We invite you to participate in another great CSU Marching Band season and be a part of history in supporting Coach McElwain’s inaugural season with the CSU Rams! Last year our 260-member band was the largest in the state and the Mountain West Conference, but we don’t care as much about size as we care about quality – WE NEED YOU to carry on our tradition of excellence.

As members of the Ram Marching Band, we work hard to create shows that are entertaining for the crowd, challenge our members to be better musicians and marchers, and display the incredible talent of our band. More than that, though, we are a community of musicians who love putting on a great show for the crowd and show just how proud we are to be CSU Rams. It’s this shared bond that brings us together every fall.

Students in the marching band receive a scholarship award to recognize their service to the university. The amount of the scholarship increases with every year you are in the band, with additional opportunities to increase your scholarship by meeting academic requirements or playing with the Presidential Pep Band.

Travel will play an important role for the 2012-2013 edition of the Ram Marching Band. We are finalizing our fall schedule and have planned day trips to the Rocky Mountain Showdown in Denver, the 9NEWS Parade of Lights, and the Thompson Valley CBA Regional. Of course, this is all in addition to our historic trip to Dublin, Ireland to march in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in March 2013.

As you can see, this is shaping up to be a tremendous year for the Ram Marching Band and we need your help to make this happen. Bring a friend and continue to use your musical talent to support the Rams! For more information, including details for percussion and color guard, visit us on the web at: http://bands.colostate.edu.

Take a minute now to fill out our commitment, then get ready for a tremendous fall season with the Ram Marching Band! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

Go Rams!

Richard Frey
Director of the CSU Marching Band
Associate Director of Bands
Richard.Frey@colostate.edu
(970) 491.5973

Colorado State University Professor Dr. Janet Landreth is set to launch the International Keyboard Odyssiad and Festival U.S.A., presented in conjunction with the new CSU Summer Keyboard Institute (SKI/Colorado). Both IKOF and SKI/Colorado take place during the first week of August on the CSU campus at the University Center for the Arts.

Unique in its vision, format, and global outreach, the International Keyboard Odyssiad and Festival (IKOF) is the only competition of its kind in the world, attracting gifted and talented pianists from around the world and providing winners with travel opportunities, scholarships, and performances at IKOF events in other countries. The inaugural event takes place Aug. 4 – 11, 2012, with the final round and winners’ concert occurring on Saturday, Aug. 11 in the Griffin Concert Hall, University Center for the Arts.

Founded and directed by Dr. Landreth, IKOF is a non-profit corporation headquartered in Fort Collins, Colo., and exported to various countries around the world through licensing and exchange agreements. In 2013, IKOF will take place in Busan, Korea, the second largest city in South Korea, and plans are underway to produce IKOF in Montpellier, France, and Perugia, Italy over the coming years.

To compete in the 2012 International Keyboard Odyssiad, visit the event website at InternationalKeyboardOdyssiad.com. Tickets to the final round and winners’ concert, which are open to the public, will be available at CSUArtsTickets.com starting June 1, 2012.

Taking place simultaneously with IOF is the new SKI/Colorado, a one-week institute for pianists, teachers, distinguished amateurs, and auditors on Aug. 6 – 11, 2012. Institute participants will attend daily piano recitals, masterclasses, presentations on repertoire, technique, and pedagogy presented by ten international guest artists and CSU faculty. Participants will also be in the audience for the semifinal and final round of IKOF.

To register for the CSU Summer Keyboard Institute, visit the event website at CSUMusic.com.

Ten guest artists, plus CSU faculty, are participating in the two events including: Yakov Kasman and Valery Kuleshov, Russian silver medalists from the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition; Hsing-Au Hsu, a silver medalist from the William Kapell International Piano Competition; Therese Fahy, a senior piano professor from the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin, Ireland who, in celebration of the 150th birthday of Debussy, will perform all 24 of his Preludes; Dong-Seom Lee from Dong-Eui University in Busan, Korea who will perform and speak about the music of Franz Liszt; and additional guests and CSU faculty including Dr. Lei Weng, Dr. Silvana Santinelli, Dr. Bonnie Jacobi, Dr. Jeremy Dittus, Dr. Theresa Bogard, and Dr. Landreth.

“To have this many gifted pianists on our campus in one week is simply phenomenal”, said Landreth.

The international guest artists will also serve as judges for IKOF. Featuring a completely new format and system for judging piano competitions, the excitement of a live competition judged on the spot in front of an audience promises to be a dynamic experience.

“Many pianists have brilliant technique, but it takes a very special kind of intensely expressive performance to reach an audience and move them to joy or tears,” said Landreth. “This element is beyond technique and goes to the soul of music making, creating the performance of a lifetime.”

In keeping with the international aspect of IKOF, Valerie Saint-Agathe – CSU alum and current student at the University of Montpellier in France – will return to Colorado to complete an internship in Managing Cultural Projects. Working with Dr. Landreth, Saint-Agathe will focus on event management with the intention of producing the event in France.

For more information contact Dr. Janet Landreth at (970) 493-7920, or email Janet.Landreth@colostate.edu.

12-month, full-time position
Administrative Professional
College: College of Liberal Arts
Department: Music, Theatre and Dance
Salary commensurate with background and experience

Colorado State University seeks applicants for the position of Venue and Events Manager for the CSU Center for the Arts.

Required Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree
Preferred Qualifications
• Professional arts management experience
• Two or more years of customer service experience that is progressively more responsible and includes supervisory experience
• Experience with planning and coordination of events
• Experience with box office operations
• Experience and/or knowledge specific to arts events
• Experience in Theatre Production (stage management and technical theatre)
• Proficiency with Microsoft‐Office Suite.

For info: walt.jones@colostate.edu. Position open until filled; however, full consideration only for applications received by application deadline of May 27, 2012. Start date: July 10, 2012. Click here for a complete job description.

CSU is an EO/EA/AA employer and conducts background checks on all final candidates.

Position: Theatre Shop Technician

12-month, Full-Time Position
Administrative Professional
College: College of Liberal Arts
Department: Music, Theatre and Dance
Salary: Commensurate with an Entry-Level Position

Colorado State University seeks applicants for Scene Shop Technician serving the University Center for the Arts.

Required Qualifications
• Bachelor of Arts program in Theatre with an emphasis in Theatrical Design and Production
• Working knowledge and experience of all areas of technical theatre
• Physical strength, coordination, and flexibility (must climb ladders / trestles and be able to lift over 50 lbs)
• Scene shop experience in academic theatre
• Strong understanding of power and hand tools and their safe use within a scene shop
• Ability to interact well with others and understand common vocabulary among artisans
• Must be highly-organized, self-motivated, and self-sufficient

Preferred Qualifications
• CSU Theatre Program graduate

Responsibilities/Duties
Applicant will be responsible for working in the scene shop collaborating with the Technical Director and Assistant Technical Director/Shop Foreman in the planning, construction, and load-in/load-out, of all productions produced by the Department of Music, Theater, and Dance; will be expected to execute assigned projects within established deadlines while also supervising practicum and work study students in their daily assignments; will execute specific production-related responsibilities and duties; must be able to work at any height on ladders (including trestle style i.e. “a-frame”), Genie personnel lifts, scaffolding, and a wide variety of catwalks; assist Producing Technical Director and Assistant Technical Director in year-round maintenance, upkeep, and organizational tasks associated with running a large arts center and theatre construction facility. Some evenings and weekends required during rehearsal and production runs and special events. This is a professional entry-level position emphasizing skill acquisition necessary for further professional advancement or graduate school opportunities in theatre production.

Apply
Email letter of interest, resume, contact information for three references, and any relevant support materials to: Walton Jones (walt.jones@colostate.edu), Chair, Search Committee, Music, Theatre and Dance, 1778 Campus Delivery, 200 W Lake St, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1778. For clarification / info: walt.jones@colostate.edu. Applications considered until position filled; however, applicants should submit applications by June 1, 2012 for full consideration. Start date: July 1, 2012. This is a regional search: up to $350 will be provided to cover travel expenses for each finalist candidate invited to the CSU campus for an interview. Click here for the complete job description.

CSU is an EO/EA/AA employer and conducts background checks on all final candidates.

Position: Costume Shop Stitcher/Draper

12-month, Half-Time (50%) Position
Administrative Professional
College: College of Liberal Arts
Department: Music, Theatre and Dance
Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience

Colorado State University is seeking applicants for a 12-month, half-time (50%) position as the stitcher and draper and lead assistant to the Costume Shop Supervisor in an academic arts program that provides costumes for all producing units within the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance.

Required Qualifications
• Bachelor of Arts
• Experience in a variety of hand and machine sewing techniques
• Ability to skillfully operate industrial and domestic sewing machines and sergers
• Ability to operate industrial steam iron
• Ability to interact well with others and speak and understand common vocabulary among theatre artisans
• Candidate must be highly-organized, self-motivated, and self-sufficient

Preferred Qualifications
• Graduate degree in Costume Construction, Design, or Fashion Design
• 1-2 year experience in a professional theatre or academic department costume shop
• Anticipating an expansion in costume shop staffing, additional experience in wig-making and production hair design and maintenance would be a plus

To Apply: Email letter of interest, resume, contact information for three references, and support materials to: Walton Jones (walt.jones@colostate.edu), Chair, Search Committee, Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance, 1778 Campus Delivery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1778. Limited travel funds for interview. For further information: walt.jones@colostate.edu. Applications will be considered until position is filled; however, applicants should submit applications by June 1, 2012 for full consideration. Start date: July 1, 2012

CSU is an EO/EA/AA employer and conducts background checks on all final candidates. Click here for complete job description.

Costume Shop Stitcher/Draper, Colorado State University, Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance. 12-mo., half-time. See full position description at http://uca.colostate.edu. For info.: walt.jones@colostate.edu. Applications due by 6/1/12 for full consideration. Regional search: CSU will reimburse finalists up to $350 for travel to and from campus. CSU is an EO/EA/AA employer and conducts background checks on all final candidates.

Position: Master Electrician

12-month, Full-Time Position with possibility of renewal
Administrative Professional
College: College of Liberal Arts
Department: Music, Theatre and Dance
Salary commensurate with an entry-level position

CSU is seeking applicants for Master Electrician serving all producing units in Music, Theatre, and Dance.

Required Qualifications
• Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, emphasis in Theatre Design and Production
• Valid driver’s license
• Physical strength, coordination, and flexibility (must climb ladders / trestles and be able to lift over 50 lbs)
• Electrics experience in academic theatre
• Knowledge and experience in technical areas of theatre lighting and sound, including with high-end lighting consoles like ETC
• Basic computer and digital media skills
• Knowledge and ability with VectorWorks, Lightwright 5, WYSIWYG, and Google Sketch-up
• Ability to interact well with others and speak and understand common vocabulary among theatre artisans
• Must be highly-organized, self-motivated, and self-sufficient

Preferred Qualification
• CSU Theatre Program graduate

For more info: walt.jones@colostate.edu. Click here for a complete job description. Position open until filled; however, full consideration will be extended to applications received by application deadline date: June 1, 2012. Start date: July 1, 2012. This is a regional search: travel funds to a maximum of $350.00 will be available for finalist candidates brought to campus for interviews.

CSU is an EO/EA/AA employer and conducts background checks on all final candidates.

Position: Costume Shop Supervisor

12-month, full-time position
College: College of Liberal Arts
Department: Music, Theatre and Dance
Salary commensurate with experience

Colorado State University is seeking applicants for a full-time professional staff and adjunct professor position to serve as Costume Shop Supervisor in a costume shop that serves all producing units within the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance.

Required Qualifications
• Graduate Degree in Costume or Fashion Design
• Minimum 1-2 years’ work experience in professional or academic costume shop management and demonstrate a familiarity with the pressures and deadlines of an 8+ production-per-calendar-year schedule
• Costume Design experience
• Working knowledge of cutting, sewing techniques, costume crafts, wigs, hair and make-up
• Experience in preparing tasks for and supervising student workers.
• Candidate must be highly-organized, self-motivated, and self-sufficient

To apply, email letter of interest, resume, contact information for three references, and supportive materials to walt.jones@colostate.edu. Limited funds for interviews. Click here for complete job description. Applications will be considered until position is filled; however, applicants should submit applications by June 1, 2012 for full consideration. Start date: July 1, 2012.

CSU is an EO/EA/AA employer and conducts background checks on all final candidates.

What’s the big deal with a new ensemble, particularly in a town that already has a symphony, an opera, and other assorted classical groups? Plenty. “Kim and…this organization being formed have the potential to put us on the map in the eyes of another audience,” wrote Jim Clark, President of the Fort Collins Convention and Visitors Bureau in a recent column in the Coloradoan. “Kim intends this program to be recognized not nationally, but internationally. And I believe it will.”

In fact, Kim is launching the ensemble from an international footing. Kim has just returned from Stuttgart, Germany, where he spent two weeks working with Dr. Helmuth Rilling – one of the world’s leading Bach authorities – preparing a performance of the Mass in B Minor for audiences in Germany and Italy. That experience, along with Rilling’s visit to CSU last fall, will, of course, color the preparation of the Colorado ensemble.

By any measure, this is a top-flight ensemble. Singers and musicians have been invited based on their proven ability to express the line, phrasing, and color that brings the music of Bach vividly to life. Soloists come from the international concert stage, including: Kelly Ballou and Anne-Kathryn Olsen, sopranos; Eric Jurenas, counter-tenor; Joe Mikolaj, tenor; Paul Max Tipton, bass-baritone.

Performing a masterwork of this scale – with musicians of this quality – can’t help but add to the growing perception of Fort Collins as a burgeoning center for world-class culture alongside world-class business and science, much of which is being driven by CSU faculty.

