Mu Phi Epsilon International Professional Fraternity for the Advancement of Music in the Community, Nation and World.
VOLUME 116 I ISSUE 1 I SPRING 2022
Opera
RENEGADE
Portland’s upstart company innovates age-old artform
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Music therapy can unlock memories and create meaningful experiences for individuals with dementia while increasing social engagement and cognitive stimulation.
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FEATURES 6
ACME Spotlight: Renaissance Woman Carol Worthey by Mary Au
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In Perfect Harmony: Engaging individuals with dementia through music therapy and the Great American Songbook by Allegra Hein
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Renegade Opera Takes Portland by Storm: Upstart company innovates immersive, accessible approaches to an age-old artform
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Ludwig van Beethoven: 250+ years old yet still vital for music today by Leslie Spotz
COLUMNS 1
President’s Message: A Strong Foundation by Kurt-Alexander Zeller
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Musings: Strummin’ Along by Carmelita Guse
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Accolades: ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ by Kurt-Alexander Zeller
DEPARTMENTS 24 Applause & Encore: Member and Chapter News 28 District Directors Directory 29 Executive Officers Directory On the Cover: Renegade Opera’s first live production, “Orfeo in Underland,” was staged at dusk in the First Presbyterian Church of Portland’s outdoor plaza in Summer 2021. Photo by Tom Lupton.
Fraternity Mission Statement: Mu Phi Epsilon International Professional Music Fraternity is a coeducational fraternity whose aim is the advancement of music in the community, nation, and world through the promotion of musicianship, scholarship and music education with emphasis on service through music. EDITOR Kat Braz editor@muphiepsilon.org DESIGN & PRODUCTION Paul Wilson thetriangle@muphiepsilon.org Send all material for publication to: Kat Braz, editor@muphiepsilon.org The Triangle welcomes story suggestions from Mu Phi Epsilon members and friends. Publication selections will be made at the discretion of the editor. Photos must be provided as the original digital file at high resolution. Please include photographer credit information. All photographs are published courtesy of the contributor unless photographer credit is provided. Deadlines for submissions: Fall — August 15 Winter — October 15 Spring — February 15 Summer — April 15 Change of address, renewals, notice of deceased members, requests for extra copies and subscription requests should be sent to: Mu Phi Epsilon International Executive Office 4011 N. Pennsylvania St. #100 Indianapolis, IN 46205 toll free: 888-259-1471 fax: 888-855-8670 email: executiveoffice@muphiepsilon.org The Triangle is published four times per year by Mu Phi Epsilon, International Professional Music Fraternity. Member, Professional Fraternity Association. (ISSN 0041-2600) (Volume 115, Issue 4) Subscription price is $20.00 per year. Single copies are $8.00. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, MN, and at additional mailing offices. Printed in the United States of America. POSTMASTER: Send all changes of address to: Mu Phi Epsilon, 4011 N. Pennsylvania St. #100 Indianapolis, IN 46205 © 2022 Mu Phi Epsilon. All rights reserved.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
KU RT-A L EXAN DER ZEL L ER, IN T ERN ATI O N A L P R E S I D E N T, M U C H I , AT L A N TA A LU M N I P R ESI D EN T@ M U P H I E P S I LO N .O R G
A STRONG FOUNDATION s we continue our year of focusing on “Building Bridges,” perhaps the most important bridge of all to be building is a bridge from the past to the future. Mu Phi Epsilon has had a storied past of 118 years of achievement and eminence in music. It has an exciting and dynamic present of friendship experienced, enjoyed and shared. But we cannot stay in the present, any more than we can stay forever in the middle of a bridge. We must go on to the future, and Mu Phi Epsilon’s future will be only what we all build together, starting right now. I had the opportunity to see an instance of the present forming a bridge between the past and the future earlier this year when I took my music drama workshop class at Clayton State University to present at the National Opera Association’s national conference. Beaming up at my students from the audience was Barbara Hill Moore (Mu Chi), who had been my voice teacher at Southern Methodist University back (way back) when I was the age my students are now. Then, in the session immediately following ours, Mrs. Moore’s eminent career as performer, teacher and advocate was profiled, as she was recognized with the National Opera Association’s “Lift Every Voice” Legacy Award — and my students were greatly inspired to realize that they themselves are part of the future continuation of that legacy. Each of us is building that bridge to the future with every action we take in the present — even if we can’t always know what that future may bring. When Mrs. Moore said to the 19-year-old me, “I think you really ought to consider joining Mu Phi Epsilon” — I’m sure neither one of us imagined that someday I would be International President! I hope that we all will think deeply about how whatever we do today, as individuals and as chapters, can help our fraternity to prosper not only in the present, but also in the future. The investments of time and toil and treasure that we make in our fellow members, our chapters, our schools and our communities should be made looking beyond our present concerns and activities, important as those are, toward ensuring a bright and
Barbara Hill Moore with former student Kurt-Alexander Zeller secure future for our Mu Phi Epsilon. The legacy of the eminent Mu Phis who came before us can continue only as long as we continue to build the bridge to the future that they started.
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MUSINGS
GUEST COLUMNIST CARM EL ITA G U S E , G A M M A A L P H A , M I N N E SOTA A LU M N I
STRUMMIN’ ALONG Learning to play the ukulele to accompany my arias ’m a classically trained soprano. I’ve sung with professional choirs, opera choruses and performed in concerts and solo recitals. And I play the ukulele. I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember and I’ve always loved music. My mother, who was also a soprano, often played music in the house. When we traveled as a family, music played from the car’s eight-track tape deck. (Who remembers eight-track tapes?) My parents wanted my two siblings and me to play an instrument, so we took violin lessons. My sister continued with music and went on to play the clarinet, saxophone and flute, and she holds a degree in flute performance. My brother didn’t continue to play an instrument, but he did sing in church. I continued to play the violin even after I no longer took lessons. In addition to singing in church and at school, I played the violin in junior high, high school and college orchestras, and even after college in church orchestras. I enjoyed playing my violin! Then I got married, and we moved. Our new church didn’t have an orchestra and I didn’t look into playing in a community orchestra, so I didn’t play. When my cousin asked if anyone in the family had a violin for his children to play, I gave my instrument to him. I was sad to part with it, but I wasn’t using it. In 2017, I wanted to play an instrument again. It was something that I had enjoyed, and I wanted that part of my life back. I considered asking my cousin if I could have the violin back since his kids were grown, but I never asked because things took a different turn. In 2018, I began teaching voice lessons at a local Christian high school and one of my students mentioned that the ukulele was fun to play and easy to learn. When the gentleman who led the Bible study group that I attended at the time asked me to lead worship, I said that I would get a ukulele and lead the singing. I went to a local music store, stated that I was looking for a ukulele, and shared my budget. I came away with an instrument, a chord chart, a two year warranty and a bag. And I stayed within my budget! I started learning contemporary Christian music from the 1980s and 90s to sing for Bible study, and I took several lessons. 2
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After playing for a few months I learned a few art songs and spirituals because I had the idea that I would accompany myself and did so on a few songs in a 2019 recital. I figured that it would be wise to be able to sing and play in case a pianist wasn’t available to accompany me. At the time, I had no idea how helpful that would be. When COVID-19 hit, everything I did came to a screeching halt. Even though there were no performances, I still needed an outlet to sing, but I didn’t have a piano in my home, nor did I have easy access to a pianist to accompany me. So my ukulele came in handy! At the beginning of 2020, I had the goal to perform 20 times in 2020, and before the pandemic closed everything down, I was well on my way to doing so. I decided to figure out a way to meet my goal in spite of the shutdowns. So I started a YouTube channel to share my singing, and I accompanied myself on my instrument. In addition to YouTube, I sang in virtual competitions, for Zoom meetings, virtual church services and master classes, and I used my ukulele in many of those performances. By the end of the year, I had sung 35 times! I play the ukulele with art songs, arias, spirituals, musical theater’s classic era (think Rodgers and Hammerstein), American standards, sacred music and the occasional pop song. Posting to my YouTube channel has expanded my repertoire a great deal. I have a theme for each month, and I learn many new songs for that. And even if I know the song vocally, there’s a lot of work to do to prepare to play the ukulele. A lot of ukulele music is available, but it’s all popular music. As far as I know, Schirmer doesn’t have any art song books for voice and ukulele! All of my classical music is written for voice and piano, so I have to figure out the chords for each art song or aria that I want to perform. It’s a challenge, but I enjoy doing it, and that’s a good thing because I’ve done it a lot! I highly recommend learning to play the ukulele. Besides being easy and fun, it’s a very portable instrument. In fact, I usually travel with mine on road trips. When I bought it, I didn’t know that this would be the case, but playing the ukulele fulfilled the longing that I had to play an instrument.
