School of Music

NIME header.

James Caldwell will perform Texturologie 12: Gesture Studies for computer with Wii remotes at the international conference New Interfaces for Musical Expression–NIME–in Ann Arbor, May 23, 2012, 7:00 p.m., Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre.

Lydia Mendelsshon Theatre, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

An earlier performance can be seen here.

Adamski, Faust and Davis

Justin Davis, BA 1999 and MM 2009, conducted the University of North Carolina Greensboro University Band in a performance of Randall Faust’s Suite for Band.

Faust also performed the Heinrich Hubler Concerto for Four Horns with the UNCG Band, Horn Professor Dr. Abigail Pack, and Graduate Hornists Catherine Creasy and Jacy Burroughs.

In addition, Faust played a recital with Dr. Pack and organist Dr. Andre Lash of the UNCG faculty.

Right: Justin Davis, Honors Graduate of Western Illinois University, 1999 and Master of Music, 2009. Justin is the Director of the University Band at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he is completing his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Instrumental Conducting.

Left: Brian Adamski who was a student colleague of Davis’s here at WIU in the 1990s. Brian has recently returned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He is currently a hornist in the Army Band at Fort Bragg after having played horn in the Army Band in Heidelberg, Germany for seven years and Iraq for two!

Dr. Tammie Walker and Minyoung Yoon

WIU alum Minyoung Yoon (MM-Piano Performance, 2009) was recently named the Winner of the University of Illinois Concerto Competition.

The UI Concerto Competition is open to all instrument and voice parts, with the winner chosen by three outside judges. This year’s judges were from Bradley University, the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the University of Iowa.

Minyoung is currently a 3rd year doctoral student majoring in Piano Performance and will perform Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto with the UI Symphony Orchestra during their 2012-13 season.

Minyoung was a piano student of Dr. Tammie Walker from 2006-09.

Chris Hass, senior music major

Trumpeter Chris Haas, senior music major from Nauvoo, competed as a semi-finalist in the National Trumpet Competition at George Mason University.

Haas has also advanced as one of three finalists for the International Trumpet Guild’s Mock Orchestra Audition Competition.  This year’s ITG Convention is hosted by the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University.

Chris studies with Bruce Briney.

West Music poster for Dr. Tammie Walker masterclass

Dr. Tammie Walker, Professor of Piano, presented a 3-hour masterclass for pre-college students at West Music Store in Moline, IL on Saturday, February 11.

This was the third consecutive year that Dr. Walker was invited to give a public masterclass as preparation for the National Federation of Music Clubs annual piano festival.

Patrick Downing, BM 2009, WIU alum and former piano student of Dr. Walker, is the head of Steinway piano sales at West Music and organized the event.

Dr. Rich Cangro, WIU Assistant Professor of Music Education

Rich Cangro was a headline presenter for the Minnesota Music Educators Midwinter Clinic in Minneapolis, MN.

He presented 3 well attended sessions on developing 21st century learners.

• Assessing the 21^st century Secondary School Musician:
  In a data-driven, 21st century education, teachers need to have a valid and reliable means for measuring and reporting student achievement. This practical, hands-on session will examine different types of measurement tools used for performance-based assessments. Collecting data on authentic student music achievement and using the data for determining grades will also be discussed. Participants will design and learn to develop assessment instruments for use in their own programs.
• Brain-on Ensemble Playing in the 21st Century: No Need for a Transfusion!:
  What do we admire about great musicians? Do the skills we value in professional musicians match the skills and concepts we develop in our curriculum? Students performing with their brains on command a music education that fosters authentic learning. Profound musicianship through active, authentic music learning is the key to any effective ensemble program at the secondary level. This session will explore the ingredients of a “good” musician and provide instructional strategies and activities for developing a foundation of musicianship that lasts beyond graduation.
• Fostering Independence in 21st Century Elementary Music Classes: Fostering authentic 21^st century skills in music learning that leads towards independent musicianship naturally centers on how students can communicate, collaborate, critically think, and be creative. This session is intended to introduce activities and teaching strategies that engage elementary music students to become independent learners and active music-makers through cooperative learning and student interaction. Participants will learn and experience activities that engage learners in music-making, as well as fun teambuilding and classbuilding games for social interaction and developing a sense of classroom community.

