The Crane Latin Ensemble spent the last week of March in Cuba The ensemble performed at the Universidad de Cienfuegos, took classes on Cuban music and dance, sat in with local bands, and took several side trips.
Sophomore Will Allen’s blog about the trip was featured on the Civitas Global Educational Services website. Click here to read Will’s “testimonial.”
Then in May, the Crane Latin Ensemble was featured on NCPR Public Radio. Three students were in studio: trombonist Jordan Olinsky, a graduating senior from Manlius; vocalist Johnna Bernard, a senior from Utica; and saxophonist Will Allen, a sophomore from Long Island. Click here to listen to their interview.
[[{"fid":"31351","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Crane Latin Ensemble Image","style":"height:373px; margin:3px; width:800px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"1"},"fields":{}}]]
The 2017 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show took place in January in Anaheim, California, and once again Crane Music Business majors and minors are on hand to work as interns for major music companies. Since 2006, Crane's students have spent part of their January gaining valuable experience working in the industry's biggest trade show and forming important industry relationships. We are proud to be the only school in the country to offer students this special opportunity
On Saturday, January 21, the annual Crane School of Music Sandy Feldstein ('62) Music Business Roundtable at NAMM took place. This was the final roundtable overseen by retiring Crane faulty member Carol "Kickie" Brett ('69, '75M). Britt, who has directed this program for the past 14 years, is retiring in 2017. Her contributions to the program and to the NAMM partnership were honored by NAMM with its SupportMusic award, a prestigious medal that has been given to distinguished artists, celebrities, industry leaders, and public officials.
The rest of the roundtable panel: Moderator: Joe Lamond, CEO, NAMM; Panelists: Jay Blumenthal (’70), International Secretary-Treasurer, American Federation of Musicians (AFM); Joe Testa (’91), Director of Artist Relations, Vic Firth; Michael Doyle, Senior Vice President of Guitar Merchandising, Guitar Center, Inc.; Katie Larson and Savannah Buist of the band The Accidentals.
In February the Bearbones student trombone quartet (Matthew Tichy, Daniel Warburton, Jordon Olinsky, and Stephen Whimple) along with their teacher, Dr. Mark Hartman, got out of town on a mini-tour in the Rochester, NY area. The group performed and worked with students at Lancaster High School and Churchville-Chili.
| [[{"fid":"31356","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Crane Photo","style":"height:207px; width:400px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"2"},"fields":{}}]] | [[{"fid":"31361","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Bearbones Photo","style":"height:210px; width:400px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"3"},"fields":{}}]] |
The Ethel String Quartet was at the Crane School of Music for a residency through the Community Performance Series in March. Members of the quartet discussed their "Blue Dress" program, women in the music industry and the history of women in music. There was also a two-hour reading session with student compositions in Wakefield Hall, where Ethel workshopped six works by students written for this occasion (below). Students whose works were read: Brooke D’Aprile, Sofia Coyle, Max Esformes, Francesca Hilditch, Liam Kingsley, and Shavon Lloyd.
[[{"fid":"31366","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Ethel String Quartet Image","style":"height:344px; margin:3px; width:800px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"4"},"fields":{}}]]
Another reading session occurred in May, when the Crane Symphony Orchestra devoted a rehearsal to reading student composer orchestra pieces.
In April Crane sponsored a weeklong residency by Burt Mason ('97) and Kelly Hall-Tompkins (both pictured below) centered around "Untold Legacies of Black Composers.” Burt is an active musician performing with several orchestras and world class ensembles, and is the founder of Ovation Concerts. Through Ovations Concerts, Burt aims at making an immediate and lasting impact on the demographics within classical music and more specifically the ethnic landscape of the symphony orchestra. The Untold Legacies residency included a screening of the film "Le Mozart Noir" about composer Chevalier de Saint Georges, masterclasses, open rehearsals, and a Crane Symphony Orchestra and Choir concert featuring both Kelly Hall Tompkins and Burt Mason as guest soloists. For details see http://bit.ly/2nE0Yna.