A Brief History of the Ukulele
Three Tips for Beginners: 1. Spend at least $100. The gentleman at the music store suggested that I spend at least that much to get a good quality instrument. I took his advice. 2. Strum a few instruments in your price range to get an idea of their sound. At the music store, the gentleman played four ukuleles in the suggested $100 price range, and I bought the best-sounding one. (It also happened to be the prettiest one!) Mine is a concert size, which is a little bit larger than a soprano size. The slightly larger size can produce a nicer tone. My instrument has a very nice tone, and I’ve been told that it blends well with my voice. 3. Take a few lessons. It’s true that the ukulele is easy to learn, but it’s helpful to make sure that you start off with good technique.
The ukulele dates to 1879, when Portuguese immigrants brought several small guitars, including the braguinha, to Hawai’i. More than 400 Portuguese immigrants arrived at Honolulu Harbor aboard the Ravenscrag from Madeira to work in the sugarcane fields. According to some accounts, among the passengers was musician João Fernandes who was so happy to reach Honolulu after an exhausting four-month journey, that he borrowed another passenger’s braguinha and began playing Portuguese music. Others joined Fernandes with song and dance to the delight of Hawaiian bystanders, who marveled at how his fingers jumped like fleas across the fingerboard, thus calling the instrument ukulele, which translates to “jumping flea.” The ukulele became popular with the people of Hawai’i almost immediately after its arrival in the islands, including King David Kalākaua, Hawai’i’s Merrie Monarch, an accomplished guitarist and musician and the driving force behind the revival of hula. Today, the ukulele has become the most celebrated musical instrument in the Hawaiian Islands and its popularity has expanded beyond the islands’ shores. —Source: “Ukulele: A Portuguese Gift to Hawaii” by John Henry Felix (1980)
Soprano Carmelita Guse has performed with The Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company, Mixed Precipitation Theatre, the Minnesota Opera Chorus, Minnesota Chorale, Skylark Opera and the Lakes Area Music Festival Opera Chorus. She was a soloist in the premiere of Missa Aurea in New Hope, Minnesota, and she is a frequent soloist at Faith Temple Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. To see how she performs with her ukulele, please visit her YouTube channel “The 86th Street Performing Arts Center.”
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ACCOLADES KU RT-AL EXAN DER ZEL L ER, I N TE R N ATI O N A L P R E S I DE N T, M U C H I , AT L A N TA A LU M NI P R E S I D E N T@ MU P H I E P S I LO N .O R G
‘LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING’ National Opera Association recognizes Barbara Hill Moore Barbara Hill Moore performed as Bess in “Porgy and Bess” at Milwaukee’s Florentine Opera in 1989 opposite Donnie Ray Albert as Porgy.
he National Opera Association (NOA) capped its 67th National Conference held in January by honoring Mu Phi Epsilon ACME member Barbara Hill Moore (Mu Chi) with its “Lift Every Voice” Legacy Award. The award, instituted in 1995, recognizes the extraordinary contributions of African American artists to the world of opera and classical singing. Past recipients have included singers Grace Bumbry, Simon Estes, Reri Grist, Jessye Norman, George Shirley and Shirley Verrett; composers H. Leslie Adams, Anthony Davis and Robert Owens; conductor Willie Anthony Waters; costume designer Paul Tazewell; and musicologist Eileen Southern, among many other luminaries. In presenting its award to Hill Moore, the NOA cited her “illustrious career as an artist/teacher for more than five decades,” during which she has graced opera stages and concert platforms on both sides of the Atlantic while she was at the same time training and mentoring several generations of singers and teachers of singing. Unlike many singers, who often begin to teach only as their performance careers start to wind down, soprano Hill Moore 4
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always prioritized what she calls “her first love,” teaching, while also continually practicing what she preached and maintaining an active calendar of performances at the highest level. That this strategy has served to inspire and motivate her students I can affirm from experience — Mrs. Hill Moore was my voice professor when I was an undergraduate double major in music and theatre at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, where she has taught since 1974 and is now senior associate dean for faculty and Meadows Foundation Distinguished Professor of Voice at SMU Meadows School of the Arts. She was also the faculty advisor of the Mu Chi chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon in those days, and clearly there was another kind of inspiration at work on me there! Virtually every semester, she didn’t just tell her voice students about how to be a skilled soloist in oratorio and orchestra literature, how to portray an opera character, how to learn and champion new music or how a superlative recitalist can draw lines that encompass Bach, Brahms, Burleigh, Britten and Brubeck and won’t leave anyone out — instead, she showed us
how it’s done. Eventually, her singing career included over 50 performances as Jenny in Kurt Weill’s “Threepenny Opera” in Berlin and Cologne; appearances throughout Europe and North America in “Porgy and Bess” as both Bess and Serena (including playing Serena in the opera’s 50th anniversary performances in Charleston, South Carolina, where the opera is set); and numerous premieres and performances of American music at European music festivals, notably the premieres of five song cycles on the poetry of African American poets Paul Laurence Dunbar and Langston Hughes written especially for her by composer Simon Sargon. When I started teaching, I wondered how on earth she managed to find the time and energy to prepare all those performances — but still, whenever I think there’s no possible way to do everything on my planner, I see in my mind’s eye that familiar raised eyebrow that always meant, “Are you quite sure that’s your best effort?” And if there’s one thing Hill Moore has done throughout her teaching career, it is to make sure that her students know she wants both the best from them and the best for them. As one of her former students, John Holiday (an international countertenor perhaps best known for his appearances in season 19 of NBC’s “The Voice”), has noted, “There is nothing greater than having somebody believe in you,” and Hill Moore’s ability to be at once tough and demanding as well as nurturing and empathetic is a primary ingredient in her success. She has been a tireless advocate for young classical singers, whatever their background and experience may be. Holiday, speaking with journalist Catherine Womack for SMU’s “MPrint” in 2019, testified to the inspiration Hill Moore, whom he affectionately calls “Prof,” has provided many singers of color. “I went to Meadows for Barbara Hill Moore,” Holiday said. “There was something about the fact that Prof was an African American woman at a predominantly white institution. Seeing a face that looked like mine was a wonderful thing for me because it meant that she understood me, she understood my background and where I was coming from.” Since 2000, Hill Moore has traveled to Africa numerous times to teach and coach students there and, with the help of the Bruce R. Foote Foundation, has brought many of those students to study in the United States and launch careers. The results speak for themselves: Her former students have performed on the stages of the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Opera and throughout the country at the opera companies in St. Louis,
