birthday—with a special seat in Grusin Music Hall and a tribute from Professor of Piano Daniel Sher, former dean of the College of Music.

As the college celebrates its own centennial this year, we remember William Weber with affection, admiration and gratitude.

Remembering a longtime College of Music supporter and CU Boulder professor.

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Bricks, mortar and memories

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 20:31:22 +0000

Bricks, mortar and memories Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/13/2020 - 14:31

Marty Coffin Evans (Eng ’64)

From a wooden College of Music building to the structure now being built, what a change! I’ve enjoyed it all—from those years long ago to its newest form.

As a child, one of my father’s [former voice area head Berton Coffin] voice students would walk me across Broadway from University Hill Elementary to his second floor studio in the old music building. My first marriage proposal, at age 10, came from another of my father’s voice students, who swooped me up in his arms. His wife would later say he certainly didn’t wait for me to grow up! That building’s long gone, replaced years ago by the western portion of the UMC.

By the late ‘50s or early ‘60s, a new College of Music building was built. During my years at CU, I frequently stopped by my father’s studio for a quick chat or to peer through the window to wave ‘Hi.’ Gone is that window, along with his studio and those of others on the south side of the building.

Gone is the choir room near the south corridors of studios, where I sang with the Women’s Glee Club and later the University Choir. Several years ago, that earlier choir room was remodeled into the Chamber Hall. It too is gone now with the new building transforming that side.

Sitting in Grusin Hall, I have many happy memories of rehearsing and performing there during those University Choir days. Most of those years, David Glissmann conducted these different choirs. I learned a life lesson then: When your favorite conductor (or boss) leaves, you need to accept and work with the new person. Leaders change and so must we.

Growing up in the College of Music, I remember different faculty and staff members, along with their families. Some who immediately come to mind include Bill and June Glendennin (son Richie), Warner and Norma Imig (daughter Betsy and I used to enjoy play dates), Storm and Ellen Bull (daughter Chrissy), Gene Hilligoss, Jo Baird, Hugh McMillan, Howard Waltz, Cecil Effinger and the Parmelees.

As Artist Series director, my mother, Mildred Coffin, invited music faculty members to our home for a reception following a guest artist’s performance. Watching my parents host his graduate students at home influenced me to do likewise when teaching college classes elsewhere.

When I returned to Boulder in 2001 following an education career in California, I joined the Vocal Advisory and College of Music Advisory Boards. For many years, we looked at designs and explored possible relocations for the music building. What a delight to be on the eve of opening this long-awaited building!

Our students and programs continue to excel. Soon they’ll have a facility that complements their talent. We can now celebrate a new building where more great music is taught and performed, and new memories are made.

CU Boulder alumna and College of Music supporter Marty Coffin Evans looks back on decades spent among the musicians of Boulder

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The music of resiliency

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 20:31:08 +0000

The music of resiliency Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/13/2020 - 14:31

Jessie Bauters

In this article

Faculty and students collaborate virtually
Alumni step up to give back during pandemic
Celebrating the Class of 2020

Though the College of Music completed work on its 64,000-square-foot expansion and turned 100 this year, it also found itself, along with the rest of the world, transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

As coronavirus upended plans all over the globe, the performing arts on the CU Boulder campus were no different. But as a college, our artists have dug deep to find a way to keep our educational mission alive against extraordinary odds.

From virtual classrooms to homegrown performance series to charitable efforts, the College of Music community surely did its founders proud this year. It laid the foundation for a second century of support and community as we look to inspire artistry and discovery—together—despite unprecedented challenges.

Making music together, apart

As the business world grew accustomed to virtual conference rooms and computer-screen meetings, the music world found a way to use these tools to its unique advantage. Take Associate Professor of Horn Michael Thornton’s studio. Students got together from the safety of their homes to play—and dance—their own rendition of “Hunter’s Chorus” from Carl Maria von Weber’s opera Der Freischutz (left).

Along with members of the Colorado Symphony horn section—of which Thornton is principal—the group danced its way to recognition. The video won the CU Boulder Center of Arts & Humanities Shelter-in-Place microgrant, which recognizes highly engaging remote-learning art projects.

“What that says to me,” Thornton told CU Boulder Today, “is … that what we’re doing is viable and important during this time.”

