SMTD Faculty, Student and Alumni News

SMTD Professors Mark Stone and Jeremy Barnett led a global arts study abroad trip to Ghana, West Africa during the recent winter break. Graduate students Renee Kuczeski, Braden Macchia, and Dan Shiller, together with undergraduate students Adanna Walker, Trey Martin, and Jake Voight studied drum, xylophone, dance, and song traditions of Ghana at the Dagara Music Center. In addition, they took in performances at +233 Jazz Club and Abojo Culture + Art Café. They also visited Ghana’s National Theatre, Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, and Art Center in Acca and traveled to Cape Coast where they toured Cape Coast Castle and Kakum National Park while staying at the Anomabo Beach Resort. As the first OU faculty led study abroad program and the first group to study at the Dagara Music Center since the beginning of the pandemic, these students represented Oakland University throughout the entire trip with grace and distinction.

Milica Govich, a special lecturer in theatre at OU, recently appeared as a guest star on an episode of “FBI: Most Wanted,” which was directed by her niece, Milena Govich. “I am thrilled to be working with her on that show,” Milica said. Milena has also directed episodes of “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago Med,” and has participated in several masterclasses with Milica’s students. In addition to her guest appearance on “FBI: Most Wanted,” Milica will also appear on Episode 3 of Season 21 of “Law and Order” on NBC as Judge Leanne Dreben. The episode is expected to air on Thursday, March 10.

Music faculty members Pam Klena and Carly Uhrig were honored at the annual Faculty Recognition Luncheon, which was held on Dec. 3 at the Oakland Center. Klena, visiting assistant professor of music, and Uhrig, music lecturer, received a Teaching Excellence Award nomination. The Teaching Excellence Award recognizes superior teaching, innovative instructional practice, high educational standards, the creation of productive learning environments, and the ability to inspire and motivate students.

Karina Lepkowski (BM '05) graduated from the University of Notre Dame Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program with a master's degree in educational leadership. Karina currently serves as principal of a small private school in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit.

On Dec. 4, 17 music students were initiated into a newly-installed chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota, an international music fraternity for women. “As faculty advisors for these amazing women, we are continually humbled by their service and love for this school, university and fraternity,” said Dr. Pam Klena and Dr. Jennifer Fox Oliverio. “It has been a privilege to watch them grow in wisdom over the past semester. It is our greatest honor to celebrate the lasting sisterhood of the Nu Zeta Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota at Oakland University.”

The Region III Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF), which took place Jan. 5-9 and was held virtually this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, featured the work of several students from the Department of Theatre in the School of Music, Theatre and Dance. “The participating schools include all students, which means our students often are in competition with graduate students from larger programs,” Karen Sheridan, professor of theatre said. “Oakland University has consistently placed well at the regional festival and we've often been invited to bring our productions as an example of excellent work being done in the region.” Click here to read more about the OU finalists and winners at ACTF.

In December, Olivia Griffin (BFA ‘16) was featured in season one of Amazon Prime’s Harlem. In January 2022, Olivia made her off-broadway debut as a vacation swing in Little Shop of Horrors Off-Broadway. Olivia was recently cast in the Broadway-aimed The Griswolds' Broadway Vacation, The Musical - based on characters from the Warner Bros. Vacation franchise. It will debut September 10 - October 1 at Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theatre, followed by an October 25 - November 6 engagement at Houston’s Theatre.

Jeffrey Heisler, associate professor of music, had his latest album, VENT, released on Jan. 14 by AMP Recordings. VENT features works by American composers (Jennifer Higdon, David Lang, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, William Bolcom, Marc Mellits, and Bill Ryan) that Dr. Heisler commissioned, premiered, and adapted for saxophone. The album also includes I-Chen Yeh, piano (Oakland University); Matthew Younglove, alto saxophone (Tennessee Tech University); and Jonathan Ovalle, marimba (Saginaw Valley University). Order your copy at https://amzn.to/3G4Mjsm. On Jan. 21, Drs. Heisler (saxophone) and Yeh (piano) presented a virtual faculty recital, "Transformations: The Art of the Transcription" on the SMTD YouTube page.