Houston, Dallas, San Francisco, Chicago, Santa Fe and Fort Worth, as well as internationally at La Scala, Paris Opera, Berlin Opera, Salzburg Opera and Cape Town Opera. The NOA’s celebration of Hill Moore included a plenary session where she shared a wealth of inspiring and often wryly humorous stories about her experiences and insights but she kept coming back to one theme — love. “If you really love the art form of music, and you love the students you’re helping to grow in it, how can you not love what you’re doing and want to keep doing it?” she seemed to be saying, in a perfect explication of Mu Phi Epsilon’s ideals of Music, Friendship and Harmony. With such an emphasis on love, it wasn’t surprising that she offered a significant amount of the credit for her success to her family, many of whom — including husband Le, daughter Leah, and son-in-law Gary — were present for the ceremony. As she was being applauded by the entire assembly of the NOA, Mrs. Moore turned the equation on its head and asked if all those present who had studied with her or with one of her students would please stand, and a surprisingly large number of people got to their feet — including me and the seven students from Clayton State University I had brought along to perform in the session immediately preceding (when Hill Moore delightedly had greeted them as “the grand-students!”) — while she applauded them. That Mrs. Hill Moore continues to inspire the next generation of singers is clear from the reaction of the students present. Mezzo-soprano Akosua Adwini-Poku, president of the Delta Psi chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon at Clayton State University, said, “Meeting Barbara Hill Moore at the NOA conference this year completely changed my trajectory as a musician. Before knowing who she was, I saw her walking toward me in the hallway. She was so elegant and beautiful, but familiar in a way that I could not place at the time. I was delighted to learn that the woman who had captivated me so was actually the former teacher of my current music drama workshop professor, connecting us as a musical family of sorts. Hearing her speak shifted my perspective on what was possible for me, as a very particular sort of Black woman and vocalist, and I made the decision that day to continue my music journey on to graduate school.” Mu Phi Epsilon is proud that the National Opera Association has recognized Barbara Hill Moore with the “Lift Every Voice” Legacy Award and celebrates her achievement in guiding so many musicians on “the path that leads upward toward the stars.” SPRING 2022
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ACME
SPOTLIGHT M ARY AU, AC M E CO - C H A I R , M U N U, LOS A N G E L E S A LU M N I AU H AU S @ G MA I L .CO M
RENAISSANCE WOMAN Diversified artist Carol Worthey considers music the magical essence arol Worthey (Phi Nu) is a renaissance woman who has been recognized by awards in classical music, visual and literary art. As a multi-award-winning composer, arranger, painter, poet, playwright and novelist, educator and impassioned lecturer on arts and culture, Worthey has devoted her life to creating multi-genre musical and artistic masterpieces that bring hope and understanding to people around the world. The day Worthey was born, family friend Leonard Bernstein was in her home and made hamburgers in the shape of stars, proclaiming, “This little girl’s gonna be a star!” At Dartmouth Summer School, Worthey studied with Vincent Persichetti, head of the Composition Department at Juilliard, who looked at her score and perceived, “You think like a composer!” Persichetti's appraisal became a watchword that helped Worthey journey through many career and personal challenges in later years. Worthey has been very active during these “interesting times.” She says, “It’s not time to stop putting forth as much love and beauty as one can muster, no matter what challenges there are. In fact, I believe the world needs more music, art and love than ever.” Here is just a taste of all the different artistic creations she has brought forth recently.
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COMPOSING ACTIVITIES
Commissions by Stanley Wong Brilliant concert pianist and concert/ children’s-art-exhibition entrepreneur Stanley Wong, who resides in Hong Kong, commissioned two piano suites in 2019-2020. Both were recorded and premiered in his colorful music studio in 2021: “The Tides of Mont Saint-Michel: A Montage” The first piano suite commissioned and recorded by Maestro Wong is an evocation of a fascinating World Heritage Site — Mont Saint-Michel, the island-monastery off the coast of France. In 2019 Stanley visited this mystical and spiritual place, which becomes an island at high tide and where ninja-like monks defended France during the 100 Years War; Worthey visited this deeply spiritual place during her college years. This site was built on a huge rock island after a beleaguered archbishop had been visited three times by insistent Archangel Michael. It was one of the centers of chivalry and regal feasts as well as devotions and worship during the Middle Ages. The suite encompasses all these aspects of this sacred place, including a ferociously pianistic movement devoted to the strongest tides in Europe, and prayerful moments in the chapel: “The Tides of Mont Saint-Michel: A Montage.” While composing this work, Carol says, “Creating this was like time travel! I could only compose for half an hour at a time.”
Listen Online: Hear the suite at carolworthey.com/bioc-soundbite.php
“Nénu, Mermaid of Giverny,” decoupage and watercolor pencils, © 2020 Carol Worthey, All Rights Reserved BMI
“Quicksand Years” On September 12, 2021, Windsong Players Chamber Ensemble (Victoria Bell, soprano; Alice Pero, flute; Shushana Hakobyan, piano) performed the worldpremiere of a work they commissioned at a mansion in Bel Aire, California: “Quicksand Years,” Worthey's setting of iconic American Civil War poet Walt Whitman’s poem celebrating the individual spirit’s strength in turbulent times. It received a long standing ovation and was beautifully performed.
“Mythical Menagerie” The second piano suite commissioned by Wong and recorded by him in late 2020 is “Mythical Menagerie,” three movements about mythical creatures, with original stories by the composer: A Mermaid (living in Monet’s waterlily pond at Giverny unbeknownst to the artist); A Werewolf who dances Flamenco under the full moon; and a theme & variations/ story about a council of mythical creatures in 2020 who want mankind to know they care about them and are not scary: Unicorn, Dragon, Pegasus and Phoenix Bird. “The Last Thunderstorm” Worthey was honored to be chosen among 250 living composers from around the world asked to write a work in honor of Beethoven’s 250th birthday in 2020. This project (originated by concert pianist Susanne Kessler from Bonn, Germany) inspired Worthey to research Beethoven’s life and work. Her contribution to this exciting project was “The Last Thunderstorm,” depicting Beethoven’s final moments during a huge lightning bolt thunderstorm in Vienna, where Worthey could well imagine this titan of music lifting his fist to the heavens during his final breaths. This piece has been published by Nicolas Sideris in volume five of “250 Piano Pieces for Beethoven.” SPRING 2022
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ACME
SPOTLIGHT
Worthey’s favorite form of theater magic is storytelling through dance and music. In 2017, a special piano suite (commissioned and premiered by Wong), “Ice Cream Sweet,” was transformed into a charming and delicious ballet to Worthey’s delight! “Ice Cream Sweet” depicts 10 flavors of ice cream, from Vanilla (a turn-of-the-century waltz), Chocolate (a fugue based on the music notes of “fudge” — F-D-G-E), some bossa nova for tropical flavors and a wide variety of musical styles to whet the palate. Set into motion by superb choreographer Aerin Holt, assisted by Balanchine protegée Lynn Pittenger, the costumes and dance utilized the remarkable talents of California Youth Ballet, La Canada, California. The audiences and dancers alike fell in love with the ballet!
