UNC Pembroke Department of Music Newsletter Spring 2024 Dr

UNC Pembroke Department of Music Newsletter

Spring 2024

Dr. Joseph Van Hassel, chair

Table of Contents  Page 2 
0 
3 - Greetings From the Chair 
4 - Current Events 
  Musical Theatre 
  Voice Studies 
6 - Meet the New Faculty/Staff 
  Mr. Daniel Bukin 
  Mr. Cameron Collar 
  Dr. Piper Pack-Smith 
  Dr. Holland Phillips 
  Mr. Matthew Rybicki 
  Dr. Peter Swanson 
  Ms. Julie Welch 
  Ms. Crystal Wood 
15 - Faculty Retirements 
16 - Alumni News 
18 - Faculty News 
  Dr. Tim Altman 
  Dr. Joshua Busman 
  Mr. Kalem Graham 
  Dr. Lindsey Jacob 
  Dr. Jaeyoon Kim  
  Dr. José Rivera 
  Dr. Mark Tollefsen 
  Dr. Aaron Vandermeer 
  Dr. Joseph Van Hassel 
34 - New Alumni 
35 - Calendar of Events 
37 - Helpful Links 
38 - Carnegie Hall  
39 - University Music Society 
   
   

Greengs From the Chair Page 3

I am very excited for the return of the UNCP Music newsletter, Moore Tid-

ings! It has been several years since its last publication, and I’m glad it’s

back. Thanks so much to Travis Moftt for designing and to Dr. Joshua

Busman for editing.

In this newsletter you will nd information about music department

(students and faculty) happenings from 2022-2023 and our plans for

2023-2024. As always, there is a lot going on! We offer many free con-

certs on-campus, including student ensembles and recitals, faculty recit-

als, guest artists, and more. Please refer to the UNCP Music Department

website or the end of this newsletter for the most current information on

concerts:

https://www.uncp.edu/departments/music/calendar-events

This newsletter gives only a small sampling of all of the fabulous endeav-

ors that our faculty and students take part in. Please enjoy reading

through the newsletter and checking out the photos and videos!

Thank you for your support of UNCP Music.

- Joseph Van Hassel, chair

Table of Contents

Current Events Page 4

Table of Contents

Musical Theatre

The 2023-2024 academic year is off to a great start for the Musical Theatre Program.

First, we have a new Director of Musical Theatre, Mr. Daniel Bukin. Daniel is return-

ing to his home state of North Carolina after living in New Mexico for the last few

years teaching K-12 music and directing various musical theatre productions in the

Albuquerque area. He is an alumnus of Appalachian State University and the Univer-

sity of North Carolina School of the Arts. Daniel is also a published composer/

arranger with both T.U.X. People’s Music and ALRY Publications. For more infor-

mation, check out his proles below:

https://www.tuxpeoplesmusic.com/daniel-bukin.html

https://ummpstore.com/collections/bukin-daniel

The fall semester musical production was Songs For A New World with music and

lyrics by Jason Robert Brown. The show is a theatrical song cycle that visits its char-

acters as they each face a turning point in their lives: a deep realization, a difcult

decision, or an opportunity to take a stand. The score features a diverse array of

genres from R&B and gospel to pop and rock and provided a fabulous showcase for

our students.

Current Events Page 5

Table of Contents

Voice Studies

Piper Pack-Smith joined the UNCP music faculty in Fall 2023 and is excited to bring

musical theatre singing to its best year yet! Before making the trip across the coun-

try, Dr. Pack-Smith had a busy summer in 2023, musically directing Kinky Boots! to

sold-out crowds In Phoenix, Arizona. The message of acceptance and the delightful

musical score made her forever a fan.

In June, she also directed two camps. A voice and choir camp, which had high

school students singing solos, playing theory games, and joining together for some

great pop choral numbers—as well as a musical theatre camp, where middle school

and high schoolers put on a mini-show, costumes and everything, after just one

week of rehearsals!

Dr. Pack-Smith hopes to bring her experiences in camps for local students as well as

exploring the amazing world of music theatre to UNCP. Already this Fall, she geared

up some of the more experienced singers to participate in North Carolina’s NATS

Music Theatre auditions. This was an exciting chance for others to see what UNCP

brings to the scene!

Meet the New Faculty/Sta Page 6

Daniel Bukin - Musical Theatre

Daniel has a string of notable musical direction credits to his name. He has lent his exper-

tise to productions such as Blood Brothers at Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance, Route 66 at

Kernersville Little Theatre, A Chorus Line: High School Edition at the University of North

Carolina School of the Arts, Big Fish & Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at

Musical Theatre Southwest, and Grease at Albuquerque Little Theatre.

He is also an accomplished composer and arranger. His original

works have been premiered by ensembles including Loadbang, the

Seattle Pacic University Chamber Orchestra, and the Charlotte Sym-

phony Orchestra. Many of his compositions can be found in the cata-

logs of T.U.X. People’s Music and ALRY Publications.

A few of Daniel's conducting highlights include three years with the

Triad Area Medical Orchestra, initially as an assistant conductor be-

fore taking on the role of full-time music director. He also served as

Assistant Conductor for two seasons of the University of North Caroli-

na School of the Arts' production of The Nutcracker. Notably, he as-

sumed the role of Assistant Conductor for the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute's productions

of Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas and Gioachino Rossini’s La Cenerentola. Dan-

iel also served as a Conducting Fellow with the Winston-Salem Symphony.

As a music educator, Daniel has served in a variety of positions and programs throughout

North Carolina and New Mexico. His work in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School

District, Albuquerque Public Schools District, and the Moriarty-Edgewood School District

includes serving as a guest clinician, accompanist, private lesson instructor in piano, voice,

and bassoon, and full-time teacher of the Moriarty High School piano and Moriarty Middle

School choir programs.

Daniel holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Theory/Composition from Appalachian State

University in Boone, North Carolina, and a Master's degree in Orchestral Conducting from

the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

He is a student of Dr. Scott Meister, Dr. Ben Hjertmann, and Christopher James Lees.

Table of Contents

Meet the New Faculty/Sta Page 7

Cameron Collar - Low Brass

Cameron Collar is an active freelance trombonist and private les-

sons instructor based out of the Triangle area of North Carolina.