Drake Dantzler, associate professor of music, appeared on two Lansing television stations (WLNS and WLAJ) to discuss the ways winter weather can affect your voice. Click here to watch the story.

Music major Jordan Berg was selected as the awardee for the Provost Undergraduate Student Research Award for Fall 2021. His research proposal, entitled "Furthering Musical Understanding through Music Commissioning," involves commissioning a new work for trumpet and piano and creating a professional video/audio recording. Jordan has chosen to commission a work by fellow music major (and past recipient of this award) Peyton Miller. Jordan will premiere the new work on his senior recital this spring. “The project is simultaneously the most exciting and intimidating project I’ve ever taken on,” Berg said. “Performing the world premiere of a piece is one of the biggest achievements a musician can achieve. Many musicians never even get the opportunity to do this, so I am beyond grateful and excited for the opportunity. However, this opportunity being so important comes with a whole new level of stress. The pressure of perfection and meeting others and my expectations pushed me away from the idea for a long time. It was Dr. Oliverio [Jordan’s trumpet instructor] who talked me into the idea. She convinced me that the benefits outweighed the risk. She also assured me that I have the skill to do this project despite the doubts that I was having. That in combination with her help in the application process resulted in the project coming to fruition. I’m very excited to show off all the work we have been and will be doing!”

The Michigan Music Conference took place in Grand Rapids from January 27-29, and the OU Department of Music was well represented. Sessions included: the MSVMA Conducting Symposium featuring the Oakland Chorale and clinician Mike Mitchell; The Effects of Music Education on Brain Development, featuring Julianne Holmes, BM ’13 and current MM student; Recognizing and Confronting Gender Bias/Discrimination, featuring Pamela L. Klena, OU visiting assistant professor of music; Research to Practice: Teaching Culturally Diverse Vocal Music With Intention and Care: A Review of Choral Literature, featuring Catherine Bennett, OU assistant professor of music; Lessons and Inspirations from the Post-Pandemic Music Classroom: Adapting for the Future (A Panel Discussion), featuring Thomas Torrento, current Ph.D music education student; and An Intro to Trauma-Informed Education, featuring Hannah Combs, current OU music education major.

OU voice student Lily Belle Czartorski and alumnus Victoria (Pace) Korovljev both premiered the work "Stinney: An American Execution" at Opera Grand Rapids in February. Alumnus Ann Toomey sang the first of two productions this season portraying the title character in Tosca to great acclaim. This summer she will return to Wolf Trap Opera to sing the title role in Carlisle Floyd's Susannah.

SMTD welcomed Seraph Brass — a dynamic brass ensemble that draws from a roster of America’s top female brass players — to OU for a virtual residency with our brass studios. They held a public masterclass on Feb. 4. The first hour included separate classes for horn, low brass, and trumpet; and the second hour was a panel discussion on entrepreneurship with all five members of Seraph Brass in attendance.

The Choral Artists of Michigan performed in a “really happy concert” on Saturday, Feb. 5 at the University Presbyterian Church in Rochester Hills. The concert featured several OU students and alumni, including Angela Bonello, Caroline Roberts, Seth Miller, Kellan Dunlap, Lauren Munaco, and Lara Alami.

Composer Andrea Moon, who received her master’s degree in piano performance and piano pedagogy from Oakland University, has had three of her piano pieces published by FJH Music Company. The first is a solo called “Moonlight Waltz;” it features lush jazz style chords with a lyrical melody. Next is a duet called “Side by Side Blues,” which has a Boogie Woogie style Secondo part with an improvisatory jazz melody for the Primo. The most recent publication is "Winter Journey." This piece, written in ABA form, is a calm, introspective piece. It is featured as part of the FJH Music Company's new release program. All three works are for intermediate level pianists. “One of the greatest things about being a musician is that over the years I've had many different types of experiences,” Moon said. “After listening to music and performing for many years, composing seems like the next logical step. When I write music, I try to create pieces that evoke imagery, often by focusing on modern harmonies. When I studied piano with Flavio Varani, he often challenged his students to create a picture in our minds of what the music would represent. I want my compositions to be enjoyable to listen to and to play.”

