Music, Theatre and Dance News

Dance major Ernesto Duran-Gutierrez was honored Jan. 21 as one of the 2019 Keeper of the Dream Award winners. Established in 1993, The Keeper of the Dream Awards Celebration pays tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for his pioneering work on behalf of civil rights. Duran-Gutierrez is one of nine students that will be recognized for helping to break down stereotypes and promote racial and cultural understanding.

Eleanor Smith's Hull House Songs: The Music of Protest and Hope in Jane Addams's Chicago by OU Associate Professor of Musicology Jessica Payette — and co-authored with Associate Professor of Sociology Graham Cassano and Rima Lunin-Schultz, former director of the Hull-House Museum at the University of Illinois-Chicago — was released in December by Brill Publishing. In the book, the authors republish Hull House Songs (1916), together with critical commentary. Hull-House Songs contains five politically engaged compositions written by the Hull-House music educator, Eleanor Smith. The commentary that accompanies the folio includes an examination of Smith's poetic sources and musical influences; a study of Jane Addams's aesthetic theories; and a complete history of the arts at Hull-House. Through this focus upon aesthetic and cultural programs at Hull-House, the author-editors identify the external, and internalized, forces of domination (class position, racial identity, patriarchal disenfranchisement) that limited the work of the Hull-House women, while also recovering the sometimes hidden emancipatory possibilities of their legacy.

OU theatre majors were invited to compete in the Irene Ryan Acting Competition at the Region III Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival on Jan. 8-13 in Madison, Wis. Tony Sharpe (Taylor Jones, partner), Kristin Rebera (Noah Fillion, partner), Mariah Colby (Sam Sommer, partner) and Jordan Taylor (Connor Rajan, partner) all advanced to the semi-finals. Theatre major Kelsi Fay's dramaturgical work on I Am My Own Wife was also recognized with an Honorable Mention at the Festival.

Victoria Shively, special lecuter in music history and theory, was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award on Jan. 16 during the 2018 Teaching Excellence Award Winners Presentation, which was co-sponsored by the Senate Teaching and Learning Committee and the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. The awards honor faculty whose teaching and research efforts have achieved singular praise or recognition. Jennifer Matthew, assistant professor in counseling, was also awarded the Teaching Excellence Award during the luncheon.

Vocal performance major Danielle Maurer was interviewed on Jan. 22 at Hillcrest residence hall for a feature story on WDIV Local 4/ClickOnDetroit for a feature story about the excellent food options OU offers for students, faculty and staff that have food allergies. You can view the full video clip at http://bit.ly/2B0XIKl

Lauri Hogle, Ph.D, a visiting professor of music education, hosted workshop on Jan. 23 for Student Affairs and Diversity faculty/staff as they created a soundscape that is a therapeutic approach to singing, aimed at reducing stress and improving mental health and wellbeing. On Feb. 5 in the Oakland Center, she will present a campus-wide workshop for students, which will be an extended musical experience with the same goals. “In service to the university, I'm excited to share these ideas and really hope it helps everyone mediate their anxiety through musical experiences,” Hogle said. “And I hope it represents our music department and school in a positive way to our fuller campus community."

The Soul Food Concert Series returned Jan. 27 to Varner Recital Hall for an event featuring inspirational music and words to nurture the soul and elevate the spirit. “If you’re not from a particular country or from a particular place, you might not always understand. But you understand the heart of the musician,” said Pontiac Arts Commissioner Dwayne Anthony, who along with fellow commissioner Mark Stone (an associate professor of music at Oakland University) organized the event. “You understand that they’re playing from their soul. So Soul Food is just a collection of all of us who love music, who love people, who love humanity, to come together and share with one another.” The concert featured special guest and Professor Emeritus Marvin “Doc” Holladay, who established OU’s World Music program in 1975. “Doc” explained that he first learned of Soul Food from Australia. Now he holds regular Soul Food events in Ecuador, and says he couldn’t be more pleased that Stone has launched the tradition in Michigan as part of the OU/Pontiac Initiative. “Mark, like many of my former students, learned something from me,” he said. “When you see somebody grasping what you’re saying and moving forward with it, it’s just wonderful.” Holladay also celebrated his 90th birthday while he was in town. “As the founder of the program that I now direct at OU, ‘Doc’ has been an important mentor for 20 years,” said Mark Stone, associate professor of music. Sean Dobbins, director of the OU Jazz program, said “It was very important for myself and our entire jazz program to understand our roots and our history as we attempt to take OU jazz into the future. Doc has given us that and much more! His wisdom is boundless and priceless. Because of Doc we know who we are and who we hope to be.”