Cameron completed his bachelor of music degree in trombone

performance at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC,

where he studied with Dr. Drew Leslie and Dr. Joseph Brown. Up-

on graduation, Cameron continued his studies at the Eastman

School of Music in Rochester, NY, where he studied with Larry

Zalkind, and earned his master of music degree in trombone per-

formance and literature. Some of Cameron’s recent performance

highlights include performing on occasion with the Southern Tier

Symphony, the Durham Symphony, and with UNCP’s Faculty

Brass Quintet. Cameron is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and the Pi Kappa Lambda

music honor society.

Table of Contents

Meet the New Faculty/Staff Page 8

Piper Pack-Smith - Lecturer of Voice

Dr. Pack-Smith is a veteran Mezzo Soprano, making a mark in productions both on stage

and in musical direction. Her operatic work as soloist and chorister includes the Los Ange-

les Opera, the Santa Fe Opera, the Phoenix Symphony, Opera Memphis, Opera Pacic,

Lyric Opera Dan Diego, Arizona Chorus, Memphis Symphony, and the Bronx Opera.

Dr. Pack-Smith's extensive work outside of opera includes creating

the role of Mama in the Off-Broadway production Valentino, singing

Mrs. Lovett with Theatre Cedar Rapids, national sold-out tours in Gil-

bert and Sullivan as both Buttercup and Ruth, and Julia Child with Mil-

waukee Opera Theater. She has performed and recorded original

music and was ensemble lead in a long run of Do! Jump! at the Ge-

ffen theater in Los Angeles. Most recently, she sang the principal role

of MC in the American premiere of Rhondda Rips It Up! and has rec-

orded the role of Thea 4 for the new musical Woman in the Moon.

As a musical director, Dr. Pack-Smith has prepared and conducted Romance, Romance, A

Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, MTI's All Together Now! cabaret and Kinky Boots.

in addition to preparing incidental music for Secret in the Wings she has held positions at

Pepperdine University, Augustana College and Paradise Valley Community College,

teaching voice, music theatre, voice for actors, and audition workshops. She has a passion

for music theatre camps, which she has now run for four years.

Dr. Pack Smith's research on the complex gender identity of the contralto and Rossini's

historical relationship with the voice type has been published by the Opera Journal and

presented at the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities. She holds de-

grees from the University of Arizona, UC Irvine and Pepperdine University.

Dr. Pack-Smith has received the PVCC "Arty" award for excellence in ne arts faculty multi-

ple times and an MONCA award for the Los Angeles region.

Table of Contents

Meet the New Faculty/Sta Page 9

Holland Phillips - Strings

Violinist and violist Holland Phillips was born in Mississippi and raised by North Carolinian

parents. It was only natural that she would eventually call North Carolina home. She and

her family relocated to Rockingham, North Carolina from Portland, Oregon in October of

2020. In Oregon, she taught at Pacic University and Lewis and Clark College. She simul-

taneously served as the principal violist of the Eugene Symphony. Her busy career also in-

cluded performing regularly with musicians of the Oregon Symphony, the 45

Parallel

Universe, Mousai REMIX string quartet, the Oregon Bach Festival, and the Portland Cham-

ber Orchestra. She has played under the batons of John Williams, Giancarlo Guerrero,

Helmuth Rilling, and Marin Alsop as well as accompanied Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, and

Renée Fleming. Holland continues to travel back west to perform as principal violist of

both OrchestraNext (Eugene Ballet) and the Sunriver Music Festival.

She has been a featured soloist with several orchestras, including the

Eugene Symphony, Salem Chamber Orchestra, Corban University Or-

chestra (as faculty soloist), and the Starkville/Mississippi State Univer-

sity Symphony. Reviewers have praised the “spirit and clear tone” of

her playing (Leipziger Volkszeitung) and the “serious intensity” that

she brings to performances (Register-Guard). She has also been invit-

ed to perform and present research papers at regional and national

conferences, including SEAMUS (Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in

the United States), SASS (Society for the Advancement of Scandinavi-

an Study), AMS (American Musicological Society), and MTNA (Music

Teachers National Association).

She currently teaches at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and plays in several

orchestras in the North Carolina region, including as a member of the rst violin section of

the Fayetteville Symphony. She is also working to build musical communities through

chamber music performances and educational outreach in underserved areas of North

Carolina, currently focusing on the Sandhills region.

Holland completed her doctoral studies at the University of Oregon with her dissertation,

“Tidens Fylde: Temporality and Tradition in Carl Nielsen’s Works for Violin.” She also holds

degrees from Vanderbilt University (summa cum laude), and the New England Conserva-

tory (honors). She also holds diplomas from the University of North Carolina School of the

Arts and the Leipzig Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Leipzig, Germany.

Table of Contents

Meet the New Faculty/Sta Page 10

Matthew Rybicki - Bass, Jazz

Raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Matthew Rybicki has performed with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lin-

coln Center Orchestra, Ernie Watts, Laurence Hobgood, Hilary Kole, Wycliffe Gordon, Ted Rosenthal,

Mark Gould, Nnenna Freelon, Renee Fleming, Terell Stafford, Winard Harper, Mark Whiteld, Victor

Goines and Marcus Printup. He has also had the great fortune of performing at many well-respected

venues in New York such as The Village Vanguard and The Blue Note, as well as concert halls and fes-

tivals in locations ranging from Italy, to Qatar, to Taiwan. Rybicki maintains an active performing

schedule, working with his own ensembles and with many accomplished colleagues and mentors

such as Lew Tabackin, Lewis Nash, Dan Nimmer, Oscar Perez, Christian Sands, Gerald Clayton, David

Berger, and Charenee Wade.

An adept educator, Matthew is a faculty member at The Juilliard School and

was an artist/instructor for Jazz at Lincoln Center where he developed and

taught the inaugural bass course in the Essentially Ellington Band Director

Academy. He has also been the Music Director for several educational perfor-

mance initiatives, including Jazz in the Schools and hospital tours in conjunc-

tion with Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ Department of Services for

People with Disabilities. In addition, Rybicki was a program coordinator for Mi-

dori and Friends and has led musical workshops at both The Whitney Museum

of American Art and The Guggenheim, where he designed and presented edu-

cational performances that incorporate jazz with ne art.