[[{"fid":"28916","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Untold Legacies Image Slider","style":"height:350px; margin:3px; width:800px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"5"},"fields":{}}]]
Also in April Crane welcomed Bob Morrison as the annual Music Executive in Residence through the Crane Institute for Music Business. Bob is the founder of Quadrant Arts Education Research, founder of Music for All, former CEO of the VH1 Save the Music Foundation, Executive Director of NAMM's American Music Conference, where he helped to create the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, and on and on. Bob spent time with students in and out of class, and gave a school-wide talk on music education in Snell Theater.
Crane hosted a Classical Singer Competition in March was a great success. The singers included Crane students Craig Smith¸ Carolina Medina, Autumn Capocci, William Paddock, Wesley Clerge, Lindsay Heck, Amanda Joseph and Kirk McAuliffe as well Robert Francis Orbach (’14), Claire Flynn, Katya Schmid-Doyle, and Samantha Stinson, all accompanied by the Madrid native (and Crane alum) Nancy Hull and judged by faculty members Colleen Skull, David Pittman-Jennings and Russell Faunce.
[[{"fid":"31371","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Classical Singer Competition Photo","style":"height:490px; margin:3px; width:800px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"6"},"fields":{}}]]
[[{"fid":"31376","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Laptop Orchestra Image","style":"float:right; height:99px; margin:3px; width:200px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"7"},"fields":{}}]]
March brought the inaugural concert of the Crane Laptop Orchestra under the direction of composition professor Jerod Sommerfeldt.
The legendary percussion quartet Nexus (“the high priests of the percussion world,” according to the New York Times) graced the Hosmer Hall stage as part of the Community Performance Series on April 21st, and several students had the chance to perform with them: Percussionist Luca Esposito and voice students Morgan Cluck and Shelby Gillespie. Nexus member Garry Kvistad posted a wonderful blog about the group’s visit to campus: https://chimemaker.wordpress.com/2017/04/26/nexus-in-potsdam/ [[{"fid":"29531","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"NEXUS image","style":"height:350px; margin:3px; width:800px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"8"},"fields":{}}]]
The 2017 Spring Festival concert, part of the SUNY Potsdam LoKo Arts Festival, featured guest conductor JoAnn Falletta (pictured below) of the Buffalo Philharmonic in masterclasses as well is in front of the Crane Symphony Orchestra and Crane Chorus leading them in the April 29th concert of the Poulenc Gloria and Rachmaninoff's The Bells. Other guest artists: tenor Charles Reid, soprano Elizabeth Caballero, and baritone Kevin Deas Crane history professor Dr. Gary Busch gave a preconcert talk on the two pieces, and much credit for the wonderful concert went to CSO conductor Ching-Chung Lai and Crane Chorus director Jeffrey Francom.
[[{"fid":"29936","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"JoAnn Falletta PIcture","style":"height:350px; margin:3px; width:800px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"9"},"fields":{}}]]
On the other end of the LoKo Festival, we welcomed jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis to campus, with his quartet, as part of the Community Performance Series. Marsalis and company performed Thursday evening, May 4. Earlier that day, Branford conducted a two-hour jazz masterclass with student member of the Giroux Honors Jazz Quintet and others to a packed Wakefield Hall, where he also conducted a long Q&A session.
[[{"fid":"31386","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Branford Marsalis Q&A Photo","style":"height:203px; margin:3px; width:800px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"10"},"fields":{}}]]
Alumni News
Alumni are listed by graduation year.
Conductor Linda Beaupré (‘74), came to Crane in May for both a Q&A session with students and to direct her ensemble, the Bach Children's Choir, in a concert.
