Alma Mater - University of Memphis

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MUSIC “Participation is not limited to music majors. There are many students from across the University who have an interest in music and can play their instrument well. Those students can audition to be in one of our bands.” However, he also acknowledges that the more demanding ensembles such as the Symphonic Band and the Wind Ensemble require the skills of a graduate level music student or ac- complished undergraduate music major. Nguyen himself has been drawn to bands ever since he played in his high school band in Arkansas. Similar to Bonner, band participation and leadership certainly seem to be a way of life for him. “I enjoy the variety in the music and style of each band,” Nguyen says. “Although we don’t have the same extensive repertoire as opera, we are also not bound by its tradition. There are many new and exciting compositions and new transcriptions of existing, his- torical compositions. The expectations of what a Wind Ensemble concert ought to be are not as defined as those of what an opera ought to 10 VOICES SUMMER 2012 be. We have a lot of freedom.” Equally important to Nguyen is the role of bands in the larger context of the University. “Concert bands celebrate students’ musician- ship and provide a real artistic experience,” he notes. “Athletic bands, on the other hand, are the largest goodwill ambassadors for the University and it is an honor for the students to represent the University in such a way. Not every student gets to experience that.” As for the students, they wouldn’t have it any other way. Accounting major Kerry Baird and history major Lee Wilson, both part of The Might Sound of the South Marching Band, are proud to support the University’s football team and wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to form life-long friendships with their band mates. “The great thing about band is that you meet new people you may have never met otherwise,” Wilson says. “Playing in the band together builds a special bond that is hard to find somewhere else.” Previous page and at left: The Mighty Sound of the South Marching Band performances during a University of Memphis football game. Below, left: Music students during a Wind Ensemble concert at the University of Memphis. will also teach courses in music education and provide high-quality in-class instruction and one-on-one student mentoring. Hall received his Bachelor and Master of Music in Music Education from the University of Michigan and is currently completing his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Wind Conduct- ing at Michigan State University. Dan Kalantarian, Assistant Director of Bands Kalantarian joined the Scheidt School of Music for a one-year appointment as assistant director of bands in 2011 before being offered the tenure-track position beginning with the 2012/13 school year. His duties include directing the University Band and Pep Band, and assisting with The Mighty Sound of the South Marching Band. He will also teach courses in music education. Kalantarian received his Bachelor and Master of Music from the University of California, Los Angeles and is currently pursuing his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Conducting at the University of Kansas. He has previously served as Associate Director of Bands at Idaho State University, the University of Hawaii, Wake Forest University and Ball State University. Band Alumni The University of Memphis Band Alumni Chapter supports the efforts of the National Alumni Association in engaging alumni, former students and friends in three challenges: advocating the ideals of the University and the band program, ad- vancing its welfare, and fostering life-long relationships with the institution. Member- ship in this Chapter is open to all alumni, former students, friends, and supporters of The U of M band program. Since 2002, the Band Chapter has been instrumental in organizing the annual Bandmasters Championship, a scholastic marching band contest of the highest level, held at Liberty Bowl Stadium on the last Saturday in Octo- ber. The Bandmasters Championship has its roots in the Mid-South Invitational, the first U of M marching band competition, held at Whitehaven Stadium in 1963.
Above: Costume sketches for the Ohio Light Opera’s production of Guys and Dolls, which is directed by Uof M theatre professor Jacob Allen. Right: Jacob Allen, assistant professor of theatre, as Mordred in the Ohio Light Opera’s 2011 production of Camelot. The Ohio Light Opera Offers Unique Experience for Theatre Professionals and Apprentices For the past seven years, Jacob Allen, assistant professor of musical theatre, has spent his summers in Wooster, Ohio— a mid-sized community of approximately 26,000 people, “nestled in the center of Wayne County,” half-way between Columbus and Cleveland. Wooster is home to The College of Wooster, and two subsidiaries of The Ohio State University. During the summer months, when students pack up to pursue opportunities that will boost their resumes, the city is prone to feel vacant. However, during the weeks when students poor out of Wooster to chase their dreams, the city also attracts close to 22,000 visitors from across the globe who make the pilgrimage to Wayne County for the same reasons as Allen: The Ohio Light Opera. Resident professional opera company of The College Of Wooster, The Ohio Light Opera (OLO) is now in its 33rd year. Since 1979 it has put on a seven-week long season every summer—June through August. Up to nine plays are performed in rotating rep totaling nearly to 60 performances per season. “There is no other company like this in the United States,” Allen says. “Being part of a season at Ohio Light is an amazing and intense experience for the whole company and a great opportunity for young performers.” One such performer is Kristina Hanford, a senior in the musical theatre program at the University of Memphis. “I didn’t know about The Ohio Light Opera until professor Allen mentioned it to me,” Hanford says. “I auditioned for one of its apprentice performer spots in Chicago but also for other internship opportunities while at the South Eastern Theatre Conference (SECT). When I was offered to join The Ohio Light Opera for the summer I didn’t hesitate, even though I had also made it to the call-back round at SECT.” Allen, who started at the company as an apprentice performer seven years ago, knows that it is a first-rate training ground for young actors and students pursuing degrees in theatre design and performance. “In just seven weeks the students get to experience everything they would learn during a regular season at a professional theatre,” he THEATRE & DANCE says. “Everybody gets paid, the repertoire requires all the essential performance and design skills they learned in school while the pieces are very accessible.” Furthermore, students are immersed in a company that recruits more than 100 of the best theatre professionals from across the United States, which allows them to form valuable connec- tions that may jump-start their careers after graduation. Having been able to take on more responsibilities over the years, Allen feels that his experience with the company, in his role as professional actor and director, complement his role at the University and allows him to be part of both the academic world and the stage. This season, Allen will direct Guys and Dolls by Frank Loesser and Abe Burrow, a Ohio Light Opera premier. Included in this year’s line-up are six other titles, counting three more OLO premiers, A Connecticut Yankee by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, Blossom Time by Sigmund Romberg, and Miss Springtime (Die Faschingsfee) by Emmerich Kálmán, “I’ve always had an interest in the early European forms of oper- etta or comic opera, which later became musical theatre in the U.S.; especially the works of Gilbert and Sullivan,” Allen notes. “Because there is no other company like Ohio Light in the States, we are careful to approach the material from the perspective of historic preservation—staying true to the original material—while making it accessible for a modern-day audience.” Allen also feels that The Ohio Light Opera allows him to realize his vision in a substantial way. “We have a pretty generous budget, compared to other companies, which allows for a good amount of artistic freedom.” To date, OLO has produced more than 100 titles and put on more than 200 productions from the traditional light opera genre. Tucked away in a little-known place in Wayne County, Ohio, the company’s contribution to the preservation and promotion of traditional lyrical theatre has received recognition around the globe, and this summer, the University of Memphis is part of that recognition. ccfa.memphis.edu 11
Page 1 and 2: SUMMER 2012 THE MAGAZINE OF THE COL
Page 3 and 4: When the box office opened for the
Page 5 and 6: third floor houses the offices and
Page 7 and 8: A Place of Gathering + Celebration
Page 9 and 10: Veteran Video Journalist Tony Zumba
Page 11: University of Memphis Bands Are a W
Page 15 and 16: CMA One of Wilson’s recent CMA pr
Page 17 and 18: $10,000 & Above Anonymous Arkansas
Page 19 and 20: Mr. and Mrs. William L. Rahner Ms.
Page 21 and 22: Lorelei Corcoran, professor of art
Page 23 and 24: makeup. Wilkerson’s work was also

Alma Mater - University of Memphis

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