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RondoFall 2009For Alumni & friends of the WCU School of MusicGreetings from CullowheeI trust that you are doing well in your careersand are enjoying the pleasures of music,wherever you may be. Music and the otherarts make life worth living, especially whentimes are hard. Mozart and Monk speak tous as clearly as ever, and are more capable ofturning worry into hope – or even joy – thanany economic prognostication.We continue to make music here inCullowhee: Faculty and student ensemblesare rehearsing for a busy year of concerts andrecitals. Dr. Brad Ulrich is preparing for atrip to perform in Russia, and Dr. ShannonThompson will be doing a recital in Oregon.The Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet ishoping to be able to accept an invitation toperform in China in the spring. The Pride ofthe Mountains Marching Band is larger andbetter than ever, and the musical theaterprogram has its largest freshman class yet.It’s going to be a lively year!We congratulate threefaculty memberswho received theirdoctorates in thepast year: AmyCherry, Dan Cherry,and Brad Martin.Congratulations alsoto Dr. Christina Reitz,who won a tenuretrack position inmusic history.Continued on page 8Inside this IssueJohn Wells receives Emmy awardJohn E. Wells, studio engineer with Western Carolina University’s School of Music, recentlywon an Emmy award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Wells servedas an edit systems maintenance engineer for an NBC team that was honored with a SportsEmmy Award for Outstanding Technical Team Remote in recognition of their coverage ofthe 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. They executed the largest high-definition remotebroadcast ever attempted, and the Olympics became the most-watched program in thehistory of television.“It is a special honor to be recognized for what I do on a national level,” said Wells. “I amvery fortunate and very grateful. I was part of an extraordinary team. Everyone that I workedwith in Beijing was incredibly helpful and brought something special to the effort.” Wells,who has experience as a technical consultant for audio and video firms, was invited to workfive weeks in China assembling and operating temporary edit suites where camera feedsfrom Olympic event venues were assembled into five- to 30-minute segments.Continued on page 9Sudler Trophy Award2Musical Theatre News4Holquist Career Celebration5Faculty News6Choral News8Student News10Smoky Mountain Quintet in China10Longtime Voice instructor Holquistto retire; concert to honor careerRobert Holquist came to WCU in August1979 as director of choral activities,with additional responsibilities invoice instruction, music education andconducting. He was appointed chair ofthe voice division in 1980, a position heheld until he entered “phased retirement”in fall 2007, when he began a parttime appointment directing the choralensembles. (This is the last year of thatthree-year agreement. However, througha special contract, Holquist will continueduring the 2010-11 academic year asdirector of choral activities.)Continued on page 5
BAND NEWSPride of the Mountains awarded nation’stop honor for university marching bandsThe Pride of the Mountains MarchingBand was named the 2009 recipient ofthe prestigious Sudler Trophy, the nation’shighest and most-coveted award forcollege and university marching bands.The announcement of WCU’s selectionfor the trophy, awarded by the John PhilipSousa Foundation, came May 18 fromPaula Crider, chair of the Sudler TrophyCommittee and director emeritus of theLonghorn Bands at the University of Texas.Established in 1982, the trophy ispresented to a college or universitymarching band that has demonstrated thehighest of musical standards and innovativemarching routines and ideas, and whichhas made important contributions to theadvancement of the performance standardsof college marching bands over a numberof years. No other band from the SouthernConference, or the Carolinas, has everreceived the award.“The purpose of the Sudler Trophy is toidentify and recognize collegiate marchingbands of particular excellence thathave made outstanding contributions tothe American way of life,” Crider said.“After seeing a DVD of your exciting andinnovative performances, there is no doubtthat the Pride of the Mountains is mostdeserving of this singular honor.”The official presentation of the trophy,which will reside at Western CarolinaUniversity for one year, will take placeduring halftime of the WCU versus Woffordfootball game Oct. 24. Weekend events willinclude Friday dinner with WCU ChancellorJohn W. Bardo and Sudler officials, aSaturday “tailgating party” on the Universitypage2 RondoCenter lawn for band members andformer directors and alumni, and a privategathering following the football game.“We hope that all past members of theWestern Carolina Marching Band will comeback for the award presentation this fallbecause this honor is an achievement madepossible by everyone who has ever beena member of the band,” said director BobBuckner. “This is an incredible tribute to allband members, past and present.”
