Huskies Perform at Collegiate Marching Band Festival

On Sunday, October 4, 2015, The Bloomsburg University Marching Band, under the direction of Dr. Gifford Howarth, performed at the 2015 Collegiate Marching Band Festival in Allentown, PA. 

Four thousand performers and six thousand spectators, most of them high school marching band members, were in attendance. 

This year's show features a clever medley of songs by Billy Joel, Elton John, and Paul Simon. If you haven't yet caught this season's show in person at a Huskies football game, you can see the Festival performance on Youtube.

Music Prof to Perform during Papal Visit

Dr. Amelia Garbisch of the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance is one of a small ensemble of professional singers who will perform at the Saturday evening concert during the Papal visit to Philadelphia. During the live, nationally broadcast concert Dr. Garbisch will be singing back-up for Aretha Franklin, Andrea Bocelli, and others. The Philadelphia Orchestra will also perform.

According to the Washington Post:

The following afternoon in Philadelphia, Mark Wahlberg will host the Festival of Families on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Aretha Franklin will perform for Pope Francis at the event, the archdiocese said, as will the Fray. Comedian Jim Gaffigan will headline a pre-show on the parkway before the festival begins.

Duo Montagnard to be featured on ArtScene

Duo Montagnard, composed of guitarist and Bloomsburg University music professor Matthew Slotkin and Mansfield University professor and saxophonist Joseph Murphy, will be featured on WVIA this Monday (April 6, 2015) at 11:00 a.m. 

Drs. Slotkin and Murphy did an interview for the WVIA ArtScene series as a promotion for an upcoming concert in Scranton on April 19, and they also did a short live in-studio performance that will be part of the feature. The broadcast will be available as a podcast shortly thereafter. Follow @BUCoLADean on Twitter to receive the tweeted link when it's available. 

What We Did Over Summer "Break": Piano Professor Performs for Foreign Diplomats

Dr. Charisse Baldoria, assistant professor of piano, gave three piano recitals in Buenos Aires, Argentina this summer. All performances were very enthusiastically received, with ambassadors, Argentine government officials, and important musicians in the audience.

At the Universidad de Buenos Aires Law School rehearsing for the concert,
courtesy of Baldoria

At a concert at the University of Buenos Aires Law School’s Ciclo de grandes conciertos concert series, Dr. Baldoria played a solo recital, also performing Filipino and Argentine pieces with Argentine cellist Nestor Tedesco. The audience gave a standing ovation and asked for an encore.


On June 17, Dr. Baldoria gave another solo recital at the Foreign Ministry’s Auditorio Belgrano, also with Nestor Tedesco as special guest. It was an audience of luminaries which included diplomats, government officials, and famous Argentine musicians such as Rodolfo Mederos.

At the Auditorio Manuel Belgrano with Argentine cellist Nestor Tedescoon,
courtesy of Baldoria

Dr. Baldoria presented a lecture-recital titled “Gong-Chime Music of Southeast Asia:  Pianistic Interpretations” at the Centro Cultural Borges on June 20. Along with piano demonstrations and a brief recital, Dr. Baldoria gave an animated digital presentation using audio, video, photographs, maps, scores, and diagrams to illustrate and clarify concepts related to these rarely performed piano pieces and the unique Southeast Asian music that inspired them.

After the concert, with the legendary tango composer Rodolfo Mederos
and Philippine Ambassador Rey Carandang,
courtesy of Baldoria

The conference also featured numerous presentations about Hispanic, Latin, tango, Asian, and piano music, as well as concerts of modern music. Dr. Baldoria attended various cultural and educational events and met Argentine musicians.

Dr. Baldoria also acquired various tango and Argentine piano scores which her students will use in their upcoming spring recital. Stay tuned!