“It’s our hope to create an experience for young and old that mirrors what I and so many of my colleagues experience through the music of J.S.Bach,” says Dr. Kim. “It empowers us, sustains us, and does nothing less than help us to be better people. It is a necessity, not a luxury.”

Now, that’s world-class vision.

The Colorado Bach Ensemble is sponsored in-part by the Colorado State University Department of Music, Theatre and Dance.

The inaugural Colorado Bach Ensemble performances will be on June 28 in Fort Collins at the Edna Rizley Griffin Concert Hall, located in the University Center for the Arts at Colorado State University, and on June 29 in Denver at the June Swaner Gates Concert Hall, located in the Newman Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Denver. Both performances will be at 7:30 p.m. A pre-concert talk by another world-class Bach expert, Dr. Earl Rivers from the College Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati, will take place at 6:30 p.m.

Visit coloradobachensemble.org to support the ensemble and order tickets.

Risbeck, who has been teaching at CSU for nearly 50 years, is founding co-director of CIIPE, which was launched as a biennial show in 1979. Risbeck began teaching at CSU in 1965, and his posters are considered among the finest in the world. He has had solo and group exhibitions on four continents and in some of the world’s most influential art centers.

The title of University Distinguished Professor (UDP) is the highest academic recognition awarded by the university, the title “University Distinguished Professor,” is bestowed upon no more than 12 full professors at any one time on the basis of outstanding scholarship and achievement. Professors receiving this title hold the distinction for the duration of their association with the university.

In November 2011, the University Center for the Arts hosted the National Collegiate Choral Organization featuring guest conductor Helmuth Rilling, world-renowned choral conductor and interpreter of Johann Sebastian Bach. To end the conference, Rilling conducted Bach’s “Magnificat,” “Jesu, meine Freude,” and “Singet dem Herrn.”

Stenger, performing as the tenor soloist in “Magnificat,” was able to snap a picture with Rilling and exchange a few words.  A couple of months later, he found out that he had been invited to study with Rilling with the Internationale Bachakadamie in Stuttgart, Germany.

“I didn’t know how to take it at first. Rilling travels all over the world, so to think of all of the performances in between his time at CSU and when he asked the Internationale Bachakadamie to contact me is incredible,” explains Stenger. “I was involved in the production of The Turn of the Screw, but director Tiffany Blake understood that I just had to go. It was amazing to be in Germany and really connect with the culture.”

For three weeks Stenger was immersed in the repertoire of Bach. During week one, he rehearsed the chorus of “B Minor Mass” for six hours a day, culminating with the opportunity to perform a tenor solo in rehearsal with the orchestra and Rilling himself.

“It is very intimidating to perform with Rilling because he looks right at you while he’s conducting” says Stenger, “but I think that’s the way he connects with the artists.”

In week two Stenger performed in the chorus of the Junges Stuttgarter Bach Ensemble during the Bachwoche Festival in Stuttgart.  The week began with a performance of Cantata 29 followed by performances of “B Minor Mass” as supplements to Rilling’s lectures. The festival closed with the first full performance of “B Minor Mass” in Stuttgart.

After performing at the Bachwoche Festival, Stenger then traveled to Italy to perform in Genoa, Vicenza, Bologna, Siena, and Naples.

“I felt like a professional. Every day we traveled to the next city, checked into a hotel, performed, and then did it all over again. We even had a sold out performance in Vicenza,” says Stenger.

From Italy, Gene traveled back to Colorado to join the CSU Chamber Choir on their tour of Denver area high schools and performance venues.

Gene is eager to go back to Germany to study Bach’s repertoire, and he hopes to receive a Fulbright Scholarship to further those studies after graduating in December 2012. For now, he will continue to study Bach and perform with the Colorado Bach Ensemble, directed by CSU Choral Director Dr. James Kim. Following this engagement, Gene will then travel to San Francisco, CA to perform with The American Bach Soloists Academy this July.

“The Colorado Bach Ensemble helps me stay in touch with Germany,” says Stenger, “but it will be interesting to see Dr. Kim’s approach to Bach.”

—Anytown Police Officer and School Resource Officer Miller

This story, told to Communication Studies professor, Dr. Elizabeth Williams, during her dissertation work illustrates the workings of a multiteam system (MTS). During this data collection process in early 2010, all the way up to her dissertation defense in the summer of 2011, she never dreamed she would soon be listed with the other prestigious winners of the W. Charles Redding Award for Outstanding Dissertation of the Year in Organizational Communication.

“It really re-affirms the theoretical and practical importance of my work,” Williams notes of her award. “I am certainly encouraged to continue this line of research.”

As the 2012 winner, this prestigious award recognizes Dr. Williams’ outstanding dissertation work—noting its strong theoretical background, rigorous methodology, and its significant contribution to the field of organizational communication.

Her dissertation, entitled “Towards an Understanding of Multiteam Systems: Theorizing about Identification, Leadership, and Communication in an Emergency Response System,” deals with the relationships between leaders and their teams as they relate to the broader mission of the system, as a whole. These relationships, and the relationships between leaders, help these teams work together, particularly in emergency response systems.

“Charles Redding was a pioneer in the study of organizational communication, and we are thrilled that Elizabeth Williams has earned this distinguished award,” noted Sue Pendell, department chair of Communication Studies at CSU.

Williams earned her Ph.D. from Purdue University where she conducted field research with fire departments, law enforcement agencies, emergency management teams, and a disaster volunteer organization.

As Dr. Williams summarizes her findings: “This study is the first to provide an interpretive perspective on a multiteam system [MTS]. As such, members’ experiences cause us to pause and re-examine some of the pre-suppositions that were made about experiences in MTSs. Perhaps the most striking challenge to our current conceptualization is the lack of communication between individual members in the larger system. Indeed, the draw to studying MTSs is examining between team processes. From this study we see that many of these processes do not reach down to individual team members. These individuals seem to be bound by their within team processes and relationships. What this study does highlight though is the need to continue to explore how leaders coordinate, build relationships with one another, negotiate system and organizational/team goals while still maintaining cooperation, and communicate that back to their organizations/teams.”

In May, Dr. Williams will receive her award at the International Communication Association conference in Phoenix, Ariz.

About Assistant Professor Dr. Elizabeth Williams

Elizabeth A. Williams is an Assistant Professor of Organizational Communication. Elizabeth teaches classes in Organizational and Professional Communication as well as Communication in the Health Care Clinic. Her research interests include identification and leadership in a variety of organizational contexts, including distributed teams, multiteam systems, organizations experiencing change, and health organizations. Her work has been published in Journal of Communication, Journal of Health Communication, Health Communication, and various edited volumes. She has conducted communication workshops in a variety of corporate and academic settings, has been recognized for excellence in teaching, and in 2007, she was awarded Purdue University’s College of Liberal Arts Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award.

About the W. Charles Redding Dissertation Award

In the spirit of W. Charles Redding, the winning dissertation presents ideas that advance understanding of organizing and communicating, and that make a difference in the lives of organizational members. This annual competition includes a cash award to the winner and a certificate for the winner and his/her advisor. The award is presented at the annual International Communication Association conference each year. Any dissertation project related to organizational communication is eligible for submission. Dissertations must have been successfully defended in the calendar year prior to the conference.

See previous winner here.

About the International Communication Association

The International Communication Association (ICA) is an academic association for scholars interested in the study, teaching, and application of all aspects of human and mediated communication. ICA began more than 50 years ago as a small association of U.S. researchers and is now a truly international association with more than 3,500 members in 65 countries. Since 2003, ICA has been officially associated with the United Nations as a non-governmental association (NGO). The ICA aims to advance the scholarly study of human communication by encouraging and facilitating excellence in academic research worldwide.

Read more here.

For a full listing of news and events, visit www.CommunicationStudies.colostate.edu.

The Department of Communication Studies at Colorado State University focuses on how people use messages to generate meanings within and across various contexts, cultures, channels, and media. The study of communication leads to personal development, career success and responsible citizenship. The department emphasizes an understanding of communication in three areas: Media and Visual Culture, Relational and Organizational Communication, and Rhetoric and Civic Engagement. For more information, visit www.CommunicationStudies.colostate.edu.

What years did you attend CSU?
I went to CSU for my Freshman year of college: Fall of ’98-Spring ’99

Did you start as a theatre major at CSU?
No.  I actually started out just doing gen-ed with the eventual goal of becoming a sound engineer.  Little did I know that CSU didn’t really have a major for that!  But it was during that year that I realized that I wanted to go to school for acting.  I have a lot of great memories from that year! 

What skills that you learned at CSU have carried on in your career today?
My time at CSU was extremely helpful because I was around so many different types of people.  I didn’t have a declared major and was living in the dorms so I was around a lot of people who had different interests than me.  As an actor, I think it’s important to have that kind of variety in your life…to be around people who challenge your points of view and make you think about things differently.

9 month, non-tenure track position

Starting Date: August 16, 2012

Required Qualifications: artist and teacher of horn. Master degree in hand. Demonstrated ability to recruit and maintain high numbers of quality students within the horn studio. Ability to teach Music Appreciation in large classroom setting. Demonstrated evidence of successful college teaching experience.

Preferred Qualifications: Doctorate, or equivalent professional experience.

Position responsibilities and additional qualifications: Teach horn studio to undergraduate and graduate music majors. Teach Music Appreciation in large classroom setting. Teach / coach chamber music. Teach brass methods to undergraduate music majors. Perform as active member of faculty brass quintet. Recruit and retain quality undergraduate and graduate music majors. Participate in departmental governance and appropriate public events. Maintain visibility as a performing artist.

Click here for the full description.

Position: Special Assistant Professor of Collaborative Piano

9 month, non-tenure track position

Starting Date: August 16, 2012

Qualifications: Masters required, Doctorate preferred. Demonstrated experience as a collaborative pianist in both instrumental and vocal areas. Ability to work with vocal students in German, Italian, French, and English lyric diction. Preference will be given to those candidates with successful college teaching experience.

Responsibilities / Additional Qualifications: Oversee Collaborative Piano program at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Teach collaborative piano courses, coordinate accompanying services, and help foster collaborative atmosphere in all areas of the music department. Work with individual student musicians and student chamber groups. Collaborate with faculty and guest artists.

Click here for the full description.

Theresa Jedd is PhD student in the Political Science Department working with advisor Michele Betsill. Theresa will meet with conservation practitioners from some of the 100+ groups and agencies involved in trans-boundary, international conservation for the 18 million acre Crown of the Continent ecosystem, one of the world’s most intact forested landscapes covering portions of Montana, British Columbia and Alberta. She will participate in the Crown Roundtable’s annual conference, gleaning insight from government agencies, non-governmental organizations, tribal groups, and private individuals with the ultimate aim of understanding of how collaborative forest conservation can function at the international level and strengthening this large-scale experiment in networked governance. Findings from this qualitative, interview-based fieldwork will be disseminated in a dissertation chapter, and a portion of her fellowship will sponsor the 3rd annual Crown Roundtable conference, creating a valuable linkage with the CCC.

Matt Luizza is a PhD student in the Graduate Degree Program in Ecology working with advisor Michele Betsill (Political Science) and co-advisor Paul Evangelista (Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory). He will be working in Ethiopia mapping and modeling ecosystem services important to the Oromo people in the Bale Mountains region, exploring the relationships between species diversity and the sustainable production of these services. The goal is to integrate traditional ecological knowledge and conventional scientific knowledge through collaborative means to foster adaptive governance and create modeling scenarios that facilitate sustainable management and effective conservation practices.

For more information on the CCC Fellows Program, please visit http://www.news.colostate.edu/Release/6144.

“I would never have experienced the differences between Eastern and Western music had I not had these exchanges,” said graduate student Carol Perry.  “It is part of the Chinese culture to be welcoming, and we are looking forward to returning the favor when the ECNU students arrive.”

Last year in June 2011 Carol and fellow graduate student Audrey Hurley were the visitors at ECNU’s Shanghai campus.

“I rehearsed opera scenes with the ECNU students all day,” said Hurley. “It was very rewarding to rehearse for a production at ECNU and then perform at the university. Our performance was in a venue that is half the size of the Organ Recital Hall at the UCA and the audience really filled the room. There were people sitting in the aisles and on the stage.”

Since 2009, East China Normal University and Colorado State University have shared a partnership that bridges the interests and research of ECNU and CSU students involved in music and clean energy.

During the first East-West week in 2010 at the UCA, Carol had the opportunity to learn about the differences in vibrato, technique and esthetic in Eastern music.

“In traditional Chinese songs, it is uncommon to hear a lot of vibrato, whereas in the West it is much more frequent. It was refreshing to hear a style of music that is so different and still so beautiful,” said Carol. 

Besides the memorable cultural exchanges that Carol and Audrey experienced as visitors at ECNU in 2011, the opportunity to travel to different countries is also an important part of preparing for a career in the performing arts.

“In the performance world, we have to adapt to other cultures quickly,” said Carol. “Not every production or rehearsal will be in your language. You need to learn to know where you are and be present in the culture you’re in.”

Before embarking for Shanghai, Carol and Audrey took a course with a CSU multi-cultural affairs graduate student to learn basic Mandarin and Chinese customs. During the class and while in Shanghai, Carol and Audrey found that their background in vocal performance helped them to learn the intonation in Mandarin that is a crucial element when learning the language.

“Mandarin Chinese uses a tonal structure for the language, and because that does not exist in English, our musical backgrounds came in handy,” said Carol.

After comparing the two cultures Carol and Audrey realized that facets of the Chinese culture stress the importance of welcoming guests.