Jazz Ensemble to playwith guest at fapacThe WCU Jazz Ensemble, underthe direction of Pavel Wlosok, willperform in concert Dec. 1 in theFine and Performing Arts Center withfeatured guest artist Zack Hexum,tenor saxophone. The ensemble willpresent a concert tour of North Carolinahigh schools March 10-12. If you areinterested in hosting the ensemblefor a concert at your school, pleasecontact Wlosok at (828) 227-3261 orpwlosok@email.wcu.edu. The annualWCU Jazz Festival will take place April8-9. Details of the event, includingfeatured guest artists and clinicians,have yet to be determined.Tournament of Champions on Oct. 10, theannual Homecoming Parade and otherHomecoming activities Oct. 16-17, and willtake a recruiting trip to the Cary Band Dayin Cary, N.C., on Oct. 30-31.Oct. 24 is Alumni Band Day. We hope thata record number of alumni will choose to bepresent for the presentation.Western Carolina’s marching band program(currently under the direction of Buckner,Matt Henley and Jon Henson) has a longand storied tradition dating back to 1938,when 23 students made up the first band ofWestern Carolina Teachers College. The firsthalftime show was performed in October1941 and was organized by a student,Joe Hedden of Kings Mountain, N.C., wholater became WCU’s first graduate in musiceducation. All of the living directors of thegroup, Richard Trevarthen, Aaron Hyatt, BillCurtin, Bob Welch, Joe Scagnoli and JohnWest, have been invited to return for theOctober award presentation.In addition to the presentation of the Sudler,the band will keep a busy schedule this fall.Its first performance was Sept. 12 at theWCU versus Gardner-Webb football game.In addition to performances at all homegames, the band hosted the ninth annualThis year’s band has 362 members whorepresent almost every major at WCU.Often referred to as “the world’s largestfunk-rock band,” the band continues toexpand its electronic and musical horizons.The engine that makes the band go isthe student leadership program. Staffcoordinators for the year include LizzieMorantz, Erica Impagliatelli, Tyler LaDuke,Andy Alexander and Josh Bevin. Drummajors are Lance Barton, Amy Ashford andKristin Beasley. Woodwind coordinatorsare Michael Dobbs and Dustin King. Highbrass coordinators are Chris McAllister andRachel Rimmer. Low brass coordinatorsare Kevin Kimbrough and Francis Stover.Jonathan Churchill, Jonathan Parker andRussell Hawes comprise the electronics andlive sound crew.The exhibition show this fall is titled “Bornto Be Alive” and features the music of theBlack Eyed Peas, Pearl Jam, Mötley Crüe,Chick Corea, Kanye West, Michael Jackson,the Bee Gees, Maroon 5 and PatrickHernandez.WCU to host band clinicOn Feb. 12-13, the WCU School of Musicand Dr. John West, director of bands, willagain host the Western North CarolinaAll-District Band Clinic. This event involvesmore than 350 middle and high schoolband musicians from throughout WesternNorth Carolina. These students are selectedfor participation through a rigorous auditionprocess and spend two days at WCUrehearsing with guest clinicians. Theypresent a final concert Saturday evening asthe concluding event to the clinic.Also as part of the clinic, the students willhave the opportunity to hear performancesfrom the WCU Wind Ensemble and theSmoky Mountain Brass Quintet. All therehearsals and performances in theclinic take place on the WCU campus inCullowhee at either the Fine and PerformingArts Center or the Coulter Building.Fall 2009 page3
Musical Theatre NEWSProgram hadbusy yearAs we look forward to the coming season,we would like to take this opportunity toshare with you some of the highlights of themusical theatre program from the 2008-09academic year.Four fully staged productions took placeon campus this past year, with severalsmaller, in-house concerts around campus.The spring production of “Fiddler on theRoof” was attended by 3,320 people,including sold-out performances Saturdayand Sunday.The Broadway Guest Artist Series broughtsix wonderful teachers and performers tocampus, including Tony Award-winningcomposer Jason Robert Brownand Tony nominated dancer/actorCharlotte d’Amboise.Musical theatre is a professional degreeprogram: The hallmark of any good programis the extent to which its students areactually gaining experience in the field.Once again, this summer we had studentsworking across the nation in variousresidencies and young artist programs.This summer our students have worked atUniversity of Findlay Summer Theatre inOhio; “The Lost Colony” in North Carolina;Bigfork Summer Playhouse in Montana;Encore Michigan in Livonia, Mich.; ParkwayPlayhouse in North Carolina; MissoulaChildren’s Theatre in Montana; Flat RockPlayhouse in North Carolina; Dollywoodin Pigeon Forge, Tenn.; and Clater KayeTheatreworks in North Carolina.The Triple Arts Series, Western Carolina’sexciting summer program of musical theatreperformance, had 33 students in its thirdyear. While enrollment was slightly downthis year, the faculty nonetheless thoughtthis was the most talented group of youngartists yet, said Brad Martin, directorof WCU’s musical theatre program. Asa further gauge of our growing nationalpresence, students have come from Florida,Tennessee, Texas, South Carolina, Georgiaand North Carolina.On the Fourth of July, a select group ofeight singers and 11 musicians from WCUperformed for more than 3,000 peopleat Roanoke Island Festival Park on NorthCarolina’s scenic Outer Banks. Titled “Whata County, A Celebration of America,” theperformance was at the invitation of StateSen. Marc Basnight and the Friends of theElizabeth II Committee. This extraordinaryevent again demonstrated the growingregional reputation of WCU’s musicaltheatre program.H O L I D A Y CONC E RTSunday, December 6thThis year’s “Sounds of the Season” holiday concert, the WCU School of Music’s primaryscholarship fundraiser for the year, will take place Sunday, Dec. 6, in the concert hallof the Fine and Performing Arts Center. The concert will be presented in a new, moretraditional format this year and will include performances by WCU’s Wind Ensemble,Jazz Ensemble, Concert Choir, University Chorus, Early Music Ensemble, Musical TheaterSingers, and the Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet. We are thrilled to be joined this yearby an honors children’s choir made up of elementary school students from throughoutJackson County. As always, Santa will be in town to help get us in the holiday spirit, and aspecial guest will join us to read a rousing rendition of “’Twas the Night Before Christmas”set to music and accompanied by our Wind Ensemble. Tickets for the program are 15 foradults and 5 for students, with children under age 5 admitted free. All proceeds from thisevent support the WCU School of Music Scholarship Fund.page4 Rondo
Holquist Announces Retirement and Plans Career CelebrationContinued from coverHolquist has led the Concert Choir andthe Early Music Ensemble during his entiretenure at Western Carolina. He also directedthe University Chorus from ’79 to’92,and from ’02 to the present. In additionto concert performances on campus, thechoral groups have sung choral-orchestralmasterworks with the Asheville SymphonyOrchestra. Several students visited centralEurope in 1986 and 2008, performing inchurch and concert venues. The ConcertChoir and EME have gone on tours toDisney World and to Washington, D.C., withmemorable performances in the NationalCathedral. The Concert Choir and UniversityChorus have had a sustained record ofconcerts, which include everything froma cappella and accompanied choralminiatures to works accompanied byfull orchestra.Holquist assumed the responsibility of atradition of annual WCU Madrigal ChristmasDinners, initiated in 1970 under theleadership of Dr. James Dooley. Holquisthas written 18 fanfares for three trumpets,arranged six familiar carols for voices andtrumpets, and composed five settings of“Gloria in Excelsis” for the same forces.His “Candle-Lighting Carol” for voices withhand drum, finger cymbal and tambourineis a favorite of madrigal dinner patrons, aswell as concert audiences.Up to the time he entered phasedretirement, Holquist gave private voiceinstruction to Western Carolina students.Many have participated in the annualNorth Carolina spring auditions of theNational Association of Teachers of Singing,and several have advanced to regionalcompetition. Five have had the opportunityto