© 2021 Carol Worthey Worthgold Publishing, All Rights Reserved
“Ice Cream Sweet,” © 2014 Carol Worthey, All Rights Reserved BMIPublishing, All Rights Reserved
DANCE & MUSIC ACTIVITIES
TEACHING & MENTORING ACTIVITIES
WRITING ACTIVITIES
Worthey has been thrilled to encourage young talent in both the visual arts and in music composition during these recent years. She has been an honorary art judge for several youth art competitions featuring outstanding early talents in design, color and imagination in several Hong Kong exhibitions and recitals. She has also been an adjudicator for young composers for the California Music Teachers Association. She also teaches composition studies at her home studio or internationally via Zoom. “It’s so vital to recognize and cheer on young talent” Worthey said. “I have been wowed to goosebumps by these beyond-their-years young people. It gives all of us hope for the future that the arts are very much alive, despite all!”
During the past five years, in the midst of all the above music, dance and teaching activities and in the flurry of society’s changes, Worthey has still been able to turn to one of her first loves: writing. Her books are available on Amazon.com.
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“A Rain of Sundry Thoughts (on Living Life to the Fullest)” A colorful, lavishly-illustrated 396-page treasury of quotes presents insights into such questions as: Does love vanish into nothing when it seems to go? What to do when you feel low? What makes creating beauty or connecting with nature so revitalizing? How to put forth more generosity of spirit while retaining your own truth?
“ More Grand than Mountains” Her personal selection from a lifetime of writing poems and winning poetry awards, poems that celebrate the resilience of the human spirit. “ CRUMB: The Secret of the Riddle” Another book that was one of her “bucket list” life-dreams to create, especially as it was written in homage to her father’s famous-in-the-family bedtime stories. It evolved into a compelling adventure-novel (not just for children but for the child in all of us) that solves an intriguing riddle and serves as a plea to mankind to save our precious bees. Lenny Bernstein was right — this little girl is a star!
© 2016 Carol Worthey Worthgold Publishing, All Rights Reserved
© 2021 Carol Worthey Worthgold Publishing, All Rights Reserved
CAROL WORTHEY’S ARTIST STATEMENT “Creating art is not only about self-expression, it's a way to reach out to others, to infuse life-energy and meaning into the world around me and inspire others to feel, to care, to live more joyously. No one is alone, not really, and you and I can meet in the act of music-making and listening, painting and looking, writing and envisioning, at home, in the concert hall, online or in a quiet nook. As I say in my new book “A Rain of Sundry Thoughts: Living Life to the Fullest” — Life inspires Art, and Art illuminates Life. Over time what remains of a civilization? Not the battles with their ruins, though the ruins stand there as lonely witnesses to blood. What remains is the art, the philosophy, the wisdom and beauty that individuals have put forth (that hopefully has evaded the fires of ill fortune and is still available to us.) While I love all the arts, I consider music the magical essence and the highest aspiration of the creative spirit. Music falls between the cracks of words, spreads its wings past picture-frame, and most closely approximates the human spirit and the divine. Still, I have thrilled learning the craft of each artform as best I can. Living is more fun when it involves the spontaneity of play, the resonance of thought and imagination, the skill of making things, and the crying need to share with others! My deepest wish is that my art will help to make this often strident world a more comforting, loving and peaceful place.”
ACME Nominations ACME recognition highlights the strengths and accomplishments of our fraternity’s Artists, Composers, Musicologists and Educators. We encourage members to nominate deserving, actively affiliated candidates who have achieved national and/or international acclaim in their music fields for ACME consideration. Learn more at muphiepsilon.org.
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In Perfect
Harmony Engaging individuals with dementia through music therapy and the Great American Songbook
rowing up in a family of professional musicians, I had early exposure to the benefits of music performance, listening and participation. As a pianist, I learned how to engage in preferred music as a means of personal emotional expression and well-being. However, it was not until I started studying music therapy that I began to learn the true potential impact of music on health. Did you know board-certified music therapists can use music to rehabilitate speech after a stroke, improve gait, decrease pain and anxiety and much more? I certainly did not know that, even though I had been surrounded by music my entire life. The power of music is truly incredible. From birth to death, most individuals develop a personal connection with music and associate various songs or artists with life events. This is particularly true for individuals with dementia, as musical memories are recalled more vividly than nonmusical memories. Music encourages individual growth, expression, reminiscence and connection that lasts a lifetime. More than 6 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Dementia is an umbrella term for loss of memory and other cognitive abilities severe enough to interfere with daily life. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for 60-80% of cases. Other forms of dementia include: Lewy body, 10 MuPhiEpsilon.org
vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, mixed dementia (from more than one cause) and other dementias related to Parkinson’s disease or Huntington’s disease. These progressive diseases involve multiple stages of decline which often require an increase in care for the individual. Receiving a dementia diagnosis is extremely difficult, both for the individual and for their families and loved ones. The progression of these diseases is such that in the mid to late stages, individuals will decline significantly in mobility and cognition. For the individual, this often results in loss of independence and verbal communication and sometimes causes the individual to experience agitating behaviors. For families and loved ones, these stages create new challenges when navigating how to care for and interact with their loved one. There is no cure for dementia-related diseases. Current pharmaceutical treatments target only symptoms of the disease and often cause the individual to experience severe side effects. Considering these challenges, focus has shifted in recent years to more holistic approaches to care. Music therapy is one such approach and offers the individual and their care partners the opportunity to stay connected throughout disease progression. During the early 20th century, musicians, physicians and psychiatrists began to observe potential health benefits of music in a variety of settings. In the 1950s, while focusing on physical and psychological care of World War II veterans, the music
Photo courtesy of the Great American Songbook Foundation
therapy profession was officially established. Today, music therapy is defined as the use of music, by a board-certified music therapist, to improve functioning in areas such as cognition, communication, social skills, motor skills and mental and emotional health. The music therapist-board certified (MT-BC) designation is achieved after completing a four-year degree from an accredited institution, a clinical internship and passing the Certification Board for Music Therapists exam. There are approximately 8,000 MT-BCs in the United States serving populations including: intellectual and developmental disabilities, addiction, neurological rehabilitation, hospice and palliative care, veterans, various hospital settings and older adults (dementia and Alzheimer’s disease). Approaches to treatment vary depending on population and setting; however, board-certified music therapists are trained to achieve greater responses to nonmusical goals as compared to those using music for entertainment or recreation.