In April, Crane alum Gary France ('79) was featured in The Iliad Out Loud, a new three-night adaptation of Homer's epic at The Street in Canberra, Australia. Gary had this to say about scoring the theatrical production: "For this production I scored the sounds of the earth 'wood, metal, skins and more.' The Gods are represented on a 5 octave concert grand Marimba (wood) taking center stage complete with a Water Phone, numerous bronze Temple Singing Bowls and a 2 octave chromatically tuned set of antique cymbals. War scenes are underscored with a wide battery of skinned instruments including concert Bass Drums, African Dun Duns, Middle East Frame Drums and more. The overall effect of this collection is a giant Trojan wall of Gongs and percussion rising up to Mount Olympus where the Gods weave their tale of war." Below is Gary as well as his percussion set up for the piece (which includes set of 36 chromatically Cow Bells he commissioned from West Australian artisan Chris Murdoch in 1994).
[[{"fid":"31391","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Gary France Image","style":"height:281px; margin:3px; width:800px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"11"},"fields":{}}]]
[[{"fid":"31396","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Renee Flemming Picture","style":"float:right; height:250px; margin:3px; width:250px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"12"},"fields":{}}]]
In January the newest recording by Renée Fleming ('81), Distant Light, with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, was released. The CD features the music of Barber, Hillborg, and Björk.
Also in January: the world premiere production of Bel Canto the Opera — recorded in Chicago in January 2016 — aired on Great Performances on January 13 on PBS. Based on Ann Patchett ‘s bestselling 2001 novel (which was inspired by the Peruvian hostage crisis of 1996-97), the new opera was composed by Jimmy López with a libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz and curated by Renée, the Lyric’s creative consultant, who hosted the broadcast.
[[{"fid":"31401","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Renee Flemming Picture","style":"float:right; height:250px; margin:3px; width:250px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"13"},"fields":{}}]]
Also in Renée news: in March, the Library of Congress announced the 2017 additions to National Recording Registry, selected because of their cultural, artistic and historical importance to American society and the nation’s audio heritage. The most recently recorded selection of those to make the list this year is 1997's Signatures, by Fleming ('81). https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-17-029
Nicholas Lieto ('90) has had the good fortune to be able to commission of number of new pieces for the Scarsdale Middle School Band, which he directs, through a local benefactor, Susan Leffler. In the past he has commissioned fellow Crane alumni Rob Smith ('90) and faculty emeriti Elliot del Borgo. This year’s commission was The Ground Beneath Our Feet by Crane’s Associate Dean, David Heuser, which premiered on May 17th.
[[{"fid":"31406","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Justin Monez Photo","style":"float:right; height:311px; margin:3px; width:250px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"14"},"fields":{}}]]
Justin Moniz ('11) was recently named Best Actor in a Musical by the in 2016 BroadwayWorld Detroit Awards for his work in The Student Prince in Grand Rapids. He was also recently honored with 3rd Place in the American Prize in Directing (2016-17) for his work on Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado with the Florida State University Student Opera Society. John is a director, singer, actor, and teacher and he is currently a member of the faculty at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he teaches courses in opera and performing techniques.
Drew Coles '11 performed with Erin Bowman on Good Morning America in March. He’s the on the left in this picture, at the keyboards. Drew studied Music Business at The Crane School of Music and is an exceptional musician and entrepreneur.
[[{"fid":"31411","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Drew Coles Image","style":"height:450px; margin:3px; width:800px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"15"},"fields":{}}]]
This summer the 78-year-old Kosciuszko Bridge will be demolished as the new Brooklyn-Queens Expressway bridge comes online. The big band orchestra known as ConSoul, which normally specializes in gaming music, is petitioning to play Peter Tchaikovsky's iconic 1812 Overture during the implosion in July, for what are probably obvious reasons: the band says a musical accompaniment is a perfect match to the sounds of explosives. The Crane connection: the band includes saxophonist William Hotaling, class of 2012. If this goes off, the band will rename itself the Kosciuszko Philharmonic Orchestra for the occasion. (All of this was just odd enough to get featured on Fox 5 WNYW.)