Bass singer and lutenist Joel Frederiksen, who received a master’s degree from OU in early music in 1990, will be performing throughout Europe in 2022-23. Frederiksen, who lives in Munich, Germany has performed with leaders in the early music world including Dame Emma Kirkby, Jordi Savall or Paul O’Dette, and with leading ensembles such as the Freiburger Baroque Orchestra, Ensemble Gilles Binchois and Huelgas Ensemble. His wide-ranging basso profundo voice and expressive performances have earned him worldwide acclaim. He has been honored several times by Oakland University, most recently receiving the Distinguished Alumni Award. For more information about his upcoming tour, visit https://www.joelfrederiksen.com.

Pianist Tian Tian, an associate professor of music at Oakland University, was a judge in the 12th Annual David D. Dubois Piano Competition, which was held on Feb. 6 at Bowling Green State University. The featured 17 semifinalists, including musicians from China and Vietnam. You can read more about the competition here.

Oakland University music technology alumnus James Holk III (BM ‘21) was recently hired by Sweetwater Music Instruments & Pro Audio after interning at the company’s massive, three-studio facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana this past summer. At Sweetwater, Holk will be working as a sales engineer, which will require him to complete 13 weeks of training. “I’ve had my eyes on this position for the last few years and finally made it through the interview process,” said Holk, who will be in charge of selling audio equipment to 4,000-5,000 clients. “Achieving this role will allow me to build strong professional relationships within the music industry, and is a stepping stone to reaching my goal of building and operating my own recording studio,” he said.

OU's Department of Theatre presented “Sense and Sensibility” — by Kate Hamill, based on the novel by Jane Austen — Feb. 16 - 20 in the Varner Studio Theatre. “Our play takes place in 1810, and follows the Dashwood sisters— sensible Elinor and sensitive Marianne — as they negotiate societal expectations and personal feelings,” said Karen Sheridan, director and distinguished professor of theatre at OU.

The OU Trombone Ensemble, as well as alumni from the group who have graduated from the School of Music, Theatre and Dance, performed the Star Spangled Banner on Feb. 16 at the O’rena. The game was also broadcast on ESPN.

The Oakland Symphony Orchestra presented its 24th Annual David Daniels Young Artists Concert on Feb. 20 at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts in Clinton Township. “Named after Professor Emeritus David Daniels in recognition of his distinguished career at Oakland University and sustained commitment to teaching Oakland University’s aspiring student musicians, the concert is always an annual highlight of the OSO season,” said Gregory Cunningham, music director of the OSO and professor of orchestral and wind conducting at OU. The Young Artists Concert program featured three solo student performances by the winners of the 2021-22 Oakland University Concerto and Aria Competition, an annual, highly competitive, two-tiered music competition in which students from OU's Department of Music compete for the opportunity to perform as a soloist with the OSO. This year’s winners include: Deven Mallamo(piano), Kyle Paoletti (timpani), and Cassidie Singelyn (soprano). Read more here.

Dr. Pam Klena, visiting assistant professor of music, recently earned a Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Certificate from Cornell University after completing an intense, eight-week course. “The course was a transformative experience,” said Klena, whose participation in the course was sponsored by Glenn McIntosh from Student Affairs & Diversity and Dean Elaine Carey from the College of Arts and Sciences. “ Through extensive testing, Klena uncovered many of her own biases. “More importantly, I learned how to recognize these biases and more fully foster a psychologically safe space for my students.” Read more here.

Klena has also been appointed assistant professor of music starting on Aug. 15. Dr. Deborah VanderLinde, chair of the Department of Music said, "Pam’s expertise and passion for instrumental music and instrumental music education have been so important to our students and programs for the past three years and we look forward to what I know will be an amazing career."

