Since 2019, the 欧美口爆视频 Boulder College of Music鈥檚 annual Persevering Legacy events have showcased works by women composers, including those from historically marginalized groups. This year鈥檚 concert and master class are no different.

Student soloists and ensembles are encouraged to select works from the 鈥攈oused in our American Music Research Center archives鈥攃omprising compositions by Black women composers.

This year, the concert will feature 11 different acts鈥攊ncluding the 欧美口爆视频 Boulder Chamber Singers led by Director of Choral Activities Coreen Duffy鈥攑resenting compositions by Connie Converse, Reena Esmail, Florence Price, B.E. Boykin and our previous Genevieve McVey Wisner lecturer Gabriela Lena Frank, among others. 

鈥淧ersevering Legacy is an opportunity for students to research composers or pieces that may be entirely new to them and then present those works, broadening their scope,鈥� says Alexis McClain, director of community support + programming, who helps facilitate Persevering Legacy. 鈥淥ur audiences also benefit, experiencing music that鈥檚 not often programmed.鈥�

Alumnus  (DMA 鈥�92, composition)鈥攕on of the late Helen Walker-Hill and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer George Walker鈥攚ill lead a master class for Persevering Legacy participants, working through the pieces they鈥檝e selected and offering his unique background, knowledge, insight and passion for the collection based on his directly personal connection.

鈥淚鈥檝e watched the collection unfold from close proximity for a number of years and love every aspect of the master class,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 love the music. I love getting in touch with the students who are discovering this music, often for the first time. And really, this keeps my mom alive for me because it鈥檚 not just my mother鈥檚 work, but a life鈥檚 work.鈥� 

Walker says playing new and largely unfamiliar pieces is helpful to students in their music careers as it allows them to apply their creativity and artistry in perhaps unexpected ways. 

鈥淲e spend most of our music education studying the guys that are the Mount Rushmore of classical music. The thing is, there鈥檚 a lot of baggage that comes with this default鈥攏ot only are you trying to nail the notes, but there are all these expectations that have been dictated by performers who preceded you,鈥� says Walker who recently released a satirical new book, 鈥�.鈥�

鈥淪o, if you鈥檝e got these underrepresented composers, not only have you found them or are championing them, but you have to make these decisions,鈥� he adds. 鈥淵ou have to develop your own internal tradition and use your creativity. It's more than you and impressing your audience that鈥檚 at stake, it's making a case for someone who could still be lost to history after you're done performing that night鈥攁nd that is a really worthy challenge.鈥�

Join us for the  on Thursday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m. and the preceding  with Gregory Walker on Tuesday, March 4 at 2 p.m., both in the Chamber Hall (S102), Imig Music Building.

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鈥淎rt is possibility, expression is potential.鈥�

That鈥檚 according to , the Pulitzer Prize-winning Din茅 composer, musician and sound installation artist slated to deliver the 欧美口爆视频 Boulder College of Music鈥檚 annual  Genevieve McVey Wisner lecture on Feb. 26. In his wide-ranging and ambitious oeuvre, Chacon鈥攁 member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico鈥攈as tackled themes ranging from colonization to displacement to questions of environmental stewardship and conservation.

The myriad media he鈥檚 chosen to explore these themes reflect a spirit of creative exploration. His Pulitzer Prize-winning work, 鈥淰oiceless Mass,鈥� is an ensemble work composed specifically to be performed in any space of worship with high ceilings and pipe organ. 鈥淪ound Ladder鈥� is a sound installation鈥攄ebuted in 2024鈥攖hat features a sequence of 16 pine planks hung from ceiling to floor; for this work, Chacon collaborated with members of the B氓l Nango family, a S谩mi family of reindeer herders and land guardians.

Chacon has built instruments and explored new ways to present sound. He鈥檚 paired his compositions with visual cues and physical components, and drawn upon the very land surrounding his compositions to convey his messages.