The Power of Music Music is an effective therapeutic tool because it stimulates both hemispheres of the brain simultaneously, rather than one localized region. Using client-preferred music and an individualized treatment plan developed by the MT-BC, individuals can achieve cognitive, physical, social and emotional goals through music. Rather than teaching clients how to play a musical instrument (unless this is a client-specific goal), music therapy focuses less
on the music produced in each session and more on the processes learned through each musical experience which can be transferred into the client’s activities of daily living. Learning or improving these skills can be more easily achieved through music therapy because of how music stimulates the brain. In my time as music therapist in a senior community setting with older adults with dementia, I had the pleasure of seeing the “power of music” on a daily basis. Some of my most meaningful experiences were with our residents with late stage dementia. As mentioned previously, this is a stage where verbal communication becomes more difficult; however, after participation in music therapy interventions, residents were singing lyrics of familiar songs (in their entirety!) and participating in spoken conversation, following the musical experience. Most clinical (led by an MT-BC) and nonclinical music experiences are positive and can increase or maintain various activities of daily living and connection. However, because music is such a powerful experience, adverse reactions can occur. MT-BCs are trained to respond in the moment to over-stimulation, agitation, negative physiological responses, trauma-based responses and/or music-induced seizures, all of which can happen when engaging in music. It is important for anyone engaging in a nonclinical musical experience, with any population, to be aware that these adverse responses could occur. In these situations, it is important for the facilitator to consult with SPRING 2022
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an MT-BC to better understand how to respond to potential adverse reactions and when to seek additional help from a music therapist or other healthcare professional. As a professional, it is a special experience to use music to connect with individuals with dementia. One of my favorite components of this connection is the impact on an individual’s family and loved ones. Sharing with families how they can use music to re-establish a connection with their loved one is very meaningful. These experiences have encouraged me to educate other care partners, health care professionals and arts organizations on how to use music with older adults and older adults with dementia in a safe and effective way.
Perfect Harmony Since 2018, I have had the pleasure of consulting with a group music program for older adults called Perfect Harmony, offered by the Great American Songbook Foundation in Carmel, Indiana. Perfect Harmony helps care partners identify appropriate generational music and activities to engage older adults in a shared music experience. My purpose as a consultant with Perfect Harmony has been to educate staff and volunteers about the most effective use of music with older adults. Renée La Schiazza, director of programs at the Great American Songbook Foundation, shares more information about Perfect Harmony’s current offerings: “Perfect Harmony was developed five years ago by the Great 12
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American Songbook Foundation with the idea of returning to the way music was originally enjoyed — as a community experience in which family, friends and loved ones grabbed a piece of sheet music, gathered around a piano and enjoyed music together. Over the course of the past year, Perfect Harmony has evolved into an online resource to continue serving older adults in Indiana and across the country, especially those who are struggling with isolation and limited social engagement due to the COVID-19 health crisis. “Developed in consultation with a board-certified music therapist and sponsored by American Senior Communities,
How can music make a difference for you?
Perfect Harmony engages participants in singing, movement, playing instruments and discussing experiences related to memorable songs. Listening to music can be beneficial, but we know that there are increased benefits, such as social engagement and cognitive stimulation, when you can do even more to engage individuals in a musical experience. Perfect Harmony offers a range of resources that can be helpful for care partners, including downloadable lyric sheets, generational music playlists, activity outlines, discussion prompts, music videos and more. “The songs that the Perfect Harmony program selects are aligned with the music that was popular when most older adults were in their late teens or early adulthood. Research suggests that music from this period of a person’s life has a special significance due to biological factors and life experiences that connect our memories to feelings we experienced during that transformational time. For older adults today, this tends to be music from the Great American Songbook, the most important and influential American popular songs, Broadway hits and jazz standards from the early 20th century that have stood the test of time. “Each month, we release online video resources and music activities that are beneficial in both an individual and group setting and are created with a cohesive theme in mind. Family care partners, activity directors and other healthcare professionals from over one hundred eldercare organizations across the state of Indiana and as far as Canada take advantage of Perfect Harmony’s free online resources each month.”
Additional Resources: Photos courtesy of the Great American Songbook Foundation
The Certification Board for Music Therapists www.cbmt.org
American Music Therapy Association www.musictherapy.org
Alzheimer’s Association www.alz.org
The Great American Songbook Foundation, Perfect Harmony TheSongbook.org/PerfectHarmony
Leonard Bernstein said, “Music can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable.” This is true at any stage of life and representative of the vastness of music’s power, both inside and outside of a clinical setting. Consider different ways you can incorporate music into your daily routine: 1. Create personalized playlists for relaxation or movement 2. Develop a self-history of preferred music and/or music associated with key moments in your life to share with friends and family 3. Learn a new instrument 4. Engage in songwriting or other forms of self-expression through music 5. Incorporate Perfect Harmony resources for professional or personal use
Allegra Hein (Beta Psi, Indianapolis Alumni) is a graduate of Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts (B.M.) and Ohio University (M.M.), majoring in piano performance. Recent awards include the Mu Phi Epsilon Laverne Jackson Memorial Music Therapy Scholarship and earning first prize in the Ohio Federation of Music Clubs Collaborative Piano Competition. She has been featured live on WFMT, Chicago’s Classical Music radio station, with her mom, Dr. Rebecca Sorley (Kappa, Indianapolis Alumni). Hein has been a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC) since 2016 and has experience working with older adults and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Hein serves as Program Coordinator for the Marianne Tobias Music Program, a live music performance-based program at Eskenazi Health, Indianapolis's essential hospital. Additionally, she performs regularly throughout Indianapolis as a collaborative pianist, serves as principal keyboardist for the Carmel Symphony Orchestra and provides music therapy consultation to local arts organizations.
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RENEGADE OPERA TAKES PORTLAND BY
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The audience arrives at the funeral of Euridice. Orfeo, a 21st century musician, is overcome with grief and hallucinates a trial-filled journey to retrieve Euridice from Underland. Reflecting on the collective trauma brought about by the pandemic, “Orfeo in Underland” grapples with communal loss and asks what moving forward looks like.
Upstart company innovates immersive, accessible approaches to an age-old artform
So began Renegade Opera’s first live production staged at dusk in the First Presbyterian Church of Portland’s outdoor plaza in Summer 2021. Madeline Ross (Phi Lambda, Portland Alumni), executive director of Renegade Opera, co-founded the company in January 2020 with Danielle Jagelski, music director, who directed and arranged music for ‘Orfeo’; and Elliot Menard, grants director, who created the puppets and masks for the show along with Arcadia Truehart. “I actually started another company similar to Renegade Opera while I was studying for my Master’s in Opera Performance at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts,” Ross said. “When I moved back to Portland, I knew I wanted to be doing that work in the city where I grew up and where I have built so much community, so Renegade Opera was born. We had our first meeting as a team in January of 2020 and we had a plan to audition singers in March for a summer 2020 production. We moved forward with those auditions and created an online virtual opera production — ‘The Secret Diaries of Pennsylvania’ — over the summer of 2020 while we were all locked down.”
WATC H ON LIN E Renegade Opera’s first virtual production, “The Secret Diaries of Pennsylvania Avenue,” a collection of videos, images and documents, can be viewed online for free. Donations encouraged. The performance is based on Leo Balkovetz’s original adaptation of Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito, titled “Justice or Mercy.” Exploration time: —90 minutes (experiences vary). renegadeopera.org/secretdiaries PHOTO BY TOM LUPTON
Ross brainstormed a few different names for the troupe with close friends and Renegade just seemed right. The term aligns with the company’s mission to promote institutional reform in the performing arts community through the creation of accessible and immersive opera. With a small budget and no designated SPRING 2022
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Members of the cast and crew of "Orfeo."
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engagements and ensemble-based performances nationally, she also maintains a private studio of voice and piano students. “I love to make music with wonderful collaborators,” Ross said. “My goal is to better the world by creating community and understanding through music. I hope in five years our world will be more accepting of people on all sorts of different paths and that we will only improve our support for creators of all kinds.”