Matthew has presented educational clinics in a wide variety of settings world-

wide. Highlights include master-classes and clinics at the International Society of Bassists Annual Con-

vention (Rochester, NY), Qatar Music Academy (Doha, Qatar), The Vitoria Jazz Festival (Vitoria, Spain),

Georgia State University (Atlanta, GA), Snow College (Ephraim, UT), Centro Nacional de las Artes

(Mexico City, Mexico), Spoleto Music Festival (Spoleto, Italy), and The National Jazz Museum in Har-

lem (New York, NY).

He has also authored books for Hal Leonard Publications including The Hal Leonard Jazz Bass Meth-

od, released in 2016, and Ray Brown: Legendary Jazz Bassist and the Goldmine Series for Bass, both

of which were released in 2015.

Driven, Matthew’s debut recording released in 2009, allowed him to formally be acknowledged on

the jazz scene as a performer and composer of note. Recording with jazz greats Ron Blake, Freddie

Hendrix, Gerald Clayton, and Ulysses Owens, he was able to capture innovative and sophisticated

performances of newly created original works that maintain close ties to the history of jazz.

Matthew received his graduate degree from The Juilliard School in 2004 and his Bachelor of Music

from Berklee College of Music in 1995.

Table of Contents

Meet the New Faculty/Staff Page 11

Peter Swanson - Cello

Praised for his "ery playing," "dramatic performance," and "stunning orchestral playing,"

rising cellist Peter Swanson has performed across the United States as soloist, cutting-

edge collaborator, and orchestral leader. Recent highlights include concerto performanc-

es with the Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra and Northshore Philharmonic Orchestra

(both MN), as well as multiple tours of entirely unaccompa-

nied recitals. His passion for the modern cello repertoire

has led him to tackle the works of Hindemith, Crumb, Brit-

ten, Ligeti, Barber, Shostakovich, Dutilleux, Lutoslawski,

Golijov, Augusta Read Thomas, Peter Vukmirovich Ste-

vens, and John Luther Adams. His debut CD "Anti-

Compass" was released in August 2021 through the Sheva

Collection (United Kingdom) label.

As an orchestral musician, his leadership roles span

nearly a dozen orchestras at the community, collegiate,

and professional level. Accolades include a full fellowship

to the National Orchestral Institute, the inaugural Prince

George's Philharmonic Cello Internship (MD), and two

years as endowed principal of the Luther College Symphony and Chamber Orchestras. He

can also be heard on the Grammy-nominated NAXOS recording of the National Orches-

tral Institute performing masterworks by Ruggles, Stucky, and Harbison (2018). As a cham-

ber musician, he performs throughout the country as cellist of Catchre Collective, an in-

novative chamber ensemble based in North Carolina, and with pianist Meagan Lacher as

Duo 336. Other chamber tenures include the Ekklesia Trio, Music In The Shape Of A Pear,

the TEMPO Ensemble, the Gate City Camerata, Present~Continuous, and the Di Domani

Quartet. In these groups he has premiered numerous pieces and promoted recent com-

positions from around the world.

Dr. Swanson has also been recognized for his scholarship and compositions. He has

published numerous articles for The Cello Museum on the works of German composer

Max Reger, and has been a prize-winner in multiple composition competitions. His music

had been performed around the nation and has explored new territory in classical music.

Table of Contents

Meet the New Faculty/Staff Page 12

Many of his works can be heard on his website and on YouTube.

He serves on the faculty of the University of North Carolina-Pembroke, Methodist

University, Guilford College, Catawba Valley Community College, and the UNC-School of

the Arts Community Music School. He holds degrees from the University of North Carolina

-Greensboro, the University of Maryland, and Luther College (IA). Mentors include Alex

Ezerman, Eric Kutz, Cole Tutino, and Rebecca Peterson. He has performed in master-

classes for Andres Diaz, Robert DeMaine Cecylia Barczyk, Richard Belcher, Tulio Rondon,

Christine Kim, and Lawrence Stombeck. He is a winner of the National School Orchestra

Award, the Luther Music Excellence Award, and the Burlington Industries Music Award.

Peter plays a 2013 Beckmann cello specially commissioned by Givens Violins in Minneap-

olis.

Table of Contents

Meet the New Faculty/Sta Page 13

Julie Welch - Voice

Soprano Julie Welch has performed regionally with the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma

for two consecutive summers. She originated the role of Mulan in the brand-new

stage production of Disney’s When You Wish: A Celebration of The Disney Song

Book and recently performed the role of Pamina in Mozart’s Die Zauberöte. She

has been a Concerto Aria Competition winner at Oklahoma Baptist University and a

featured performer at the OK Mozart Music Festival. Welch, a versatile singing ac-

tress, feels comfortable in opera, operetta, and musical theater. She has had exten-

sive dance training and has been featured in several collegiate productions.

In addition to her performance career, Welch has a Bachelor of

Music in voice performance from Oklahoma Baptist University

where she was a music mentor and tutor for aural skills, music

theory, music history, and lyric diction. She also holds a Master of

Music degree in voice performance and pedagogy from Naza-

reth University where she was the assistant director and assistant

stage manager for the opera production, Hansel and Gretel.

She is currently working on a Doctorate in Musical Arts at the

University of South Carolina where she teaches music apprecia-

tion, private voice lessons, and recently stage managed for Opera at USC. Her

eld of research is focused on how to incorporate ballet techniques into training

singers.

Table of Contents

Meet the New Faculty/Staff Page 14

Crystal Wood - Administrative Support Specialist

Crystal Wood is a Chicago native who grew up with music in her blood. At the age of 10 she

started her traditional music training, and continued throughout her life. She attended the United

States Merchant Marine Academy in NY, and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke in

NC. Crystal is a trained oboist and voice instructor who also teaches very beginning piano and

violin for the “newest aspiring virtuosos.”

