Christmas Card to the Community

On December 10th and 11th, “Christmas

Card” was hosted in the College of the Ozark’s Williams Memorial Chapel. People gathered together from both campus and community to worship our Savior and celebrate His birth. People young and old joined voices, filling the decorated Chapel with songs of Christmas.

The evening began with a joyous song called “Carole Fanfare,” performed by the C of O Chamber Orchestra. The piece itself was written by our very own Dr. Luke Carlson, a music professor at College of the Ozarks. The next piece was “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” which was a joint piece performed between the Orchestra, Handbells, and combined choirs. As the brass fanfare began, the choir processed in with purpose, marching to their appointed spot. 

As the evening progressed, students read passages from the Christmas story. In addition, the congregation stood and lifted their hearts in worship as they sang familiar carols such as, “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” and “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” The Chapel Choir sang a rendition of “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” composed by their director, Dr. John Cornish. As the choir concluded, School of the Ozark’s lower school sang a piece called, “Gloria.”

A touching rendition of “O Holy Night” was also performed, featuring soloist Josiah Mullins. Following this piece, Madeline Clem sang the recitatives preceding the large choral work, “Glory to God,” written by Handel.

The audience listened with hushed attention as the Handbell Choir performed a Christmas medley. The mood soon changed to a lively beat when Chorale performed, “De King is Born,” a Jamaican style Christmas song with maracas and an island beat. The choir moved with the music, engaging the audience with lively expressions.

As the sweet strains of “Silent Night” wafted up to the lofty ceiling, soft voices filled the air as candles were lit across the Chapel. One by one, the candles were lit, illuminating the Chapel with a warm, soft glow. A reception of cookies and fruitcake made for the perfect ending of the Christmas worship service.

Jazz Band Concert

The Jazz Band and Jazz Combo performed December 7th at the Jones Theater Auditorium. The Jazz Band program consisted of a variety of jazz genres such as swing, funk, jazz rock, and samba. The program also included of a mix of jazz standards and Christmas jazz music. The Jazz Band consists of not only C of O students, but also brass faculty. Mr. Jay Parks, professor of low brass, played the trombone and Mr. Bob Smither, professor of high brass, played the  the trumpet. Mr. Parks and Mr. Smither, as well as woodwind professor, Mr. Bill Reder, were featured soloists.

Mr. Reder dazzled the audience with his improvisational solo rendition of "Joy to the World."

The students musicians also played solos in most pieces performed in the concert, which gave them an opportunity to practice their improvisational skills in front of a live audience. Because it was a convocation, the attendance filled the lower auditorium and some students had to sit in the balcony seating. Jordy Hake, who attended the event and recorded the performance, said, “I loved the high energy atmosphere. The Band was really able feed off the energy of the large crowd that came.” After the scheduled program, the band performed an encore swing tune called, “Go, Daddy-O.” During the solo sections, the students began to clap with the rhythm of swing music. The Jazz Band ended the piece and received a standing ovation from the audience.

Senior Spotlight - Loran Wiley

Majoring in music is not an easy area of study, nor is it one often chosen. Being a music major requires dedication, time, and perseverance. We recognize the difficulties and rewards associated with a degree in music, and are excited to shine a spotlight on one of our senior music majors. Loran Wiley, a busy double major, took the time out of his schedule to answer a few questions about his journey with music.

What is your major/minor? 

My majors are Agriculture: Horticulture Emphasis and Music: Piano Performance Emphasis.

Where are you from?

I grew up on a small family farm in Bonner Springs, KS.

What is your background in music?

I began taking piano lessons at the age of five. I had really been wanting to take piano lessons for awhile, though in those first couple years my mom still had to make me practice. When I was 11 I began competing both locally and regionally. This helped build some performance confidence. When I was 15, I placed first in the Midwest region at the high school level, through a division of schools called AACS. I then went on to compete at the National level in South Carolina where I placed Top Ten out of over one hundred performers. During high school I studied with primarily one teacher, Wilma James. But I was also fortunate enough to work with several others as well including, Nadia Riviera (UMKC) and Samuel Rotman (a world-class performer from Europe).

Who has inspired/motivated you to study music both before and during college?

I don’t know that there was anyone in particular that inspired me to study music. It was just something I wanted to do from a young age, and then when I got to college it was just something that I wanted to continue studying, because I love it so much. That isn’t to say that I haven’t had my moments of frustration and wanting to give up. We all have those. Part of my motivation while here in college has been due to the wonderful professors and teachers in the music department. Without their reminders of my talent, their willingness to pour into my life and to encourage me to continue, I might not still be a music major.

When did you decide to become a music major? What are the challenges of being a double major?