A New Approach to Opera There is some crossover in audience members who attend more traditional productions put on by Portland Opera as well as Renegade Opera shows. The upstart company strives to dismantle systems of racism, patriarchy, homophobia, ageism, ableism and financial gatekeeping in the opera industry. “The folks who are excited to see our work are people interested in new, more-inclusive stagings of these classic operas,” Ross said. “We’re excited to show folks a different side of opera than what they may have seen before. My favorite comment from an
PHOTO BY TOM LUPTON
office space, much of the work planning a production is done remotely and the entire city of Portland is the troupe’s stage. The company has flourished since its founding, thanks to the generous financial support of a community of individuals and institutions that keep a vibrant arts community alive in Portland. “Opera is often considered the most expensive theatrical discipline, because it’s really several artistic disciplines in one — vocal music, orchestral music, technical theater design, stage performance, costume design, etc.,” Ross said. “We’re grateful for all the amazing support we’ve received so far and hope to continue to offer exciting productions that garner support from a wide range of people in the Portland metro area and beyond.” In addition to serving as Renegade Opera’s executive director, Ross is the music administrator for the Celebration Works concert series at First Presbyterian Church of Portland and a section leader/soloist for its church services. She sings with the Portland Opera chorus and the vocal groups Resonance Ensemble and In the Pocket. A frequent performer of solo recitals, other operatic
audience member at our most recent performance was ‘I don’t like opera, but I LOVED this!’ We are hoping to invite new audiences who haven’t felt welcome at the grand opera house, whether because of the cost of tickets, the historically classist elite reputation of opera or simply because they didn’t feel like they had nice enough shoes to wear to the opera. All are welcome and all are invited to experience Renegade Opera’s productions.” Renegade bucks the typical structure of larger companies that often use the same — or very similar —costumes and staging for their productions year after year. Instead, the company is more experimental and seeks ways to innovate its productions with the help of the performers and creative team. This makes the productions both more familiar to the modern audience — often set in contemporary dress and with English dialogue — and more complex. “At Renegade Opera we’re almost never going to give you a ‘traditional’ night at the opera, and we like it that way!” Ross said. “We strive to engage our audience tangibly in our productions,
which traditional opera doesn’t do. For example, we are planning an opera this summer that will invite the audience to move from room to room during the action of the story and vote to decide the end of the opera!” Renegade’s production of “Orfeo in Underland,” directed by Joellen Sweeney (Phi Lambda) with costumes by Ophir El-Boher, took Gluck’s 1762 opera and set it in modern times with a lesbian relationship, use of recreational drugs, neon costumes and larger than life puppets, while keeping the emotional journey at the center of the opera — grief, hope, despair — as its guiding light.
WATC H ON LIN E View the full production of “Orfeo in Underland” at renegadeopera.org/orfeo-in-underland.
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Artists-in-Conversation
and community building,” Ross said. “Opera thrives when all those different artistic disciplines are given space to shine, so we partner with local creators of fashion design, stagecraft and, in ‘Orfeo,’ even puppet design.” While some of Renegade’s productions are mobile enough to be performed throughout the state — “Orfeo” only requires a vehicle that can transport a 10-foot-tall puppet — many of Renegade’s productions are conceived as site-specific stories told through music and theater. In “Tito,” the original and interactive adaptation of Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito planned for August, so much of the drama rests on using the space — singing from balconies, overhearing talk in the hallway, moving from room to room — that Renegade would need to carefully choose its venues if the show were to tour. One of the pillars of Renegade’s mission is supporting emerging artists in the Portland area by offering free auditions and paid opportunities to perform and create operas in a collaborative environment. When casting a show, the company holds free live or video auditions for available roles. Ross, a soprano, played Amore in “Orfeo.” 18
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Like any non-profit organization, Renegade depends on funding to support its artists in order to make art equitably. The managing team is currently all volunteer but the productions have been fully paid up to this point. As the troupe gains more stability, it hopes to be able to pay its managing team and increase stipends for its production artists proportional to the monumental amount of creative energy that goes into their work. “We need to continue to build a strong community of artists of all disciplines, local venues and audiences,” Ross said. “‘Our first live production was sold out, and if we can keep that momentum up, we’ll be able to share more opera with more people year after year. “The balance of work and recognition/rest for our administrators is so key. Our creative team works so hard to make these productions happen and the more support and validation we can give to that work, the longer the creative spark will stay bright. It’s really easy to get burnt out when you have so many elements to juggle and so many people to effectively communicate with. We are lucky to have an amazing team at Renegade Opera and I am always striving to support them in their work.”
PHOTOS BY TOM LUPTON
Renegade Opera kicked off its 2022 season with a free virtual Artists-in-Conversation series this spring. The theme, “Contemporary Storytelling in Classical Music,” covered topics including intimacy on the stage, transgender voices in opera and new perspectives on patriotism and immigrant stories in classical music. Learn more about Renegade at renegadeopera.org.
Madeline Ross (in white) performed as Amore in "Orfeo." SPRING 2022
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L E S L I E S P OTZ , D E LTA P I
Ludwig van Beethoven 250+ years old yet still vital for music today s a piano teacher for more than 45 years, the requests from my students to learn the first movement of the “Moonlight” Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) are ongoing. Only Debussy’s “Claire de Lune” compares in popularity with the desire to play “Moonlight.” This first movement alone, in the 20th and 21st centuries has been quoted in movies, commercials and anywhere you can find music. “Moonlight” only opens the door. Interest in Beethoven’s music grows exponentially from an initial introduction from “Moonlight.” My own teacher, Mieczyslaw Horszowski, during my college days at the Curtis Institute of Music, represented a personal link directly back to Beethoven. His piano teacher was Theodore Leschetizky, the great 19th century piano pedagogue, who alongside Franz Liszt, was one of the two most acclaimed piano teachers in Europe in the 1800s. Leschetizky’s teacher was Carl Czerny (think Czerny piano studies for piano students), who was a pupil, devoted friend and assistant to Beethoven. With only three people between myself and Beethoven, I consider that I am part of a treasured link to the musical traditions of the past and today’s world of musical expression. Horszowski shared specific details with his students that Leschetizky told him came directly from Beethoven himself. It has been a privilege to be a direct part of this tradition. My students are excited when they learn it. They all express delight in being part of the chain.