鈥淚 think art is there to show that we can all think in different ways, we can all dream in ways we didn鈥檛 know we could,鈥� Chacon explains. 鈥淲e鈥檙e in danger when we become narrow and exclude possibilities.鈥� That philosophy is part of the lure of Chacon鈥檚 upcoming visit to Boulder. Working firsthand with students and offering novel perspectives about the possibilities of self-expression reconnects the artist to his own commitment to learning and growth; the chance to explore his work and style with developing musicians and artists holds its own unique appeal.

鈥淧art of my interest in giving lectures and visiting universities is to share my work and offer music students insights into ways that music doesn鈥檛 have to be on the stage,鈥� Chacon says, also reflecting the College of Music鈥檚 universal musician approach to achieving our mission. 鈥淚t can be presented in different media鈥攑erformance art, sound sculpture, as film or video. I am really interested in sharing my different tactics with students.鈥�

The concept of place plays a large role in Chacon鈥檚 work and one of the pieces he鈥檒l detail in his lecture is located in the United Arab Emirates in a 鈥済host village鈥� that was originally assigned to a tribe of nomads by the government. 鈥淏eing that they鈥檙e nomadic people, they did not move in. These houses are being taken by the desert,鈥� Chacon explains. 

鈥淚鈥檝e collaborated with these individuals and musicians to record their songs,鈥� he adds, noting that the ultimate effect of the installation is that 鈥渋t sounds like their music is moving through these houses and into the desert.鈥�

It鈥檚 an immediacy that Chacon stresses in his approach to music. While he鈥檚 a classically trained composer and musician, he鈥檚 careful not to undervalue the importance of the indefinable elements of the art form鈥攖he aspects of music that can鈥檛 necessarily be conveyed in a classroom, studio or textbook.

鈥淚 do feel like I鈥檓 continually learning,鈥� says Chacon . I鈥檓 always seeking out the best media that an artwork should take. I鈥檓 constantly researching new technologies鈥攅xperiencing exhibitions, artists and concerts. 

鈥淚鈥檓 still a big fan of being able to see musicians play, even more so than listening to recordings. I think live music is not only an obligation or responsibility, but it鈥檚 something that is wonderful to do, as a member of an audience.鈥�

Even as he tackles weighty questions in his work, Chacon also finds power and joy in the ability to create鈥攁 boon he looks forward to sharing during his residency. 鈥淣o matter what our occupation or how we spend our daily lives, we should be conscious of the work we can do to improve upon justice and the way we treat each other.鈥�
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Join us for the College of Music鈥檚 annual Genevieve McVey Wisner Lectureship* featuring Raven Chacon on Feb. 26 at 11:30 a.m., Chamber Hall (S102), Imig Music Building. On Feb. 27 at 9:30 a.m., Room NB185, Imig Music Building, Chacon will be part of a panel discussion, 鈥淪ituating your soul鈥檚 work in a hegemonic sphere.鈥� Both events are free and open to the public. 

Raven Chacon鈥檚 residency is made possible by the 欧美口爆视频 Boulder American Music Research Center, the College of Music鈥檚 composition department and the college鈥檚 Diverse Musicians鈥� Alliance. 

*Having graduated from Western University in Kansas鈥攁n historically Black college鈥攚ith her first bachelor鈥檚 degree in 1922, Genevieve McVey Wisner became the first Black graduate of the College of Music in 1940 with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in music education, followed by a master鈥檚 degree in 1944 at age 42.

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Among the American Music Research Center (AMRC) collections, hidden gems exist around every corner: 欧美口爆视频 history, music legends, big band ephemera, silent film scores, letters from 欧美口爆视频 Boulder founders and more. In our new series鈥擥ems of the AMRC collections鈥攚e aim to spotlight their content and the stories of the people behind them.  