I have known since at least my freshman year of high school that I wanted to study music in college.  I am so glad that I have had the ability to continue pursuing music while here at C of O. I have learned and grown so much. While I knew that I wanted to study piano in college, I also knew that I wanted to study horticulture, which is the career field that I plan on going in to. I am so fortunate to be studying both at a school where that is possible and at no extra cost to me. All of that said, having two polar opposites for majors is both frustrating and rewarding. Having to take completely different classes can be very time consuming, especially because you have to be willing to take more classes each semester. This makes for a lot of homework, and as we all know, a music major that requires practice time is also very time consuming. So juggling both can make for a very full life that doesn’t allow for much outside of it. However, it is very rewarding to have two different majors. It is sometimes very helpful to have different things to study, and it sure means that life is never dull.

How has music affected your life?

Music has had a great impact on my life. It is one of the ways that I express myself, as well a way that I use to worship God. Music has helped me develop perseverance in practicing, and time management in keeping on top of everything. Music has become a part of who I am.

How has the C of O piano faculty helped you become a better musician?

Dr. Huff was the person that I first worked with when I came to the Music Department. He was great at welcoming me, and giving me a good start. Dr. Christian has helped me grow as a pianist by leaps and bounds. She pushes me to constantly be better and to work hard. Her teaching has helped me grow in all musical aspects. She has laid the groundwork for me to continue learning and growing for years to come. If it were not for her teaching, I would not be the pianist that I am today.

What are your plans after college? How do you see yourself incorporating music into your life?

I will most likely be working in the agricultural industry. However, I always plan to incorporate music in my life, whether it be through church or merely personal enjoyment, or even teaching others. No matter what, I will always play the piano and never stop learning and growing in music.

What advice would you give to freshman who are interested in studying music?

Search out the reason why you want to study music. It is not an easy major to have. However, it is so extremely rewarding if you stick with it. If you don’t really know why you want to study music, then it will be much harder to put in the time and effort to make it worth your while. And to those who want to study music, but don’t want to perform, that is perfectly fine. It is completely normal to be nervous about performing for an audience. Even after the many years that I have performed and competed, I'm still nervous, too. Don’t let that stop you, though; performing a piece that you have poured countless hours into practicing and interpreting, and then finally sharing that musical experience with others is one of the most rewarding aspects of music. So don’t let anything stop you. If you truly have a love for music and let it become a part of who you are, it will be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. Don't give up!

Concert Band Concert

This past Saturday, December 3, the College of the Ozarks Concert Band held their annual Concert at the Royal Oak Forum at the Keeter Center.

The band began their performance with “A Rhapsody of Carols,” a Christmas medley by Paul Jennings, followed by the classic “Carol of the Bells,” written by Leontovich and arranged by Wilhousky/O’Loughlin. Though the Christmas season is in full swing, the program included some classic and well-loved tunes for the audience’s enjoyment: Symphonic Highlights from The King and I, a Rodgers and Hammerstein/Bulla arrangement.

The Concert Band returned to Christmas selections with “Star of Wonder” by James Swearingen, featuring a flute solo by senior Mollie Rozean. Next, they played “Toboggan Ride” by Stan Applebaum, a fun piece with fast tempos, timpani solos, and odd timings.

The band also highlighted the College’s patriotic goal by performing “Let Freedom Ring!” by Kenny Bierschenk. This song incorporates many well-known patriotic pieces such as “America, the Beautiful” and “Yankee Doodle.”

Before the band’s final piece, Dr. Kevin Powers drew attention to three seniors who will be leaving after this semester: Mollie Rozean, a flute player, Caitlin Curbow, a clarinet player, and Jessica Wheatly, a tenor saxophone player; all of these players have been with the band for the past four years. After their recognition, Dr. Powers joked that the Concert Band “cannot decide if they are a concert, or big Jazz band” and the concert ended with an effervescent medley, “A Show Stoppin’ Christmas” by Chris Sharp. The appreciative audience departed with wishes of a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

A Handbell Choir Christmas Concert

On November 29, the C of O Handbell Choir rang in the season with their Christmas Concert in the Royal Oak Forum at the Keeter Center. The choir, under the direction of Ms. Marsha Goldsmith, began the program with a French carol, “Gloria Fanfare.” The next piece they played was the ever popular “Carol of the Bells.”

This has been Ms. Goldsmith’s first semester directing the Handbell Choir. She said that “the handbell concert was a joy and a blessing for us as performers, and for those in the audience as well. Bells and Christmas just go together like ham and eggs.  