The Struggle with Deafness and Human Potential In Beethoven’s middle period, when he had reached his maturity as a composer, he fully embraced the ideals of Romanticism surrounding his artistic environment. During this time, he was keenly aware of his hearing loss and had already faced the potential tragic consequences that could result from his deafness. His famous letter to his brothers, the Heiligenstadt Testament, outlining his suffering, was written in 1802. By 1804 he had regained confidence in his ability to compose, having discovered 20 MuPhiEpsilon.org
that his deafness would not be a hindrance to his future work. Transcending tragedy to create great music is as relevant today as 252 years ago. Beethoven’s genius surpasses any handicaps faced during his life, and he continues to provide inspiration to those who suffer hearing loss in addition to other obstacles that might seem insurmountable. Beethoven’s Piano Sonata, Op. 53, the “Waldstein,” was completed in 1804 and is an important example of the decade from 1803-1812, also called his “Heroic” period. I performed this work for the virtual 2021 Mu Phi Epsilon Convention because it exemplifies his artistic development during the period when he transcended his deafness. At the time of composing “Waldstein,” he understood that there would probably be no medical improvement from his deafness. His human suffering notwithstanding, this technically challenging, virtuosic work represents the first of the sonatas from this period, a time when his hearing loss was imminent, but had not yet completely taken over. The allegro con brio, the first of the three movements, is exciting and energetic, a demonstration of Beethoven’s mastery of sonata form and brilliant piano writing. The original second movement, ultimately published as the Andante favori, WoO 57, was replaced by a short adagio in 6/8 time, the introduzione, which now serves as the introduction to the rondo finale movement. This adagio functions as a recitative before the aria in an opera, and without a final authentic cadence in its home key of F major, leads directly into the opening theme of the third movement. The rondo begins with one of the most exquisite themes in the history of music, demonstrating Beethoven’s ultimate significance to music during any century, past, present and future. These two movements fit perfectly together. With its passionate contrasts, the rondo has among its unique technical demands an original use of pedal, and in the coda, glissando octaves in both hands. Beethoven first met his close friend and patron, Count Ferdinand Ernst Gabriel von Waldstein, while still a youth in his native city of Bonn in 1788 through the Breuning family, those
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Retrieved from the Library of Congress
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Retrieved from the Library of Congress
friends who were like family to him. A supporter of the arts, Waldstein became a member of the Breuning circle, where he heard Beethoven play and at once became his devoted admirer. When Beethoven left Bonn in 1792 to study with Haydn in Vienna, Waldstein wrote, “May you receive the spirit of Mozart through the hands of Haydn.” As time passed, Waldstein, who had money troubles and conflicts with the emperor, did not fare well once he returned to Vienna. The emperor even banished him from the city, with Waldstein only returning there in disguise. It may be that Beethoven dedicated the Op. 53 to his old friend after having learned of Waldstein’s difficulties.
Democracy, Anti-Imperialism and the Brotherhood of Man Beethoven believed in the hope of democracy. He wanted to visit the United States to experience and learn how democracy could grow and develop. At first, he applauded Napoleon’s announcement of a French Republic, yet once Napoleon crowned himself emperor, Beethoven lost all support of the French dictator. Beethoven’s hearing loss caused tragic and devastating suffering, yet he rose above this tragedy to compose music that expressed his genius and reflected his faith in the best that humanity might become. The Symphony No. 9, his last completed symphony, along with the “Choral Fantasy” and other works, include texts which support his faith in human beings and their potential. Today, there is nothing more profoundly valuable than that in such masterpieces of art and music we can be reminded of such a hope.
Happy Birthday, Beethoven! 2020 marked the 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven who was born on or about December 16, 1770, in the city of Bonn in the Electorate of Cologne, a principality of the Holy Roman Empire. Although his exact date of birth is uncertain, Beethoven was baptized on December 17, 1770. As a matter of law and custom, babies at the time were baptized within 24 hours of birth, so December 16 is his most likely birthdate. However, Beethoven himself mistakenly believed that he was born two years later, in 1772, and he stubbornly insisted on the incorrect date even when presented with official papers that proved beyond any reasonable doubt that 1770 was his true birth year. Beethoven’s personal life was marked by a struggle against deafness, and some of his most important works were composed during the last 10 years of his life, when he was quite unable to hear. He died in 1827 at the age of 56.
— Biography.com
Beethoven in Popular Culture Young Hungarian pianist Peter Bence, 30, recorded Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata finale (third movement) in an arrangement blended with Australian rock band AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.” (Disclaimer: I live in Texas, and the lyrics in the second verse of “Thunderstruck,” include, “…went through to Texas, yeah, Texas and we had some fun…”). This video recording dates from approximately 2019. According to Bence’s post on Facebook, there have been at least 1.6 million views, 10,000 shares and 31,000 “likes.” This is vitality, relevance and only three years old. NBA basketball legend Kobe Bryant, who tragically was killed in January 2020, admired classical music. In an interview with ESPN's “The Undefeated,” Bryant described how he taught himself to play “Moonlight” Sonata (first movement) by ear for his wife, Vanessa Bryant, in 2016. Performed by American singer/songwriter and classically trained pianist Alicia Keys at Bryant’s memorial service, it was introduced as the “immortal” work of Beethoven. Numerous aspects of modern culture in society reflect an ongoing public awareness that Ludwig van Beethoven was “someone,” even though people may not know exactly who he was. His name was given to a dog in a feature movie in the early 1990s. The franchise includes seven additional films, starting with the sequel “Beethoven’s 2nd.”
Leslie Spotz (Delta Pi), professor of piano at Tarleton State University, enjoys an international performing career that spans four continents and four decades. Receiving a full scholarship to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Spotz studied for five years with the legendary Mieczyslaw Horszowski, part of the heritage that is only three musicians-students-teachers away from Beethoven. She completed her doctorate at Rutgers University in 2002. She has studied and performed Beethoven’s works for more than 50 years and was invited to perform a solo piano recital and give a lecture at the International Convention in honor of the composer’s 250th birthday celebration. The Dallas Alumni chapter, with Mary Williams, Susan Poelchau and Nancy Laine, helped to sponsor this performance. SPRING 2022
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APPLAUSE & ENCORE MEMBER AND CHAPTER NEWS
Paris Daniels (Beta Zeta, Baton Rouge Alumni) self-published her second children’s book, “Where’s Alto?” in January. It is available on Amazon.
Lindsey Rae Johnson (Phi Tau, Portland Alumni) will perform with the Portland Opera Chorus on May 13 in a George and Friends Concert honoring Maestro George Manahan who recently vacated the position of music director after nine seasons. 24 MuPhiEpsilon.org
Members of the Colorado Springs Alumni chapter attended an American Music Society Concert in November. Pictured from left: Janet Davison (Gamma Lambda), Margaret Reiber (Alpha Rho), Deb Yagmin (Phi Theta) and Kathleen Anderson (Mu Tau).
The Zeta Omega chapter at Illinois College (Jacksonville) initiated three new members on December 1. They each bring their unique talents, love of music and amazing leadership to a small but mighty group. Pictured (from left): Abby Garrett (president), Jessamy Hintz (vice president) and new initiates Wendy Doolittle, Brianna Rhodes and Emmanuel Cruz.
The Beta Eta chapter at California State University-East Bay held a Mario Kart tournament for its February social event.
The Gamma Sigma chapter at California State University-Dominguez Hills had a busy fall semester, initiating 15 new members, implementing its Big and Littles program and participating in a number of SERV projects including assembling music stands and organizing sheet music for the Department of Music.
Amy Canchola (Kappa, Dallas Alumni) and Charbel Yubaile were selected to present “Foundations of Mexican Art Song” at the second annual Sam Houston State University Art Song Festival in February. Canchola holds a Doctorate in Vocal Performance from the University of North Texas and her doctoral research focused on the life and music of Mexican composer María Grever.
The Elk City Intermediate Honor Choir from Elk City, Oklahoma, under the direction of Tiffany Piper Ragan (Gamma Gamma, Oklahoma Alumni) was selected as an honor group for the 2022 Oklahoma Music Educators Association winter conference. SPRING 2022
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APPLAUSE & ENCORE MEMBER AND CHAPTER NEWS
Shoutout Atlanta recently featured an interview with Tamura Billups (Beta Theta) on the evolution of her career as a performing musician, entrepreneur and record executive. Below: During Spirit Week at West Texas A&M University, members of Alpha Nu wore purple to showcase their Mu Phi Epsilon pride.
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The Eta Zeta chapter at the University of North Georgia celebrated its first chapter recital and performance in November.
