2008 - University of Massachusetts Amherst

The state of your Department is great! Highlights of the past year
include:
• Hiring a new tenure-track Assistant Professor in Music Education/
Elementary Classroom
• Hiring a new tenure-track Assistant Professor in Ballet
• The Wind Ensemble appearing at the East Coast Regional CBDNA
conference in Washington D.C.
• The funding of a “Creative Economy” grant, resulting in the Sankofa
Summer Dance program
• Receiving funding to purchase new choral risers, stands and tablet-armed
chairs
• Presenting “friend raisers” with the Lark Quartet in New York City and
Boston
• Presenting our most financially successful Pops Concert ever
• Establishing our new Alumni Board
• The Marching Band appearing at the Bands of America Grand National
Championship
• Receiving a commitment from the Chancellor of 4 million dollars toward a
new Marching Band building
• Large and small ensembles performing at high schools throughout the
Commonwealth
• Creating a new course schedule that will allow for more chamber music
times, orchestra rehearsals in the daytime and better integration with the
overall UMass Amherst schedule
• Presenting numerous sessions at the MMENC conference in Boston—the
most in years
• Creating our first annual fund drive for Music and Dance
• Creating new summer workshops in direct response to alumni
recommendations
• Accessing a new state-of-the-art Mac computer lab in the FAC
• Presenting 28 master classes, including such outstanding artists as
Bernard Greenhouse and the José Limón Dance Company
• Presenting a major Tribute to Max Roach in collaboration with the
African-American Studies Department
I encourage you to come back and visit us. Why not return for the
second Music Alumni Reunion on October 17th to see our renovation
first-hand, meet students and faculty, have a great meal at the University
Club and enjoy the Multibands concert? If you can’t make that, just
let us know—you are always welcome to be my guest at a concert, or
sit in on our classes. Our exciting workshops this summer are just the
first indication of our interest in providing you with what you need to
enhance your post-degree professional development. Come join us!
2 fanfare
message from the chair
Jeff Cox
413-545-2227
behind the scenes
As many of our alumni, students, friends
and faculty already know, it is the staff that
keeps the Music & Dance Department
running smoothly. Here is a brief look at
who they are and what they do.
Suzanne Bell, Music Reserve Lab
Supervisor in the Music Wing of the
Fine Arts Center.
Helen Boyden, Undergraduate
Secretary & Receptionist
Denise Cuddeback, Graduate Secretary
& Secretary to the Chair
Pam Juengling, Music Librarian at the
W.E.B. DuBois Library
Marilyn Kushick, Director of Publicity &
Fundraising
Doreen Libby, Business Manager
Eric Roth MM ’96, Assistant to the
Director of Publicity & Fundraising,
Website Manager
Christopher Thornley, Director of
Admissions & Facilities
l–r: Jeff Cox, Eric Roth, Helen Boyden, Doreen
Libby, Denise Cuddeback, Marilyn Kushick,
Christopher Thornley