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.

Guest Recital: Genevieve Fulks and Brian Christian

On September 22nd, College of the Ozarks students had the opportunity to hear an assortment of American pieces by composers such as Bernstein, Copland, and Barber; and premier performances of piano arrangements of Ozark folk songs by pianist Brian Christian. 

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Performing as a guest artist was Genevieve Fulks, a local vocal performer, former member of the Knoxville Opera Ensemble, and currently working with the Springfield Regional Opera.

Brian Christian, graduate of Peabody Conservatory of music and currently working as faculty at College of the Ozarks, is a freelance composer, having written an operetta based on "The Little Prince", several pieces for solo piano, and arrangements for piano, as were performed during this concert.

The program began with Leonard Bernstein's light-hearted song cycle I Hate Music, a piece sung from the perspective of a ten-year-old girl named Barbara who expresses her child-like outlook on science, art, and life.

The next piece was "Laura's Song" from the opera The Tender Land, by Aaron Copland.  The song is a soliloquy by Laurie, a high school senior due to graduate the next day, pondering on the vastness of the opportunities before her: "The time has grown so short;" the piece concludes, "the world so wide."

Then came the song cycle Hermit Songs by Samuel Barber, a collection of poems written by irish monks, translated to English and set to music.  Most deal with spiritual topics, such as The Crucifixion, and St. Ita's Vision while others deal with the everyday life of a monk like The Monk and his Cat, and The Desire for Hermitage.

After the intermission, Ms. Fulks and Mr. Christian performed Cowboy Songs by Libby Larsen, a collection of songs that capture the spirit of the young, wild west, in its romance, its strong work ethic, and the danger of uncivilized folks.
The next piece was a spiritual song, In That Morning singing of the hope of Jesus's return and our resurrection into new life.

The final section of the program consisted of three Ozarks folksongs, arranged for piano and voice by Brian Christian.  The first piece, Blind Boy, was a sweet but sad song about a young blind boy who despite his lack of sight remains cheerful and hopes in God's goodness even to his death.  The second piece relates the fevered dreams of a drunkard who, horrified by the visions pervading his sleep, vows to give up the drink and lead an honorable life.  The third song is a heartfelt cry of a mother to her wayward son to return home to her, where he shall find forgiveness for his ways.


Students enjoyed the presentation, and were inspired towards their own further study in music:  Jordy Hake shared that he was "inspired by the compositional techniques employed both by Barber in his monk songs, and Mr. Christian in his arrangements."  Laura Berthold said "While I enjoyed the entire selection of songs, I particularly enjoyed Mr. Christian's arrangements and Ms. Fulks' interpretations."

Alumni Spotlight: Elizabeth Anne Mall

Elizabeth Anne Mall, alternative pop recording artist, graduated from College of the Ozarks in May, 2014 with a major in Music Ministry. Elizabeth began pursuing her dreams early on in life by writing songs at the age of twelve. According to Elizabeth, “music is [her] therapy.” She states, “Writing helps me process the good and the bad in life. I have control of turning any set of circumstances into something beautiful in the form of a song.”  Through her music, Elizabeth crafts compelling and introspective messages through dynamic contrast to represent the complexity and beauty of life. 

During her time at College of the Ozarks, Elizabeth wrote and recorded many songs on MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), which culminated in her first publically released album in 2014, A Beautiful War. Later, in 2015, Elizabeth released her second album Belle Laide.     

How did attending CofO help you grow as a songwriter?

Attending C of O was a really special time in my life.  I grew so much closer to God and learned the value of having beautiful people surround me.  I received a lot of encouragement and was able to get a much better idea of my personal direction as a songwriter through studying MIDI and music, as well as solidifying my faith in Christ.

Who were some mentors that helped you both during and after your time at C of O?

Dr. Gerlach was my MIDI teacher and mentor, and was extremely helpful as I worked on a CD for my final project as a music ministry major.  Mr. Busch taught me how to better worship through music. Dr. Rapinchuk taught me so much about God through his classes and Apologetics club.  Things I learned from him influenced a lot of the underlying messages in my college CD "A Beautiful War."  Dr. Chinn and Jennifer Freeman had a way of showing a passionate love for God in class that also inspired me.

What advice would you give to other beginning songwriters?

There's a lot of songwriters out there, and you have to be relentless.  I used a service online called Taxi A&R to get my songs out there.  My songs were heard a lot and rejected a lot. But I kept at it until 9 time Grammy winning producer Rob Chiarelli noticed and reached out to me.  Now I'm signed to his new independent label StreetLamp Records and we just finished an album together.  But that came after NOT getting noticed hundreds of times.  If you look at your gifts and drive and honestly think you can make a career of your art, you have to FIGHT hard for it and not give up.  In the end, tenacity is usually what separates those who do music as a hobby and those who actually make it their career. 

What are your future plans?

Currently, I'm working on a Christmas album and we are getting ready to shoot some music videos in LA for my new album Belle Laide.  Long-term, I'm hoping to go on and get my masters in theology.  That's my other passion besides music, and I miss studying God in an academic setting.  I think it will also add a lot of fresh insight for my song writing!

Connect with Elizabeth:

http://elizabethannemall.com/
https://www.facebook.com/eamsongs/
https://twitter.com/elizabethamall
https://www.instagram.com/elizabethannemall

New Events Calendar 2016

We have now updated the Fall 2016 event list. It has been posted on our event list page. We encourage students, faculty, and community members to join us at our events! As a general rule, we suggest that our visitors arrive 10-15 minutes prior to the event to insure seats. We hope you are able to join us!

Welcome Dr. Carlson

We are proud to announce and welcome our new Assistant Professor of Music, Dr. Luke Carlson. He will be directing the College of the Ozarks Orchestra in addition to teaching music theory and composition. Not only has Dr. Carlson traveled the globe as a performer, but his own pieces have been performed globally as well.

Dr. Carlson was born in Washington State and raised in Oregon. He received his Bachelor of Music in 2007 from the University of Oregon, his Master of Music in 2007 from Texas’ Rice University, and his PhD in 2014 from the University of Pennsylvania. He has lived in many places, the most recent of which was Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was there he held the position of Interim Choir Director and Music Coordinator from 2014 to 2015.   

In the summer of 2015, he debuted his piece, “Edges,” at the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado. The New York Times wrote an article concerning this music festival and regarded Dr. Carlson’s musical language as “personal and strong.” They also refer to his piece as being “rhapsodic” and having a “real narrative sweep.” This past summer, he traveled to Massachusetts for the Wellesley Composers Conference. Dr. Carlson also visited Cortona, Italy, working with composers and performers alike.

Several impressive awards and academic honors have been bestowed on Dr. Carlson. To name a few, he has received the 2013 Jacob Druckman Prize, the 2014 and 2016 MACRO Composers Competition award, the 2014 Network for New Music Caffeinated Composer Competition award, and the 2013 Hopkinson Fellowship award.

Dr. Carlson will be an excellent addition to the C of O Music Faculty. His impressive track record as a young composer and conductor is astounding. He also boasts a wide music range from vocal to electronic, orchestral to chamber, and contemporary to sacred. More about Dr. Carlson can be found at his website lukecarlsonmusic.com. The experiences and people that have shaped him and his career will further the goal of the music department at College of the Ozarks – to bring honor and glory to God through the beauty of music and the fine arts.