Most recently Crystal has been working as a vocalist and outreach coordina-

tor for the nonprot CAMMO (Center for American Military Music Opportu-

nities). Under CAMMO, she performs nationwide with the groups “Voices

of Service” and the “American Military Spouses Choir.” Screen credits in-

clude America’s Got Talent Season 8, the Military Channel, Hallmark Home

and Family, the PBS Kennedy Center Lincoln Awards, Oprah’s Life You Want

Tour and the Queen Latifah show. In addition to her screen credits, she also

travels the country with the American Military Spouses Choir and has per-

formed at such venues as the Kennedy Center, Sea World, the Pearl Harbor

Memorial, Radio City Music Hall, and Capital Records with artists such as

the Cincinnati Pops, Jewel, Aloe Blacc, Chris Botti, David Foster, Arturo

Sandoval, Chaka Khan, as well as many others. In addition to CAMMO, Crystal is also a member of

the group Deep River Singers, which recently performed at Carnegie Hall in NYC. Deep River

Singers promotes the history of African American spirituals and repertoire, and performs nation-

wide at various events and venues.

One of the most rewarding roles she currently serves in is as co-director/teacher for a children’s

choir called “CAMMO Kids.” “CAMMO Kids” is a completely volunteer run children’s choir that

offers music education for the children of military families for free. This is a cause that is very near

to her heart because she was an active-duty Army spouse for 20 years and is a mother to a seven-

teen-year-old daughter. Crystal also has been a music teacher for the Metropolitan School of the

Arts in Alexandria, Virginia; Music and Arts in Fayetteville, NC; and Cumberland County Schools

in NC where she was a nalist for the 2023 Beginner Teacher of the Year award.

Overall, Crystal believes that music fundamentals are critical and lay the foundation to becoming

a successful musician. Perhaps more important, Crystal believes that music should be FUN and

engaging. She is full of energy and strives to not only teach the technical aspects of music educa-

tion, but constantly encourages students to go above and beyond what they thought they were

capable of. Music not only develops the mind, but also touches the soul.

Table of Contents

Faculty Retirements Page 15

Larry Arnold

Dr. Larry Arnold, Professor of Music and Media Integration, re-

tired in May after a 33-year career at UNCP. He taught audio pro-

duction, music theory, jazz combo, bass viol, composition, and

media integration. He is a founding member of the UNCP Digital

Academy and the UNC Digital Content Consortium. Dr. Arnold

averaged more than 150 professional performances each year

(bass, piano, and guitar).

Table of Contents

Alumni News Page 16

Table of Contents

The Music Department created an annual

award to recognize our many accom-

plished Music graduates that have studied

at UNCP over the last 80 years since the

university began awarding Music degrees.

Distinguished Alumni are recognized at

our annual Honors Recital, where they

speak and perform or display their works.

They give masterclasses to our students

during their visit. They are also treated to a

catered dinner in their honor at the Chan-

cellor’s Dining Room.

2022 Distinguished Alumni Award

Richard Iacona is a 1969 graduate of UNCP, then Pembroke State College (PSC).

While at PSC, Iacona was in the College Chorus and College Singers, was a student-

director of the College Swingers jazz band, and was president of the PSC chapter of

the Music Educators National Conference (MENC), now known as the National Asso-

ciation for Music Educators (NAfME). After receiving a Bachelor of Science in Music,

Iacona went on to study composition before continuing his education at Long Island

University, where he received a master’s degree in theory and composition. Iacona

has been a member of the LIU faculty since 1998, teaching courses in jazz piano,

music theory, and composition and directing jazz ensembles. Iacona’s professional

experience includes composing the theme song for the Telemundo series “12 Cora-

zones,” working as the arranger for The Rainbow Room orchestra at Rockefeller

Center in New York, and orchestrating the recording of “Feliz Navidad” on Celine

Dion’s 1998 release These Are Special Times. He has also arranged music that has

appeared in several movies and has composed and arranged several pieces for

choir.

2023 Distinguished Alumni Award

Brittany J. Green is a North Carolina-based composer, creative, and educator. Her

music facilitates intimate musical spaces that ignite visceral responses at the inter-

section of sound, video, movement, and text. Recent works engage sonication and

black feminist theory as tools for sonic world-building, exploring the construction,

displacement, and rupture of systems. Her artistic practice includes spoken and

Alumni News Page 17

Table of Contents

electronic performance, interdisciplinary collaboration, experiential projects, and

acoustic and electroacoustic chamber and large ensemble works. Her music has

been featured at TIME:SPANS, NYC Electronic Music Festival, WoCo Fest, and Ex-

perimental Sound Studio. Her collaborators include the International Contemporary

Ensemble, JACK Quartet, Transient

Canvas, Castle of our Skins, Emory

University Symphony Orchestra,

and Wachovia Winds. Brittany

holds awards from the American

Academy of Arts and Letters,

ASCAP Foundation, and New Mu-

sic USA. She is a doctoral candi-

date at Duke University, pursuing a

PhD in music composition as a

Dean’s Graduate Fellow.

Faculty News Page 18

Table of Contents

Tim Altman - Band, Trumpet

I’m starting my 25th year of teaching here at UNCP (32nd year of teaching music…

started with high school band) and this past spring and summer still provided me

with new opportunities. I performed and taught at the conservatory in Riva Del Gar-

da, Italy in May. Here is an article about that amazing experience. https://

www.uncp.edu/news/uncp-professor-tim-altman-leads-italian-conservatory-

masterclass

Professor Ivano Ascari who teaches trumpet at the conservatories in Riva Del Garda

and in Trento (Italy) played a solo with the UNCP Band on the October 10 concert

in GPAC.

My wife and I moved to Raleigh so I have had some perform-

ing opportunities up there. I played Verdi’s Requiem with the

NC Master Chorale in Meymandi Hall and got to play principal

trumpet with Carolina Ballet’s Orpheus and Eurydice in Memo-

rial Hall (Raleigh).

We hosted the 44th Annual UNCP Honor Band in March with

almost 100 public schools participating (students and direc-

tors). Composer, Randall Standridge conducted the high

school band and Phillip Riggs (Grammy winning music educa-

tor) and Ed Kiefer (composer) conducted the middle school

band. March 16, 2024 is the date of the UNCP Honor Band this year. We are excited

that Andrea Brown from the University of Maryland will conduct the high school

group!