Music Professor's Arrangements Chosen for Publication

Dr. Stephen Clickard, professor of music, has had three of his "little big band" arrangements chosen for publication by Walrus Music Publishers. Based out of Pismo Beach, California, Walrus publishes some of the most prestigious composer/arrangers in the jazz world. Walrus recently began a project to arrange classic songs from the American songbook that have moved into the public domain.

Dr. Clickard rehearses with the BU Jazz Ensemble

Dr. Clickard was asked to contribute to the project. His newest arrangements are of "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows," which he set as an up-tempo swing, and "There'll Be Some Changes Made," which is done in a funk feel.

In addition to those arrangements, Walrus has also recently selected to publish his original composition, "Strollin' With Miss J," a tribute to his wife Janel.

To listen to Dr. Clickard's arrangements, visit Walrus Music Publishing.

BU Grad Featured on the Cover of Soundboard Magazine

courtesy of the University of Delaware's Dept. of Music

Kevin J. Cope, a recent graduate of the Bloomsburg University music program, is featured in the August issue of Soundboard magazine, the publication for members of the Guitar Foundation of America. The magazine also highlights two movements of Cope's Suite No. 2 for Solo Guitar, "Bomba III" and "Lullaby."

Cope, who earned a Masters of Music in Composition and Guitar from University of Delaware, wrote the suite as a gift to his family for Christmas 2011. "The movements included in the issue are a Puerto Rican dance written for my sister-in-law (who is from Puerto Rico) and a Lullaby written for my brother’s first daughter (and my first niece).  All movements of the set were written in order to either be enjoyed by the dedicated family member or to reflect some aspect of their personality or history that would make them emotionally connect with the piece," said Cope.

Dr. Matthew Slotkin, an assistant professor of music at BU, recently commissioned a new composition from Cope for his guitar-saxophone duo, Duo Montagnard, which he will be premiering in October at the University of Delaware and performing on their concert tour of Poland and Germany in November.

You can hear and purchase Kevin J. Cope's music on his website, www.kevinjcope.com, or through www.stringsbymail.com.

What We Did Over Summer "Break": Part 3

courtesy of wmc.nl

Another one our faculty who had a busy summer was Dr. Gifford Howarth of the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance, who spent three weeks as a judge at the 17th World Music Contest in Kerkrade, Netherlands. Hosted by the artistic council of The Netherlands, the event takes place every four years in which musical groups from throughout the world come to perform and compete. A majority of the groups are from The Netherlands and Germany as well as from Singapore, Thailand, Japan, China, France, Spain, Canada, Indonesia, Mexico, and Brazil, among others.

Howarth was one of nine international judges who adjudicated the Marching and Show Band Contest along with a Concert Percussion Contest. “Back in 2005, I met two gentlemen from The Netherlands who were attending a national percussion competition which I was judging. They brought me over to The Netherlands a couple of times between 2006-2008. I was invited to adjudicate the 2009 World Music Contest. I was then invited back to the 2013 WMC,” said Howarth.

The judges being introduced before the contest
(photo courtesy of Dr. Howarth)

“One of the most interesting aspects of the 2013 event was how much better the percussion ensembles were from 2009 to 2013. The growth was impressive. I have been fascinated with the different style of music from the different countries present in the Marching and Showband contest. Some of these groups are similar to our ‘marching band’ or drum corps and some of them are very similar to traditional military bands,” said Howarth.

Dr. Howarth (left) with fellow judge Ruud Böhmer
(photo courtesy of Dr. Howarth)

“In my view, this is a real ‘melting pot’ of different styles of music from throughout the world. Several of the groups compete using a very traditional approach which has been around for hundreds of years. Some groups have a more contemporary approach,” said Howarth.

Hopefully, we will see Dr. Howarth return to the World Music Contest in 2017!

Euphonium and Piano at Carver Hall

One of the elite brass soloists of the world, euphonium player Adam Frey (www.euphonium.com) is presenting a recital with BU professor Charisse Baldoria (www.charissebaldoria.com) on the piano.  The concert is on Thursday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m. in Gross Auditorium, Carver Hall.  It is free and open to the public.