Our first deep dive explores the  comprising folders of photos captured by the legendary 欧美口爆视频 rock 鈥檔鈥� roll and folk music photographer. 

wasn鈥檛 music at all, but a chance to capture the president at the time: Dwight D. Eisenhower. 鈥淪ince I was such a little kid, all the photographers let me stand in the front. To me, those photos are amazing because at 14, I could tell that I already had the eye and the way to compose the pictures鈥攑lus they were really sharp and in focus.鈥�

From there, Fong (Mktg. 鈥�70) continued to take photos and started his own photography business after graduating from 欧美口爆视频 Boulder. 鈥淚 did everything from bar mitzvah photographs to portraits to weddings,鈥� he recalls. 鈥淭he biggest break came when KFML鈥攖he underground radio station鈥攅nded up three blocks from my studio. I went down there and made a deal with them: 鈥業鈥檒l take photographs of the artists and give them to you for your advertising and you do radio commercials for me.鈥� That was a big deal because that鈥檚 when I met all of the record guys.鈥� MORE

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At the 欧美口爆视频 Boulder Entrepreneurship Center for Music (ECM), students can find the skills and tools they need for their music careers. Most recently, the ECM awarded $5,820 in artist assistance grants to support eight student-led professional development and community engagement projects including:

Josie Arnett
鈥淚鈥檓 really picky about which pieces I release on streaming platforms because I鈥檓 20 and need to be able to write really bad music 鈥� and then release the things that I really love,鈥� says Josie Arnett, an undergraduate composition student. 

鈥淟ast fall, I got the opportunity to write a saxophone quartet piece for a group that travels all over the United States. I was really happy with the piece and really proud of it, so I reached out to a faculty member who set me up with the 欧美口爆视频 Boulder graduate saxophone quartet.鈥�

Working with the Sanitas Saxophone Quartet, College of Music Recording Engineer Kevin Harbison and a mixing artist, Arnett recorded the piece for projected release on streaming platforms this summer. The ECM grant helped pay the artists and distribution fee.

Arnett says she learned a lot about how to interact in a professional recording setting and enjoyed collaborating within the College of Music. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been fun to work with people that have a lot of energy, positive attitudes and are just really excited about what they do,鈥� she shares.

Alice Del Simone
At the end of May, DMA student in voice performance and pedagogy Alice Del Simone was part of a workshop presentation at the Voice Foundation Symposium in Philadelphia titled 鈥淟egato Then and Now, Vibrato Edition: A Close-Up of What Happens Between the Pitches in the Classical Bel Canto Tradition.鈥� 

鈥淭he workshop offered a toolbox of exercises for how to teach the type of legato singing that was happening at the end of the 1800s, beginning of the 1900s when we started to have recordings available,鈥� Del Simone says.

鈥淚t was my very first time presenting at a conference where there are often hurdles for a young academic to get an invitation to present. I鈥檝e been lucky that I鈥檝e been able to work with a group of people who are more prominent in the community than myself.鈥�

During the symposium, Del Simone stayed at the conference hotel, partially funded by her ECM grant. 

Zachary Howarth
Zachary Howarth, a DMA student in jazz studies, will go on the road this summer to record music in studios in Reno and South Lake Tahoe. Howarth also hopes to perform this music live in venues across 欧美口爆视频 and Nevada. 

The project will involve a contemporary jazz quartet鈥攖rumpet, piano, bass, drums鈥攚riting and recording the music. The ECM grant will help the project get off the ground by assisting with studio fees, production costs and travel expenses. 

鈥淭he opportunity to write, record and play music with such high-level artists is invaluable to my collaborative research in compositional tendencies in contemporary jazz mediums and fully improvised music,鈥� Howarth says. 

SeaJun Kwon
SeaJun Kwon, also a DMA student in jazz studies, likes writing compositions that push the boundaries of jazz music including 鈥淎vant Shorts鈥濃��10 etudes exploring micro tonalities and rhythmic concepts that aren鈥檛 commonly used in jazz compositions. 

Kwon plans to compose these etudes and begin recording them over the summer, using a microphone setup funded by an ECM grant. 

鈥淚 thought I鈥檇 write a bunch of super short compositions that focus on different ideas to develop myself and provide my community with these resources,鈥� Kwon says. 