School of Music students and their faculty advisor Courtney Blankenship attended the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show in Annaheim, California in January.

WIU students attend NAMM.

Students pictured are left to right: Alex Salsbery, junior music major from Oswego, IL;  Adam Gorz, first-year music major from Tinley Park, IL; Barbi Brewer, senior music major from Cuba, IL; Steve Hodges, senior music business minor from Chicago, IL; and Kevin Clymer, junior music major from Joliet, IL.

Brady Lavin and Katie Bowling also attended but weren’t present for the picture.

Courtney Blankenship, WIU SOM Music Business faculty, along with others served as panelists at the Generation Next Program at NAMM.  Pictured below are Blankenship, Christina Holthe, Yamaha Corporation, Tom Weir, Sound City Studios, and Mark Goff, Paige’s Music and NAMM Executive Committee Treasurer.

Panelists at the Generation Next Program at NAMM.

Randall Faust, WIU School of Music, Professor of Horn

James Boldin reviewed Randall Faust’s How to Stop a Horn DVD in his February blog.

The topic for this week’s review is an excellent resource for learning to play stopped horn – How to Stop a Horn - produced by Dr. Randall Faust, Professor of Horn at Western Illinois University. I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Faust at the 2011 Midwest Clinic, and he generously passed along this DVD as well as several of his other publications. Along with instructional videos by Douglas Hill, Wendell Rider, and others, this DVD belongs in the library of any serious student or teacher. In this 30 minute “virtual lesson,” Professor Faust covers the topic of stopped horn comprehensively, from a historical as well as practical perspective.

Read more at Boldin’s blog.

This DVD was a project that Michael Thompson, University Television, and Faust worked on during the Spring/Summer of 2007.

Karla Vilchez Neal, WIU BM horn performance, 2004

Karla Vilchez Neal, B.M. Horn Performance, 2004, has been appointed to the position of Student Success Specialist in the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Northern Illinois University.

Karla Vílchez Neal was born in San Jose, Costa Rica. For nine years she attended the arts conservatory Conservatorio de Castella where she grew love, respect, and appreciation for the visual and performing arts. After attending Interlochen Arts Camp, she received the opportunity to pursue a degree in horn performance at Western Illinois University (WIU). As a musician, Karla has performed with numerous ensembles including Banda Nacional de San Jose in Costa Rica, Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional de Costa Rica, Orchestre Philharmonique Rhodanien in Tournon, France; Knox Galesburg Symphony Orchestra, and the Quad Cities Symphony Orchestra. She was featured on the NPR program From the Top, performed at Carnegie Hall in New York, and served as a Music Department Adjunct Faculty at Knox College. She studied horn with Ricardo Perez, Luis Murillo, Douglas Campbell, Randall Faust, and Bruce Heim.

After becoming a Community Advisor at WIU, Karla developed a passion for helping students succeed. She decided to pursue a career in Adult Education once she finished her master’s degree. In 2007, Karla came to Northern Illinois University and joined the Student Involvement and Leadership Development (SILD) team with whom she worked for 4 years as Assistant Director. At NIU, Karla has coordinated numerous large and small scale programs including the Lead NIU Summit, the Kevin D. Knight Leadership Awards Ceremony, Friday Fest, the Leadership Academy’s Workshop Series, and De Mujer a Mujer (the Latina Assistance Program). She has served as the advisor for the Campus Activities Board (CAB), Sigma Lambda Gamma, the Leadership Academy, and the Leadership Advisory Board. She has taught UNIV 101 and served as the teaching assistant for LTIC 501, Multicultural Education: Methods and Materials.

Karla joined the Office of Student Academic Success (OSAS), in November of 2011, as the Student Success Specialist for the College of Visual and Performing Arts. She holds a B.A. (cum laude) in Music Performance from Western Illinois University, a M.M. in Performance from the University of Louisville, Kentucky; and is currently pursuing her Ed.D. in Adult and Higher Education at Northern Illinois University.

From the NIU press Release.