A native of Atlanta, Adam Frey has soloed with orchestras around the world, from the Boston Pops, to the US Army Orchestra, to Finland’s Vaasa Symphony Orchestra.  A champion of the euphonium, he has more than seventy works that have been composed or specifically arranged for him. 

Frey is the president of The Euphonium Foundation Inc., a non-profit, and artistic director of the International Euphonium Institute.  He has published articles internationally and served as assistant editor of the Euphonium Source Book, a text dedicated to all things euphonium.

An adjunct professor of Euphonium at Georgia State University and Emory University,   Frey received his musical training at the University of Georgia and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England.

Dr. Charisse Baldoria, pianist, has performed in six continents and won awards in international competitions, including the San Antonio, Hilton Head Island, and Sydney international piano competitions.  A soloist and collaborative artist, she recently performed solo piano repertoire with a dancer, a painter, and a performance artist here at Bloomsburg University.   

Baldoria first came to the United States as a Fulbright scholar from the Philippines and earned her masters and doctorate from the University of Michigan.  She directs the piano program at Bloomsburg University.

The program includes the Concerto in C Minor by Telemann, The Yellow Rose of Texas Variations by Lewis Buckley, the Rule Britannia variations by John Hartmann, and other works for euphonium and piano.

Taste of the Arts: BU Dance Minors prepare

BU Dance Minors: Legendary Director/Choreographer Bob Fosse is known for his quirky, witty, sizzlin' numbers.  From the popular Broadway musical Chicago, students Christina Davis and Amber Michael perform a dance reconstruction of Fosse's "Hot Honey Rag."

An afternoon of free entertainment, A Taste of the Arts, is planned for the Moose Exchange in downtown Bloomsburg, Saturday, Feb. 23, from 2 to 5 p.m. Sponsored by Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania’s College of Liberal Arts, the event is organized by the university’s Center for Visual and Performing Arts, which helps to promote the arts in the community. Join us!

A Taste of the Arts!

BU College of Liberal Arts hosts visual and performing arts showcase

BLOOMSBURG — An afternoon of free entertainment, A Taste of the Arts, is planned for the Moose Exchange in downtown Bloomsburg, Saturday, Feb. 23, from 2 to 5 p.m. Sponsored by Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania’s College of Liberal Arts, the event is organized by the university’s Center for Visual and Performing Arts, which helps to promote the arts in the community.

Dr. Clickard rehearses the BU Jazz Ensemble

Students and faculty in the art and art history, English, and music, theatre and dance departments will showcase their talents in the Moose Exchange. While art exhibitions, theatrical productions, dance performances, recitals and other musical events, all open to the public, are held throughout the academic year, most of these events take place on campus.  A Taste of the Arts, now in its second year, brings students’ talents to a central venue for the community to enjoy, said James Brown, dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

“We had a spectacular response last year,” Brown said. “There were more than 500 people in attendance, and the interaction with community members was wonderful. We hope to entertain even more local residents at this year’s Taste of the Arts.”

The idea behind the event is to offer a variety of arts experiences with new performances beginning every 10 minutes. A Taste of the Arts will feature music by the Jazz Ensemble and Husky Singers, dance and theatrical performances, and poetry readings, along with fine arts exhibitions, demonstrations and talks.

“Over the past year, the Center for the Visual and Performing Arts has hosted several programs at the Moose Exchange in an effort to reach out to the community,” Brown said. “A Taste of the Arts is a distinctive event and our students and faculty are looking forward to participating in it once again.”

Visitors may attend any portion of the three-hour program. Refreshments will be available. Details can be found on the CVPA website, www.bloomu.edu/cvpa.

For information, contact Nawal Bonomo, assistant to the dean, College of Liberal Arts, (570) 389-4725 or nbonomo@bloomu.edu.