On Feb. 23, the Oakland University Wind Bands (Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band) and the Oakland University Brass Band took the stage at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts. This concert also featured Dr. Jennifer Oliverio (trumpet) and the Magnificent 7 percussion septet.

Jess Julian (BM ‘17) appeared on Chelsea Handler’s “Dear Chelsea” podcast on Feb. 29 to discuss their experiences as a non binary gay person, as well as their experiences dating closeted or just coming out women. “I have been a huge fan of hers since I was a kid, watching her show ‘Chelsea Lately’ with my twin brother, even though we were too young,” Julian said. “While I love her comedy, I also love her for growth, like in her last book ‘Life Will Be The Death of Me.’ It is about her experience in therapy, processing the death of her brother, who died when she was a kid, and processing it as an adult. I relate to that as my dad passed when I was also in elementary school, and my journey processing it through adulthood. She is also a great advocate for many vulnerable folks, including queer people.”

Drake Dantzler and Alta Boover completed a residency at the Schwob School of Music in Georgia in February and will head to the Omaha Conservatory this month. This summer they will present a program of American Operetta in the World Music Showcase at the International Congress of Voice Teachers in Vienna, Austria. Dr. Boover will join Mary Siciliano and John Madison in a presentation of the Chamber works of Charles Loeffler at the Scarab Club on April 3rd. Their album, Of Time and Love, includes these works and the work of Nicolas Bacri and will be released in July 2022.  Dr. Boover will also present music by women composers at the Detroit Institute of Arts to celebrate their exhibition "By Her Hand: Artemisia Gentileschi and Women Artists in Italy, 1500-1800."

Anthony Guest, associate professor of theatre, has been working with award-winning stand-up comedian Ziggy Klett, aka Phillip Dunham — a stage four cancer survivor — on 47 Chairs, which tells the story of Klett’s life, including a tortuous relationship with his mother, his battle with liver cancer, and the romantic relationships that helped form who he is today. “I have helped him develop his material to find a more universal audience and centered his performance to evoke an honest theatrical narrative,” Guest said. “The work has been moving, electric and symbiotic. I have learned just as much from him as he has learned from me.” A performance of 47 Chairs, will be held on April 9 at 20 Front Street in Lake Orion. For more information, including other upcoming tour dates, visit https://ziggyklett.com.

March 3 was opening night for Nicely Theatre’s production of “Anything Goes” at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts, and it included OU alumni Meghan Andrzejewski, Tyler Bolda, Mitchell Hardy, Dave Roy, Nicole Armstrong and Lindsey Tycholiz-McKiddy; current theatre student Sam VanKampen; and OU collaborative pianists Cat Dacpano and Amy Sauve. 

Monica Lopez Orozco, visiting assistant professor of theatre, just completed a run of Heisenberg, a breathtaking pas-de-deux, at Northern Stage in Vermont. Monica played the part of Georgie Burns and said, “I identify with Georgie's sense of play and desire to make a meaningful life. I think she looks for acceptance from external sources, which is something that I have shed but remember well. I identify with her fear of loss and the consequences of getting too close to people.”

The School of Music, Theatre and Dance (SMTD) will celebrate Pride Month on March 23 as students and faculty share Queer stories through various mediums of performance. The event, which will be presented virtually and in-person at the Oakland Center Habitat, will also include three dances on film: “Introducing…Kristi Kreme” by Teresa Muller (faculty), “Faces” by Angelo Lowery (student), and “I’appuntamentio” by Jane Lyszak (student). “Each artist will have a moment to discuss their work,” Muller said. “We will provide time for comments, and Q/A if wanted by attendees, and space for those who are in the films as performers to share their experiences.” Learn more about OU Pride Month activities here and join the dance presentation using this Zoom link.