“There was a couple who had a son or daughter that was a student at ECNU,” explained Audrey. “We ran into them when we were sightseeing in the city, and they took us out to lunch! They were so happy to have us visiting Shanghai.”

Now that Carol is back in the United States, she makes sure to use the Chinese customs she learned in Shanghai as a receptionist at The Armstrong Hotel in Old Town Fort Collins.

“In Asian cultures it’s more common to give and receive with two hands, so I try to do that when I check in our Eastern guests at the hotel,” said Carol.

Besides the Collaborative Voice Area recital and East-West Week Final Concert featuring the University Symphony Orchestra, combined choirs, and ECNU students, Audrey and Carol are looking forward to greeting the students. 

“We are going to pick them up from the airport,” said Audrey. “They greeted us at the airport in Shanghai, and we cannot wait to return the favor.”

East-West Week 2012 at the University Center for the Arts

The University Center for the Arts welcomes a contingency of 25 ECNU students and faculty for a second visit to Fort Collins. Modeled after the unprecedented collaboration of April 2010, please join us in welcoming the ECNU students back to the CSU campus.

East-West Week Collaborative Voice Area Recital
Tuesday, April 24, 7:30 p.m.
Organ Recital Hall, UCA
Click here for more information

East-West Week Virtuosos Series Concert
CSU Faculty Todd Queen, Tenor, and Cao Jin, Soprano
Thursday, April 26, 7:30 p.m. Organ Recital Hall, UCA
Click here for more information

East-West Week Final Concert
University Symphony Orchestra and Combined Choirs
Tales of the Exotic!
Friday, April 27 and Saturday, April 28, 7:30 p.m., Griffin Concert Hall, UCA
Click here for more information

“In the opening credits of the movie ‘Wilde,’ the title ‘Leadville, Colorado,’ pops up,” explained Professor of Theatre Eric Prince. “Wilde toured all over America, he was massively famous.”

Prince is describing the film “Wilde,” a biopic about Oscar Wilde, one of the greatest playwrights of the Victorian Era. Aside from his work and infamous personal life, he is remembered for his touring lecture series in North America. One of his first stops? That’s right, Leadville, Colorado, home to thousands of gold miners in the 1800’s. In the film the opening credits span over the mountainous landscape of Colorado’s highest city, with miners gathering around Wilde, eager to learn about the English gentleman.

Aside from the Oscar Wilde trivia, there are many lessons to be learned about Victorian society from CSU Theatre’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest at the University Center for the Arts in April.

“Besides the beautiful costumes and lovely set, the story is woven together beautifully in its structure. I didn’t realize it was this good, I’ve forgotten how brilliant the dialogue is,” said Prince. “It’s like a verbal opera, the language is the music.”

The story of two men who decide to lead double lives in order to win over the women they love is complicated, but so comical that the plot becomes engrossing.

After dark productions like The Kafka Project and the drama of A Few Good Men, the students involved in the production are looking forward to the switch to comedy. The classic play has also provided a chance for the Earnest cast to focus on movement and diction.

“In this theater program we are really focused on speech and sometimes we lose out on the movement,” said sophomore Tim Garrity, who plays Lady Bracknell in the April production. “The movement we have learned really internalizes the Victorian snobbery.”

The students were visited by Tamara Meneghini, a theater professor at the University of Colorado and an expert in Victorian period styles and movement.

Brenna Otts, a freshman theater major and Cecily in the production, learned how to control her appearance as a society woman did in Victorian England.

“For women, you always stand and hold yourself like someone’s watching you,” said Brenna. “Tamara taught us the customs of the time, and she explained how scandalous it was when a couple would simply hold hands in the Victorian era.”

As for what the actors plan to bring to their respective roles, senior business major Kiernan Angley wants to show the childish side of Jack, the English gentleman who masquerades as Earnest in London when he wants to get away from his life in the country.

“Jack is usually very stiff, but there are moments when he’s childish, when he is trying to escape his life, and I am bringing that silliness to him,” said Kiernan.

Garrity, in the role of the arrogant Lady Bracknell, will play into her high society role while perfecting his inner Victorian.

“In that era, their personal space was like a cylinder around them; they didn’t take any big steps or flail about, and we learned that we need to look at everyone like they have a secret,” said Garrity. “In the end, I want Lady Bracknell to be the most pompous snob.”

After diving into rehearsals one week after the UCA hosted the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, the students have had the chance to compare the theater program at CSU to other programs in the West and Northwest.

“It was interesting to see these schools that were a little more theatrical, whereas we are more natural,” said Angley. “There is stuff that we do here at CSU that they couldn’t even fathom, and it made me really proud to be coming out of this department.”

Garrity thanks the alumni and theatre patrons who made it possible for CSU to host KCACTF.

“KCACTF was a gathering for theatre students to make contacts and learn about theatre,” says Garrity.”Without that extra ‘umph’ and support, we wouldn’t have been able to make the showing that we did. Isaac Newton said that you have to ‘stand on the shoulders of giants,’ and the alumni and supporters are the shoulders of our program.”

Prince acknowledged that the growth of the program has enabled the production of Earnest.

“The Importance of Being Earnest is a real treat. I think we overlook these great period plays because we concentrate on the modern pieces,” said Prince. “They are different plays to produce, but the program has grown, and we have the talent to do it.”

The Importance of Being Earnest runs April 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 22 in the University Theatre at the UCA. Showtime is 7:30 p.m., all nights. Opening night will be followed by a Meet the Artist Reception.

To buy tickets click here.

ENGLISH AS A SECOND/FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Colorado State University

Position

The Department of English at Colorado State University invites applications and nominations for the position of Assistant Professor of English with a specialty in second/foreign language assessment. The successful candidate will be appointed untenured and at the rank of Assistant Professor. This is a nine-month, tenure-track appointment to begin August 16, 2012.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics or equivalent in hand at time of appointment
• Evidence of scholarly potential in Applied Linguistics
• Demonstrated expertise in language assessment
• Native or near-native English skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to help plan and deliver professional development on language assessment to CSU faculty working with international students to ensure the students’ academic success
• Evidence of scholarly agenda with quantitative and qualitative empirical research in applied linguistics
• Demonstrated record of professional activity in TESL/TEFL or Applied Linguistics
• Record of effective college teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level
• Experience in mentoring or working with students of diverse backgrounds

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will teach undergraduate and graduate courses in TESL/TEFL, second/foreign language assessment, and other relevant English department courses. He or she will assist with professional development for faculty working with international students in general education courses and in specific fields (such as business, engineering, and computer science). The candidate will also assist with internationalization initiatives at the university and development of the MA TESL/TEFL program. Teaching responsibilities include four courses per year for a portion of the time before tenure, and then adjusted according to the department’s differential workload policy. The successful candidate will also advise students, engage in research and publication, and provide service to the department, university, and profession. Candidates who can enhance the Department’s commitment to diversity through teaching, research, and service are encouraged to apply.

Salary will be commensurate with assistant professor rank and experience.

Application Procedures and Deadlines

Please send a letter of interest, current curriculum vitae, a statement of teaching philosophy, graduate transcripts, and evidence of teaching effectiveness. Also include evidence of scholarship and professional development, and three letters of recommendation to: Gerald Delahunty, Chair, Applied Linguistics/English as a Second/Foreign Language Search Committee, Colorado State University, Department of English, 1773 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1773. Direct routine inquiries to Sue Russell at (970) 491-1898. Applications may be submitted electronically, to be sent to Sue.Russell@colostate.edu. Campus interviews of finalists will be conducted in May. This is an open search. Application materials of semifinalist candidates, including letters of reference, will be made available for review by the faculty of the Department of English. Applications will be considered until the position is filled; however, for full consideration, applications must be postmarked by April 16, 2012.

General Information

Colorado State University (about 30,000 students) is located in Fort Collins, a growing community of close to 144,000 at the base of the Rocky Mountain Front Range, 65 miles north of Denver. The area is noted for its natural beauty and abundant cultural and recreational activities.

Colorado State University is a Research I comprehensive land-grant university. The Department of English has a tenure-track faculty of 35, approximately 500 undergraduate majors, and more than 140 graduate students. We appoint approximately 35 graduate teaching assistants who teach creative and expository writing and English as a second language. Undergraduate concentrations in creative writing, English education, language, literature, and writing lead to a B.A. in English. Master of Arts degrees are offered in creative non-fiction, English education, literature, rhetoric and composition, and TEFL/TESL. A Master of Fine Arts is offered in creative writing. More information is available on the English Department Home Page at: http://english.colostate.edu/.

Colorado State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. Colorado State University is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action employer fully committed to achieving a diverse workforce and complies with all Federal and Colorado State laws, regulations, and executive orders regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. The Office of Equal Opportunity is located in 101 Student Services.

Colorado State University is committed to providing a safe and productive learning and living community. To achieve that goal, we conduct background investigations for all final candidates being considered for employment. Background checks may include, but are not limited to, criminal history, national sex offender search and motor vehicle history.

According to the Guild’s website, the “main objective of the Denver Lyric Opera Guild is the encouragement and support of Colorado’s young singers between the ages of 23 and 32. The Competition is an exciting event for these aspiring singers, and the Guild is proud to provide experience, opportunity and support to these young performers.”

Competitors each sang an aria of their choice, followed by a request from the judges.

 About the winners

Kimberli Render is in the Master of Music Degree in Voice Performance program at Colorado State University. She graduated from the Columbus State University’s Schwob School of Music earning degrees in both Music Education and Vocal Performance where she studied voice with Dr. Michelle DeBruyn. A highlight in Ms. Render’s undergraduate career came the summer of 2009, when she was invited to participate in Si parla, si canta in Urbania, Italy coaching with the highly regarded Benton Hess, Bob Cowart, and Hugh Murphy. Ms. Render’s hard work has earned her continued success as a vocal artist. She has consistently been recognized as a finalist and semifinalist in state and regional NATS, MTNA, and other competitions held throughout various states in the Southeast. Some of her performance credits include Lucinda from Sondheim’s Into the Woods, soprano soloist in Mozart’s Coronation Mass, First Lady in excerpts from The Magic Flute, and Countess in The Marriage of Figaro. In addition, she is a certified K-12 Georgia music educator, who enjoys sharing her passion for music and life with children. Ms. Render never ceases to find musical inspiration, whether it is through teaching or performing.

Gene Stenger is completing his Master of Music Degree in Voice Performance at Colorado State University where he has performed the roles of Marco Palmieri (The Gondoliers), Don Curzio (Le Nozze di Figaro), and Adolfo Pirelli/The Beadle (Sweeney Todd). As an Opera Fort Collins apprentice artist, he performed the role of Remendado (Carmen) at the city’s newly renovated Lincoln Center, Prince Yamadori (Madama Butterfly), and partial roles of Camille (The Merry Widow) and Karl (The Student Prince) for the 2010 OFC Viennese arias concert. During the summer of 2011, Mr. Stenger made his international debut performing in an Opera Scenes Exchange Program with students of East China Normal University in Shanghai, China, and in the role of Ferrando (Cosi fan tutte) with Opera Orvieto in Orvieto, Italy. After returning from Italy, he made his regional debut with The Fort Collins Symphony as the tenor soloist in “A Night at the Movies: Circa 1918.” Mr. Stenger completed his Bachelor of Music Degree in Voice Performance from the Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory of Music. Additional opera credits include the role of the Stage Manager (Our Town), Orpheus (Orpheus in the Underworld), Deputy Governor Danforth (The Crucible), Aeneas (Dido and Aeneas),and the title role in Albert Herring. He has also performed the title role (Albert Herring) with Opera in the Ozarks Young Artist Program, Beppe (Pagliacci) with Opera per Tutti, and Bill (Hand of Bridge) with The Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival. His upcoming engagements as an OFC Apprentice Artist include King Kaspar (Amahl and the Night Visitors) and covering the role of Count Almaviva (Il Barbiere di Siviglia).

Read our current Class Notes submissions, watch videos about the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival hosted by the University Center for the Arts (including scenes from Walt Jones and Company’s The Kafka Project), and read about dance alumnus Katie Swenson ’05.

Theatre Alumni News

Gemma Aguayo-Murphy ’05 is an educator in Denver public schools. She married Matt Murphy (class 0f 2005) in the summer of 2011.

Shannon (Maguire) Walsh ’02 writes “I earned my doctorate in Theatre Historiography from the University of Minnesota in September 2011.”

Theatre News

The CSU theater program hosted the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival Region VII in February. With over 1,700 students from universities from all over the West and the Northwest, the UCA was buzzing with theater conversation. For the fifth consecutive year, students from Colorado State University’s theater program took home major awards at the regional Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (listed below). Watch the videos below to hear firsthand about KCACTF, courtesy of RambleOn.  

The Kafka Project, created by Walt Jones and the Company, was named a regional finalist production and will now compete for a national production award.

Parker Stegmaier (CSU ‘14) won the Theatrical Design Excellence in the Sound Design category for his work on the CSU production of The Kafka Project. He will attend the national conference in April. Parker received a sound design Meritorious Certificate at the 2010 KCACTF regional competition.

Kaylen Higgins (CSU ‘12) won the Theatrical Design Excellence in the Stage Management category for her work on the CSU production of A Few Good Men by Aaron Sorkin. She will also attend the national conference in April.

Nicole Newcomb (CSU ’12) won the Theatrical Design Excellence in the Projection Design category for her work on the CSU production of The Kafka Project, receiving an Allied Arts scholarship to attend the Stagecraft Institute (SCI) of Las Vegas which specializes in hands-on training for cutting-edge, live entertainment technology. She will travel to SCI for a week in March.