The trumpeters of Associate Professor of Trumpet Ryan Gardner’s studio got a little extra motivation at the end of the spring semester in the form of their own virtual performance of John Williams’ “Fanfare Olympique.” Gardner says it was not only a fun project to put together, but it also provided a valuable learning experience for 21st-century musicians.

“Recording yourself is a vital component of improving, as it accurately reflects how you sound. This helped us all to grow as well as to have the experience to play with a click track, which is a necessary performance skill,” Gardner explains.

The project was a true group effort. Teaching assistant Ryan Spencer arranged the piece, then the group collaborated on concepts like where to breathe and where to release. “[Audio engineer] Kevin Harbison was masterful in merging the audio into the final product and Phil Norman did an incredible job with the video editing,” Gardner says.

Meanwhile, with concert halls shut off to the public, the College of Music and the promotions team at CU Presents have spent the pandemic opening the doors to a virtual concert hall of sorts at CU Presents Digital. Live-streamed recitals, archival ensemble performances and content from past Artist Series presenters have given Boulder music lovers a sense of community and a reminder that the performing arts will be back.

“We hope the work of Artist Series guests, CSF actors, the Takács Quartet and the talented faculty and students of Theatre & Dance and the College of Music provide inspiration for you,” CU Presents Executive Director Joan McLean Braun wrote in a letter to patrons this summer.

Among the videos featured on CU Presents Digital are a series of Beethoven sonatas posted by Chair of the Roser Piano and Keyboard Program, Distinguished Professor and Helen and Peter Weil Faculty Fellow David Korevaar. Korevaar challenged himself to record all of Beethoven’s sonatas in single takes and post them one-by-one on his YouTube channel during the stay-at-home period earlier this year.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CIlAE38W10&feature=emb_title]

“I did 32 performances in my living room on my un-tuned piano with my limited equipment. In true ‘indie’ style, production values aren’t the point: It’s about the content. Some of the best piano music ever written by one of the greatest composers of all time. Variety, quirkiness, virtuosity, invention, beauty, drama, etc.,” Korevaar, above, explains.

A new way of teaching

Stay-at-home orders gave classroom experiences a new look and feel this year as well, and our creative educators were up to the challenge. Associate Professor of Saxophone Tom Myer invited his students to stretch their artistic legs with their end-of-semester juries this spring.

For example, first-year student Josh Sweeney recorded Paul Creston’s Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano, Op. 19, and then shot a video of himself playing along with the piece in a creek in Pike National Forest (below). “He had his phone under his jacket, on his shoulder, pretending to play along with the recording,” Myer explains. He almost dropped his phone in the water!”

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtsFfnjB-Wk&feature=youtu.be]

Several other beautiful works were posted on the University of Colorado Saxophone Studio’s Facebook page. Myer says breaking out of his normal teaching routine taught him a valuable lesson. “If you give students an opportunity to be creative, you may be very impressed with what they have to offer.”

As Musicians’ Wellness Program Director James Brody spent the summer preparing to move into a new space in the expanded Imig Music Building, he also hosted the 25th iteration of his popular Alexander Technique Course online for the first time ever. Course instructors Amy Likar and Ed Bilanchone joined from California and Virginia, respectively, to provide techniques and instruction on self care for the mind and body—something Brody says is needed now more than ever.

“Core concepts of the Alexander Technique and body mapping can be delivered remotely with good effect. What is not possible remotely is hands-on guidance of movement. We had to find ways that participants could do self-guidance through self-palpation and observing themselves in a mirror or on video.”

Brody says as the teaching team navigated the changes, they learned that some of the digital tools they used could be helpful even when the pandemic is over. “If we can meet in person again, we’ll likely continue to use some of the platforms for distributing information to participants,” he says. “We’re also considering offering a monthly refresher session and perhaps introductory classes spaced during the course of the year.”

Entrepreneurial instruction went online this year too, as the Entrepreneurship Center for Music partnered with several groups on campus as part of the HumanKind project. Founded by CU Boulder students, the organization helps facilitate local service projects during social distancing, connecting people who want to get involved with those who need help.

ECM Director Jeffrey Nytch serves as head of the project’s creative group. “We’re working with the Dairy Arts Center, Boulder County Arts Alliance, City of Boulder and Boulder Chamber of Commerce to create instructional webinars about remote lessons and grant writing,” Nytch explains. “The hope is to connect faculty expertise, student volunteers and community members during the pandemic.”