The winner of the 2022 OU Chamber Music Competition is The Ford / Miller DUO which includes Brant Ford, saxophone, and Peyton Miller, piano. The winners of this award receive the MaTilDa Award in Chamber Music. The Magnificient 7, percussion septet, received an Honorable Mention. Brant and Peyton are performing Sonata in A Major by Cesar Franck Incantation and Dance by William Grant Still at the upcoming Tuesday Musicale of Detroit Awards Winners’ Concert on March 31.

The OU chapter of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) is planning two events this month in celebration of “Music in Our Schools Month.” The first event, “Questions for Kerro” — featuring Kerro Knox 3, professor of theatre and interim director of the School of Music, Theatre and Dance — will take place online at 5 p.m. on Monday, March 14, while the second event, “Elementary Units for the Ultimate in Musical Problem Solving” — featuring Dr. Deborah VanderLinde, associate professor of music education, — will take place room 231 inside Varner Hall at 4 p.m. on Friday, March 18.

Forum for Future Female Band Directors will take place on Saturday, March 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Watkins Hall in the Moore Music Building at the University of Michigan. This forum will help connect participants with other graduate/undergraduate female band directors throughout the state of Michigan, as well as host insightful presentations from women who have just entered the field. The panel includes female college band directors from Cornerstone University, Grand Rapids Community College, Oakland University, University of Michigan (Dr. Pam Klena) and Western Michigan University.

Brandon Santana (BFA ‘18) has been cast in a lead role in the upcoming movie “Sins in the Suburbs,” which will premiere on March 19 on Lifetime. The film is about a woman named Heather who is a struggling artist living in a quiet suburban neighborhood. All seems well until one day the good-looking and single Tyler (Santana) moves in next door. Heather is first intrigued by Tyler. He is charming, handsome, and seems quite successful. But as news of a local serial killer begins to spread and the number of victims rises, Heather begins to question if Tyler may somehow be involved. “For a majority of the film, Tyler is hyper aware of his surroundings and is precise about how he is perceived and how to lure people in,” Santana said. “It was honestly so much fun being able to play to camera what the audience could see away from the other characters and pushing the story further than what was on the page.” In addition to his role in “SIns in the Suburbs,” Santana recently co-starred on Snowfall S5 and Hacks S2, and will be an upcoming guest star on season 5 of 9-1-1 . He also just shot as a principal actor in a short film, “Sundown Town,” which was directed by Rafael Augustin, CEO of the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, and recently wrapped filming a main spot in a national commercial for Buick. “You know, I’m in this stage of my career where the foundation is really building and it’s a really wonderful feeling to see hard work pay off,” Santana said. “As a Black and Queer Actor, navigating the craft with your truth in this industry doesn’t come without difficulty. When you’re in a competitive environment, whether it’s New York or Los Angeles, it’s so important to just focus on what your individuality can bring to the work. I don’t have control over what auditions come my way at this stage, but I do have the ability to bring something unique to every role!”

OU faculty members Josh Young and Emily Padgett-Young will be performing on March 25-27 in “The Best of Rodgers & Hammerstein” with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at Orchestra Hall in Detroit. The performance will feature showstopper after showstopper, including songs from Carousel, The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, The King and I, Cinderella, South Pacific, and more. For more information, visit www.dso.org.

Oakland University is offering "South African Choral Music: Zulu, Sotho, and Xhosa Songs," a professional development opportunity to help secondary (middle and high school) choral educators prepare to teach numerous and varied South African choral songs in their own unique classroom settings, on March 26. This program will be facilitated by Dr. Cat Bennett and will feature two South African choral experts live on Zoom from different regions of South Africa: Matlakala Bopape and Bongani Magatyana. Click here to register for this event.

Patrick Fitzgibbon, a special lecturer of world music at Oakland University, recently had two of his original pieces for steel band — “Here for Now” and  “Jumbie” — published by C. Alan publications.

“I Feel Good When I Sing It Right: Singing Agency in Children,” an article by Dr. Lauri Hogle, a lecturer of music education, was published by the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education in the Fall 2021 issues, No. 230. “More articles are in the works and I’m doing research to write a big book as we speak, on the power of singing for physical, emotional, and spiritual health and what music educators must do right now to foster this,” Hogle said.