Oakland University's School of Music, Theatre and Dance presented Street Scene, an American opera based on the 1929 Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name by Elmer Rice, from Jan. 8-13 in Varner Recital Hall. According to Director Drake Dantzler, “the play is based on a set of immigrant and first generation families that live in the same poor apartment building in lower Manhattan. The show uses this background to address cultural issues of the day, including domestic violence, substance abuse, depression, sexism, and racism.” Featuring choreography by Associate Professor of Dance Gregory Patterson and lyrics by Elmer Rice and Langston Hughes, the music of Street Scene incorporates many styles – from blues to soft-shoe to traditional opera — and becomes itself an analogy for the many immigrant families portrayed in the show. The SMTD and the Department of Counseling also hosted a panel discussion on Jan. 9 that explored the history, literature, music and mental health issues presented in Street Scene. The panel discussion featured OU faculty members David Kidger, Ph.D., associate professor of music; Kathleen Pfeiffer, Ph.D., professor of English; Victoria Shively, music director, Oakland University Opera; and Michael P. Chaney, Ph.D., LPC (Michigan, Georgia), NCC, ACS, associate professor and coordinator of addictions specialization.

The OU Labyrinth Saxophone Quartet — Brant Ford, Nick Minauro, Paige Grider, and James Besaw — were invited to perform on the College Quartet Recital Series at the 41st Annual U.S. Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium on Jan. 11-12 at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.  Students in the quartet are all Oakland University music majors studying saxophone with Dr. Jeffrey Heisler, associate professor of saxophone.

Professor Karen Sheridan is on sabbatical this term reconnecting with the Chicago theatre community. In January, she met musical theatre alum Anna Marck (BFA ‘15) there and they attended a production of La Ruta at Steppenwolf together. Sheridan also directed Marck in the Michigan premiere of Mary’s Wedding at the Yellow Barn in Ann Arbor, and Marck is about to play Laura in The Glass Menagerie from April 5-20 at Thunder Bay Theatre in Alpena, Mich., where she recently played Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet.

In January, the School of Music, Theatre and Dance purchased the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s set of three trumpets made by the German trumpet maker Josef Monke in order to achieve a more authentic sound on the European repertory he specialized in. “This acquisition will provide Oakland trumpet students with a unique opportunity to really become acquainted with these instruments and gain an awareness of what it takes to play them,” said Dr. Kenneth Kroesche, an associate professor of music and conductor of the OU Brass Band. “An opportunity not afforded at too many other schools.” The instruments will be used primarily in the Oakland Symphony Orchestra and in brass studio class projects each year.

Dr. Jeffrey Heisler's recording of Gradient by Baljinder Sekhon on his debut solo album, Gradient (featuring new music for saxophone and piano by OU faculty members Heisler, saxophone and I-Chen Yeh, piano) was broadcast on WGTE (Toledo, Ohio) Radio on Feb 1. The new music program “Living American Composers: New Music from Bowling Green” hosted by Brad Cresswell is syndicated on classical radio stations across the country. You can access the streaming version of this program at https://www.wgte.org/newmusic.

The OU jazz faculty hosted the first annual Oakland University High School Jazz Festival on Feb. 2. High school jazz bands (large and small) performed and received comments from OU jazz faculty and special guest Marvin "Doc" Holladay. The rest of the day included studio classes, a workshop entitled "Connecting With Your Band Through Improvisation," a performance by the Oakland University Faculty Jazz Collective, and a swing dance. The event was held in the Oakland Center banquet rooms.

Brandon Thibault (tuba), John Hallman (alto saxophone), Sarmad Ashkuri (piano), and Lily Belle Czartorski (mezzo soprano) are the winners of the 2018-19 Oakland University Concerto/Aria Competition. The student performers also joined the Oakland Symphony Orchestra for the 22nd Annual David Daniels Young Artists Concert on Feb. 10.

Oakland University’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance presented Anton Chekhov’s Seagull from Feb. 7-10 and Feb. 13-15 in the Varner Studio Theatre.“What is happiness? Who has it and who deserves it? The answers are what Chekhov implored his audiences to consider,” wrote Sarah Hovis, a reviewer with Rochester Media/The Community Edge. “The idea of longing and search for identity are not new, but they are worth exploring. This is what makes the performances given by these university students all the more impressive. … These actors aren’t simply speaking their lines, but going all in and inhabiting their characters’ neuroses. It’s both exhausting and exhilarating to watch and all involved should be commended for the level of professionalism they bring to the performance.”