There were several high points for me:  ‘Carol of the Bells’ is a season favorite and the choir performed it masterfully - quite an achievement considering that 8 of 13 choir members are new to our group!  Another truly wonderful moment was Keaton Reich's solo with Savanna Faught's harp accompaniment.  Keaton worked hard to polish his music and the presentation was beautiful.  A third highlight for me was ‘Silent Night’ because three handbell choirs in the community were able to ring with us - Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran of Kimberling City, Faith Lutheran of Branson, and SofO.  Having our 7th graders join us was very special.  

Finally, having "Mama D" at the concert with her church handbell choir was especially meaningful since she started the CofO handbell choir over 40 years ago.  Marilyn Droke is synonymous with handbells on this campus.  Following in her footsteps was daunting.  I give great credit for our success to the five experienced ringers in our group: Jacob Henderson, Magen Cross, Brittany Bedwell, Hannah Yonce, and Keaton Reich who gave above and beyond to help our new ringers learn this unique way to bring glory to God.”

The Handbell Concert was well attended by friends, family, and the community.  The concert provided a truly wonderful way to usher in the Christmas spirit. You can hear the Handbell Choir again before the semester ends at Christmas Card to the Community, Saturday, December 10th, at 7:00 PM and Sunday, December 11th, at 2:00 PM, at Williams Memorial Chapel.

Faculty and Friends Recital

On November 17th, the Music Department hosted a Faculty Recital entitled "Faculty and Friends" due to the participation of professional musicians outside of the Music Department.  The pieces performed were all written within the last century, including works written by C of O Music faculty, Luke Carlson and Brian Christian.

The first piece was Broadloom, an aleatoric composition written by Kala Pierson in 2015.  The piece was performed by Kelsey Tamayo on the marimba, Jonathan Staub on the tuba, Clara Christian on the piano, as well as the participation of C of O music students singing or playing other instruments.  The piece presented a stunning soundscape as different parts weaved in and out of the texture like a shuttlecock running through threads.

Next up was a selection from Brian Christian's Six French Sweets (2012), performed by the composer himself.  Mr. Christian's pieces ranged in tone from cheery and light to dramatic and intense. His sensitive rendition on the piano brought the pieces to life.

The next set was the first two pieces from Dr. Luke Carlson's Tomorrow's Work Undone (2015).  The pieces used an expanded harmonic language with difficult passages for both the voice and piano parts, but Dr. Christian and Ms. Clevenger handled the task with stunning skill.

The final portion of the recital was a selection from Marc Mellits' Tight Sweater (2006).  The piece called for tight synchronization between the three voices: piano, marimba, and cello. Jonathan Staub played with cello part with his tuba.

The recital was met with enthusiastic applause, and the students who attended were glad they'd came.

Caleb Vester Senior Recital

On November 11th, Caleb Vester performed his senior recital in the Newman Recital Hall. Caleb’s performance showcased his four years of piano lessons at College of the Ozarks. The audience was packed with Caleb’s friends and family all there to cheer him on. The program began with J.S. Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in D minor and ended with a jazz piece called “The Girl from Ipanema” by Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Caleb followed the intermission with one of his own compositions, “Night Air.” Caleb’s flawless performance of his piece portrayed the magnificence and ambiance of the evening air with two contrasting themes throughout the piece. A small jazz ensemble joined Caleb for the last piece. The ensemble consisted of Dr. Kevin Powers on trumpet, Taylor Dodson on guitar, Eric Green on bass, Dalton Jewsberry on tenor saxophone, Thomas Miller on baritone saxophone, and Isaya Disayakarin on drums.





In his program notes of the recital, Caleb acknowledges his former piano teacher, Dr. Huff: "When I came to college, I intended to end my music education. I did not believe it was practical to pursue, nor did I believe that I had the talent to be successful. I wouldn’t say that I am completely shaken of this belief; however, in my short time in your studio, you made deep inroads in changing my life course from what I had. You pursued me; literally, once you heard I was in the building, you would try and find me, but I would leave the practice room before you would get there. And then you caught me, and I am so glad you did. You cared enough about the students that you would pursue them without hesitation. You loved the students here so much that, when you saw talent, passion, ideas, dreams, or a calling on their life, you wouldn’t let them walk away easily. Thank you for not letting me walk away.”


Concluding his recital, Caleb also acknowledged his current piano teacher, Dr. Christian, thanking her for challenging him to go further than he even thought possible. In his Program Notes, Caleb wrote, “You set new standards and expectations when you taught that never wavered, and it was frustrating trying to reach for something that seemed so far away. However, once you reach what you are striving for, you have the satisfying privilege of looking back at where you were and feeling proud of how far you have come. You gave me that satisfying feeling of coming so far in just a short two years. The growth as a musician that I have experienced under you was unexpected surprise. Thank you for allowing me to surprise myself."