Take Root has started a pilot program with the Arts Education Impact Outreach Program. With support from Oakland’s URC Faculty Research Grant, they have been going into Center for Success in Pontiac twice a week from February through May, working with children grades 2-5 on creative movement. The program focuses on creativity, problem solving, confidence through movement and music. Directed by Take Root founder and OU Associate Professor Ali Woerner (who was also recently interviewed by Voyage Michigan for a piece on Hidden Gems), the Arts Education Impact Outreach faculty consists of two OU dance graduates and two OU current dance majors as volunteers. The children from the program will perform with the Take Root company and faculty for the community, friends and family at United Wholesale Mortgage Facility in Pontiac in collaboration with Reimagine Recreation on May 6. In addition, Take Root’s Dance for Parkinson’s Disease Outreach Program will start two new weekly classes at Michigan Parkinson Foundation in Bingham Farms. The weekly (Tuesday and Wednesday) classes start the week of April 4 and are free to the community. Taught by Take Root’s Dance for Parkinson’s Disease faculty, including recent OU BFA in Dance graduate Dakota Gerhold, who was recently trained in Dance for Parkinson’s Disease.

Ben Fuhrman, a lecturer of music technology and composition at Oakland University, had his piece, Particle Forge for game controller and computer, performed on Feb. 10 at Ball State and another piece, Reflections in a Gasoline Rainbow, played on Feb. 27 at Montana State. On March 18, he will be performing Caprice No. 1 for Mandolin Solo at the Millikin University; on March 30-April 2, he will be performing Malleability at the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music’s U.S. national conference at Western Michigan University; on April 22-23 he will be performing Malleability at Electronic Music Midwest at Lewis University; and on May 6-7 he will be performing Particle Forge at the Manchester New Music Festival at Manchester University.

The winner of the OU Bands Concerto Competition is Tyler Hewett, saxophone. He will perform Ingolf Dahl’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Wind Orchestra with the OU Wind Symphony in April.  

Music major Peyton Miller has been accepted to the European American Musical Alliance’s 2022 summer institute, held from July 1-29. The program takes place in Paris, France at La Schola Cantorum and is a counterpoint intensive composition program hosting a small number of students. “I have also been fortunate to receive a fellowship for this program,” Miller said. Those attending will have group classes, receive private instruction from faculty, and have their works performed by resident ensembles. The program is headed by Dr. Phillip Lasser (Juilliard).

Oakland University Community Music offers private lessons for students of all ages on all instruments and voice types. Visit their website for more information about lessons and summer camp opportunities.

The SMTD winter performance season includes dozens of music, theatre and dance performances on and off of OU’s campus. From March 30 - April 3, the Department of Theatre will present the Tony-award winning musical Pippin. The Department of Dance will present several showcases at Detroit Country Day School: Young Choreographers Forum, Choreography II Showings and Senior Dance Performances. The jazz and world music programs — featuring student and faculty ensembles with OU artist-in-residence Regina Carter — will be in residency at the Flagstar Strand Theatre in Pontiac from Wednesday March 30 - Saturday, April 2. These special events are being presented by the Oakland University School of Music, Theatre, and Dance in collaboration with the OU-Pontiac Initiative. The Oakland Chorale and University Chorus will perform March 25-26 at the University Presbyterian Church. The Oakland Chorale is in its last stretch of fundraising for their summer tour of Europe. You can support their travels by clicking here. The Oakland Symphony Orchestra and Oakland University Symphony Chorus — along with OU faculty soloists Angela Theis (soprano), Alta Boover (alto), Drake Dantzler (tenor) and John-Paul White (bass) — will present Mozart’s Requiem on April 14 at Orchestra Hall in Detroit. Our 2021-22 season will conclude with the opera program’s presentation of Handel’s Acis and Galatea.

For more information about all of our events, and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.oakland.edu/smtd/performances-and-events/.