Brittany Lealman (CSU ’13) won the Props Allied Design and Technologies S.P.A.M. Award for her work on the CSU production of The Kafka Project, receiving a scholarship to the “2012 United States Institute of Theatre Technology” conference held March 28 – 31, 2012 in Long Beach, Cali.

Taylor Webster (CSU ’12) received a United State Institute of Theatre Technology award.

Alex Ostwald (CSU ’12) received a Lighting Design Meritorious Achievement Award for his work on the CSU production of The Kafka Project.

Based on her NextStep Initiative interview, Rebekah Mustain (CSU ’12) was offered a position as Assistant Stage Manager and Charge Artist for the production of My Fair Lady at the Mt. Baker Theatre in Bellingham, Wash., an eight-week paid professional assignment beginning in August 2012.

Cecilia McNeel (CSU ’12) was offered a summer tech position at Creede Repertory Theatre in Creede, Colo.

Aleisha Mork (CSU ’12) was offered a summer tech position at Creede Repertory Theatre in Creede, Colo.

Hosting KCACTF… a look back

Read the Coloradoan article about “Mump and Smoot,” the guest performance in conjunction with KCACTF.

CSU in the Spotlight – Coloradoan article

Dance Alumni News

Katie Swenson ’05 came back to CSU to teach an advanced modern dance class.

“Even though I am no longer with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble on a daily basis, I brought some of my ties with the company to class. I touched upon some Horton technique, Dunham technique, some movement from CPRDE repertory, and some of my own choreography.  Within this past year, I saw some of the CSU dancers perform, so I know what beautiful movers they are.  It was exciting to see how they attached themselves to the movement in my class,” said Katie. Read more about Katie here.

Do you remember your Student Dance Concert? Was it challenging? What themes was your chereography based on for the concert? Visit our Facebook page to tell us about your student dance concert!

Senior dance major Cecilia McNeil tell us about the Student Dance Concert in April

I invite you to attend this semester’s Student Dance Concert for a chance to see a different side of our dance program. A CSU dance tradition since 1987, the Student Dance Concert is an opportunity to see a variety of dances choreographed and performed by CSU Dance students. This concert gives both new and experienced choreographers, performers, and designers a valuable production experience.

This performance is unique because it is completely directed, produced, choreographed and designed by Dance and Theatre students. This production gives dance majors a valuable and recurring opportunity to choreograph every semester after their sophomore year. One of the beauties of the choreography in this performance is that it can be done in any style of dance that a student wants to explore. This helps to create a diverse, well received, and exciting production. 

This semester’s concert features the work of Choreography I students under the direction of Professor Judy Bejarano. Using this experience to prepare themselves for the work of their senior capstone project next semester, each student performs a solo of their own creation; you will witness the works of seniors Emma Kimball, Shannon McGee, Cheryl Senser and Brittany Hazel.

 “My piece, which is tentatively titled ‘Continuum’ is an exploration of time from an abstract perspective.  The seven dancers move as both a corps and as individuals in a modern/contemporary style,” explains Kimball. “The choreography has a pedestrian and relaxed feel most of the time with tempo changes and repetitive movement. The music is ‘Cycling Trivialities’ by Jose Gonzales.”

As a former student director of this production I went through the process of putting together choreography and publicity for this performance. It was a wonderful experience that taught me some highly valuable information about dance production. I hope you can come and support these students while enjoying the work that they are doing in the Dance program. This is one performance that you do not want to miss. See you there!

-Cecilia McNeel, senior dance major and technical theatre minor

Read our most recent music alumni Class Note submissions, information about the upcoming East/West week at the UCA, and take an in-depth look at The Turn of the Screw, the next production to come out of the Charles and Reta Ralph Opera Center.

Colorado choir alumni, the CSU Chamber Choir is hitting the road! Click here for more information.

Monday, April 9, 7:00 p.m. – Concert at Bear Creek HS (with Green Mountain HS and Wheatridge HS), 9800 West Dartmouth Place Lakewood, CO

Tuesday, April 10, 7:00 p.m. – Concert at Augustana Lutheran Church, 5000 E. Alameda Dr., Denver, CO

Wednesday, April 11, 2:15 p.m. – Concert at Vail Mountain School, 3000 Booth Falls Rd, Vail, CO

Music Alumni News

2000s

Rachel Holmes ’11 M.M. Music completed a 12 day residency at Florida State University. She writes “my time there concluded with a recital in which I will premiere two pieces composed for me by Michael Broder (The Shield of Achilles for chamber ensemble and soprano) and J. Cooper Schirmsher (Io v’amo sol perche for soprano, cello and piano) along with newly composed song cycles by Matthew Herzog. I also gave a guest lecture on the subject of young singer’s issues and triumphs whilst traversing the often difficult field of “new” music, as well as completing a few recording sessions with student composers. This residency was funded by the SCI chapter of FSU, to which I am very thankful!”

Laura Begley ’10 B.M. Music was a winner at the Metropolitian Opera Council District Auditions in Tulsa, OK, and advanced to the Midwest Regional Auditions. Laura, a mezzo-soprano from Loveland, holds a B.M. in Vocal Performance from Colorado State University. She is now at the University of North Texas where she is a student of Dr. Linda DiFiore and pursuing a M.M. in Vocal Performance with a related program in Opera Studies.

James Baumgardner ’09 B.M. Music performed in the Spring Alumni Concert Series on Feb. 15 in the Organ Recital Hall at the UCA. A note from the program,

“For many of you here today including family, friends, mentors, colleagues, and employers who have supported me through my career thus far, I cannot thank you enough and tell you how much your support means. The world of performance can be a very hard and discouraging path for many, but its these kinds of events that remind us why we fell in love with music at the start, and they are invaluable to a young performer! GO RAMS!” Read more about James here

Geoff Pennington ’09 M.M Music Geoff enlisted in the U.S. Army in October 2010 and graduated from basic training at Fort Jackson, N.C., as Leader of the Cycle and earned the Army Achievement medal. He attended the U.S. Army School of Music in Virginia Beach, V.A. for 10 weeks of training. He graduated as Distinguished Honor Graduate, and was one of five who made the Commandant’s List. He earned the ASI C1 rating, denoting superior musical ability.

John Lindsey ’09 B.M. Music was Normanno in Lucia di Lammermoor with the Minnesota Opera March 3-10, 2012

Sandy Siedow Herrera ’05 B.M. Music was “Student of the Month” at the Armed Forces School of Music in October 2011.

Robert Pippin ’01, ’03 B.M. Music Education, M.M. Conducting is the Band Director at Thompson Valley High School in Loveland, Colo. and the second trombone in the Fort Collins Symphony. He is still an active mountain biker and Xterra triathlete. He is married to Holly (Pederson) Pippin ʹ01, ʹ07 and they have a wonderful Irish Wolfhound/Golden Retriever mix named Georgia.

Miroslava Mintcheva ’02 M.M. Music Dr. Miroslava Mintcheva, MM-CSU, DMA-CU, was hired by Florida Southern College as a visiting Assistant Professor of Piano for the 2011-2012 year.

1980s

Clint Miller ’82 B.M. Music Education writes “I retired in 2005 after a 23 year teaching career. I currently work at the Collbran Job Corps Center where I have been employed as Assistant Center Standards Officer since 2009.”

1970s

Russell Crescentini ’76 B.S. Physical Education writes “I was in the CSU Bands (Marching, Concert, Jazz, Brass, Choir, ROTC) from 1968 to 1973. I came back to finish my degree in Physical Education in the spring of 1976. Before coming to CSU in the fall of 1968 I was stationed for four years with the 15th Air Force Band at March Air Force Base in Riverside, Calif. During my enlistment I was a member of the featured Trumpet Trio and performed for President Eisenower. I traveled all over southern California, and as far north as Spokane, WA and as far east as Roswell, NM. This month I will be 65 years old, and I still play in a few groups in the Phoenix, Ariz. area, including Phoenix College Community Band, Glendale College Community Band, the Arizona Winds Symphony, Prosit German Band, Celebration Brass Quartet and the Sun City “Pops” Band.”

Music News

East/West Week at the University Center for the Arts

Following our highly successful East-West week in 2010, we have invited our friends from East China Normal University back to CSU. We have planned an exciting week of cultural exchange through exciting musical collaborations.

Tuesday, April 24, 7:30 p.m. Organ Recital Hall
Voice Recital featuring students from CSU and ECNU. Free.

Thursday, April 26, 7:30 p.m. Organ Recital Hall
Voice Recital featuring Cao Jin, soprano and Todd Queen, tenor. Free with purchase to Friday or Saturday night performance.

Friday, April 27, 7:30 p.m. Griffin Concert Hall
Combined Orchestra/Choral Concert featuring Yellow River

Saturday, April 28, 7:30 p.m. Griffin Concert Hall
Combined Orchestra/Choral Concert featuring Yellow River

 
The Charles and Reta Ralph Opera Center’s The Turn of the Screw

Deceit, betrayal, paranormal activity, and madness define the story behind Benjamin Britten’s opera The Turn of the Screw. Well known for its 12-note theme, the production has proved to be a welcome challenge for Director Dr. Tiffany Blake and the students starring in the opera produced by the Charles and Reta Ralph Opera Center at Colorado State University. Read more.

Colorado State University hosted the 2012 Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) Region VII conference, held at the University Center for the Arts.

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Vocal Exersize for Actors. UCA 242. Feb. 13 - 17, 2012.

By Brian Hanlin

The dust has finally settled at the University Center for the Arts (UCA) at Colorado State University, after a busy but successful week hosting the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) Region VII conference February 13 through 17. The week-long event saw more than 1,400 theatre students from nine different states flocking to the CSU’s new state-of-the-art facility. To these students, KCACTF provided an unparalleled glimpse into what is takes to succeed in theatre; providing specifically catered workshops and discussion sessions, allowing them to attend professional presentations, and critiquing their own individual works and abilities.

“Hosting is a great honor,” notes director of theatre Walt Jones. “[Being selected to host] is an investment in those who will be leaders in the future of American Theatre.”

The festival granted the perfect opportunity for CSU’s theatre program to showcase the suitability of its cutting-edge facility, along with its fully-professional theatrical resources.

“It was amazing,” said CSU freshman Lily Aspen. “I loved having ALL theatre, ALL the time.”

“I’ve been to many theatre festivals, but this one, in particular, I will remember as being especially well done” said Philip Kelley, a junior theatre major from the University of Wyoming. “It was really a good overall experience.”

In addition to the aptness of the facility, the creativity and expertise of this year’s performances at the event were inspiring to conference participants. School productions handpicked to be featured in the festival included 14 from the University of Colorado at Boulder, All in the Timing from the University of Portland, US from Western Washington University, and The Kafka Project from CSU.

“US blew my mind!” said theatre major Sean Nill from Sacramento State University. “It taught me to continue to work and move forward in my art—acting takes a lot of time and effort.”

The festival represented a culmination of 18 months of preparation and required a disciplined joint effort between CSU faculty, staff, students and volunteers from the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance. It fell upon Cory Seymour; technical director at the UCA, to spearheaded the event’s coordination.

He described how other schools who have hosted in the past kept relating an almost-doomsday apprehension once CSU had been selected to host in 2012—mostly a result of horror stories from previous festival hosts. Luckily, disciples of the performing arts are accustomed to overcoming anxiety and trouble-shooting—the key being hard work mainly in the planning and preparation process. Close to 100 CSU students aided in the organization and execution of CSU’s hosting duties for the festival, and Seymour commented that it was amazing to see them step up to help run the festival. The “chaos” that can sometimes ensue and the need for intricate organization during these types of events brought students closer together, provided an unparalleled learning experience for those new to the festival and amplified the positive dynamic between students and faculty.

“Overall it was just about keeping our eyes on the prize,” said Seymour. “And in the end, we all succeeded together—as a team; both with our festival participants and with our hosting duties. We showed the total experience of what theatre truly is at CSU.”

The hard work put into the event certainly paid off; with an event that met universal praise from students, faculty, presenters and performers attending the festival. In fact, CSU’s execution and organization during the festival week was so admired that, at the request of KCACTF Region VII officials, the UCA production team will provide a “host template” for subsequent festivals.

“It truly was an extraordinary event, and I was so impressed by the professionalism of our faculty, staff and students,” said Dr. Todd Queen; Music, Theatre and Dance Department Chair. “The week really came off without a hitch, and that was due to the great organizational skills of our theater faculty and staff.”

The festival was not just a learning opportunity for theatre students or a chance for the UCA to show off its organizational aptitude; KCACTF also presents coveted awards to those who distinguish themselves as on the frontline in theatre innovation. CSU’s theatre program scored big with seven students receiving accolades. In addition, The Kafka Project, an original production written by director of theatre Walt Jones and the COMPANY, achieved the honor of becoming a regional finalist production.

“The event gave us “bragging points” to the university, Fort Collins, our region and it places CSU theatre in a national spotlight,” said Jones. “It helped us define what we do, our status and our significance.”

CSU’s KCACTF Winners:

Honored students included Parker Stegmaier, for first place in Theatrical Design Excellence for the Sound Design in The Kafka Project, and Kaylen Higgins, for first place in Theatrical Design Excellence in Stage Management on A Few Good Men, both of whom will be moving on to compete at the national KCACTF conference in Washington D.C. in April.

“The moment they announced my name as the winner, I was completely exhilarated, so much so that I tackled Price Johnston, my adviser,” said Parker Stegmaier. We are a powerful theatre program, and the industry is starting to learn that. I will do everything within my power to represent CSU well in D.C.,” he said.