perform with the Western Carolina CivicOrchestra during its spring concert and toperform with WCU music students whohave won the “concerto” competition.As a vocalist, Holquist has remained active,singing in Faculty Showcase recitals, aswell as performances in church, and inoratorio in the region. He has sung annuallyfor WCU commencement ceremonies andalso appeared on the stage in opera andmusical theater roles during the years of theCullowhee Music Festival. He has enjoyedsinging for many of his students’ weddings.Music education and involvement inprofessional organizations that supportteaching and performance have been asignificant aspect of Holquist’s career.He was North Carolina president of theAmerican Choral Directors Association from1987 to ’89, and he has served in manyother leadership roles there. He servedon the N.C. Music Educators Associationfor 16 years in various positions. Holquisthas been the guest director of numerousall-county choruses in the Southeast andMidwest and enjoys working with singersof all ages in the festival setting. He hasorganized and hosted 25 Invitational HighSchool Choral Clinics on the WCU campusand holds the West III Middle School ChoralFestival each spring. Holquist maintainsan active schedule of choral and vocalsolo adjudication, and he has been on theteam of judges who select the membersof the N.C. High School Honors Choruscontinuously since 1984. His contributionsto music education and performance wererecognized in 2000, when he receivedthe Lara Hoggard Award for DistinguishedService in Choral Music in North Carolinafrom the members of the North Carolinabranch of the American Choral DirectorsAssociation.Holquist has been responsible for churchmusic leadership almost continuously since1966. Last September, Sylva First BaptistChurch honored his 25 years of service asminister of music there. More than 70 WCUstudents have participated in that ministry,and several have assumed positions of choirleadership in churches where they live. Afew are in full-time church music careers.Holquist has enjoyed a warm relationshipwith the faculty and students at WCUduring his time at Western Carolina. In2000, the officers of the Concert Choirestablished the Robert A. Holquist VocalistScholarship in honor of his commitment tochoral music students and the university.Since that time, the endowed fund hasgrown to more than 14,000. “I have beenvery fortunate during my career to havehad the opportunityto work with peoplein preparing musicalpresentations andto guide othersin their quest togive leadership inmusic,” Holquistsaid. “I cherish thebond that is formedas people worktogether inorder toachieve arewardingmusicalproduct.”You’re InvitedMUSICAL CELEBRATION OF HOLQUIST’S CAREEROn April 24 and 25, all alumni of any WCU choral organization are invited to WCU toparticipate in a choral concert celebrating Holquist’s long tenure at WCU. The music to beperformed will be selected from past programs. Rehearsals will be held Saturday, April 24,from 2-5:30 p.m., with a social and meal to follow. Anyone wanting to sing at First BaptistChurch in Sylva on Sunday morning is invited to do so. There will be a rehearsal there at10 a.m. There will be another rehearsal for the celebration concert from 2-3:15 p.m.Sunday in the Fine and Performing Arts Center. The concert will start at 4 p.m. Formeraccompanists may be asked to play, and graduate assistants will be recognized. The currentchoral ensemble members will form the nucleus of the choir, but it is hoped that we will runout of riser space because many former members have returned to participate!Help is requested in getting the word out to former choral singers who do not receivethis newsletter. Please let us know that you will participate in this event by e-mailingholquist@email.wcu.edu. More complete information regarding this concert will be providedfollowing your registration. Be assured that this will be a joyous time of singing together!Fall 2009 page5