Bravo, Caleb! The Music Department is proud of your accomplishments, and can’t wait to see where you’ll go after graduation!

MMTA Piano Competition

On November 6, 2016, piano professor Dr. Clara Christian took applied piano students Loran Wiley, Caleb Vester, Brian Hofmann, T. J. Goze, Kaylen Draschil, and Daniel Tague to the annual Missouri Music Teachers Association (MMTA) piano competition at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. These competitions are held in different locations throughout the state of Missouri. MMTA is an organization dedicated to advancing the value of music study and music performance.

Since Dr. Christian’s tenure at College of the Ozarks, she has made it a priority to enter her students into piano competitions. Dr. Christian explained that “because applied students are required to have three pieces by the end of the semester, I think these competitions are excellent motivators to get students to start working on their repertoire for their juries during finals week.” Dr. Christian has required most of the piano majors and her advanced applied piano students to compete in a competition every semester. Dr. Christian stressed the importance of performing in front of an audience, saying, “The more you perform, the better you get at handling your nerves.”

Many students often come to appreciate competing at different colleges. “The more competitions I enter, the more I seem to enjoy them,” Caleb Vester, a senior piano major said, “I like listening to the other pianists in these competitions; it helps me gauge where I am at musically. I also enjoy listening to my peers at these competitions. Being in these competitions, I think, helps build camaraderie among the applied piano students.” 

Madeline Clem and Josiah Mullins Senior Recital

On Sunday, November 6, 2016, Madeline Clem and Josiah Mullins performed their Senior Recital in the Newman Recital Hall. Madeline is a Musical Theatre Major and Josiah is a General Theatre Major. Both have frequently performed prominent roles in C of O’s plays and musicals. The program featured a variety of music: Madeline began with “Fair Robin I Love,” a 20th century classical style opera, and Josiah followed with Tosti’s Ideale. The remainder of the program consisted of works by Ralph Vaughn Williams, Musical Theater selections from The Fantasticks, Dogfight, The Secret Garden, Hamilton, and more. Josiah learned under the instruction of Mr. Gregg Busch, and Madeline studied under Ms. Jennifer Wolcott. They were accompanied by Mrs. Danielle Hardin and Mr. Caleb Lawson.

Mr. Busch said that “Perhaps the greatest joy as a teacher at C of O is to have the blessing to watch young men and women grow through their time within the college. This is not simply in terms of their physical age, but rather in their dedication to their art and to the Lord. Working closely with Josiah and Madeline, I was privileged to witness exactly that. Each of them chose to dedicate their performance to the Lord, in witness and as testimony to His amazing Grace and goodness. It truly was an honor to come alongside Miss Wolcott as we prepared for the recital. In her I saw a woman of talent and commitment living in her faith and sharing that openly with the students. There are so many moments of blessings that I have shared at College of the Ozarks, the recital yesterday is something that I know I will cherish. There are simply no words that can fully express my sense of pride in the accomplishment of these two truly gifted artists. I pray they will venture into the world and continue to carry the light of Christ which was so evident in their performance yesterday.”

Ms. Wolcott said that "it is a prerequisite of an artist to be passionate. You simply cannot take on the role of true artist without having a passion for what you're doing. As a professional performer walking into my first semester of teaching at C of O three years ago, I was excited to share my passion and knowledge with the students . . . oh, how naive. There has not been a single lesson or class that I've lead and been a part of where I have not learned something new about music, performing, and the Lord from my students. Through the work of Madeline and Josiah, Mr. Busch and I were able to see our students grow in their craft and in their faith, and ultimately pass the torch to our 'newest colleagues in the arts'. Working alongside such an accomplished performer as Mr. Busch was an incredible blessing from which I learned daily. The encouragement that everyone felt throughout the process of putting together this recital is what true Christian Artists and collaborators should strive to enact. Madeline and Josiah started the semester and this project by writing their artist statements, and through their ultimate decision to pursue those statements of faith and artistry the recital was a gift to all who came. I am blessed and humbled to have been a part of something  such as this."

Madeline and Josiah captured the audience’s attention with their beautiful performances. In their artistic statements, Josiah wrote that “if I can offer somebody and hour or two of joy and comfort, to forget about their problems for that long, then I feel like I have done the work that God has put me here on this earth to do.” In her artistic statement, Madeline said that “as a Christian artist, I desire for people to experience the presence of God during my performance and to see the light of Christ within me.” In this recital and in the past performances, Madeline and Josiah have truly fulfilled these goals. The Music Department is very proud of all they have accomplished is excited to see where each will go.