We also hosted MPA (Music Perfor-

mance Assessment or concert festival

as some of you know it) for the South

Eastern District Bandmasters Associa-

tion. Meggan Hollis and Travis Moftt

were instrumental (a little pun…) in

making this event happen. I’m so

grateful for all their work.

Faculty News Page 19

Table of Contents

I conducted the All-County high school band in Sampson and Columbus County in

the Spring. I really enjoyed these two-day events and was so proud of the student’s

work. This spring, I will conduct the Duplin All-County high school band.

I am a Yamaha Performing Artist and

serve as principal trumpet for the

Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra

and the Carolina Philharmonic. I

have been with the Fayetteville Sym-

phony for nearly 20 years. I started

conducting with them while they

did a search in 2004. I still do some

substitute conducting for Stefan

Sanders, the current conductor of

the Fayetteville Symphony Orches-

tra. I was thrilled to get to perform

the entire Neruda concerto with

FSO last season. I hope we can get

students to attend some of these symphony performances this year.

I conducted the Moore County Band (a community band that meets in Pinehurst) in

several concerts last year. I also conducted a concert of the Fayetteville Youth Sym-

phony last year.

Governor Roy Cooper ap-

pointed me to the Board of

Trustees of the North Carolina

Symphony. NC Symphony is

one of the largest ne arts or-

ganizations in the state with

more than 30 million dollars

in endowment and a very

large infrastructure.

I was a Fulbright U.S. Scholar

in 2019 and have been able

Faculty News Page 20

Table of Contents

to remain involved. I am on the Peer

Review committee for Fulbright U.S.

Scholars. We reviewed the applica-

tions in October for the 2024-2025

Fulbright U.S. Scholars.

Near the end of August, I completed

several Technical Reviews for the Bi-

national Fulbright Commission in

Egypt (AY2024-2025 Fulbright Egyp-

tian Student Program). These are

Egyptian citizens (usually music

graduate students) who have applied to come study in the U.S.

I led a consortium to compose (commission) a work for Dr. Bob Romine. Dr. Romine

was the band director and trumpet teacher (the position I am in) at UNCP for 22

years and passed away. I nally premiered the work, Crisp (by Jim Stephenson), in

November of last year.

Faculty News Page 21

Table of Contents

Joshua Busman - Musicology

The 2022-2023 school year was a

hugely productive one for me as both

a scholar and teacher. At the end of the

spring semester, I was awarded tenure

and promotion to the rank of Associate

Professor in the Music Department,

and I have also continued my work as

Assistant Dean of the Esther G. Maynor

Honors College. Additionally, I contin-

ued my role as a faculty advisor for

UNCP’s Kappa chapter of the Alpha

Chi National College Honor Society.

This year, three members of our chap-

ter organized the rst-ever TEDxUNCPembroke event, and I was thrilled to be asked

to serve as faculty sponsor and emcee. Their extraordinary work earned them

recognition from the national ofce of Alpha

Chi as well as the “Red-Tailed Hawk Organi-

zation of the Year” from UNCP Campus En-

gagement and Leadership.

One of my biggest teaching activities this

year has been developing and delivering the

new “Indigenous Cultures and Communities”

curriculum for our general education music

classes. This began last summer with the help

of UNCP Music alumna and current Ph.D. stu-

dent in ethnomusicology at the University of

Alberta, Alexis Baril. Together, Alexis and I

developed two full weeks of lectures, read-

ings, and media examples for instructors to

draw from, and in August 2022 I conducted a

training for instructors that guided them

through the materials we created.

Faculty News Page 22

Table of Contents

Over the summer, I was fortunate enough to represent UNCP at several national and

international academic gatherings including the Liturgy Conference at the Yale Insti-

tute of Sacred Music and the Christian Congregational Music Conference at Ripon

College Cuddesdon in the UK. My trip to New Haven also included a private tour of

Yale’s famous Beinecke Rare Book Library, where I got to see dozens of musical and

devotional manuscripts dating back to the third century CE!

This spring, I also had a journal arti-

cle, “‘A Fun and Funky Disco Pas-

tiche’: David Crowder Confronts

Evangelical Performance Anxiety,”

published in the open-source peer-

reviewed journal Religions for a spe-

cial issue on the role of performance

in religious ritual. Another article ti-

tled “‘Church is the New Radio’: Wor-

ship and the WOW Series (1996-

2019),” co-authored with Debbie Wong, a colleague from Duke Divinity School will

be forthcoming in the journal Liturgy, in the next month. Additionally, I continued

my public-facing work with the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra as their "Music

Nerd-in-Residence," writing program notes, emceeing events, and providing pre-

concert talks for their Masterworks series.

Faculty News Page 23

Table of Contents

Kalem Graham - Athletic Bands, Low Brass

In Fall of 2022 the Spirit of the Carolinas Marching Band performed their show

“Break Free: Who I’m Meant to Be” featuring music from Ariana Grande, Katy Perry,

The Greatest Showman, Taylor Swift, and

Keri Hilson. The band performed at ve

home games as well as Pembroke Day, the

UNCP Homecoming Parade, The Pembroke

Twilight Christmas Parade, and The UNCP

Music Department’s Holiday Extravaganza.

This year, the show theme is “Mixtape: Vol.

1” and includes music from Whitney Hou-

ston, Madonna, Seal, and Britney Spears.

The band performed at six home games while also performing exhibitions at Mid-

way, Clinton, and Brunswick County.

The band also performed at Pembroke

Day, the UNCP Homecoming Parade,

the Pembroke Twilight Christmas Pa-

rade, the Lumberton Christmas Pa-

rade, and the Laurinburg Christmas

Parade. The band was also invited to

perform in the MLK Parade by the city

of Wilmington.

Faculty News Page 24

Table of Contents

Lindsey Jacob - Theory, Saxophone

I traveled with UNCP saxophone students to the 43

International Saxophone Sym-

posium on January 13 and 14, 2023. The event, hosted by the United States Navy

Band, was held at George Mason University Center for the Arts in Fairfax, Virginia.

The symposium featured a diverse selection

of saxophone performances, masterclasses,

and lectures. Students attended profession-

al performances by the U.S. Navy Concert

Band, the Navy Band Commodores jazz en-

semble, and featured performances by

Melissa Aldana, Robert Young, and Timothy

McAllister. Students also attended lectures

from distinguished professionals covering

saxophone-related topics, including tone,

breath control, improvisation, altissimo, and

performance anxiety. Fall saxophone stu-

dents are currently preparing applications for performance and opportunities at the

International Saxophone Symposium held January 2024 at George Mason Uni-

versity.

I also presented research on the benets, strategies, and challenges of integrating

course content from aural skills, applied

music, class music, and ensembles into

the music theory classroom at the 2023

Fine Arts Conference hosted by the North

Carolina Community College System As-

sociate in Fine Arts (NCCCS AFA) Associa-

tion. The presentation, “Integrating Core

Music Curriculum into the Music Theory

Classroom” focused on core music curric-

ulum for the rst two years of an under-

graduate music degree.

Faculty News Page 25

Table of Contents

Jaeyoon Kim - Choir, Voice

On Jan. 30, 2023, Voice Faculty members Dr. Jaeyoon Kim and Dr. Rebecca Loar

presented "Ein Liederabend" accompanied by

Dr. Seung Ah Kim at Moore Hall Auditorium. The

program featured German art song selections

by Beethoven, Wolf, Brahms, Strauss and Schu-

bert. Dr. Kevin Streich also joined for Schubert’s

lied for soprano, clarinet and piano.

Dr. Jaeyoon & Seung Ah Kim also presented

Kims’s Recital as a part of Fayetteville State Uni-

versity International Music Festival at the Sea-

brook Auditorium in FSU on March 11, 2023.

Dr. Kim directed the Robeson County 2023 All

County High School Chorus on March 10 at the First Baptist Church of Lumberton.

Ms. Tomoko Galeano served as the accompanist for this concert.

A guest choir from South Korea, The Korale, visited UNCP during their US concert

tour, and presented a choir concert at the Berea Baptist Church on January 17,

2023. They had a joint class/rehearsal with Pembroke Singers on the same day. At

the end of the program, both choirs performed two pieces together as the com-

bined choir, conducted

by Dr. Jaeyoon Kim and

Mr. Seung Yong Shin. Dr.

Kim was a member of this

choir when he was a col-

lege student in Korea.

Pembroke Singers re-

sumed their high school

visitations. In 2022-2023

Singers visited South Co-

lumbus High School in

Fall 2022 and Gray’s

Creek Cleveland High Schools in Spring 2023. They presented choral concerts as

well as some students solo performances.

Faculty News Page 26

Table of Contents

On April 23, 2023 Pembroke Singers presented a church concert at Southern Pines

United Methodist Church, where Singers alumna Taylor Hickey works as the music

director. The program included “Remember

the Songs,” directed by the composer, Adam

Grifths.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?

app=desktop&v=-xA7CT5mSLc

Pembroke Singers was chosen as featured

performers for the North Carolina ACDA

(American Choral Directors Association) con-

ference this fall and presented a choral con-

cert at Duke Chapel on October 13th. This

will be their third appearance at NC ACDA.

Faculty News Page 27

Table of Contents

José Rivera - Music Education, Choir

Last year, the Music Department hosted the 8th Annual Music

Education Lecture Series. The series features prominent mu-

sic education scholars, practitioners, and guest clinicians who

shared their expertise with our students and area teachers. In

addition, our NAfME (National Association for Music Educa-

tion) Student Chapter hosted their 1

UNCP Music Education

Alumni Concert.

Congratulations for the outstanding leadership of our UNCP

Collegiate Chapter Ofcers led by Eduardo Carranza, Aman-

da Botto, Casey Bell, and Hunter Warren.

The University Cho-

rale directed by Dr. José Rivera, Sandhills

Community College Choirs directed by

Dr. Terri Sinclair, and Pinecrest High

School Choirs directed by Kristen Foyles

joined forces to perform at our rst UNCP

Unity Concert last Spring at Pinecrest

High Auditorium.

Faculty News Page 28

Table of Contents

Mark Tollefsen - Theory, Piano

The UNCP Piano Studio had an active 2022-2023

year, highlighted by a terric senior recital by Ja-

elyn Wilson that included standards by Chopin,

Clara Schumann, Debussy, Prokoev, Albeniz and

Joplin. Kudos to Jaelyn for also performing a con-

certo with the UNCP Concert Band and being a fea-

tured soloist at the 2023 Alpha Chi National Con-

vention in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Congrats to

Jackson Mills on his performances in the PURC

Symposium and S.C. Jazz Festival and to Zachary

Peschken and Elaina Price on their rousing performance during the Holiday Extrava-

ganza. Zach, Jackson and Elaina were also awarded the Margaret Jones Award, a

Faculty Recognition Award, and the Cindy Campbell Award, respectively. In addition

to performing as soloists and accompanists on campus and throughout the region,

the UNCP piano majors gave back to the community as teachers and church musi-

cians.

The year also featured notable guest performances, starting with Connor Chee’s in-

spiring recital on November 16. Co-sponsored by the Department of American Indi-

an Studies, Chee’s concert featured his own compositions, which draw from his Nav-

ajo Heritage. Mikael Darmanie, a Red Springs

native and one of New York’s most in-demand

interpreters of new music, presented a thought

-provoking recital on April 4. On January 25,

acclaimed and award-winning pianist Stanislav

Khristenko conducted a masterclass with pia-

nists from Florence Ko’s pre-college studio.

The 2023-2024 year will include more guest

artists, including Miki Sawada on October 3,

the fth annual Piano Day on February 10, and

the debut performance of a studio commission

from new faculty member Lindsey Jacob.