This Wednesday: Piano Concert with Poetry, Live Drawing, and Dance

Charisse Baldoria

Multi-awarded pianist Dr. Charisse Baldoria is giving a concert on Wednesday, November 7, 7:30 p.m. at Carver Hall, Bloomsburg University.

To top it off, renowned fellow professors from the College of Liberal Arts are joining in with poetry, live drawing, and dance, creating subtle interactions with the music:  Performance artist Hunter Fine will recite works by Federico García Lorca and Rainer Maria Rilke.  Artist Lisa Corine von Koch will create a drawing onstage.  Dancer Julie Petry will perform to arresting rhythms and harmonies.  It would be the first ever collaboration of its kind.

Performing warhorses of the piano repertoire, Dr. Baldoria will play classical works inspired by the world’s varied musical traditions:  Spanish pieces from Albéniz’ monumental Iberia, two Scarlatti sonatas (one in fandango style), three Cuban pieces, and a set inspired by Southeast Asian gongs—featuring works by Debussy, Filipino composer Ramón Santos, and New Zealander Gareth Farr.

Julie Petry

In creating her programs, Dr. Baldoria taps into her complex Filipino identity.  She juxtaposes the indigenous with the colonial, performing music from and inspired by Southeast Asia and Spain, of which the Philippines was a colony for 333 years.  A seasoned performer, Charisse has performed in four continents and won awards in international competitions, including the San Antonio, Hilton Head Island, and Sydney international piano competitions.  She first came to the United States as a Fulbright scholar from the Philippines and got her masters and doctorate from the University of Michigan.  She directs the piano program at Bloomsburg University.

Julie Petry is a multi-Emmy nominated dancer-choreographer formerly based in the Chicago area.  She has worked with PBS/Heartsong Communications; Dance Chicago; and the Summer Palace, Centerlight, and Metropolis Performing Arts Center theatres, among others.  She earned her masters at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Lisa Corine von Koch

Lisa Corine von Koch’s work features sculpture, performance and installation, incorporating ecological practices into art making, and expressing intersections between nature and culture.  She received her masters in Painting and Drawing from Arizona State University and has done numerous exhibitions around the western United States.




A performance artist and communication scholar, Dr. Hunter H. Fine has worked on solo and ensemble shows in the Marion Klineau Theater in Southern Illinois, the Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis, and the Marsh in San Francisco.  His recent scholarship has revolved around the performative constructions of everyday social and civic spaces.

     The concert is free and open to the public.

Arts in Autumn

Bloomsburg University's Center for Visual and Performing Arts is hosting a fundraising dinner on October 21, 2012 featuring a delectable menu as well as an art exhibit and literary, musical, theatrical, and dance performances featuring some of BU's most talented students. Seating is limited and by advance ticket only. Join us!

Achievements

Mass Communications major Natalie Wagner is one of four students across the PA State System of Higher Education to receive one of the first William D. Greenlee Scholarships. Ms. Wagner, of Milton, is dual majoring in anthropology. Congratulations!

Anne Dyer Stuart, English Department, won the 2012 New South Prize Prize for her essay "Idiopathic." She received a $1000 award, and her essay will be published in the Fall 2012 issue of New South. She recently read from her novel at the KGB Bar in New York City as part of Columbia Faculty Selects. She also has poems forthcoming in Third Coast, Midway Journal, and Earth's Daughters. 

The BroadwayWorld Student Center recently featured the students and faculty of BU's Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance on its website, providing valuable national exposure. 

In April, Stephen Whitworth, department of English, delivered a paper on "Psychoanalysis and Teaching" at the Transitions and Transactions Conference at CUNY; he delivered another paper at Fordham in New York in April on Baroque poetry and psychosis at the annual conference of the Affiliated Psychoanalytic Workshops. Two of his articles on psychoanalysis are now featured at on the online journal of the Washington D.C. Lacanian Forum.  