Faculty NEWSAndrew Adams and Travis Bennettperformed at the International HornSymposium held at Western IllinoisUniversity last June. They collaborated tocreate a new edition of the “Morceau deConcert Op. 94” for horn and piano bySaint-Saens. They researched the originalorchestral version and corrected manyinaccuracies and awkward spots in theexisting piano reduction. They plan to turnthis research into a publishable articlesometime next year. Bennett and Adamspremiered their new edition at the WCUfaculty winds recital in September.Bob Buckner, director of Western CarolinaUniversity’s Pride of the MountainsMarching Band, is one of the first tworecipients of the Award for Excellence inMarching Music Education, presentedby MENC: The National Associationfor Music Education and Drum CorpsInternational. Buckner received the awardin recognition of his outstanding work asa music educator, and for his efforts toassist both organizations with the creationand implementation of the U.S. ArmyAll-American Marching Band. The newlycreated award will be given twice yearlyto recognize educators, organizations orbusinesses that have made significant,lifelong contributions to the art of marchingmusic. Tom Batiuk, an American comicstrip creator, designed the award. Batiukcreated the “Funky Winkerbean” comicstrip, which featured Harry Dinkle, the selfproclaimed world’s greatest band director.Amy Cherry received her DMA in trumpetperformance from the University ofCincinnati College-Conservatory of Musicthis past summer. Her dissertation wastitled “Extended Techniques in TrumpetPerformance and Pedagogy.” In June, sheperformed at the Brass Band InvitationalFestival at Indiana University Southeastwith the Athena Brass Band, the first allfemale brass band in the United States.Mario Gaetano’spercussionensemble work“Two Designs”will be a featuredwork at theLatin AmericanPercussionEncounter atUberlandiaCity, Brazil, on Nov. 1l. The work willbe performed by the Federal Universityof Rio de Janeiro Percussion Ensembleunder the direction of Dr. Ana LeticiaBarros. His “Prelude for Marimba” wasperformed at last year’s Percussive ArtsSociety International Convention in Austin,Texas, by marimba artist Anna Shelton.At this same conference, the work alsowas included as part of a formal lecture/presentation on marimba pedagogy by Dr.Julia Gaines of the University of Missouri.Matt Henleyinstructed thedrumline of thesecond annualArmy All-AmericanMarching Bandin San Antonioin January2009. He alsopage6 Rondoadjudicated many marching band eventsthis year, including the Indiana Indoor StateChampionships in Indianapolis in March.At the CBDNA Athletic Band Symposium,held at the University of Connecticut inJune, Henley co-presented a clinic on Dr.Paul Buyer’s new book, “Marching Bandsand Drumlines: Secrets of Success fromthe Best of the Best.” The WCU band anddrumline were one of seven university bandprograms chosen to be featured in thepublication. Henley also will participate in apanel discussion on this same topic at thePAS International Convention in Indianapolison Nov. 12. Also, he was recently selectedas a member of the Percussive ArtsSociety’s national Marching Committee.The WCU drumline, under Henley’sdirection, will be presenting a clinic at theannual NCMEA Conference in WinstonSalem on Nov. 8. This event, titled “Habitsof a Successful Drumline,” will hopefullyprovide insight to band directors aboutdeveloping and sustaining successfulmarching percussion in their schools.William Martinperformed as tenorsoloist in Haydn’s“Creation” aspart of the WCUArtist-in-Residenceconcert lastApril. In May heappeared as guestsoloist in the springconcert of the Voices in the Laurel at Long’sChapel in Lake Junaluska. In June he wasa featured performer in a gala concertcelebrating the opening of the OconomowocFine Arts Center.Shannon Thompson will present a masterclass and solo recital at the University ofOregon on Friday, Oct. 23. She will beaccompanied by Brad Martin.Christina Reitz was recently elected to thenominating committee for the NineteenthCentury Studies Association. At the annualconference, March 26-28 in Milwaukee,she chaired a session on “green music”