The Mu Phi chapter at Baldwin Wallace University gathered to make Valentine cards together in February.
Members of Epsilon Epsilon at Texas Christian University performed in “The Italian Straw Hat” with the TCU Opera Studio in February.
Palo Verdes/South Bay Alumni featured a virtual Musical Mosaic showcasing a variety of performers representing diverse styles and genres, including concert pianist and ACME honoree Anli Lin Tong (Gamma Sigma, Palos Verdes) with Roberto Cani, violinist and concertmaster of the Los Angeles Opera Orchestra, and Udi Bar-David, cellist and member of the Philadelphia Orchestra. The event is a fundraiser to support music education in community schools.
Debbie Brooks (Phi Tau, Dallas Alumni) recently joined the faculty of the University of North Texas College of Music as a visiting lecturer in music entrepreneurship. Founder and CEO of DFW Musicians Services, Brooks is a premier music contractor and freelance cellist in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and performs regularly with the Fort Worth Symphony and other area ensembles.
Please send your Applause & Encore news items with photo to: editor@muphiepsilon.org. SPRING 2022
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DISTRICT DIRECTORY
ATLANTIC DISTRICT A1 Stephanie Berry 574.596.8285 bmpenguin69@hotmail.com
SOUTHEAST DISTRICT SE1 Marshall Pugh 252.599.2492 se1dd@muphiepsilon.org
NORTH CENTRAL DISTRICT NC1 Carmen Chavez (952) 460-0708 nc1dd@muphiepsilon.org
DISTRICT A2 Susan Todenhoft 703.323.4772 H 703.509.0224 C todenhoft@gmail.com
DISTRICTS SE2 & SE3 Arietha Lockhart 404.284.7811 ariethal@hotmail.com
DISTRICT NC2 Emma Bauerle 308.883.2625 nc2dd@muphiepsilon.org
DISTRICT SE4 Adriana Ezekiel 256.443.5339 adrianalezekiel@gmail.com
WEST CENTRAL DISTRICT WC1 Ashley Roever 580.822.5682 amroever@hotmail.com
EASTERN GREAT LAKES DISTRICTS EGL1 & EGL2 Hannah Flowers 814.897.6531 mrs.hannah.flowers@gmail.com DISTRICT EGL3 Nancy Jane Gray 330.688.7990 bobgrayz@aol.com GREAT LAKES DISTRICT GL1 Pat Butler 734.751.9069 liv2sail2@aol.com DISTRICT GL2 Linda McNair 314.494.7472 c1dd@muphiepsilon.org EAST CENTRAL DISTRICTS EC1 Herbert Jackson 678.577.3637 herbertjackson5@gmail.com DISTRICTS EC2 & EC3 Brandon Barnett 317.557.3443 indianapolis@muphiepsilon.org
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SOUTH CENTRAL DISTRICTS SC1 & SC4 Isabel De La Cerda idelacerda@hotmail.com 210.204.6425 DISTRICT SC2 Sam Melnick 512.673.3822 samelnicomposer@gmail.com DISTRICT SC3 Anissa Martinez 806.217.4445 anissamartinez2013@icloud.com DISTRICT SC4 Isabel De La Cerda 210.204.6425 idelacerda@hotmail.com CENTRAL DISTRICT C1 Linda McNair 314.414.7472 lmsign4me@gmail.com DISTRICT C2 Paula Patterson 417.773.1176 paulapatterson@missouristate.edu
DISTRICT WC2 Kirsten Forbes 720.232.6450 kirsten_forbes@msn.com PACIFIC NORTHWEST DISTRICT PNW1 Sophia Tegart 509.991.4906 sophia.tegart@gmail.com DISTRICTS PNW2 & PNW3 Michael Lasfetto 971.275.3800 pnw3dd@muphiepsilon.org PACIFIC DISTRICT P1 Jessica Nguyen 858.231.5545 jttnmusic@gmail.com DISTRICT P2 Patrick Aguayo 408.991.4011 patrickanthony551@gmail.com PACIFIC SOUTHWEST DISTRICT PSW1 Tanner Wilson 951.515.9680 tannerwilson263@gmail.com
OFFICERS DIRECTORY
2021-2024 INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD Dr. Kurt-Alexander Zeller, Mu Chi Atlanta Alumni International President 770.961.4400 president@muphiepsilon.org Liana Sandin, Beta Pi Lincoln Alumni 1st VP/Extension Officer 402.560.7126 extensionofficer@muphiepsilon.org Ashley Bouras, Phi Tau Dallas Alumni 2nd VP/Collegiate Advisor 972.765.3252 collegiateadvisor@muphiepsilon.org Ann Geiler, Phi Theta St. Louis Alumni 3rd VP/Alumni Advisor 314.691.7648 alumniadvisor@muphiepsilon.org Dr. Rebecca Sorley, Kappa Indianapolis Alumni 4th VP/Music Advisor 317.885.1103 musicadvisor@muphiepsilon.org Terrel Kent, Esq., Beta Zeta Baton Rouge Alumni 5th VP/Eligibility Advisor 225.772.7384 eligibilityadvisor@muphiepsilon.org Jess LaNore, Beta Psi Indianapolis Alumni Executive Secretary-Treasurer 888.259.1471 executiveoffice@muphiepsilon.org Kat Braz International Editor editor@muphiepsilon.org
HONORARY ADVISORY BOARD Rosemary Ames, Omega Boston Alumni 508.498.4669 rosemarykames@gmail.com Katherine Doepke, Phi Beta Minneapolis Alumni 763.513.0381 katdoepke@gmail.com Lee Clements Meyer, Phi Xi Austin Alumni 512.345.5072
INTERNATIONAL CHAIRMEN ACME Arietha Lockhart (Chair) Beta Gamma, Atlanta Alumni 404.284.7811 ariethal@hotmail.com Mary Au (Co-Chair), Mu Nu Los Angeles Alumni 323.666.2603 auhaus@gmail.com
BYLAWS & STANDING RULES Kurt-Alexander Zeller, Mu Chi Atlanta Alumni 770.961.4400 zellertenor@aol.com
FINANCE Evelyn Archer Omega Omega, St. Louis Area Alumni 458.562.9177 archerbe@sbcglobal.net
INTERNATIONAL Marlon Daniel, Mu Xi New York City Alumni 212.641.0305 marlondanielnyc@gmail.com
MUSIC LIBRARIAN & ARCHIVES Wendy Sistrunk, Mu Mu Kansas City Alumni 816.836.9961 61gwensinger@gmail.com
2021-2022 FOUNDATION BOARD Dr. Sophia Tegart, President Mu Beta 509.991.4906 president@mpefoundation.org Dr. Matthew Hoch, Vice President Lambda vicepresident@mpefoundation.org Dr. Katsuya Yuasa, Secretary Phi Mu secretary@mpefoundation.org Sean Kilgore, Treasurer Kappa treasurer@mpefoundation.org Zachariah Carlson Zeta Lambda Minneapolis Alumni admin@mpefoundation.org Kira Dixon, Artist Concert Manager Grants and Scholarship Chairman Phi Mu, Palo Alto Alumni grants@mpefoundation.org Dr. Kurt-Alexander Zeller Mu Chi Atlanta Alumni president@muphiepsilon.org
SPRING 2022
I the triangle
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International Executive Office 4011 N. Pennsylvania St. #100 Indianapolis, IN 46205 executiveoffice@muphiepsilon.org 888-259-1471
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