The ECM also provided Summer Assistance Grants to several students to launch innovative music-making projects during the pandemic. Among the projects were choral conducting doctoral student Raul Dominguez’ summer Choral Conductors Colloquium webinars, and violinist Robert Herbst’s Music in Martin Acres socially distanced neighborhood performance series, pictured above.

Associate Professor of Theory Yonatan Malin created a custom Jeopardy! game for the final days of one of his classes. Malin says the goal was to have some fun with the material. “I just found myself experimenting with different ways of engaging students in the online format, and this was one of them.”

Malin says the woodwind students in the class won the game and area chair, Professor of Bassoon Yoshi Ishikawa, recorded a video message of congratulations for them. There was even a greater good served by the game.

“I wanted to connect it with concrete action,” Malin explains. “So I donated the dollar amount of the winning score to Buffs Together, the Emergency Family Assistance Association, Feeding America and Direct Relief to help those struggling due to COVID-19.”

Music for a cause

Using music to make a difference has been a theme for many in the new virtual world brought about by the pandemic. The ECM’s Lullaby Project—which connects musicians and composers with new parents to create lullabies—took on a whole new life because of social distancing, becoming even more impactful.

Other members of the college community used their platforms as leaders in music to do good. As commander of “New Mexico’s Own” Army National Guard Band, orchestral conducting doctoral student Silas Huff and 10 of his musicians have been volunteering to help people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I like to help people out, and I like to serve others. In times of crisis, I'm happy to help in any way I can,’ Huff says. He and his fellow 44th Army Band musicians have delivered food and medical supplies to food banks and hospitals and even spent time in New Mexico’s COVID-19 hotline call center.

Huff says he’s proud of his fellow bandsmen and women. “Senior leaders in New Mexico already knew how talented they are as musicians, but this campaign has demonstrated how competent they are at performing nearly any task, and how selfless they are when it comes to serving their fellow New Mexicans."

Celebrating the Class of 2020

Perhaps the hardest part about taking this year online was the loss of the college’s annual spring commencement exercises. Though distancing requirements meant the Class of 2020 could not take that final walk across the Grusin Music Hall stage in May, their accomplishments and excellence did not go uncelebrated. The college held a virtual commencement ceremony, the bands and a group of alumni recorded tributes to the class in stunning performances of the CU Alma Mater, and the Roser Piano and Keyboard faculty recorded their own at-home rendition of Pomp and Circumstance:

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6nnpxOO3yM&feature=emb_title]

Read more about commencement and the Class of 2020 on the Commencement page.

College of Music proud

As we look ahead to a new year, in a new building—still settling into this new world—we’re reminded that nothing can be taken for granted. But as Senior Associate Dean John Davis said in an email to faculty and staff back in April, these trials give us opportunity to grow, to be resilient and to show who we really are. And the College of Music has done just that.

“It is easy to be collegial, calm and supportive during the best of times. It’s not as easy during challenging times,” Davis wrote. “Yet, our college is exhibiting all of these qualities at this time.”

How the College of Music community has met the enormous challenge of a global pandemic.

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College welcomes new diversity coordinator

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 20:30:55 +0000

College welcomes new diversity coordinator Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/13/2020 - 14:30

Jessie Bauters

As the world has come to grips with the COVID-19 pandemic, the other undeniable headline of 2020 has been the Black Lives Matter movement. A wave of demonstrations demanding equality, government action and an end to racism swept the globe following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery this summer. The College of Music stands as a community of artists and educators against racism and in support of inclusivity for all our students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members.

Universities must be a beacon of progress in times of social change, and the College of Music must help underscore that effort. With that goal, new Diversity and Outreach Coordinator Alma Ramos joined the college this fall to resume the important work of bringing greater diversity to music study at CU Boulder. “Classical music is very much seen as a White industry, and when looking at the demographic, it is,” says Ramos. “The college has work to do in recognizing its place within this system that makes it less accessible for minoritized folx. It is the responsibility of the college to acknowledge how it has played a part, as well as discover methods and skills to create a more inclusive field and challenge the privileged norms of classical music.”

Ramos recently completed a master’s degree in counseling with a concentration in higher education and student affairs at the University of Colorado Denver. While there, she worked as a graduate assistant at the Peer Advocate Leaders (PAL) Program under the department of Student Life and at the Center for Identity and Inclusion under the department of Diversity and Inclusion. Prior to her graduate work, Ramos received a Bachelor of Educational Studies with an emphasis in vocal music education from the University of Missouri.