and presentedresearch titled“Musically ExoticLandscapesand the Birthof Exoticism.”At the AthenaFestival, March10 at MurrayState Universityin Kentucky, shepresented a paper titled “Intuitive UnifyingElements in Jennifer Higdon’s Concertofor Orchestra.” On May 29 she presentedthe research “Vernacular and Classical:An Appalachian Marriage” at the FeministTheory and Music 10 conference inGreensboro, N.C. This fall she will presenta lecture for the Warren Wilson College’s“Social Justice Series” and the JewishCommunity Center, both in Asheville, N.C.known WCU Trumpet Festival of the pastand be held at the University of Alabamafrom Feb. 26-28. WCU trumpet studentswill attend and perform at the event.Pavel Wlosok had a busy summer,performing more than 25 jazz engagementsin Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Hetaught at a summer jazz camp in Bratislava,Slovakia, from July 6-10 and wasrecognized by the American Embassy inSlovakia for his service to that camp. FromJuly 18-26, he taught at a summer jazzcamp in Prague.Music professors travelto Oregan to present atannual meetingP. Bradley Ulrich will perform and teachin Russia again in October. On Oct. 1 Ulrichwill perform a concerto with an orchestra inSt. Petersburg as part of the gala concert ofthe Seventh International Romantic TrumpetFestival. From there he will fly to Moscowto teach a trumpet master class and startthe first-ever Russian student trumpetensemble at the Moscow Conservatory.On Oct. 6, while in Moscow, he willperform in a trumpet recital with VladLavrik, principal trumpet of the RussianNational Orchestra, along with severalother American trumpet players.On Jan. 30, Ulrich will be a featuredsoloist/clinician at the West ChesterUniversity Trumpet Festival, where he willperform a concerto with the West ChesterWind Ensemble.In February, Ulrich will be a clinician at thefirst-ever Trumpet Festival of the Southeast.This event will take the place of the well-Bruce Frazier, the Carol Grotnes Belk professor,and Shannon Thompson, WCU professor ofclarinet, will travel to Portland, Ore., in Octoberto present sessions at the joint conference of theannual meeting of the College Music Society andthe Association for Technology in Music Instruction.At the CMS sessions, Thompson will perform“Constructs for Unaccompanied Clarinet,” writtenexpressly for her by Frazier. This performance willbe part of a focus session titled “New Directions inMusic” at 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22.On Wednesday morning, Oct. 21, Frazier willhighlight the digital audio recording and editingprogram “Audacity” at a pre-conference showcasesponsored by the College Music Society.On Friday, Oct. 23, as a part of the ATMI portionof the conference, he will lead a hands-on sessiontitled “Multimedia Development: Digital VideoBasics for Musicians.”On Oct. 22 at this same conference, pianist BradMartin will present a lecture/recital addressingthe music of Franz Schubert and Franz Liszt. Themusical connection between these two composerswas the topic of Martin’s doctoral research anddissertation.Fall 2009 page7
Choral NEWSMusical groups take the show on the roadThe WCU Concert Choir and Early MusicEnsemble will embark on their annual fallconcert tour Oct. 25-27. The itinerary anddaily concert schedule follows. Sunday,Oct. 25: 11 a.m., First Baptist Churchin Sylva; 7 p.m., St. Andrew’s LutheranChurch in Hickory. Monday, Oct. 26: 8:30a.m., Fred T. Foard High School in Newton;11:15 a.m., Bob Alexander Central HighSchool in Taylorsville; 2:05 p.m., ForbushHigh School in East Bend. Tuesday, Oct.27: 9:20 and 10:15 a.m., Reynolds HighSchool in Winston-Salem; 1 p.m., GlennHigh School in Winston-Salem. Monday,Nov. 2: 8 p.m., Music Recital Hall at WCU.The WCU Concert Choir, under the directionof Robert Holquist, has 53 membersand is accompanied by Abigail Roper, asophomore from Franklin, N.C., majoring inpiano performance and music education.Choir officers are Lance Newman,president; Abigail Roper, vice president;Amy Shuford, secretary; Courtney Allen,librarian; and Marilyn Bledsoe, freshmanrepresentative. Heather Hallmark, graduatestudent in vocal performance, is theassistant conductor.The tour repertoire will include suchoutstanding works as Thompson’s “ChooseSomething Like a Star,” Ferguson’s“Followers of the Lamb,” Handel’s “SingUnto God,” Stroope’s “I Am Not Yours” andDilworth’s “Jonah.”The Early Music Ensemble, also underHolquist’s direction, has 15 members