News
Student News
Jazz student and blogger Dean Christesen (B.M. '10) contributed an article on the Richmond jazz scene to Patrick Jarenwattananon's Jazz Now project for National Public Radio; click here to read the article. See the VCU Guitar Ensemble and the VCU Community Guitar Ensemble on You Tube (click here).
Alumni News
Guitar alumnus John Bullard's book Scales and Arpeggios for Classical Banjo has recently been published by Mel Bay Publications. Jazz alumnus Victor Goines mesmerizes a crowd of 10,000 at Benny Goodman centennial concert in Chicago. The Chicago Tribune review reads: "The clarinetis's ebullient solo nearly defied description, his lines whirring, his tone fluttering, his phrases wafting into the stratospheric reaches of his instrument." Melanie Payne Bolas (B.M. '01), music teacher at Chancellor Elementary School in Fredericksburg, VA, was awarded a $2,000 grant for her third grade students to attend the National Symphony's "Sounds Historic" Young People's Concert, which fosters connections between music and history. The VCU Alumni Board hosted the first in a series of four Alumni Recitals this season. The September 27 program featured alums Lisa Edwards Burrs, soprano; Keith Hanlon, flutes; and Laura Candler White, piano. The Alumni Board will also sponsor an alumni reception at the Virginia Music Educators' Association conference this year. Stay tuned for details.
Faculty News
Prof. John Patykula's arrangement of Alessandro Marcello's Concerto in D minor has recently been published by Les Productions d'Oz. Prof. Charles West received a glowing review in Letter V: The Virginia Classical Music Blog of his performance of the Brahms Trio Op. 114, No. 1 at the Paley Music Festival last month: "[The performance] was both emphatic and lyrical. West played with his characteristic balance of refined tone and vigorous projection." Prof. David Greennagel presented at the third biennial national Society for Music Teacher Education Symposium last month at the University of North Carolina - Greensboro. The VCU Music Ed program was recognized as an exemplar of Best Practices with a description of our program published in the Symposium Proceedings. Dr. Alice Lindsay worked with viola students at the Regional High School Orchestra Prep day at Old Dominion University. The program, sponsored by the Virginia chapter of the American String Teachers Association, provides experts to coach and prepare high school string players for regional and all state orchestra auditions.