“I'm excited about this position because it combines my two passions: music and social justice,” she says. “I feel like music can become such a bridge in understanding the history of when a piece is written and the emotions and messages that should be felt throughout the performance."

During her master’s studies, Ramos says she honed her management, communication and presentation skills to create more equitable spaces for marginalized voices. “I have also done contract work for various Diversity, Equity and Inclusion consulting firms that work towards building curriculum and workshops for higher education institutions and the corporate world. All of my experiences have been extremely rewarding and I know they will take me towards my goals of completely revamping how the education system can support oppressed students and communities.”

At the College of Music, Ramos will also be coordinating the Diverse Musicians’ Alliance (DiMA), among other activities.

“I love working with students, and so the fact that I will be working with the DiMA students is extremely exciting. I truly think that we can create some positive change to improve the diversity, equity and inclusivity of the College of Music.”

Photo above courtesy the Boulder Daily Camera

Alma Ramos will spearhead the College of Music's efforts to bring greater diversity to music study at CU Boulder

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Just the beginning

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 20:30:43 +0000

Just the beginning Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/13/2020 - 14:30

Jessie Bauters

Throughout her nearly 10-year career, Thompson Jazz Studies alumna Annie Booth (BM '11, MM '20) has gone from the halls of the College of Music to the decks of cruise ships to the Denver jazz scene and back again. After graduating in the spring with her master's from the college, Booth says one constant has defined the jazz landscape for her—and now it’s helping define her future in the industry.

“It’s a very male-dominated field, which can be discouraging for a young woman, to be the only one in your situation.”

Booth, who grew up in Westminster, has seen a good deal of success for a young jazz artist: She’s released four albums, she heads up a trio in Denver, she recently started a big band, and just this January, she won the prestigious Young Composer Showcase competition at the Jazz Education Network’s annual conference.

She says her mission now, in addition to focusing more on composing, is to provide mentorship opportunities for young women in jazz. “It’s really hard to feel like you have a place in the music. I want young women to feel like they can learn this art form and not feel afraid, discouraged or judged.”

Recognizing a need

In 2017, with this in mind, Booth collaborated with the Colorado Conservatory of Jazz Arts to launch SheBop, a workshop for female-identifying jazz musicians ages 10 to 18.

“The executive director of CCJA, Christine Romaine, had experienced the lack of women in jazz a generation ahead of me,” Booth says. “It had always been a dream of hers to create some leg of the nonprofit that would specifically support and inspire young women to play jazz, and I worked with her to launch this program.”

Since its founding, SheBop has hosted three camps with 30 to 40 middle and high school girls in attendance. This March, the third iteration at CU Boulder hosted more than HOW MANY students for two days of improvisation practice, listening sessions and mentorship, culminating in a performance at Dazzle Jazz on March 8—International Women’s Day.

“The biggest thing we want to do is create mentorship. The research tells us that if you can’t see someone who looks like you in the field, you’re not going to succeed,” Booth explains. “It’s actually the subject of my master’s thesis: the philosophy and the pedagogy behind the camp.”

Booth says it’s clear that there’s a need for an opportunity like SheBop based on the growing numbers who attend every year. Area band directors have responded positively, too.

“Female band directors have been a huge factor. They really want the young women in their programs to keep playing. There’s a decrease in the retention of young women in jazz bands once you get out of middle school.

“Another factor in the increase in attendance is that when the girls get here, they really dig it. It’s probably the first time they’ve played jazz outside of their school jazz band, and they connect with other young women in the area and keep in touch with them. A couple of them have actually started bands with girls they met at SheBop, which is affirming.”

Solving a problem

Before real change can take root in jazz and music in general, Booth admits, the current leaders of the art form need to take note and help drive the conversation beyond the female musicians who are already involved.

“It’s all about awareness. Jazz culture as a whole needs to hire more women and see the value a woman could bring to a university faculty or a band. Women are just as good as men in this art form.”

As for Booth, she says she’ll continue to advocate for young women in jazz in whatever way she can. “I work really hard to create a space for young women, to make sure I’m hiring women, especially in my big band.

“My biggest advice to young women in jazz is to persevere. Your voice is really important, and the world needs to hear the music you have within you.”

After graduating in the spring with her master's from the college, alumna Annie Booth says one constant has defined the jazz landscape for her—and now it’s helping define her future in the industry.