andperforms a cappella madrigals and partsongs primarily from the 16th and 17thcenturies. Maggie Jennings serves asgraduate assistant for this ensemble.Greetings from CullowheeContinued from coverMadrigal DinnerDecember 4th – 5thThe 2009 Madrigal Dinner productions will be Dec. 4-5 in the Grandroom of theUniversity Center. Presented nearly every year since 1970, this program has been acolorful way to usher in the Christmas season. It features the members of the EarlyMusic Ensemble (15 singers this year), under the direction of Robert Holquist; a trio oftrumpets, which introduces each of the events of the evening with fanfares; and a trioof early instruments, played by Will Peebles, Bruce Frazier and WCU alumna DianaFisher. Dramatic personnel include a jester, pages, a lord and lady of the feast andothers, depending on the chosen script. Dr. James and Barbara Dooley have servedas lord and lady continuously since 1979. Seating begins at 6 p.m., with a 6:30show time. There are three entrees to choose from, and orders will be taken withticket purchase. Tickets will be available after Nov. 2 by calling Diane Harris at theUniversity Center at (828) 227-7206.page8 RondoThe School of Music has weathered the budgetcuts fairly well, losing only one full-time facultyposition, but hiring the same individual on apart-time basis while he works on a doctoraldegree. We added a second piano lab thisyear, which now allows us to teach all theaural skills courses in rooms with keyboards.With enrollment significantly up across theuniversity, we hope for a turnaround in thebudget and staffing areas as the North Carolinaeconomy recovers. Enrollment in the School ofMusic is now at 205 majors (with 26 enrolledin the BFA musical theatre program!).Unfortunately, our scholarship situation hasdeteriorated significantly this year. Dividendsfrom endowed funds are down, and somepreviously active donors have found it hard tomatch their earlier generosity, so if you findit possible to help out the next generation ofmusicians with a donation to the scholarshipfund, now is an especially good time to doso. Even a small amount can really make adifference!It is always good to hear from you, and to seeyou any time you’re back in Cullowhee.Will Peebles, directorSchool of Music
John Wells receives Emmy awardContinued from cover“Anytime something broke or wasn’t working right, they would call me to the edit roomsto fix it,” said Wells, who worked 12- to 20-hour shifts in China. “When it was all over, Ibroke down the rooms.” Highlights for him included having an up-close view of Olympicmoments, such as watching Shawn Johnson win gold on the balance beam, MichaelPhelps win his fourth gold, and closing ceremonies. They also included the opportunityto explore China – sampling dumplings and Kung Pao shrimp, and visiting the ForbiddenCity and Tiananmen Square.Before joining the WCU staff five years ago, Wells served as technical consultant forfirms such as Sony Electronics. He was part of the engineering staff that designed andbuilt the state-of-the-art studios in WCU’s Center for Applied Technology. As WCUstudio engineer, he maintains equipment and functionality and assists faculty andstudents using the recording studio and edit rooms.Music educators to meet November 8-10We hope to see many of you at the NorthCarolina Music Educators AssociationIn-Service Conference from Nov. 8-10 inWinston-Salem. The School of Music willbe well-represented, with presentationsby Matt Henley and the Pride of theMountains drum line Sunday afternoon.Mario Gaetano will be co-presenting asession on percussion ensemble literaturefor the public school at noon Monday.Robert Holquist will serve as a clinicianand panelist for future choral conductorsand educators. The woodwind faculty willbe doing a workshop on reed adjustmentsTuesday morning. Bruce Frazier and JonHenson will
to rEtirE; concErt to Honor carEEr in fall 2007, when he began a part-time appointment directing the choral ensembles. (This is the last year of that three-year agreement. However, through a special contract, Holquist will continue during the 2010-11 academic year as director of choral activities.) Continued on page 9 Continued on page 5