Additionally, Nicole Newcomb, who received first place in Theatrical Design Excellence in Projection Design for Kafka, was commended with a full scholarship to attend the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas; Brittany Lealman was awarded the Props Allied Design and Technologies S.P.A.M. Award for her work on Kafka, which included a scholarship to the United States Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT); Lealman and Taylor Webster were granted the USITT Award, the highest honor given by the institute; Alex Ostwald earned the Lighting Design Meritorious Achievement Award for his work on Kafka; Rebekah Mustain was offered a position as Assistant Stage Manager and Charge Artist for the production of My Fair Lady at the Mt. Baker Theatre in Washington as a result of an interview during KCACTF; Cecilia McNeel and Aleisha Mork both were offered a summer tech position at Creede Repertory Theatre in Creede, Colorado based on their performances at KCACTF; and The Kafka Project was named a regional finalist production and will now compete for a national production award.

You know you were in the CSU Music program when…

Eric Hollenbeck owns your soul – Michael Bowles ’11

You get goose bumps during the Marching Band run-on! – John Hermanson ’06, ’08

Your sousaphone doubles as a crowd control weapon – Andrew King ’05

Professor Moody isn’t just a character from Harry Potter – Cammie Kolber ’11

You demand nothing but the best from yourself and your students – Jennifer Kozlowski ’03

You got a healthy dose of tear gas while playing the fight song after a CSU v. CU win! – Holly Pippin ’01, ’07

Dr. Moody wore purple every Wednesday for ear training quizzes – Sarah Mabrey ’02

Dr. Metz looks at his watch during your recital – Phuong Nguyen ’01, ’08

You could hear Greg Gilmore ’83 running down the hall during lunch – Eileen Street ’78

You are camped out in the basement waiting for a practice room to open – Jeremy Estell ’02

Dr. Moody says “Where’s Vilvaldo?” – Rob Stahly ’08

You beam when you tell people that you were in the trombone suicides – Sarah Vogel (Kembel) ’03, ’07

“Even though I am no longer with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble on a daily basis, I brought some of my ties with the company to class. I touched upon some Horton technique, Dunham technique, some movement from CPRDE repertory, and some of my own choreography.  Within this past year, I saw some of the CSU dancers perform, so I know what beautiful movers they are.  It was exciting to see how they attached themselves to the movement in my class,” said Katie.

We sat down with Katie to relive some of the memories she had with CSU and to ask what she is doing with her performing arts degree now.  

Major and year graduated?

Dance, 2005

Ensembles/dance groups you participated in while at CSU?

CSU Touring Group/Ensemble

What brought you to Colorado State University?  Why did you choose CSU’s Department of Music, Theatre and Dance for your education?

When I began at CSU, I was there for Occupational Therapy, which soon became Sports Medicine, with the aim of becoming a physical therapist.  I often wonder where I would be had I continued with that.  Two years into my time there, I switched to a dance major after having committed a sizable amount of time to rehearsals for student and faculty performances.  As a very quiet and quite often socially awkward person, I thrived on the connection that I made with the teachers and dancers within the department.  I felt that I was being more true to my being by immersing myself in dance.

What are you doing now?

I am currently teaching a variety of dance classes in and around Denver, as well as working with Santos Designs, which is a company based in Dancesport Colorado that makes custom ballroom gowns.

I spent the last 4 years dancing for the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, an international touring modern repertory company. I have had the opportunity to work with and perform the choreography of masters such as Katherine Dunham, Donald McKayle, Alvin Ailey, and Milton Myers. We recently traveled to New Zealand, where we were able to take part in Maori ceremonies and perform for their Takitimu Festival.  Shortly after returning, I had the opportunity to perform in a new role in Cleo’s annual production of Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum.  For the past few years I have enjoyed playing the part of Grandmother Spider in the Native American scene of this show.  Recently I took on one of the lead acting roles, playing Cantadora, the Dreamweaver and friend of Shakti (Cleo), Granny’s Guardian Angel.  It was quite refreshing to get a new perspective of the show.

What is your fondest memory of the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance at CSU?

I remember really enjoying Tech Week for all of the concerts we produced.  When show time rolled around every semester, I got excited in anticipation of the late nights in Johnson Hall.  The culmination of all of those rehearsals aroused a magical and energized feeling, even if most of us were tired from being in classes all day. Blocking the dances and waiting for the tech crew to set the lighting queues always took a long time.  ‘Move downstage right.’ Wait 10 minutes. ‘Next place.’ Wait 15 minutes. ‘Next please.’ With all of the downtime came lots of joking, playtime, and bonding. By the time the tech rehearsal was over most of us were ready to go to Old Chicago or IHOP. 

Favorite professor, director?

I love and respect each one of my professors for different reasons. 
 
Jane Slusarski-Harris is responsible for nudging me into the dance department while I was still majoring in Sports Medicine.  I had gotten involved in a student-choreographed piece for the dance department’s Studio Night Performance, which was chosen for a faculty concert, and from there chosen to represent the school at the American College Dance Festival.  While on the trip, she made sure to point out my potential as a dancer and suggested that I add a dance major. She, a very assertive personality, and myself, very stubborn and childish at times, butted heads a couple of times while I was in the department, but not once did I ever feel that I didn’t fully have her support.  She helped to push me through.
 
Linda Heine-Nebbiosi, in charge of the Touring Group when I started with them, was always very nurturing.  A realist with a love for Italy that surfaced on a regular basis, Linda was that teacher who would occasionally do something while demonstrating that would remind you that, yes, she could out-dance you if she needed to.

Judy Bejarano, Lee Cooper, and Lisa Morgan were also teachers with very loving spirits, ready to help their students get to the next level.

Melissa Corr, my ballet professor for the bulk of my time at CSU, put up with a lot from me, and I mean A LOT. There has always been something about ballet that I feel my body can’t relate to.  Melissa, supported me CONSTANTLY, as I tried to keep my ridiculous fear of ballet from overpowering my love for it.  
 
Chung-Fu Chang came into the department around the same time that I did with his big smile and sinuous movement.  When I’m moving, choreographing, structuring a class that I’m going to teach, I find that my own movement quality mimics what I learned from him.  That movement quality is what I enjoy taking to the stage.
 
Carol Roderick was not a full-time faculty member while I was at CSU, but during her visits for the Pedagogy course, she most definitely offered up the no-nonsense approach to dance.  She always came in with her hair perfectly in place, a pleasant smile, and her tiny feet that point so beautifully as she demonstrates–delicate in every way.  Except, once she started to teach, you started to get a picture of just how hard-core she really is.  She is definitely a teacher’s teacher.

What did you take away from the dance program that you use in your daily or professional life?

I often find that when I’m planning classes my excitement for the movement tends to cause me to add to its complexity.  I have to tell myself to be clear, clean, and simple. I don’t want to stifle myself when I’m feeling creative, so I let it flow out, but I like to take a step back afterward and simplify some of the material.  That definitely came from my experience at CSU.  I find that this need for clarity is an integral part of my dancing and performance as well.  At all times, I strive to be clear and strong in my movement.

Karen Du, Emily Luft and Kyle Rasmussen’s video Awake beat out entries from around the country. The CSU team of Daniela Castillo, Jeff Colebank, Justin Switzer and Adam Walsh received honorable mention for their video,  Level Up – A Film About Gamers and the Games They Play 

Each year the BEA’s Festival of Media Arts attracts more than 1,000 entries from students and faculty around the country. All winners will be recognized at an April 15 awards dinner in Las Vegas.

The videos were produced as part of a CSU documentary class. Most of the students have taken classes in television and reporting, and many have worked at CSU-TV.

Video explores caffeine addiction

Awake explores our society’s dependence on caffeine. Luft, an admitted caffeine “addict” thought it would be interesting to explore the topic through the eyes of college students.

“I have noticed that the college culture is built around caffeine,” she said. “Unlike our parents, we drink it in the morning, in the afternoon and in the evening, so we thought it would make an interesting topic.

“The big thing for us was that we wanted to make the story interactive. That’s what really made the video.”

Students voluntarily give up caffeine

Du, Luft and Rasmussen used Facebook to recruit five CSU students to volunteer to give up caffeine for a month and document their journey. The students had varying degrees of success, with most admitting that they were addicted to caffeine.

In addition to the first place

CSU has strong history of success at in the BEA competition. In addition to several individual video awards, CSU-TV has won several honors for best newscast and KCSU-FM DJ’s have been named the nation’s best several times in recent years.

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival is a national theater program, with over 18,000 participants annually, and according to the organization’s website, “[KCACTF] has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theatre in the United States.”

Region VII is comprised of nine western states including Alaska, northern Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., northern Nev., Ore., Wash. and Wyo. Students from schools in these states convened in Fort Collins to participate in workshops; attend symposia and colloquies and professional presentation; and work with resident artists.

For the fourth year in a row, CSU students will travel to Washington, D.C., April 16 – 21, 2012, to compete at the prestigious Kennedy Center national conference.

Regional Awards

The Kafka Project, created by Walt Jones and the Company, was named a regional finalist production and will now compete for a national production award.

Parker Stegmaier (CSU ‘14) won the Theatrical Design Excellence in the Sound Design category for his work on the CSU production of The Kafka Project. He will attend the national conference in April. Parker received a sound design Meritorious Certificate at the 2010 KCACTF regional competition.

Kaylen Higgins (CSU ‘12) won the Theatrical Design Excellence in the Stage Management category for her work on the CSU production of A Few Good Men by Aaron Sorkin. She will also attend the national conference in April.

Nicole Newcomb (CSU ’12) won the Theatrical Design Excellence in the Projection Design category for her work on the CSU production of The Kafka Project, receiving an Allied Arts scholarship to attend the Stagecraft Institute (SCI) of Las Vegas which specializes in hands-on training for cutting-edge, live entertainment technology. She will travel to SCI for a week in March.

Brittany Lealman (CSU ’13) won the Props Allied Design and Technologies S.P.A.M. Award for her work on the CSU production of The Kafka Project, receiving a scholarship to the “2012 United States Institute of Theatre Technology” conference held March 28 – 31, 2012 in Long Beach, Cali.

Taylor Webster (CSU ’12) received a United State Institute of Theatre Technology award.

Alex Ostwald (CSU ’12) received a Lighting Design Meritorious Achievement Award for his work on the CSU production of The Kafka Project.

Based on her NextStep Initiative interview, Rebekah Mustain (CSU ’12) was offered a position as Assistant Stage Manager and Charge Artist for the production of My Fair Lady at the Mt. Baker Theatre in Bellingham, Wash., an eight-week paid professional assignment beginning in August, 2012.

Cecilia McNeel (CSU ’12) was offered a summer tech position at Creede Repertory Theatre in Creede, Colo.

Aleisha Mork (CSU ’12) was offered a summer tech position at Creede Repertory Theatre in Creede, Colo.

Telegraph made its debut at Chicago’s Stray Show in May 2004 and has since shown together in Toronto, Kansas City, Berlin, and various Detroit-area locations. “Opening Lines: Telegraph in Berlin” recently took place at the Milchhof Pavillion and represents the group’s first European venture.

Telegraph is: Hartmut Austen, Haley Bates, Fabio J. Fernandez, Shannon Goff, Tom Lauerman, Brent Sommerhauser, and Christian Tedeschi.

Telegraph Art Collective at CSU from Haley Bates on Vimeo.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• MA required; PhD, MFA, or ABD preferable
• Record of college teaching excellence
• Initiative for program development
• Supervisory experience, preferably in composition program administration
• Experience developing instructional materials for distribution via the internet

Preference will be given to candidates with academic or scholarly credentials in composition theory and pedagogy or rhetoric.

Duties:

• The position is full time (4/4 load) with one course release each semester for administrative work.
  • The Composition Administration assignment entails the training and supervision of graduate teaching assistants in CO150, College Composition
    • This role includes co-coordinating intensive, week-long orientation program before fall semester; holding weekly in-service workshops; observing classes of and holding conferences about grading with new GTAs; maintaining records about and evaluating GTA teaching performance; and collaborating to update/revise common CO150 syllabus and course materials.
  • Successful applicants will be expected to meet departmental objectives for the courses they teach. In composition, instructors might teach CO130 (Academic Writing), CO150 (College Composition), CO300 (Writing Arguments), or CO301 (Writing in the Disciplines). The availability of other courses is based on department need and the instructor’s background.

Salary: $32,000.  This position is a special assignment. Annual reappointment depends on performance and the continued availability of funding. The term of this assignment is customarily three years.

General Information: The English Department at CSU has a tenure-track faculty of 35, approximately 500 undergraduate majors, and more than 140 graduate students. The department appoints more than 35 graduate teaching assistants who teach creative and expository writing and English as a second language. Undergraduate concentrations in creative writing, English education, language, literature, and writing lead to a B.A. in English. Master of Arts degrees are offered in creative nonfiction, English education, literature, rhetoric and composition, and TESOL. A Master of Fine Arts is offered in creative writing. For further information, visit the Department home page at http://english.colostate.edu/.

Applicants should write to Dr. Louann Reid, Chair, Department of English, Colorado State University, 1773 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1773. Direct questions to Sue Russell, at (970) 491-1898 or Sue.Russell@colostate.edu.

For full consideration, applications should reach Dr. Reid by February 15, 2012. The 2012-13 instructor application pool will expire on February 14, 2013. You will need to reapply each year to be added to the following academic year’s instructor pool.