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Prioritizing diversity in music

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 20:30:27 +0000

Prioritizing diversity in music Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/13/2020 - 14:30

Jessie Bauters

As the College of Music enters its second century, there’s one group at the college whose mission is to make sure this new era stands for inclusion.

The Diverse Musicians’ Alliance, or DiMA for short, has been providing community and an equal stage for first-generation and underrepresented students since 2004. Through mentoring, leadership and outreach activities, and the opportunity to win a $2,000 grant from the CU Leadership, Excellence, Achievement and Diversity (LEAD) Alliance, DiMA promotes the diversity of music, cultures, ideas and races at the College of Music.

Now is a critical time for that mission to take hold, says sophomore Faith Gerweck. “We’re getting there, but a lot of our events are small. I’d like to see the whole college come together at these events.”

Gerweck is pursuing a BA in vocal arts performance. The Colorado Springs native says she joined DiMA her first semester at the college because she saw herself in the group. “When you look at classical music, it’s a lot of the same people. You don’t really see women composers, LGBTQ people, and that was really important to me.”

She says DiMA has helped her make friends, strengthen connections and build community. Junior Jeremy Salgado agrees. “We can talk about whatever we want or need to with each other. The opportunities it’s given me to go out in the community and interact with the diverse population of Boulder has been awesome.”

For its students, DiMA could be the difference between staying here to earn their degrees and leaving CU Boulder in the middle of their studies, says former Community Engagement and Social Innovation Coordinator and DiMA staff liaison Katie Skayhan. “First of all, it creates a dedicated learning community for underrepresented and first-generation students. Second, it provides an opportunity to uplift student voice and agency. These students are the next generation of arts advocates.”

Among the ways DiMA has made a difference are its annual Diverse Music concerts; the Persevering Legacy Project (pictured above; photo courtesy Alexander Ritter George), which features performances of music by marginalized female composers; bi-weekly coffee hours; and talks with guest artists to glean insight from their musical journeys. “For the Music, Diversity and Inclusion lecture in 2019, [title] Joseph Conyers led a career development workshop with the students. He was such a guiding light for them because he brought a sense of urgency to gather and advocate. That changed the culture of the group,” Skayhan says.

As DiMA enters its 17th year, Salgado, who came here from Colorado Springs to earn his dual BME/BM in saxophone performance, says he hopes the next step for DiMA will be more advocacy from outside the group. “Ally support will be great, having people who will help support us, because we can’t do it on our own. We want to get to a place where we’re using DiMA as a tool to support diversity all across campus.”

There are also plans to reach out to alumni of the group for mentorship of current members. “The idea is to also make sure alumni feel like they still have a space,” Skayhan says. “Students are looking for mentors who are not that far removed from the experience they’re living, maybe five to 10 years out, so they can know what they should be doing now.”

Starting this year, DiMA’s annual Diverse Music concert will move to the spring semester. For more information on the group and to reach out for support, visit the DiMA page.

Diverse Musicians' Alliance makes sure the college's second century stands for inclusion

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Tradition, heartbeat, spirit and pride

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Oct 2020 20:30:06 +0000

Tradition, heartbeat, spirit and pride Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/13/2020 - 14:30

Jessie Bauters

In this article

Alumnus Walt Blankenship explains what inspired the motto
Blankenship relives some of the Golden Buffalo Marching Band's biggest moments
The band marches into the College of Music's new century

Every member of the Golden Buffalo Marching Band knows the band’s motto by heart. Tradition, heartbeat, spirit and pride.

It’s a rallying call for the College of Music ensemble most known for reaching across campus and bridging the gap between musicians and future engineers, journalists, marketing professionals, scientists and teachers. It’s everything a university marching band should represent, whether at Folsom Field on Saturdays, Pearl Street on Fridays or Farrand Field fall afternoons.

What every member of the band may not know, though, is where those four words came from.

For the answer, look no further than 1989 alum and sousaphone player Walt Blankenship (right, second from right). “It seems that certain bands in the country use a motto to describe them. The best example is Ohio State, which calls itself ‘The best damn band in the land!’ They are just another college marching band with its own traditions and history. So, I decided that CU should have a phrase or words to describe it as well.”

Ask the Thornton resident anything about the band’s founding, big moments throughout its 111 official years or some of the unforgettable names that led the group, and he’ll give you a thoughtful historical account rooted in loyalty and love.