Professor Kero Knox 3 announced the winners of the 20th Annual MaTilDa Awards on Feb. 12. This year’s award recipients are: Krysty Swann (Alumni Achievement in Music), Sarah Warren (Alumni Achievement in Theatre), Vivian Costello (Community Achievement in Dance), Miriam Yezbick Engstrom (Distinguished Community Service), Brandon Thibault (Distinguished Musicianship Award), Andrew Forsythe (Outstanding Student in Voice Performance), Sarmad Ashkuri (Outstanding Student in Piano Performance), Sara Carlson (Outstanding Student in Music Education), Stephanie Thompson and Nicole Szarama (Jennifer Scott Memorial Award), Scott Brickner and Austin DeDalis (Outstanding Students in Instrumental Performance (undergraduate)), Risto Tevdoski (Outstanding Student in Instrumental Performance (graduate)), Miranda Tucker (Outstanding Student in Jazz), “Stick 2 It” - Peyton Miller and Domenic Santini (Outstanding Students in Chamber Music), Tony Sharpe (Pat and Mercedes Nicosia Meadow Brook Estate Award), Jordan Taylor (Gittlen Achievement Award in Acting), Emily Stoddard (Gittlen Achievement Award in Theatre Design and Technology), Sammy Borla (Gittlen Achievement Award in Musical Theatre), Alaina Whidby (Gittlen Theatre Award), Tara Lechnar (Distinguished Dance Student), Claire Little (Maggie Allesee Choreography Award), Brian Wirgau (Outstanding Dance Performance), John Anderson (Outstanding Student Service Award – Music), Rebecca Lister (Outstanding Student Service Award – Theatre), Rebecca Kowalski (Outstanding Student Service Award – Dance), Doran Berger (MTD Award (for commitment to the interdisciplinary nature of the department)). The awards ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. on April 16. Tickets will be available for purchase after March 11 at www.oakland.edu/smtd/community-engagement/matildas.

On Feb. 7, the Oakland University Board of Trustees appointed John-Paul White to the rank of Distinguished Professor of Music. This honor is in recognition of Professor White’s contributions to vocal scholarship, teaching and service. Joining the OU faculty in 1984, Professor White motivates students to set and strive for the highest expectations of themselves and creates an environment in his classroom that promotes positive, productive learning and fosters and maintains the respect of students.

Oakland University’s School of Music Theatre and Dance will present The Diary of One Who Disappeared/Needle Point at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28 in Varner Recital Hall. A semi-staged pairing of Leoš Janáček's haunting song cycle about a young farmer who is seduced by a Gypsy woman — and the ramifications of his subsequent abandonment of his family and their traditions to be with her — and a new work by Ben Fuhrman, special lecturer of music technology and composition at OU, The Diary of One Who Disappeared/Needle Point features Oakland University voice students and faculty members Alta Marie Boover (mezzo-soprano), Drake Dantzler (tenor) and Victoria Shively (piano). “Needle Point tells the story of a young unnamed narrator and their descent into addiction,” Fuhrman said. “I’d like to say that this story is an anomaly, but unfortunately, it’s all too familiar.”

Martin McArthur, a creative writing major at Oakland University, will have a staged reading of his play, The Moment He Sees Fit, in Theatre Nova's 2019 Michigan Playwrights Festival in Ann Arbor on March 7. McArthur wrote this play in Kitty Dubin's Advanced Playwriting class last winter. The play had a reading at OU in November with professional and student actors and was directed by Assistant Professor of Theatre, David Gram. The play takes place in the 1850's and focuses on the journey of Benny, a devoted house slave, who struggles between his loyalty to his master and his intense desire for freedom.

Lynnae Lehfeldt, an associate professor of theatre, has been invited by the U.S. State Department to reach at The American Center at U.S. Embassy Havana in Cuba on March 25. She will also be presenting “unlocking character through resonators” from Feb. 28 through March 2 at the Southeastern Theatre Conference in Knoxville, Tenn.

OU faculty member and Detroit Symphony Orchestra musician Jeffery Zook was visiting Professor of Flute at Western Michigan University during the Fall 2018 semester. He was also guest artist at Saginaw Valley State University in October of 2018 where he taught masterclasses and performed a recital with DSO violinist Sheryl Hwangbo and DSO cellist David Ledoux as a part of the Rhea Miller Recital Series. The trio also performed at Schoolcraft College’s recital series in Livonia, Mich.

The Aeolus Quartet, joined by revered clarinetist Franklin Cohen, performed Jan. 20 in Varner Recital Hall. Their program featured music by Mozart, Beethoven and American composer Ben Johnston. The OU clarinet studio also had a masterclass with Cohen on Jan. 17.

Musical Theatre major Erica Kennedy was recently named the first runner-up at the Miss Shoreline pageant. “I’m extremely grateful for the new friends, for our lovely new title holder Emily, and of course a $1,000 scholarship is nothing to sneeze at.”

Dance special lecturer Rebecca Crimmins, host of “Come Dance With Me” — an educational dance television show on TheMittTv — is looking for dancers of all ages to perform on the show. For more information, contact Crimmins at [email protected].

Take Root, a contemporary dance company-in-residence at Oakland University, hosted a creative movement concert featuring the children of Oakland Family Services on Feb. 13 at the Flagstar Strand Theatre in Pontiac. “Take Root’s mission is to impact lives through dance,” said OU Dance Associate Professor Thayer Jonutz, who co-founded Take Root in 2013 with fellow Associate Professor of Dance Ali Woerner. “We have been accomplishing this mission through professional performances, modeling high level of artistic productivity to our OU students, and our community engagement work.” Jonutz heads up the dance company’s Arts Education program while Woerner oversees Take Root’s Dance for Parkinson’s Disease program, which hosted a special presentation and dance session with Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine graduate students on Feb. 7 in the Human Health Building.