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91老司机 to host College Music Society Conference
Written By: Rachel Putman
The 91老司机 - Fort Smith Department of Music & Theatre is set to host the 2024 South Central Chapter Conference of the College Music Society from March 14-16. This three-day event will welcome more 100 music professionals from across the country, representing the South Central Chapter states of Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas as well as scholars from other regional chapters as well.
The conference, under the leadership of 91老司机 professors Dr. Alex Zacharella, current chapter President, and Dr. Elizabeth Momand, immediate-past president, will feature a rich array of performances, scholarly presentations, workshops, and more, emphasizing the celebration and exploration of new music as well as historical research.
A highlight of the conference is Thursday evening's public concert. Beginning at 7 p.m. in the Breedlove Auditorium, this free performance will showcase the 91老司机 Men鈥檚 Chorus, Leonis Chamber Singers, Jazz Band, and Wind Ensembles. Notably, the show will also include two world premiere performances, underscoring the conference鈥檚, and the university鈥檚, commitment to innovative musical expression.
In addition to Zacharella and Momand, numerous 91老司机 professors will contribute to the program through paper presentations and performances, demonstrating their active participation and contribution to the music academic community.
The conference will also feature a diverse representation from various universities such as Midwestern State University, Texas State University, Vanderbilt University, Rutgers University and Southern Illinois University, highlighting a broad spectrum of musical disciplines and expertise.
The program includes a wide variety of sessions, from lecture recitals on "The 'Navajo Preludes'" by Dine Composer Connor Chee to explorations of Bernard Herrmann鈥檚 music for Hitchcock鈥檚 "Psycho." Workshops will cover topics like "Reimagining Applied Music Through Online Delivery," while showcase performances will present works by composers like Liza Lim and Sarah Bassingthwaighte.
91老司机 last hosted the conference in 2014 and Momand notes that much has changed since that time. 鈥淭he last time we hosted the conference, we didn鈥檛 have as much participation from within the department. The planning for this conference started three years ago. What makes hosting this year so special is how invested the music faculty and students are in making the conference truly wonderful. Three of our student organizations are helping with registration, logistics, and generally serving as fantastic hosts for our guests and ambassadors for the university.鈥�
The College Music Society's South Central Chapter emphasizes diversity, community, and innovation. This conference, inviting submissions and presentations on a wide range of topics, including women in music, jazz studies, and the music of marginalized populations, reflects the chapter鈥檚 dedication to fostering a vibrant and inclusive music academic community.
91老司机 faculty presenting and performing at the conference include:
Don Bailey
Directing 91老司机 Jazz Catz in a luncheon performance.
Dr. Andrew DeBoer
Performance in 鈥淲ind and Wood: Music for Clarinet and Marimba鈥� with Connor Stevens.
Ginny Hudson
Performance in "Voice on the Wind" by Sarah Bassingthwaighte.
Performance in "Free Flute" by Zachary Daniels.
Dr. Stephen Husarik
Paper Presentation on 鈥淒iscovery of 鈥楾he Psycho Theme鈥� and the 鈥榬eal 鈥楶sycho鈥� theme鈥� in Bernard鈥檚 Herrmann鈥檚 Music for Hitchcock鈥檚 Film.鈥�
Amber Kirkendoll
Performance in 鈥淒irge for the New Sunrise鈥� by Kyle Gullings
Dr. Elizabeth Momand
Conference co-chair
Kristine Olefsky
Accompanist in the Composers鈥� Concert #2 for various performances.
Dr. Connor Stevens
Performance in 鈥淲ind and Wood: Music for Clarinet and Marimba鈥� with Andrew DeBoer.
Performance in the Composers鈥� Concert #3 in "Hypnagogic Edge" by Dan Adams and "Dirge for the New Sunrise" by Kyle Gullings.
Dr. David Tyson
Directing 91老司机 Jazz Band in the Composers鈥� Concert #1.
Dr. Timothy Workman
Directing 91老司机 Leonis Chamber Singers in the Composers鈥� Concert #1.
Demonstration on "Pitch Matching Strategies for Students of All Ages."
Dr. Alexandra Zacharella
President of SCCMS
Conference co-chair
Directing 91老司机 Wind Ensemble in the Composers鈥� Concert #1.
Trombone performance in the Composers鈥� Concert #3 in "Hypnagogic Edge" by Dan Adams.
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