Two Crane graduates were recently announced as winners of the 2016-2017 Music Teachers' National Association chamber music competition. Drew Lammly ('15) and Sam Detweiler ('12) as members of the first prize Eos saxophone sextet (pictured below). Then in May, the Eos were announced as bronze medal winners in the prestigious 2017 Fischoff Competition.
[[{"fid":"31416","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"EOS Quartet Image","style":"height:384px; margin:3px; width:581px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"16"},"fields":{}}]]
Mikaela Davis (’14) was asked to tune up her harp and contribute a song to the Wren & Shark & Friends, Volume One record. Mikaela Davis and her group, The Wild Honey Pie, have opened for Punch Brothers and My Brightest Diamond, among others.
Raquel Klein (’15) conducts the Brooklyn Youth Chorus (both pictured below), and under her baton they appear on the new CD Black Mountain Songs — commissioned and produced by Brooklyn Youth Chorus and Brooklyn Academy of Music, curated by Bryce Dessner and Richard Reed Parry, and performed by the Chorus. At North Carolina's Black Mountain College, former commune and artistic playground of John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Robert Rauschenberg and many others, a spirit of radical democracy prevailed. Students and teachers shared roles and work, boundaries between disciplines dissolved, and art bled into life, nurturing an atmosphere of unfettered creative collaboration. Composers Dessner, Parry, Pulitzer Prize-winner Caroline Shaw, Nico Muhly, Aleksandra Vrebalov, John King, and Tim Hecker create an expansive choral work that celebrates and rekindles Black Mountain’s utopian spirit.
In March, the album release show at the Greene Space in New York City included Raquel and her choir. The Brooklyn Youth Chorus was WQXR’s 2016-2017 Artist-in-Residence.
[[{"fid":"31421","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Raquel Klein Photo","style":"height:331px; margin:3px; width:800px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"17"},"fields":{}}]]
[[{"fid":"31426","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Alison Verderber Photo","style":"float:right; height:277px; margin:3px; width:250px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"18"},"fields":{}}]]
Alison Verderber (’15, on the right) and Katie Skopkowski (’15, on the left) currently hold positions in the Music and Materials Department at Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW), a musical theater licensing company based in New York City. And if you give TRW a call, you would have likely spoken to D’Nasya Jordan (’15, in the middle), who worked in the office as a receptionist. TRW represents a wide variety of Broadway, West End and Off-Broadway musicals.D’Nasya had additional news in April: she will be in an Asia touring company of the musical Sister Act as Michelle and understudy for the show's lead, Dolores.
[[{"fid":"31431","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Bridgid Bergin Poster Photo","style":"float:left; height:193px; margin:3px; width:250px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"19"},"fields":{}}]]
Bridgid Bergin ('15) returned to campus to present her current master's research on Indian 'Fusion' Music in New York City: Navigating Space, Place, and Identity. While at Crane Bridgid majored in Musical Studies - Music Theory/History and minored in Women's Studies.
[[{"fid":"31436","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Khaled Jean Photo","style":"float:right; height:163px; margin:3px; width:250px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"20"},"fields":{}}]]
Khaled Jean ('16) was featured on the Great Neck Music Conservatory webpage. Khaled is a saxophonist and was Music Business major at Crane. He is also an alum of GNMC, and is (among other things) now helping GNMC students with audition recordings.
[[{"fid":"31441","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Crane Manuscripts Image","style":"float:left; height:248px; margin:3px; width:175px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"21"},"fields":{}}]]
The Kilmer Research Project of transcribing the unpublished manuscripts of Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979) by Crane alum William Zino ('16) has now been published. William worked on this project while he student a Crane, under the mentor ship of Professor of Voice Donald George. Crane has many ties to Boulanger. Mademoiselle (as she liked it be addressed) was a frequent visitor to The Crane School of Music between 1939 and 1962, often conducting major concerts. Three of Boulanger's students were on the faculty here for much of that time: Helen Hosmer, Ralph Wakefield and Arthur Frankenpohl. And when Hosmer took students to Europe for a semester abroad in 1936, the itinerary included attending six lectures by Mademoiselle in Paris. Boulanger ceased composing around 1925 and did not allow her compositions and manuscripts to be published until The Crane School of Music was given this honor in 2015. William Zino is currently a Ph.D. student at SUNY Buffalo.