NATS Competition!

On October 22, 2016, eleven students from College of the Ozarks traveled to Southwest Baptist University to compete in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS). Students enrolled in applied voice lessons were chosen to compete in this challenging vocal competition. The students participating included Caroline Jackson, Josiah Mullins, Madeline Clem, Madeline Davis, Devan Spady, Jonathan Kirkland, Hannah Sanders, Lynsey Richardson, Miranda Palmer, Sierra Johnson, and Lydia Burnett.

NATS is comprised of two categories: Musical Theater and Classical. It is then broken into Upper Division and Lower Division. The lower division students prepare three pieces and the upper division prepare four. The adjudicators were comprised of music professors from the various colleges that competed, including College of the Ozarks, Southwest Baptist University, Evangel, Drury, and other universities in the area.
The day dawned cold and sunny as students loaded into the van at 7:45 am, waiting for last minute stragglers. Students traveled to Bolivar, Missouri. Anxiety permeated the atmosphere as some paced and other downed cups of water, preparing for their 10 minutes with the judges. Practice rooms were full to the brim with competitors squeezing in last minute preparation.
The competition is very demanding, but it provides a great experience for students. Furthermore, it gives them both positive and critical feedback from the judges. Josiah Mullins placed first in upper division Musical Theater and second in upper division Classical, Madeline Clem placed first in upper division Classical and third in upper division Musical Theater, and Madeline Davis placed second in upper division Musical Theater. We are very proud of them all!

MTNA Fall Piano Festival

On Saturday, October 15, 2016, the College of the Ozarks Music Department hosted the MTNA Chapter Fall Piano Festival. This festival is a chance for local elementary and high school students to perform in front of judges and receive feedback on their playing. At the end of the day, there was a recital featuring the students that played exceptionally well.

This festival also allowed C of O piano majors to practice critical listening skills by letting them judge the competitors. Kaylen Draschil (sophomore) said, “It was wonderful to be able to see what it’s like to actually judge a competition after being judged for so many years.” The judges also got a chance to showcase their talents at the encore of the afternoon recital.

Dr. Clara Christian, C of O piano professor, said that “This was an exciting opportunity for college piano students to judge beginning through high school students and provide feedback for them; the college students did a wonderful job, writing comments, evaluating performances, and providing grades and written feedback.  Then the college students finished off by performing at the end of the recital! 

The community teachers were very appreciative, and thanked me multiple times. The students loved having the chance to perform in a recital hall and play for a new audience on a lovely 9-foot Steinway piano.”

 

 

Faculty Recital October 5, 2016

This past Wednesday, October 5^th, College of the Ozarks Music Department presented recital featuring music faculty in the Newman Recital Hall. A total of seven faculty members performed various pieces ranging from Mozart to an original composition written by Dr. Carlson, our newest full-time professor.

            Dr. Cornish, chorale and choir director, performed “Anthem” by Benny Andersson, Tim Rice, and Bjorn Ulvaeus, from the musical Chess. Dr. Cornish also performed “Chanson Triste,” a piece by Henri Duparc. 

            Next was Mr. Bob Smither, brass instructor. Mr. Smither performed the first movement of Johann Hummel’s Trumpet Concerto, “Allegro con spirit,” accompanied by Mr. Caleb Lawson on the piano. 

            Brian Christian played “Prelude in G# minor” Op. 32, No 12 by Sergei Rachmaninoff, an intense, melancholy piece featuring cascading notes and a stirring climax.

            Following Mr. Christian’s performance was adjunct voice professor, Mrs. Melanie Clevenger, who performed “Tomorrow’s Work Undone,” which was written by Dr. Carlson and features the poetry of Paul Duggan. Mrs. Clevenger was accompanied by Dr. Clara Christian. Dr. Carlson said, “I was thrilled and ecstatic by the sensitive performance of Mrs. Melanie Clevenger and Dr. Clara Christian. They brought the music and poetry to life in a thoughtful and vivid way.” Mrs. Clevenger also performed a humorous piece from the one act operetta, “The Telephone,” entitled “Hello! Oh, Margaret, It’s You” by Gian Carlo Menotti. Mrs. Clevenger was accompanied on this piece by Caleb Lawson.

            Dr. Kevin Powers played the trumpet on the piece “Most Saint Michel” by Geoffrey Robbins, and was accompanied by Dr. Clara Christian.

            Our professor of Music History and Piano, Dr. Clara Christian, performed the third movement from Mozart’s Sonata in F Major, “Allegro Assai”.

The Faculty Recital was a fantastic show of musicianship and vocal prowess which was received by an enthusiastic audience.