Dr. Tollefsen collaborated with Dr. Timothy Altman for two recitals at UNCP as well

Faculty News Page 29

Table of Contents

as performances at Midway High School and Laurinburg Presbyterian Church. Recit-

als with Dr. Joseph Van Hassel occurred at UNCP

and the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Tollefsen

judged for the Elizabeth Bullard Competition for

High School Pianists, sponsored by the Cary-Apex

Piano Teachers Asso-

ciation and present-

ed “Ten Fun (and

Not So Fun) Exercis-

es to Improve Your

Students’ Sight-

Reading” for the Tidewater Music Teachers Forum in

Norfolk, Virginia. He continued as the state chair for

the North Carolina competitions of the Music Teachers

National Association, organizing and running the

event at the University of North Carolina at Greensbo-

ro. His research for the upcoming year includes study

of the piano

works of

Emahoy Tse-

gué-Maryam

Guèbrou, an Ethiopian nun who died in

2023 at the age of ninety-nine, as well as a

solo recital featuring works by George An-

theil, Martin Bresnick, Michael Fiday, Mark

Isaacs, Alexina Louie and Meredith Monk.

Faculty News Page 30

Table of Contents

Aaron Vandermeer - Music Industry, Jazz

Dr. Aaron Vandermeer (Jazz Studies/Music Industry) is in his

17th year at UNCP. He continues to coordinate the Jazz

Studies and Music Industry programs. At the end of the

Spring 2023 term, he was promoted to [Full] Professor of

Music and was selected by the Faculty Awards Committee

to receive a UNCP Outstanding Teaching Award. He was al-

so selected to present “Beginning Improvisation and the

Blues” at the 2023 NCMEA Conference. He is the chairper-

son of the Distinguished Music Alumni Award Committee

and organizes New Music Student Orientation.

The Jazz Studies program continues to thrive, featuring a

large ensemble, four combos, and the Vocal Jazz Ensemble.

Jazz Combo I, under the direction of Dr. Vandermeer, had a

very busy 2022-23 academic year, giving 27 performances. Highlights include per-

formances at the South Carolina Jazz Festival, JENerations Jazz Festival (Orlando),

Honors Recital, Faculty Appreciation Banquet, and a tour of seven regional schools

with the Percussion Ensemble. They were also accepted to perform the original stu-

dent compositions (Wyatt Radford, Silas Seigler, Jackson Mills) at the UNCP PURC

Symposium. We hosted our 14th Annual Honor Jazz Festival in the spring, featuring

Nashville recording artist Roland Barber on trombone (and conch shell). We had 91

high school participants from 20 different schools. Participants enjoyed rehearsals,

master classes, and seminars throughout the day, including History of Jazz, You’ve

Got Rhythm, Beginning Jazz Theory, College Preparation Forum, Beginning Improvi-

sation and the Blues, and Advanced Improvisation. The participants gave a culmi-

nating performance in GPAC featuring Roland Barber with the UNCP Jazz Ensem-

ble.

The Music Department has fortied its performance curriculum with the addition of

Studio Class and Sight-Reading Juries. Every semester, in addition to departmental

recitals and juries, each Music major enrolled in private lessons will participate in

sight-reading juries and eight 50-minute studio classes that cover instrument-

specic topics such as literature, signicant performers, history and evolution of the

instrument, performance practice, and more!

Faculty News Page 31

Table of Contents

Joseph Van Hassel - Percussion

Percussion Studio

2022-2023 was a busy year for the percussion studio! The Percussion Ensemble per-

formed two full on-campus concerts, several performances with guest artists, at the

UNCP Holiday Extravaganza, and a Spring tour. Our Fall concert consisted of clas-

sics in the percussion ensemble repertoire by Michael Colgrass, Steve Reich, John

Cage, and Charles Boone. We also premiered Le Dérive by

George Lewis, Professor of American Music at Columbia Univer-

sity (https://youtu.be/RqljPPKJpps?si=u8_RixhWmSIM2ign) , and

Ándate Por Los Andes by Venezuelan composer Arcángel Cas-

tillo-Olivari. Both works were written for the UNC-Pembroke Per-

cussion Ensemble.

During the Spring Semester, the percussion ensemble per-

formed another full concert on-campus. The concert consisted of

pieces by Joe Green, George Hamilton Green, Chick Corea, Mi-

chael Colgrass, and Andrea Venet. We also had the privilege of

performing a work with UNCP adjunct percussion instructor

Isaac Pyatt as soloist. Furthermore, we performed two world

premieres written especially for us: Sliinky by Brittany Green, alumna of UNCP and

PhD student in Music Composition at Duke University (also winner of the 2023 Mu-

sic Department Distinguished Alumni Award!) (https://youtu.be/djT0qfDtj1U?

si=aGFOn-X9JnPOwI4L) , and I Wish I Had Done

More by California-based composer Kevin Good.

Three percussion students, Phillip Brown, Marc Gar-

cia, and Hunter Warren, performed solos with the

percussion ensemble.

Additionally, members of the percussion ensemble

performed with guest artists James Culley (Professor

of Percussion, University of Cincinnati College-

Conservatory of Music/Percussive Arts Society Hall

of Fame/Founding Member, Percussion Group Cincinnati), Andy Harnsberger

(composer and Professor of Percussion, Lee University), Takayoshi Yoshioka

(Japanese freelance composer and percussionist), and Reiko Shiohama (Japanese

Faculty News Page 32

Table of Contents

freelance percussionist). The percussion ensemble also performed steel drum mu-

sic at the Holiday Extravaganza, playing outside of GPAC before the concert started.

https://youtu.be/SYFEYoKLQww?si=fTUMVW-w8W4pOmmf

At the end of the Spring semester the UNCP Percussion Ensemble took part in a

high school tour with the UNCP Jazz Combo I, visiting Overhills High School,

Southern Pines Episcopal Day School, Union

Pines High School, Midway High School, West

Brunswick High School, and South Brunswick

High School.

Members of the percussion studio attended the

2022 Percussive Arts Society International Con-

vention in Indianapolis, IN. This four-day event is

the largest percussion gathering in the world with

students, artists, educators, and industry leaders

attending for numerous sessions and exhibits

covering all areas of percussion. This was an exciting trip and we attended again in

November 2023.

2023-2024 looks to be another great year for the percussion studio! The UNCP

Percussion Ensemble will perform its regular on-campus concerts each semester

and were scheduled to perform at the Pinehurst Flutterby Festival, which was can-

celed due to rain. We will also host a number of guests, including jazz vibraphonist

Jason DeCristofaro, ute and marimba Duo 彩 AYA, Viennese vibraphonist Berndt

Thurner, Benjamin Toth (Professor of Percussion, The Hartt School), and mixed

chamber group Khemia Ensemble.