[[{"fid":"31446","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Jack Dring Photo","style":"float:right; height:200px; margin:3px; width:250px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"22"},"fields":{}}]]
Jack Dring ('16) was recently appointed Central Plains Division Manager for Buffet Crampon USA on the heels of completing his music business internship with Yamaha Corporation. Jack's territory will include Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, and North and South Dakota. Jack, who grew up in Derbyshire, United Kingdom, began his undergraduate studies at Birmingham Conservatoire, transferring to The Crane School of Music after two years to study with Dr. John Ellis on trumpet, and join Crane's acclaimed Music Business program.
Faculty News
Crane welcomed seven new faculty to campus for the spring semester:
- David Blake, music history
- David Williams (’87), music business law
- David Cerullo, Long Island Area off-campus student teacher supervisor
- Joshua Borths, opera director
- Ignacy Gaydamovich, cello
- Kenneth Meyer, guitar (while Dr. Doug Rubio was on a sabbatical)
- Andrew Brown, clarinet (while Dr. Julianne Kirk Doyle was on leave)
We also welcomed Karl Doty as Interim Artistic Director for the Community Performance Series.
We are pleased to announce the release of the e-book Curious, Collaborative Creativity: A Guide to Transforming Music Ensembles by Crane Music Education professor Dr. Caron Collins and Dr. Danni Gilbert. "The CCC approach empowers your musicians with 21st century skills while building musical expertise...in any school or community music ensemble." Dr. Collins' work with the Crane Campus Community Band has been a living laboratory for this method.
Dr. Collins also talked about her research to Crane students and faculty in a post-sabbatical presentation in April. She also presented at the 2017 NAfME National Research Conference, the 2017 NAfME National Teacher In-service Conference, and at the 2017 NYSSMA Winter Conference. Her in-person guests included Jennifer Moore (Crane alumna) and Jenelle Yeoman (Crane student teacher). Joining us via Skype were Kathryn Hess (Crane alumna), and Dr. Danni Gilbert (Band Music Education) from Doane University.
January's issue of the horn publication, Cornucopia, included a feature by Crane Assistant Professor Lauren Becker and her involvement in the Music in the American Wild program.
[[{"fid":"31451","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Lauren Becker Photo","style":"height:186px; width:250px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"23"},"fields":{}}]]
Crane alum and professor Carol "Kickie" Britt was featured in this "Music Professors Who Inspire Us" feature in College Magazine. See the feature here.
The New York Percussive Arts Society Artist/Educator Spotlight for March, 2017 was the Crane School of Music's longest-serving faculty member, SUNY Distinguished Professor James Petercsak. Read his interview with Peter DeSalvo (Crane class of '78) here.
In March, the Crane School of Music was well represented at the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) Region 8 Conference in Bridgewater State University (Bridgewater, Massachusetts, March 10 and 11, 2017). Casey Grev, Assistant Profess of Saxophone, performed works by Crane faculty composers Timothy Sullivan (Shadow Play) and Gregory Wanamaker (Des ondes et les temps). Dr. Wanamaker's Duo Sonata was also featured in a clinic by Duo Sassonetto on music for saxophone and clarinet. In addition, Professor Grev led the Crane Saxophone Orchestra in a concert. Crane students Thomas Avella, David Baker, Jacob DePalma, Justin Dimase, Michael Dufresne, Benjamin Ellingham, Charles Knight, Alexander Malin, Jordana Maraj, Stephen Mirandi, Olivia Phaneuf, Meghan Phillips, and Eric Villalta performed. (David Backer also contributed an arrangement of Shostakovich's "Gallop.") Lastly, the guitar/saxophone Duo Montagnard included Crane Associate Dean David Heuser's piece What passes for discourse on their session on writing for guitar and saxophone.
Below is a picture from the NASA Conference with the entire Crane saxophone studio with saxophone professor Casey Grev (fourth from the right) and composition professor Gregory Wanamaker (far right), surrounding guest artist saxophonist Ron Blake, who the students got to meet and work with. Blake's playing appears on more than 50 recordings in a wide variety of genres. He is also a member of the Saturday Night Live Band.
[[{"fid":"31456","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"NASA Conference Photo","style":"height:450px; margin:3px; width:800px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"24"},"fields":{}}]]
Casey Grev also took a trip out to San Francisco to perform on a few concerts. He played a new work by Jason Thorpe Buchanan for saxophone, video, and electronics at the Hot Air Music Festival at the San Francisco Conservatory, and then a full solo concert at the Center for New Music.
Dr. Brian K. Doyle, the director of bands at SUNY Potsdam's Crane School of Music, was recently inducted into the prestigious American Bandmasters Association. Here is Brian in March at his first American Bandmasters Association Convention in Lexington, Kentucky, first with John and Judy O'Reilly (both class of '62; John also received an honorary Doctorate from SUNY Potsdam in 2014) and below that with Colonel Tom Palmatier ('75). Founded in 1929, with John Philip Sousa as the organization's Honorary Lifetime President, the American Bandmasters Association recognizes outstanding achievement on the part of concert band conductors and composers.
[[{"fid":"31461","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Brian Doyle Photo","style":"height:274px; margin:3px; width:800px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"25"},"fields":{}}]]
In early March, Crane Professor of Voice, Donald George (pictured below), was back in China giving vocal masterclasses at the University of Arts in Nanjing.
[[{"fid":"31466","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Donald George Image","style":"height:345px; margin:3px; width:790px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"26"},"fields":{}}]]
We wanted to crow about former Crane School of Music piano professor, Paul Wyse, who is also an accomplished visual artist, on the unveiling of his "Pictures at an Exhibition" piano in Steinway Hall (NYC). Dr. Wyse's performance and lecture was the culmination of a multi-year project. As the Steinway folks put it, this piano was "conceived and hand painted by concert pianist and world-renowned visual artist Paul Wyse. This new art case Steinway & Sons Model D concert grand piano unites Modest Mussorgsky’s immortal piano work with classical painting, Russian history, and meticulous Steinway craftsmanship in a historic first." Below are two pictures of the piano, and Paul, in action. You can read more about the piano at: https://www.steinway.com/…/paul-wyse-a-portrait-of-the-arti…
[[{"fid":"31471","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Paul Wyse Photo","style":"height:260px; margin:3px; width:800px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"27"},"fields":{}}]]
[[{"fid":"31476","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Young-Ah Tak Image","style":"float:right; height:250px; margin:3px; width:250px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"28"},"fields":{}}]]
In other Steinway-related news, Young-Ah Tak, Crane School of Music Assistant Professor of Piano, recently recorded several works on Steinway's new high-resolution player piano Spirio. Her performances of Beethoven's Sonata Op. 10, No. 2, and Debussy's Images, Book I are now available for any Spirio piano. Other Steinway artists who have recorded for the instrument include Yuja Wang, the Roe and Anderson Duo, and Lang Lang. For a limited time Young-Ah is featured on the Spirio Spotlight for April 2017 at https://www.steinway.com/spirio/spirio-spotlight/april-2017
Professor Emeritus Dr. Gordon Mathie released a new book, My Trumpet Week, published by Balquhidder Music. The new volume includes a day-by-day schedule of warm-ups and practice routines for trumpet players and teachers. Mathie is also the author of The Trumpet Teacher’s Guide and Drudgeries (Routines for Advanced Wind Players). The retired long-time faculty member was honored with a special session dedicated to him at the 2016 meeting of the International Trumpet Conference in Anaheim. The session was called Gordon Mathie, Master Teacher and Performer: A Reflection on His Career and Teaching Methodologies.
Student News
In the fall of 2016, Stephen Whimple, a senior Performance major at Crane (and a student of Mark Hartman) was informed he was a finalist in the Big 12 Solo trombone competitions. The finals took place in January at Texas Tech University as part of the Big 12 Trombone Conference. Although Stephen did not win, he was one of two runner ups.
Congratulations to Music Education student Nicole Damon. Her research abstract, Retention of Students Who Participate in Sports and Music was published in March in the NYSSMA School Music News (page 22 in the NYSSMA Winter Conference Research Gallery article).
SUNY Potsdam recently hosted the International Championship of Collegiate (ICCA) A Cappella 2017 tournament quarterfinals, with groups from Birmingham University, University of Waterloo, Clarkson University and Potsdam competing. Congrats to our own Potsdam Pitches (pictured, one of four student a cappella groups at SUNY Potsdam) for coming in first place. Crane alum Andy Pacer ('15) served as the Central Region Producer for the event. Two Crane freshman, Sam Conti and Brittany DeLuca, won Outstanding Solo awards. The Pitches also took home the Outstanding Arrangement award. Another SUNY Potsdam group, the Pointercounts, took third place and the award for Outstanding Choreography. Next up for the Pitches was the Central Semifinals at the University of Buffalo in late April where they placed third.
[[{"fid":"31481","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"ICCA Photo","style":"height:413px; margin:3px; width:755px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"29"},"fields":{}}]]
[[{"fid":"31486","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Matt Tichy Image","style":"float:right; height:271px; margin:3px; width:450px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"30"},"fields":{}}]]
Back on March 18th, Matt Tichy (Trombone Performance/Music Education major) and Matthew Boice (Bassoon Performance major) performed with the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) Intercollegiate Band in Kansas City. The two Matts were selected through a competitive process, so this was quite an honor. Here they are with the conductor for the concert, Gary Green, Professor Emeritus from the University of Miami Frost School of Music. The concert included works by Michael Daugherty, Mussorgsky and a world premiere of a new work by Donald Grantham.
[[{"fid":"31491","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"ASTA Conference Image","style":"float:right; height:195px; margin:3px; width:550px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"31"},"fields":{}}]]
In March some members of Crane's American String Teacher's Association chapter traveled to Pittsburgh to attend the ASTA National Conference. While we were they we were presented with the ASTA Most Improved Student Chapter Award. Congratulations to our wonderful students, Katie Smith, Adam Girts, Michael Hahn (current President), Jayde Martin, Lyra Harada, and Lauren Hart.
In April, three outstanding SUNY Potsdam students were among those honored with the 2017 Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence in Albany. One of those was music and philosophy major Kate-Nicole Hoffman. Kate-Nicole is a senior from Horseheads, N.Y., majoring in music and philosophy. As a Presidential Scholar, Kate completed research on animal cognition and ethical considerations. She has performed in various campus and community productions, as well as being a soloist at Carnegie Hall at last year's Spring Festival Orchestra/Chorus concert. She has also served as a resident assistant, on the Honors Advisory Council and as vice president for two clubs. Below is Kate-Nicole with Chanceller Zimpher and SUNY Potsdam Vice President Rick Miller.
[[{"fid":"31496","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Kate-Nicole Hoffman Award Image","style":"height:333px; width:500px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"32"},"fields":{}}]]
Kate-Nicole was also the featured graduating senior on the SUNY Potsdam Presidential Scholars website at the end of the spring semester, here.
In mid-April, the annual Crane Chamber Music Competition took place, followed by a winner's concert a few days later. Congratulations to all of the students and groups that participated. The winners:
- First Place: Kodachrome Quartet, a saxophone quartet made up of Benjamin Ellingham, Paul Mardy, Justin Dimase, and Michael Dufresne (pictured below with saxophone professor Casey Grev).