Applications must include:

• a letter of application that outlines your teaching experience and range of teaching interests, particularly those courses you are interested in teaching at CSU;
• a detailed résumé or c.v.;
• three recent (written in the last 3-5 years) letters of reference that speak to teaching;
• documentation of your post-baccalaureate degree (e.g., a photocopy of your diploma; a transcript that notes the degree conferred);
• a descriptive overview that highlights specific examples of teaching practices, discusses any professional development to mentor/prepare other teachers, explains any experience with composition program administration, and explains how the hiring committee should weigh other supporting material;
• Recent supporting materials that indicate teaching quality in each of 4 categories:
  • written reports of classroom observations,
  • student evaluations,
  • syllabi,
  • three student papers with a range of grades in response to a single assignment (one paper an “A,” one a “B,” and one below “B”).  Please also include a narrative describing the assignment and grading criteria (up to one page).  Explain how the assignment fits into the overall picture of the course;
  • a street address, phone number, and email address where you can be reached during both the school year and the summer.

Colorado State University is an EO/EA/AA Employer and conducts background checks on all final candidates.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• MA required; ABD or PhD preferred
• Record of college teaching excellence
• Evidence of teaching experience in upper-division composition courses

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Preference will be given to applicants with documented experience in program administration such as curriculum development, developing web materials, and professional development.

Duties: Successful applicant will have a full-time (4/4 course load equivalent) appointment with one course release for administrative and curricular work. Typically, the teaching load will include a combination of CO300, Writing Arguments; CO301A, B, C, or D, Writing in the Disciplines; or CO302, Writing Online. Successful applicants will be expected to meet departmental objectives for the courses taught.

Salary: Starting at $38,000.  This position is a special assignment. Annual reappointment depends on performance and the continued availability of funding. The term of this assignment is customarily three years.

General Information: The English Department at CSU has a tenure-track faculty of 35, approximately 500 undergraduate majors, and more than 140 graduate students. The department appoints more than 35 graduate assistants who teach creative and expository writing and English as a second language. Undergraduate concentrations in creative writing, English education, language, literature, and writing lead to a B.A. in English. Master of Arts degrees are offered in creative nonfiction, English education, literature, rhetoric and composition, and TESOL. A Master of Fine Arts is offered in creative writing. For further information, visit the Department home page at http://english.colostate.edu/.

Applicants should write to Dr. Louann Reid, Chair, Department of English, Colorado State University, 1773 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1773. Direct questions to Sue Russell, at (970) 491-1898 or Sue.Russell@colostate.edu.

For full consideration, applications should reach Dr. Reid by February 15, 2012. The 2012-2013 instructor pool will expire on February 14, 2013. You will need to reapply each year to be added to the following academic year’s instructor pool.

Applications must include:

• a letter of application that outlines your teaching experience and range of teaching interests, particularly those courses you are interested in teaching at CSU;
• a detailed résumé or c.v.;
• three recent (written in the last 3-5 years) letters of reference that speak to teaching;
• documentation of your post-baccalaureate degree (e.g., a photocopy of your diploma; a transcript that notes the degree conferred);
• a descriptive overview that highlights specific examples of teaching practices and discusses specifically your experience in upper-division writing courses;
• relevant evidence of administrative, faculty development, and/or program development experience;
• recent supporting materials that indicate teaching quality in each of 4 categories:
  • written reports of classroom observations,
  • student evaluations,
  • syllabi,
  • three student papers with a range of grades in response to a single assignment (one paper an “A,” one a “B,” and one below “B”).  Please also include a narrative describing the assignment and grading criteria (up to one page).  Explain how the assignment fits into the overall picture of the course;
• a street address, phone number, and email address where you can be reached during both the school year and the summer.

Colorado State University is an EO/EA/AA Employer and conducts background checks on all final candidates.

QUALIFICATIONS

• MA required
• College teaching experience required
• A PhD or equivalent is prerequisite for teaching advanced literature courses

Duties: The teaching load for instructors is 1-4 sections each semester. Typically, instructors will teach College Composition, and a range of other composition and lower-division English classes. Instructors will be expected to meet departmental objectives for the courses they teach. Course descriptions are available on the English Department Web page at http://english.colostate.edu/

Salary and Contract Terms: Instructors will be hired on semester-to-semester or year-long contracts. The salary starts at $3,974 per section. All positions are subject to funding availability.

General Information: The English Department at CSU has a tenure-track faculty of 35, approximately 500 undergraduate majors, and more than 140 graduate students. The department appoints more than 35 graduate assistants who teach creative and expository writing and English as a second language. Undergraduate concentrations in creative writing, English education, language, literature, and writing lead to a B.A. in English. Master of Arts degrees are offered in creative nonfiction, English education, literature, rhetoric and composition, and TESL/TEFL. A Master of Fine Arts is offered in creative writing. For further information, visit the Department home page at http://english.colostate.edu/.

Applicants should write to Dr. Louann Reid, Chair, Department of English, Colorado State University, 1773 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1773. Direct questions to Sue Russell, at (970) 491-1898 or Sue.Russell@colostate.edu.

Applicants may submit materials at any time. For full consideration for Fall 2012, please submit applications by February 15, 2012. The 2012-13 instructor general pool will expire on February 14, 2013. You will need to reapply each year to be added to the following academic year’s instructor general pool.

Please include these materials in your application:

• a letter of application that outlines your teaching experience and range of teaching interests, particularly those courses you are interested in teaching at CSU as well as the number of sections you would like to teach;
• a detailed résumé or c.v.;
• three recent (written in the last 3-5 years) letters of reference that speak to teaching;
• documentation of your post-baccalaureate degree (e.g., a photocopy of your diploma; a transcript that notes the degree conferred);
• recent supporting materials that indicate teaching quality in each of 4 categories:
  • written reports of classroom observations,
  • student evaluations,
  • syllabi,
  • three student papers with a range of grades in response to a single assignment (one paper an “A,” one a “B,” and one below “B”).  Please also include a narrative describing the assignment and grading criteria (up to one page).  Explain how the assignment fits into the overall picture of the course;
• a street address, phone number, and email address where you can be reached during both the school year and the summer.

Colorado State University is an EO/EA/AA Employer and conducts background checks on all final candidates.

Projects by several Political Science faculty were among those selected by the School of Global Environmental Sustainability as 2012-2013 Resident Faculty Fellows or as Global Challenges Research Teams (GCRTs) The awards are a way to encourage interdisciplinary understanding of complex global environmental issues.

One of the SOGES Global Challenge Research Teams will focus on environmental governance issues in the areas of energy, water, forests and climate change in the Intermountain West, and will address governance challenges by building on existing strengths and ongoing research activities across several colleges and disciplines at CSU. The Principal Investigators  are Michele Betsill, Department of Political Science; Tony Cheng, Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship; and Pete Taylor, Department of Sociology.

Robert Duffy and Ursula Daxecker were selected as SOGES Resident Faculty Fellows. Duffy will be working on a new book on U.S. energy policy. Professor Daxecker plans to continue her research on whether the depletion of states’ fisheries increases individuals’ incentives to engage in piracy. According to Professor Daxecker, “Funding as a resident fellow will make a major difference in the amount of time I can dedicate to collecting data for the project, carrying out the analyses and sharing my research with other scholars interested in the link between resource scarcity and security issues.”

For more information about the SOGES announcement, please visit their website:
http://sustainability.colostate.edu/content/2012-2013-gcrt-fellows

“Given the musical complexity of the piece, it will help the students grow as musicians while the ambiguity of the opera will push their acting abilities,” said Blake.

Originally a novella written by Henry James, The Turn of the Screw is a story involving an unsuspecting Governess and the two children in her care, Miles and Flora. The Governess is hired under unusual circumstances; the father of the children demands that she does not contact him or question the history of the household. After a series of run-ins with ghosts, the father, and a peculiar housemaid, the audience is left questioning the Governess and the children.

“I want to give the audience the same experience I had in studying the story,” said Blake. “I’m presenting the piece as ambiguous as possible so that the audience can make their own assumptions.”

In the role of the Governess, graduate student Alexandra Diessner describes her character as naïve, sheltered, and quite possibly insane.

“The Governess is young, well-educated, and sheltered to the wickedness of the world. She enters the opera very innocent and ends very corrupted. She is naive but doesn’t believe she is,” said Diessner. “To be prepared for the Governess, I had to understand the story from beginning to end and understand what characters contribute to the change of governess.”

Blake, who has studied the novella and opera since she was introduced to the work in high school, defines the character of the Governess this way:

“The story of the Governess could be untrue because she isn’t a reliable witness, and she could be lying,” said Blake. “The way that Britten uses the motives between the characters is amazing.”

As the central character in the opera, graduate student Kimberli Render, who also performs as the Governess, has had to look deep inside the governess, while mastering the 12-tone opera.

“After reading several critical commentaries on the story and Henry James’s adaption, I’ve come to love the Governess; she’s very human and therefore complicated. We have been rehearsing since late November 2011, which may seem like a long time for one show, but with the caliber of musician and actor that Britten writes for, it is perfect,” says Render. “I doubt you will walk away humming one of the melodies, but you will definitely go on a musical journey through the crazy world of Britten.”

Diessner agrees that pinpointing the character’s development is just as important as perfecting the music.

“This is probably the most in-depth that I’ve ever analyzed a character in opera. Because the Governess is in 90 percent of the show, she has a much more sensitive and dramatic change as a character. Her development is huge from beginning to end. Every thought and new realization must be conveyed to the audience. So, with that being said, the subtext within the music is just as vital to convey as when the Governess is actually singing her thoughts,” said Diessner.

In addition to developing her character and the complicated music behind the opera, sophomore Ana Gray has studied the movements of a boy in order to play Miles.

“I have watched several different productions of the opera and taken notes on how to walk and act like a boy,” said Gray. “Another way I have prepared for this role is by reading and rereading the score for the show itself. I have played around with different background stories that I make up using the small amount of information given.”

As the students undergo the memorized run-throughs this month, the character development, paired with the music, is starting to come together.

“Every character is involved with another so closely, and Britten really brings that out by making many of the characters’ musical lines identical to each other,” said Gray.

As a personal project for Blake, the collaboration between the CSU Theatre division and the music program has been essential to making Blake’s vision a reality.

“The students and faculty involved see this project as mutually beneficial,” said Blake. “The technical theater students are exposed to a new work and are excited to create the illusions in the production. I’m very interested in learning from them, which has enhanced my own vision for the opera and helped me to achieve things I wouldn’t be able to in any other way.”

Gray summarizes the end result of the production as she explains Miles’ violent transitions in the story.

“I think the show makes the audience pay attention the entire time,” said Gray. “When I watched it for the first time, I was sucked in; I was dying because I wanted to know the end within the first 15 minutes of the show.”

On a February afternoon Colorado State University alumnus Matt Murphy ’06 is walking through the streets of Boston reveling in excitement over his debate student’s performances in the Harvard National Speech and Debate Tournament. The Denver East High School teacher couldn’t be happier as he explains that 12 of his students placed in the national competition. As the head coach of the Denver East Forensics Team (DEFT), he trains speech and debate students in a wide variety of communication styles from humorous interpretation to original oratory. Having lead 200 students to numerous regional and national competitions, Matt was awarded the December 2011 9Teachers Who Care award from Channel 9News.

“I don’t deal with praise very well, but winning the 9Teachers Who Care award was beautiful, and it made me feel appreciated,” says Matt. “Out of 3,000 schools, our program has gone from 230th in the National Forensics League Tournament to 46^th in the nation. These experiences have been really positive and unreal.”

It wasn’t long ago that Matt, who started at Denver East High School as a student teacher, was fresh out of college and tasked with leading the Speech and Debate team based on his degrees in English and theater from CSU.

“It was kind of by accident that I got involved with the Forensics team,” says Matt. “The school said ‘oh, well, your theatre background will be great for the speech part, and your English background would be great for the debate part,’ and it turned out to be one of the hardest things in my life. I was 23 years old and wildly insecure, a first year teacher exemplified.”

That is when Matt decided to emulate one of his favorite professors at CSU, Emeritus Professor of Theatre Morris Burns.

“I would channel Morris Burns on a consistent basis because I loved his empathy and compassion. The man was a total inspiration and continues to be. I would try to do the things he did because I thought that if it worked for me, it must work for my students,” says Matt.

As a senior in high school, Matt was not sure if college was the right fit for him and, unfortunately, he wasn’t given much encouragement.

“In high school there were certain expectations and assumptions that I couldn’t handle a four year institute,” says Matt. “When I got to college, I really didn’t think that I could be successful, but the theater department was a game changer. It was the theater department that really saved me.”

At first Matt turned his back on the theater program, an experience he says shaped how he approaches teaching today.

“I went back to my high school teacher and said that I wasn’t going to be involved in theater at CSU because I had doubts about the program. I’ll never forget that she said ‘if you don’t know that it’s good, then go in there and find out if it’s good, and if it’s not, then it’s your responsibility to make it better.’ The program turned out to be life changing, thoughtful, beautiful, and creative,” says Matt. “Some of the most wonderful individuals that I met came from there. It shows you how you can screw up reality by basing assumptions. That experience plays into how I communicate, direct and teach.”

Matt went on to perform in To Kill a Mockingbird, Waiting for Godot and Every Good Boy Deserves Favor.

“CSU Theatre gives all kids a chance to participate. There is no snobbery, no hierarchy, and it wasn’t elitist. It was small and intimate; I was encouraged to do whatever I had the imagination to do,” says Matt. “I’m Puerto Rican, darker than the ‘average Joe,’ and I was never defined by my color in the theater program. You had people like Morris Burns or Eric Prince who saw your talent and intellect before they saw anything else.”

In addition to his experience in the theater program, Matt also credits Associate Professor of English Education Pamela Coke for keeping tabs on him and his progress at CSU. Even now he has a current connection to the University and the College of Liberal Arts; DEFT’s senior assistant coach Grant Wylie ‘04, a CSU political science and Denver East High School graduate, left the law field to coach the speech and debate students.