Joseph Van Hassel

Dr. Van Hassel continues his second year as music de-

partment chair while still teaching percussion ensem-

ble, private lessons, and studio class. He also contin-

ues to perform timpani and percussion with the Caro-

lina Philharmonic, Fayetteville Symphony, Long Bay

Symphony, and Florence Symphony. As president of

the North Carolina Chapter of the Percussive Arts So-

ciety, he took part in a presentation on high school-level percussion ensemble

Faculty News Page 33

Table of Contents

music at the 2022 North Carolina Music Educators Association Conference. In 2023

he took part in a presentation on high school-level solo percussion music.

Dr. Van Hassel had several notable performances dur-

ing 2022-2023, including a recital with UNCP faculty

member Dr. Mark Tollefsen at their alma mater, Univer-

sity of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. He

also travelled to Japan this past July to perform per-

cussion as a soloist and ensemble member. His rst

engagement was performing on a concert of the per-

cussion music of Takayoshi Yoshioka at the Takasaki

City Theater in Takasaki, Japan. This concert included a

performance by Van Hassel of Yoshioka’s Suite No. 4 for solo marimba, which was

composed for him and premiered in April at UNC-Pembroke.

Dr. Van Hassel then travelled to the Senzoku Gakuen College of Music for a percus-

sion masterclass and recital performance for the percussion students and faculty.

Read more about Dr. Van Hassel’s trip to Japan here: https://www.uncp.edu/news/

uncps-joseph-van-hassel-performs-percussion-concert-japan

While visiting Japan, Dr. Van Hassel had the honor of

visiting legendary marimbist Keiko Abe at her house

in Tokyo. Ms. Abe is 86 years old and a signicant g-

ure in the history of percussion, being integral in de-

veloping the solo marimba as the instrument we know

today.

Other performances this year include a solo recital at

UNCP, and solo and ensemble engagements at The

Hartt School, University of Delaware, and Towson Uni-

versity. He will also perform as a member of the Two Rivers Percussion Quartet at

East Carolina University and UNCP. Dr. Van Hassel continues to write new literature

reviews for Percussive Notes (the journal of the Percussive Arts Society) and chairs

the New Music/Research Committee of the Percussive Arts Society.

New Alumni Page 34

Table of Contents

2022/23 Department of Music Graduates

Bachelor of Arts

-Priscilla Contreras

-Zhaire Carter

-James Clark

-Cassondra Edge

-Randi Gabbert

-Erin Gainer

-Taylor Graham

-Gabriel Jenkins

-Nicholas McNeill

-Jaelyn Wilson

-Brandon Womack

Music Education

-Holly Riedesel

-Mary Rosenberg

Music Industry

-Jeremy Hill

-DeWhitt Locklear

Calendar of Events Page 35

Table of Contents

Spring 2024

All events are located in the Moore Hall Auditorium unless otherwise specied

Monday, January 22 - 7:30 PM

Faculty Lecture Recital: Jaeyoon Kim, tenor, Aaron Vandermeer, trumpet,

Seung Ah Kim, piano

Tuesday, January 30 - 7:30 PM

Senior Recital, Wyatt Radford, saxophone

Friday, February 9 - 7:30 PM

Guest Artist Recital: Two Rivers Percussion Quartet

Tuesday, February 20 - 7:30 PM

Jazz Combos Concert

Tuesday, February 27 - 7:30 PM (GPAC)

UNCP Band Concert

Thursday, March 14 - 7:30 PM

Percussion Ensemble Concert

Saturday, March 16

UNCP Honor Band Clinic

Thursday, March 21 - 7:30 PM

Senior Recital: Silas Siegler, drum set

Saturday, March 23

UNCP Honor Choir Clinic

Saturday, April 6

UNCP Honor Jazz Festival

Calendar of Events Page 36

Table of Contents

Thursday, April 11 - 7:30 PM

Percussion Ensemble Concert

Tuesday, April 16 - 7:30 PM

Jazz Combos Concert

Wednesday, April 17 - 7:30 PM

Guest Artist Recital: Khemia Ensemble

Friday, April 19 - 7:30 PM (Site TBD)

UNCP Combined Choirs Concert

Sunday, April 21 - 5:00 PM (Southern Pines Community Congregational

Church)

Pembroke Singers Concert

Visit the Department of Music’s website for the most up-to-date calendar infor-

mation

Helpful Links Page 37

Table of Contents

UNCP Department of Music Website

UNCP Department of Music Facebook

UNCP Department of Music BraveConnect

Carnegie Hall Page 38

Table of Contents

The University Music Society Page 39

Table of Contents

At the University of North Carolina at Pembroke Department of Music, we believe in the highest

level of training and opportunity for every student. With this in mind, the University Music Society

was founded to match students with the resources they need to support their dedication to music.

While we believe talent can be found in any student, many are denied the opportunity for study

and growth for nancial reasons.

As a member of the University Music Society, your donation will provide the foundation for stu-

dents who desire a future in the eld of music. These students do all the work, bringing with them

the commitment, energy and drive. The countless hours of practice, lessons, ear-training and

study are taking place all around us, and each year new students graduate armed with the cre-

dentials for a career keeping the arts alive in our schools and our community.

Join us in this goal of supporting the study, performance and creativity of our young people. The

UNCP Music Department Scholarship Program relies on the generosity of community members at

all times, but now more than ever as the arts continue to be threatened, here in North Carolina

and around the nation. Making your gift now will help nurture the talent present in the next gener-

ation of performers. Thank you!

Become a member and support the Music Program at UNC Pembroke

(Please complete this form and mail it to: The UNCP Department of Music, P.O. Box 1510, Pem-

broke, NC (28372-1510)

My level of giving is:

Founder – $5,000 and up

Benefactor – $1,000 to $4,999

Patron – $250 to $999

Friend – up to $249

I/We have enclosed a check for the amount of $ _________ made payable to: The UNCP Founda-

tion, Inc., for the University Music Society

Name: ______________________________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip Code: ___________________________________________________________

Phone: ______________________________

E-Mail: ______________________________