And it all starts with tradition.

“New students have a finite understanding of the band that only goes back a couple of decades, to the beginning of their lives at most. So I decided that they should know the history of the band and that they belong to a large university family that has a love for music.”

Blankenship made it his mission, as the band’s defacto historian for many years after his own graduation, to educate students on the traditions of the Golden Buffalo Marching Band. From the fight song to its history at Folsom Field, he tries to pass along every piece of the band’s puzzle.

“I make sure they know about how the Sky Blue band is still important, how the Alma Mater matters and why they must remove their hats during rehearsal when it is played,” Blankenship says.

Tradition also stretches to the role the band has played in some big moments on the CU Boulder campus. In 1909, when ground was broken on Macky Auditorium, the marching band was there for the festivities—just like the 2019 groundbreaking on the Imig Music Building expansion, which culminated in a performance by the Buff Basketball Band.

When the University of Colorado turned 100 years old in 1976, the band was in the thick of the pageantry.

“The marching band was busy that year and participated in several events. The football team also did well that year and made it to the Orange Bowl, which the band also attended.”

Then in 1991, the CU Band department celebrated 100 years since its unofficial first appearance. Blankenship recalls the event—and those who were there—fondly. “[Former band director] Hugh MacMillan was getting near the end of his life so it was a way to honor him and the bands. Although not technically a marching band in 1891, that’s when the first band formed and played at various athletic football events. So, the bands at CU date their existence from 1891.”

“The marching band is the heartbeat in the stadium—from the time it steps onto the field for pre-game until it leaves at the end of the game.”

When he landed on “heartbeat” as the second word in the Golden Buffalo Marching Band’s motto, Blankenship thought back to one particular football game against Oklahoma State in 2005.

“Other than family members of the team and a few die-hard fans, the band was the largest contingent attending the game. It was OSU homecoming, and CU defeated Oklahoma State 34 to 0.

“The best part was at the end. The team came over to where the marching band was sitting to sing the Fight Song while the band played. Then one of the CU football players handed the game ball to one of our drum majors.”

He says that was a big day for the band, one in which its unwavering support was honored in a way it hadn’t been before. To be given the game ball, he says, was fitting.

“The marching band keeps the students and alumni in the games by inspiring and pushing the team on and keeping the crowd engaged.”

“The members of the band are student ambassadors representing the university. We uphold the honor and position of the school.”

Blankenship says whether it’s a home game or an away game—whether the Buffs are 2 and 8 or 10 and 0—the band wears its spirit on its sleeve. For proof, look no further than a contentious moment at a game against Texas A&M in 1997.

“The teams of the late 90's were not that exciting and were lackluster at best but the marching band put its heart into the games and played right up until the snap of the football. This got us into trouble at the Texas A&M game in 1997. The crowd was bored to tears and not into the game. The band played into a couple of snaps and the A&M coach complained to the referee. A flag was thrown on the CU band!

“Many of us thought the crowd was going to kill us because everyone was just staring us down. But instead they erupted with anger, not towards us but towards the A&M coaches and team. How dare they tell our band to stop playing in our own stadium! The stadium came to our defense.”

“We just go out and give our all. It can be hard when the team is losing, but we do it for the love and respect of the university.”

Blankenship chose to close out the motto with the one word he says captures band members’ sentiments toward their alma mater: Pride. Come rain or shine, when they put on that silver, gold, black and white uniform, the marching Buffs are proud to be there.

“We aren't Ohio State or Alabama. We don’t get to attend bowl games every year. Our football team struggles, but we always hope for the best because the marching band’s fortunes depend upon the success of the team.”

He says alumni have told him that the only reason they attend games sometimes is to hear the band play, no matter what the game’s outcome.

“The CU marching band was present for Big 12 Championship game in 2005, in which Colorado was destroyed by Texas 70 to 3. The band never gave up playing and trying to support the team.”

Marching forward

As the College of Music enters its second century on the heels of the Golden Buffalo Marching Band, the 200-plus ambassadors for tradition, heartbeat, spirit and pride have bore the standard for staying power and impact on the CU Boulder campus. It’s an example the college follows with pride of its own, shoulder to shoulder.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8OSXUsi298&list=PL-z03i1qJr9qG0pwigTzG9FV5znmSJZnX&index=35&t=0s]

The man who wrote the GBMB motto talks about what it means to him.

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