Throughout his academic career and into his teaching career, Matt credits CSU for expanding his horizons and getting him to a place where he wants to help other communities.

“The theater program stroked my intellectual curiosity and it made it O.K. to be smart and passionate,” says Matt. “What CSU did was make me realize how the rest of the world is not Fort Collins, how I could leave the University and take the great community that is Fort Collins to different places.”

In early January 2012, Dr. Aoki traveled to the city of Kigali, Rwanda to present research at the Conflict, Memory, and Reconciliation: Bridging past, present, and future symposium presented by the School for International Training (SIT). In collaboration with co-author Kyle Jonas, MA, Aoki presented a paper on “Mureithi’s ICYIZERE: hope: Reconciliation, Re-Humanization, and Collective Remembrance/Rebuilding of Sacred and Safe Space.”

The paper deals with a communication-based assessment of a documentary by Patrick Mureithi. The documentary records a 3-day reconciliation workshop and the communicative process between perpetrators of the violence and surviving victims of the genocide. Aoki and Jonas address how memory is negotiated in the film along with reconciliation activities and dialogues that are used in the workshops to move individuals toward re-humanization and reconciliation. “We wanted to explore how this re-humanization process is happening and what communication variables are involved in the healing,” says Aoki.

In addition to other presentations on the Rwanda genocide and other global conflicts and atrocities, Aoki and Jonas stayed at and attended the symposium which was held at the famous Hôtel des Mille Collines (Hotel Rwanda). They also visited the Kigali Memorial Centre, which opened on the 10th Anniversary of the genocide attacks in April 2004. As noted on the Centre website, the Centre is built on a site where over 250,000 people are buried as “a clear reminder of the cost of ignorance.”

“It is an intensely illuminating experience,” Aoki reflects. “After studying documented workshop behaviors of the survivors and perpetrators, learning from international scholars and local Rwandans in Kigali, and then actually being physically present in Rwanda, it has totally transformed the way I think and feel about the word ‘genocide.’”

Aoki notes the gravity of the situation is not unlike visiting the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C.—“but this time you’re on the physical space—which can speak volumes into the experience.”

While intercultural communication and issues of cultural diversity and conflict have been a long-time pursuit and specialty of Aoki’s, he was inspired to further his research into the paper when Communication Studies MA alum, Kyle Jonas, initially wrote on the Rwanda documentary in Aoki’s graduate seminar after the documentarian, Mr. Mureithi, visited Aoki’s class. The natural progression of their collaboration, with the newly added symposium emphasis on memory studies and cultural space, took the pair to the symposia in Kigali where they now have a better idea how to further develop their research.

“I’m very thankful to CSU’s College of Liberal Arts and my department for supporting this career-transforming trip,” Aoki says. “In addition to meeting so many intercultural communication and global interdisciplinary scholars, I was able to immediately use this experience in the classroom upon my return to CSU—and will continue to do so.”

About the Symposium:

SIT Study Abroad and the SIT Graduate Institute, in partnership with the Center for Conflict Management at the National University of Rwanda, invited scholars and practitioners in the fields of memory, reconciliation, conflict transformation, peace and conflict studies, and human rights to attend an interdisciplinary symposium on Conflict, Memory, and Reconciliation: Bridging past, present, and future in Kigali, Rwanda, January 10-13, 2012.

About SIT:

A pioneer in experiential, field-based study abroad, SIT Study Abroad offers semester and summer programs in more than 40 countries in Asia and the Pacific, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, focused on critical global issues with opportunities for undergraduate research.

SIT Graduate Institute offers internationally focused master’s degrees, certificates, and professional development programs in the fields of conflict transformation, international education, sustainable development, and TESOL. Founded over 40 years ago as a training center for early Peace Corps volunteers, SIT Graduate Institute’s flexible full-time and low-residency programs are based on an experiential learning model and a commitment to social justice and intercultural communication.

SIT prepares students to be interculturally effective leaders, professionals, and citizens. In so doing, SIT fosters a worldwide network of individuals and organizations committed to responsible global citizenship. SIT fulfills this mission with field-based academic study abroad programs for undergraduates and accredited master’s degrees and certificate programs for graduates and professionals.

It’s done so with a distinctively local – make that a distinctively Colorado State – flavor.

90octane currently employs 12 graduates from the CSU College of Business, which represents about 29 percent of the company’s workforce.

Read more

Read more

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/President/2012/0208/What-went-wrong-for-Mitt-Romney-in-Colorado-video

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/in-colorado-a-struggle-between-pragmatism-and-passion/

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/07/political-geography-colorado/

http://articles.boston.com/2012-02-07/news/31034664_1_republicans-colorado-gop-unaffiliated-voters

“These outstanding individuals are the inaugural recipients of a new Boise State initiative to recognize the finest among its faculty for their distinguished achievement in the combined areas of teaching, research and service,” said Martin Schimpf, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs.

Having received one of the highest honors that can be accorded to a faculty member, Distinguished Professors are expected to make special contributions to the intellectual advancement of their home departments and colleges, as well as to Boise State as a whole.

Last year, three alumni from the College of Liberal Arts walked away with awards.

GOLD – Graduate of the Last Decade Award: André Heller (BA ’03, Art) Head of Mission, Médecins Sans Frontieres

College of Liberal Arts Distinguished Alumni Award: Jim Sheeler (BA ’90, Technical Journalism) Pultizer Prize winning Journalist

Distinguished Athletics Award: George Seward (BA ’72, Political Science) President, Power Genetics

This year, we would like to nominate an alumnus from the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance. If you know a CSU alumnus who would be a perfect candidate for the Distinguished Alumni Awards, contact MTD Alumni Relations Coordinator Marilyn Bistline at Marilyn.Bistline@colostate.edu by Monday, February 27, 2012.

Find nomination guidelines and deadlines here.

“I had never taken voice lessons and I had never performed a solo. I was in a rock band in high school and if you would have told me then that I would be an opera singer, I would have thought you were crazy,” says James. “I didn’t think that opera was the direction I was heading in, but I auditioned for the program and got a lead in Cosi fan Tutte my sophomore year. I ended up really enjoying it and I kept working with it.”

On Wednesday Feb. 15 James performs as the third guest artist in the Alumni Concert Series at CSU. His performance at the University Center for the Arts coincides with a guest appearance in Opera Colorado’s production of The Marriage of Figaro on February 11, 14, 17 and 19 at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House in Denver. As for his return to the Organ Recital Hall, James is looking forward to performing in the intimate and acoustically sound venue.

“I have been to recitals at Juilliard and I have sung in auditions at the Cincinnati Conservatory, but I think that the Organ Recital Hall rivals the spaces at any major conservatory,” says James. “It is a beautiful space, the acoustics are phenomenal and there is not a bad place to sit.”

Graduating from CSU in 2009 with a B.M. in Music Education and 10 lead opera theatre roles under his belt, James had a head start in developing his opera career.

“I got a lot of leading roles at CSU, which was great because at most universities it’s unheard of that you would get that much leading role experience,” says James. “I graduated with good, solid lead roles which helped me get into the Central City Young Artist Program in 2009. When I had auditioned for the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Singer program in 2010, I felt that my experience at CSU was leading that audition.”

Now in New York City, James is auditioning for roles at various opera companies and studying with former Metropolitian Opera baritone Mark Oswald. Though it seems that moving to the Big City would be a likely choice for any performer, James says that his decision to move to the East Coast will open up more opportunities for him across the country.

“The popularity of opera is growing in the West. Big companies in the East are struggling while smaller companies are starting to pop up in the middle of the country,” says James. “Still, there is more of an opera audience on the East coast. There are more teachers, smaller companies and more opportunities. It’s interesting because if you want to work in a place like Colorado, you have to come out here to learn how to become a professional in the field.”

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival is a national theater program, with over 18,000 participants annually, and according to the organization’s website, “[KCACTF] has served as a catalyst in improving the quality of college theatre in the United States.”

The Region VII conference is comprised of nine western states including Alaska, northern Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., northern Nev., Ore., Wash. and Wyo. Students from schools in these states will convene to participate in workshops; attend symposia and colloquies and professional presentation; and work with resident artists. Additionally, they will participate in performance competitions where winners advance to the KCACTF final in Washington, D.C.

In December 2011, productions in each region were adjudicated for selection to compete in the regional festivals. CSU’s new work The Kafka Project, created by Walt Jones and the Company, was selected to compete in February’s conference.

Over 1,400 theatre students will occupy CSU’s University Center for the Arts (UCA) from Feb. 13 – 17. The UCA is a new state-of-the-art facility, completed in 2008, containing five premiere performance venues along with rehearsal and production spaces that make it an ideal location for festival. Additional workshops and symposia take place at the Hilton Fort Collins, which is the official host hotel for the conference.

“Hosting the regional festival this year is a great honor,” says Walt Jones, director of the Division of Theatre and Dance at CSU. “It gives us prominent status among this region’s theatre programs; along with our awards on regional and national levels over the past few years, we are really making our mark.”

Ten years ago, hosting this type of event would have been inconceivable, with separate departments of music, theatre and dance scattered in academic buildings across campus. But CSU’s commitment to investing in the arts through the UCA facility has brought together some of the best faculty, students and resources, creating a new hallmark for arts at CSU, and in the region.

Not only is the UCA a one-of-a-kind facility, but bringing together these departments and resources allows unprecedented collaboration, such as theatre students working with opera productions and dance concerts along with the scenic and costume shops, which are solely dedicated to CSU productions. This unique type of “cross training” fosters an environment that creates Broadway entry-level artists.

“Our facilities and expertise in production definitely put us way ahead of the curve,” says Jones. “This is the face of CSU theatre.”

Photo Credit: Gary Mulcahey

Theatre students at CSU couldn’t be more thrilled to host their regional theatre colleagues at the UCA, as well.

“One of the most important aspects of theatre is collaboration,” notes CSU theatre major Chelsea Case, who participated in the festival last year. “The only way theatre can grow is from new ideas and new interpretations of old ones—we are the future of this field and we are creating new innovations right now.”

“It’s a unique opportunity to showcase our facilities and department here at CSU and also our Fort Collins community,” notes theatre major Willa Bograd.

“It’s one of those amazingly rare chances you get to be totally immersed in art,” reflects theatre major Jeff Garland, who also travelled to the KCACTF last year. “The UCA is going to be flooded with young new voices—which is so significant in shaping the future of American theatre—and this year we get to share the experience with our whole CSU family.”

During the festival, professional Canadian horror-clown duo Mump & Smoot will be the keynote presenters. In addition to performing their own shows at the UCA on Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 19 at 2 p.m., the duo will provide instruction and presentations, encouraging students in reacting to their environment along with exploration in creativity—tools used in their full-length clown courses.

“We’re looking forward to seeing the kind of theatre the next generation of artists is doing and where they take it,” Mump and Smoot agree.

For a full performance and event calendar, more information, and to sign up for a free event e-newsletter, visit www.CSUSchooloftheArts.com.

I never thought of Franz Kafka as a particularly funny guy — until I saw him through Walt Jones’s eyes, that is.

The CSU Co-director of the Division of Dance and Theatre’s sampling of some of Kafka’s works makes the writer not only funny but also accessible, a feat for anyone who’s tackled some of Kafka’s more bizarre stories.

Jones’s “Chrysalis: The Kafka Project” is a sampling of writings, including six of Kafka’s major works and entries from his diaries and letters.

Read the full story (pdf)

Colorado State University students majoring in music will join the orchestra as soloists, chosen through audition, for the annual, highly competitive concerto competition. CSU soloists include: Brianne Little, flute – Concerto for Flute and Orchestra in D Major, op. 283 by Carl Reinecke; Nathan Wilson, saxophone – Rhapsodie for Orchestra and Saxophone by Claude Debussy; and Sabrina Romney, viola – Der Schwanendreher by Paul Hindemith.

Brianne Little, born in Elmore, Ohio, is a second year graduate student majoring in flute performance.  Because of her strong past in a community orchestra and in Ohio’s Capital University top ensembles, Little has learned the importance of a strong work ethic and the discipline that follows. After graduation, Little plans to apply to Graduate programs in hope of continuing on into a Doctorate program. When asked why she chose to play the Flute, Little said, “perhaps it chose me. I love the variety of sounds a flute can make–it’s such a versatile instrument.”

On performing in the ‘Fate & Finals’ concert, Little observes that “Maestro Kenney wears the emotions of the pieces on his face when he conducts and it really urges me to dig a little deeper and find that emotion in my playing.”

Nathan Wilson is a second year student in CSU’s Master of Music program in Saxophone performance. Originally from Grand Junction, Colo., Wilson completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Colorado and was involved with their Wind Symphony and Symphonic and Campus Bands. Wilson has also played in Mesa State College’s Wind Symphony, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combo and Saxophone Quartet. His professional playing experience includes Denver Philharmonic Orchestra, Loveland Symphony Orchestra, Western Colorado Jazz Orchestra and more. Wilson notes that playing as a student soloist with the Fort Collins Symphony and being conducted by Wes Kenney “is a great and humbling experience due to [Kenney's] knowledge and love for music.” Wilson hopes to attend either the University of Northern Colorado or the Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Va., to find a teaching position and continue work on his doctoral studies.

Before attending CSU, Sabrina Romney completed her undergraduate music degree at Utah State University and minored in French. Romney is currently in her last semester at CSU as a graduate student studying viola performance. “I love all of the opportunities that this university provides,” Romney says. “CSU offers so much knowledge and experience that can’t be found anywhere else.” Post-graduation, Romney will seek a full-time orchestra position in addition to other violist opportunities such as pit orchestras, chamber ensembles or as a soloist.

From the age of 4, Romney learned to play the violin from her mother, a trained Suzuki violin teacher. Eventually, Romney traded the violin for a viola and played for hire in two ensembles as well as in her high school orchestra. When asked about the upcoming Concerto and Tour, Romney noted that “this concert will give us soloists the opportunity not only to be featured artists, but also to have the audience that comes with orchestra concerts hear the fruits of our labors.”

The orchestra, directed by Wes Kenney, will perform one of the most intense symphonies ever written on this tour: Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 in f minor. “Only the best of orchestras can attempt to play this symphonic tour de force,” says Kenney. “The difficulties lie in the rhythmically complex first movement, its lovely lyrical second movement, the intricate ensemble challenges of the third and the frenetic finale that leaves the audience breathless.”

The performance also features the solo performances of three music majors; Brianne Little – Concerto for Flute and Orchestra in D Major, op. 283 by Carl Reinecke; Nathan Wilson – Rhapsodie for Orchestra and Saxophone by Claude Debussy; and Sabrina Romney – Der Schwanendreher by Paul Hindemith.

The following tour dates are all free concerts:
• Monday, Feb. 13, 1 p.m., Glenwood Springs High School, Glenwood Springs, Colo.
• Monday, Feb. 13, 6 p.m., Harris Concert Hall, 960 North 3rd Street, Aspen, Colo.
• Tuesday, Feb. 14, 7 p.m., Breckenridge Riverwalk Center, 150 W Adams, Breckenridge, Colo.

“As CSU’s music program grows, it is important that our major ensembles canvas the state to get the ‘buzz’ going about us,” said Kenney. “It is extremely important that we showcase our talented students and demonstrate the many things that have improved. We’re excited to go on the road with this message!”

The orchestra will preview the tour program at a concert on Feb. 8, 7:30 p.m. at the University Center for the Arts. To purchase tickets, click here.

See the original article here: http://www.9news.com/news/local/article/244917/222/Expert-Colo-youth-vote-cant-be-ignored-in-2012-

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery recently unveiled a photographic portrait of food pioneer Alice Waters, founder of the Chez Panisse Restaurant and Cafe, the Edible Schoolyard and champion of the Slow Food movement. Now it will be installed at the Portrait Gallery Jan. 20 as part of a ticketed evening event.

The portrait, created by Dave Woody, pictures Waters standing beneath the branches of a mulberry tree in the Edible Schoolyard. Woody was commissioned to create the piece as a part of winning first prize in the 2009 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition.

Read the full story.

Preparing For the Big Day

1. Practice, practice, practice!
While I’m not advocating cramming, I urge you to include practice in your day-to-day routine. This includes practicing your entire required repertoire for each school. Be sure to review sight-reading and scales as well. Don’t be surprised if an audition committee requests you to play something that you weren’t expecting. It isn’t the intention to trip you up, but rather to see where you are in your musical development. Not being able to do something doesn’t mean you don’t pass an audition. It simply informs the committee of where you are in your abilities.

2. Create your own audition committee
Often the scariest part of auditioning is performing for a panel of strangers who give very little feedback during your audition. Re-creating that atmosphere can help control your nerves on the day of your audition. Create an audition committee that will listen to you play through your music prior to your auditions. Pull in classmates, teachers, and friends to listen to you perform. The more strangers, the better! Have them ask you to play certain scales or different repertoire than what you have prepared. Act as you would at your audition. Practice smiling, thanking the committee, and playing your best.

3. The non-musical side
Often your audition begins the moment you walk into the room. Present your best self by being well-dressed, full of poise, friendly, respectful, and confidant. Mistakes are ok – even expected. How you recover, and how you perform overall, are what a committee will remember.

Read Dr. Stanley’s entire article on MajoringinMusic.com

The Ralph’s benevolence establishes two endowments for both operational and scholarship support and replaces the previous CSU Opera Theatre program.

The center’s operational fund provides for programmatic support and professional development opportunities including expenses (costumes, sets, guest artists, staging elements), materials, supplies, travel, equipment and other expenses determined at the discretion of the Chair of the Department of Music, Theater and Dance.

The redefined Charles and Reta Ralph Scholarship benefits students in the opera program at Colorado State University, providing support for three new scholarships: Charles and Reta Ralph Undergraduate Scholarship, Charles and Reta Ralph Graduate Scholarship and the Charles and Reta Ralph Recruitment Scholarship.

The Department of Music, Theatre and Dance looks forward to an official celebration of the Center during a gala to be held on Friday, October 26, 2012.

About Charles and Reta Ralph
Aficionados of opera, the Ralphs created Opera Pronto, a network serving the opera community in Colorado. Not only does their organization support opera in Colorado, but they continue to publicize opera and vocal events at CSU as well as the accomplishments of CSU vocal students in the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance.

The Ralphs established the Charles and Reta Ralph Scholarship, previously the Opera Pronto Scholarship, in 2006 to support undergraduate and graduate vocal students in their pursuit of a quality performing arts education. In addition to these scholarships, they have also supported CSU vocal students in their professional development and studies such as providing tickets for students to attend the “Live from the Metropolitan Opera” cinecasts.

Charles and Reta Ralph have a long-standing connection and commitment to Colorado State University. Charles joined the CSU faculty in 1974 and served in the Department of Biology for over two decades while Reta worked in the benefits office of Human Resource Services. Although the Ralphs retired in 1997, they continue to serve Colorado State University and can often be found at the University Center for the Arts attending myriad events.

The Department of Music, Theatre and Dance invites patrons and alumni to come alongside the Ralphs in supporting Colorado State University Opera Theatre. To make a contribution to the Charles and Reta Ralph Opera Center or Scholarship please contact Marilyn Bistline at marilyn.bistline@colostate.edu or (970) 491-4030.

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The School of the Arts at Colorado State University provides an enriched venue in which the study and practice of Art, Dance, Music and Theatre are nurtured and sustained by building the skills and knowledge needed by future generations of arts professionals to become contributors to the essential vitality of our culture and society. For more information, visit www.CSUSchooloftheArts.com.

Read more here

The popular event features a commissioned piece composed by emeritus professor and local composer James McCray, “Rejoice Ye Tenants of the Earth.” The ambitious work for choir, pipe organ, brass ensemble and percussion is the Chorale’s first commissioned work, and celebrates the group’s 35^th anniversary.

When & Where: Saturday, Dec. 17, 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 18, 3 p.m. Sunday at First United Methodist Church in Fort Collins.

Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for seniors and $5 for students and are available online at lctix.com, at the Lincoln Center box office or by calling (970) 221-6730. A limited number of tickets may be available at the door, but both shows usually sell out.

For more about the Larimer Chorale, click here.

“After I moved to Sun Valley from Los Angeles in 2003, I saw a lack of music year round,” says Dunning. “I had a real desire to bring music to the community, so with my partner I founded the Sun Valley Artist Series and have had a tremendous response from the community. The programs just keep expanding.”

After completing her piano performance master’s at CSU and doctoral degree at the University of Colorado, Susan went on to College of the Canyons in Los Angeles to teach piano performance, music theory and music appreciation.

Susan says it is her teaching experience at CSU and at College of the Canyons that led to the creation of the Sun Valley Artist Series.
“Starting the series wasn’t a challenge, it’s what I’ve done my whole life. This type of thing seems integrated for a lot of musicians,” says Susan. “It was an extension of everything I have been doing in music education.”

In October 2011, Coordinator of Keyboard Studies Dr. Janet Landreth performed pieces by Franz Liszt and taught a Master Class as part of the Sun Valley Artist Series. For Susan, it was a reunion with her mentor.

“I appreciated how small the program at CSU was, and it was the people, the individual instructors that made my experience there so special,” says Susan. “Janet and I reconnected after a number of years, and after we connected, I remembered how a lot of her students are her best friends. That was really profound for me.”

Aside from those who Susan says “took me under their wing;” department chair Dr. James McCray, emeritus professor Dr. William Runyan and the late Wil Schwartz, Susan credits another person at CSU as someone who served as an inspiration.

“As a student in the piano performance master’s program, I was often in the music building on the Oval till 2:00 a.m., and I quickly became friends with the janitor. It was interesting to see life from the other side, and I remember feeling appreciation of his efforts. Here I am studying this great art, and one of my great friends in that endeavor was the janitor,” says Susan.

In its third season, the Sun Valley Artist Series will feature international guest artists, master classes and a suicide prevention benefit concert raising funds for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Wood River Valley Crisis Hotline and The Speedy Foundation. Characteristic of a community organization, tickets are free for music students and community members who cannot afford to see a performance.

“The impacts we have seen from letting people hear live classical music in an intimate setting has been wonderful. It’s the heart beat of my art. There is still something very organic and amazing about experiencing classical music live,” says Susan.

While her time as an instructor at College of the Canyons served as a stepping stone to Susan’s career in the non-profit world, she credits the master’s program in the Department of Music, Theatre and Dance at CSU to exposing her to a collaborative environment.

“I am really proud to have gone through that master’s program,” says Susan. “Teaching in that department taught me lessons that served me all the way through other teaching positions. I learned how to get along with people and the powers that be, having to do things that aren’t my way. I feel that my experience in the department helped me become a team player.”

For more information visit the Sun Valley Artist Series website

The Kafka Project, written by Theatre Director Walt Jones, is a perfect example of the collaboration that is characteristic of the department. Assistant Professor of Composition and Music Theory James David composed three movements for The Kafka Project. The complete work, performed by Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies Peter Sommer, is a concerto for saxophone meant to capture the elusive nature of Kafka’s stories.

“Walt Jones approached me about collaborating with the theatre area. When he mentioned that he was interested in directing a piece inspired by Kafka, I was immediately excited at the chance to take on some of my favorite short stories. Many of my previous works are inspired by literary works, so it was a natural fit,” says David.

The Kafka Project is a collectively-created sampling of Kafka’s bizarre world of works. The project features staging of six major works along with entries from his diaries and letters; all centered around his most famous work, The Metamorphosis.

“Kafka’s work is mysterious, hard to crack, challenging and compelling — full of contradictions,” notes writer and director of The Kafka Project, Walt Jones. “His writing, while not ‘theatre,’ per se, is very theatrical.”

A Hunger Artist is a first-person monologue by a man who, as a side-show act, is starving himself to death. In A Report to an Academy, an ape tells a group of scientists why he chose to become a man. The story In the Penal Colony describes the last use of an elaborate torture and execution device that carves the sentence of the condemned prisoner on his skin in a script before letting him die, all in the course of twelve hours.

The centerpiece of this haunting evening, presented in five installments throughout the piece, The Metamorphosis, follows the six-legged nightmare of traveling salesman, Gregor Samsa, who awakens one morning to discover he has been transformed into a giant bug.

The work written by David for The Kafka Project is cast in three movements with each representing a particular character from Kafka’s output. The central movement, scored for a trio of saxophone, cello, and an electronic harp, centers around A Hunger Artist whose torture is heard in microtonal clouds of distorted sounds. The final movement is based on Kafka’s most famous character: Gregor Samsa from The Metamorphosis. Here, the transformed man’s psyche is heard through the increasingly chaotic dance rhythms of his new insect legs.

“The ‘humanity’ of the jazz tenor saxophone combined with the clarity of a chamber orchestra and the harsh expansiveness of digital sounds seemed to somehow complement the enigmatic nature of these stories,” says David. “It is my hope that the work will be perceived as an unusual, but satisfactory solution to an extremely rewarding challenge.”

A Different Kind of Performing Arts Student at the University Center for the Arts – Sayaka Karasugi-Ruggles, Dance

We have all heard the term “non-traditional” student before at a university. Usually you think of someone who wants to pursue a career change, or a parent who can attend college now that their child is older.  This fall semester, the dance program at Colorado State University enrolled a different type of non-traditional student – a retired ballerina.

Performing arts major Sayaka Karasugi-Ruggles is in her first semester at CSU. A soloist at Colorado Ballet for 10 years, Sayaka has devoted her life to ballet. From Kumamoto, Japan, Sayaka left her home country to study at Shanghai Ballet in Shanghai, China, and then to Canada to study at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School.

“Dance has been my whole life,” says Sayaka. “In order to dance, I left Japan as a child, lived in a different country, learned a new language and made my career in a foreign country.”

Sayaka’s career flourished as she toured with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Then in 2001, she joined Colorado Ballet, ascending the ranks to become soloist, and dancing in numerous roles including Kitri in Don Quixote and Fleur de Lis in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

A dance related foot injury led to Sayaka’s retirement from Colorado Ballet in 2011. After leaving Colorado Ballet, Sayaka thought it was time to go back to school.

“It has always been one of my goals to receive a university diploma. In order to become a professional dancer, I had to choose to work before going to college. When I retired from professional performance, I had this chance to experience a new side of life,” says Sayaka.

As a performing arts dance major at CSU, Sayaka is learning technical production and design for dance, including lighting, costuming and music.

According to Assistant Professor of Ballet Carol Roderick, this is a huge transistion from the professional dance world, where dancers are strictly performers

The upcoming Fall Dance Concert on Friday, Nov. 11 and Saturday, Nov. 12 will feature Sayaka in what will be one of her few performances at CSU. With the CSU Ballet Repertory Ensemble, Sayaka will dance the pas de deux in excerpts of the ballet Don Quixote.

“I am excited to dance with the other students, and to make a contribution to the concert,” says Sayaka. “I think I am new and different to my fellow students, and they are new and different to me! We are learning a lot about each other, and also learning from each other.”

As for the CSU dance program, Karasugi hopes to see it grow in the future, and she hopes to teach ballet and modern at the university level.