- Second Place: Four As One Percussion: percussionists Aaron Andia, Bennett Coughlin, Devin Fitzgerald, and Patrick Roche.
- Third Place: The Frackenpohl Honors Brass Quintet: Tyler Nappo and Sabrina Johnson (trumpets), Klayton Schaefer (horn), Stephen Whimple (trombone), and Joseph Randazzo (tuba).
And a big "Thank You" to the panel of judges, faculty members Dr. Erin Brooks, Dr. Andrew Brown, Dr. Casey Grev, Dr. Michelle Martin-Atwood, and Dr. Jerod Sommerfeldt.
[[{"fid":"31501","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Crane Chamber Competition Photo","style":"height:364px; width:500px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"33"},"fields":{}}]]
The Crane School of Music Concerto Competition was held on May 13, and we congratulate all of the students who competed. The winners for 2017 are:
- 1st Place: Matthew Boice, bassoon
- 2nd Place: Christopher Davis, piano
- Honorable Mentions: Solomon Elyaho, bass clarinet, and Jayde Martin, violin
Many thanks to the members of the jury who donated their time and expertise to our students: Ignacy Gaydamovich, Casey Grev, Ching-Chun Lai, Carol Lowe, Liesl Schoenberger Doty, Young-Ah Tak, and François Germain.
Crane student Benji Quiñones is pictured below in a masterclass with Chris Leslie of the US Army Band. Benji's appearance in the Masterclass was an award for placing 2nd in the Student Solo Competition of the Northeast Regional Tuba and Euphonium Conference. In addition, Crane Graduate Chris Hotaling (’16) placed 2nd in the Solo Artist division. NERTEC was held at Ithaca College and the Crane Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble performed a recital, as did Crane faculty members Charles Guy, Lauren Becker and Julie Miller. Students also enjoyed performances by international renowned tuba and euphonium artists and attended presentation and workshops lead by master teachers.
[[{"fid":"31506","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Concerto Competition Photo","style":"height:315px; margin:3px; width:553px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"34"},"fields":{}}]]
In April, the Crane Concert Choir performed Joby Talbot’s "Path of Miracles" with Dr. Jeffrey Francom conducting. The composer describes this work as "an hour-long a cappella exploration of the phenomenon of the Camino de Santiago -- the ancient Catholic pilgrimage route across northern Spain to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galithia. The text comprises excerpts from historical and sacred documents in several different languages, alongside original material by poet Robert Dickinson."
This concert foreshadowed a trip to Spain this summer by students from the Crane Concert Choir. These students will themselves be walking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route, or approximately 200 miles of it, along with Dr. Francom.
[[{"fid":"31511","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Path of Miracles Poster ","style":"height:323px; width:500px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"35"},"fields":{}}]]
Congratulations to our Crane School of Music students who presented their research at the SUNY Potsdam Learning and Research Fair on April 12. Crane students joined more than seventy of their colleagues from across campus at the poster fair. Here are the Crane participants, their research projects, and their faculty advisors:
- Alec House-Baillargeon, Anton Bruckner, the Student: Transcribing the Kitzler Study Book. Kilmer apprentice, Crane faculty advisor Professor Donald George. (left photo)
- Cassidy Vianese, Hungarians and Hungarian-Americans in the United States: Music, Migration, and Identity. Musical Studies senior project, Crane faculty advisor Dr. Erin Brooks. (middle photo)
- Lillia Woolschlager, Music Memorization: History, Cognition, and Methodology, Musical Studies senior project, Crane faculty advisor Dr. Erin Brooks. (right photo)
[[{"fid":"31516","view_mode":"default","type":"media","field_deltas":{},"attributes":{"alt":"Crane Learning and Research Fair Students","style":"height:162px; width:800px","class":"file-default media-element","data-delta":"36"},"fields":{}}]]