Around the College

Garry L. Hagberg, James H. Ottoway Jr. Professor of Philosophy and Aesthetics at Bard College, and guitarist for the Atlantic Jazz Trio, will present his talk, “Playing as One: Group Improvisation and Collective Intention” at 7:00 on Monday, April 23 in McCormick 1303. Professor Hagberg will give his talk guitar in hand, so jazz improvisation will accompany his talk…on jazz improvisation.

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Here's another convincing argument in support of liberal eduation, though billionaire businessman Reid Hoffman doesn't actually use the term. The cofounder of LinkedIn's advice on making sure college is worth your investment? ". . . you have to be serious about what it is you're doing and think about [whether] this college expense is going to be the one that is right for me."

The essential skills gained in college "include communication, reading and writing, the ability to learn quickly, critical reasoning skills and how to use new technologies." Thank you, Dr. Jing Luo, for the link.

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Last Saturday, students in Dr. Doug Karsner's US Business History class visited Bloomsburg Airport to hear local members of the business community, pilots, and others involved in general aviation present a series of talks on the importance of the Bloomsburg Airport and general aviation to the success of their enterprises. One of the course's major themes this semester is the growing impact that commercial and general aviation and airports have had on American business and the economy. The activity was designed to help students see how even small towns have been influenced and benefited from aviation/airport developments.

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Dr. Nicole Defenbaugh has received two grants with Dr. Noreen Chikotas this past year to work with the Nursing Department on Standardized Patient sessions.  She also has two articles in press:

Defenbaugh, N., & Kline, K. Gendered construction of HPV: A post-structuralist critique of Gardasil. In T. Carilli & J. Campbell (Eds.), Women and the Media: Global Perspectives.

Defenbaugh, N. Revealing & concealing ill identity: A performance narrative of chronic illness disclosure. Health Communication. (*Won the 2011 Norman K. Denzin Qualitative Research Award).

Dr. Defenbaugh continues to work with Internal Medicine at Geisinger as an actor and rater/reviewer for their Standardized Patient sessions. She will also be a guest presenter at Lehigh Valley Health Network and Einstein Healthcare Network in May. 

Music Prof On the Road for Spring Break

Dr. Gifford Howarth first visited Singapore in the spring of 2006 on a travel fellowship as part of his doctorate program at Michigan State University. Since then he has made 5 additional trips to the Southeast Asian country, and on March 9th he is back on the plane for the 24-hour flight to Singapore. This visit is going to be a unique one.

Dr. Howarth has had a teaching relationship with the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory in Singapore since 2006. His visits involve teaching percussion workshops and lessons with students of the school. He has built a great teaching relationship with Jonathan Fox, head of percussion at the conservatory. Mr. Fox is originally from Boston and studied music at The Juilliard School in New York City. He has been teaching and performing with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra since 2000.

During this visit to Singapore, Dr. Howarth will be performing in the Yong Siew Toh Percussion Ensemble Concert on March 17th. He will be soloist for the world premiere performance of composer Jim Casella’s MEANWHILE IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE for solo marimba and percussion ensemble. Also on the program will be Dr. Howarth’s arrangement of the popular solo guitar work LEYENDA by Isaac Albeniz. His arrangement is for solo marimba and percussion ensemble.

Dr. Howarth with Jonathan Fox and students
of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory

A unique addition to the concert will be a high school group from Kuching, Malaysia. Mr. Fox has also included the members of a St. Joseph’s Secondary School Marching Band from Malaysia to perform on the concert. Mr. Fox has a strong teaching connection with the school in Malaysia. In the spring of 2010, Dr. Howarth had the opportunity to work with the Malaysian marching band and is looking forward to their contribution to this concert.

In addition to performing on the concert, Dr. Howarth will be teaching private lessons and presenting a percussion masterclass that is open to the public. He looks forward to working with the diverse student population of the conservatory. The percussion students are from countries throughout Asia,  including Japan, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore.