Recent Accomplishments by VAPA Alumni, Students, and Faculty - Spring/Summer 2021

Alumni and Current Students

• ULM Dance was selected for the American College Dance Association’s inaugural Screendance Festival's Gala Concert. A total of 152 dances were submitted, and 30 were chosen for the Gala. Alumnus Ethan Dennis was the featured dancer, and Assistant Professor of Dance Vanessa Kanamoto, MFA choreographed and directed the dance. 
• Several recent Music Education graduates were appointed to the following positions.
  • Karly May (BM 2019) Assistant Band Director at Brandon Middle School
  • Naomi Naquin (BM 2019) Choir Director at Caldwell Parish Junior High School
  • Noah White (BM 2019) Band Director at Calhoun Middle School
  • Grace Markus (BM 2020) Elementary Music Teacher at Lakeshore Elementary School and Choir Director at Ouachita Junior High School
  • Caroline Francis (BM 2020) Band Director at Pineville Junior High School
  • Ian Lee (BM 2021) Band Director at Caldwell Parish High School
  • Tyler Schweinefus (BM 2018) Assistant Band Director at Neville High School
• Vocal Performance major Hanna Atsedewoin covered the role of Violetta in La Traviata at the Ars Musica Lirica Young Artist Program in Wisconsin, and participated in the Savannah Music Festival.
• Recent Vocal Performance graduate Leah Huber (BM 2021) sang the role of Emmy in Albert Herring at the Miami Music Festival, and also participated in the Florida Voice Project and the Savannah Music Festival. Leah was accepted into a Master of Music in Vocal Performance program at Carnegie Melon with both a music scholarship and an opera fellowship. 
• Recent Vocal Performance graduate Jarryd Guttierez (BM 2021) was accepted into the Master of Music program at Loyola University with full tuition remission.

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Faculty

• Professor of Music Mark Ross Clark, DMA was in London, England this summer, presenting workshops via Zoom as well as exploring 2022 summer opportunities in the UK. Although his Oregon young artist program and Italian programs were cancelled face to face, he ran the Astoria Oregon Young Artist Program in June from England- across six time zones. He ran classes and scheduled lessons and coachings with the faculty of Metropolitan Opera singing veterans from the vocal faculties of UCLA, Roosevelt in Chicago, and Mannes in New York City.  Clark also had an interview at Cambridge University with the head of the music department of Downing College for workshops next summer, and had interviews with local venues to set up a production with English singing actors of The Fantasticks by Schmidt/Jones next June, which will coincide with the release of Clark’s new book about the composer/lyricist team, who created New York’s longest running musical show.  
• Assistant Professor of Music Adam Johnson, DA performed at the International Trombone Festival, held on the campus of Columbus State University in Columbus, GA July 14-17. Dr. Johnson performed with the 20/59 Quartet, and gave the World Premiere of a new work he commissioned, Trombone Sonata (“Antarā”), by Douglas Hedwig. Instructor of Music, Mary Rudd, MM collaoborated on piano.
• Professor of Music James Boldin, DMA performed and presented at the 53rd International Horn Symposium (held online August 9-13). The ULM Horn Ensemble's recorded performance of Gratitude for Horn Octet by Douglas Hill was accepted for the symposium, and was available on demand during the sympoisium dates. ULM Horn Ensemble members on the recording were Caroline Braswell, Lee Dunford, Maggie Eubanks, Hannah Hauptman, Katelyn Ivanyisky, Jeremi Jenkins, Daniel Kennedy, Jackson Lair, Chris Perdue, Kathy Phillips, Neill Roshto.