By keeping them brief, he hopes to make the compositions more accessible and useful for his community. 

鈥淧eople are really busy, there are so many things that you have to do and also so many distractions,鈥� Kwon says. 鈥淚 think these short compositions put less pressure on people鈥攖hey can work on them for 10 minutes and still learn from them.鈥� 

Er-Hsuan Li
Er-Hsuan Li graduated from the College of Music in May with a DMA in piano performance. In April, he held a concert featuring the world premiere of John Clay Allen鈥檚 鈥溾�� concerto for piano and strings along with Dmitri Shostakovich鈥檚 Piano Concerto No. 1.

鈥淚t was a very fun event,鈥� Li says. 鈥淓ven though it was off-campus, it was really 欧美口爆视频 that made this possible because that鈥檚 how we connected.鈥�

Many 欧美口爆视频 Boulder musicians participated including conductor and Associate Director of Orchestras Renee Gilliland, composition alumnus John Clay Allen, Anna Kallinikos鈥攚ho鈥檚 majoring in trumpet performance and minoring in business鈥攁nd the majority of the 18-member orchestra. The ECM grant assisted Li with compensating the performers and renting the venue.

鈥淚 had performed in front of an orchestra only once before when I was a high schooler,鈥� Li recalls. 鈥淪o it was really special for me that鈥攁fter 13 years鈥擨 got to do this again professionally. And I would like to think that I am a better musician now compared to then!鈥�

Ethan Stahl
When Ethan Stahl discovered Nkeiru Okoye鈥檚 music, he knew he鈥檇 found something special. 鈥淚 loved her music so much that I began working on it for one of my degree recitals,鈥� he says. 鈥淓ventually, it became evident that I had enough material to create a lecture recital.鈥�

To prepare, Stahl鈥攚ho鈥檚 pursuing a DMA in piano performance鈥攊nterviewed Okoye about her music. 鈥淲e talked on the phone for a few hours and in that conversation, she proposed the idea of writing a piece for me to add to one of the sets of piano pieces that I was studying.鈥� The ECM grant helped fund Okoye鈥檚 contribution.

Okoye鈥檚 music is already part of the American Music Research Center鈥檚 Helen Walker-Hill Collection; her upcoming composition will be added to the collection.

鈥淥koye is extremely novel in the world of piano composition,鈥� Stahl adds. 鈥淚鈥檝e never heard piano music that is similar stylistically to hers.鈥� 

Natalie Trejo
Artist Diploma student Natalie Trejo competed in the finals for the Austin Flute Society鈥檚 Young Artist Competition in April鈥攁nd the ECM grant helped her get there. 

鈥淚 submitted the preliminary recordings back in January. From there, they selected three finalists to perform in the live final round in Austin, Texas,鈥� Trejo says. 鈥淚t went really well. I ended up getting third but I was very happy with how I played and I was not nervous at all.鈥�

Trejo performed Chen Yi鈥檚 鈥淢emory鈥� for solo flute and Frank Martin鈥檚 鈥淏allade鈥� for flute and piano. 

鈥淚 love doing competitions because I get to learn new repertoire, meet new flutists, make connections and get to know the other finalists鈥攊t鈥檚 very important and humbling, but still encouraging,鈥� Trejo says.

Jonathon Winter
Another spring 2024 graduate, Jonathon Winter鈥攚ho earned a DMA in violin performance鈥攔ecorded four pieces to be compiled into an album titled 鈥淥rigin: Music by Women of the Americas.鈥� The pieces are 鈥渒o鈥檜 inoa鈥� by Leilehua Lanzilotti, 鈥淪cratch the Surface鈥� by Dana Kaufman, 鈥淪tring Poetic鈥� by Jennifer Higdon and 鈥淪ue帽os de Chambi鈥� by Gabriel Lena Frank.

鈥淚 picked some fiendishly difficult music to play but it was so worth it,鈥� Winter says. 鈥淚 learned so much about preparing for recordings and what that actually entails.鈥�

Winter worked with pianist and Postdoctoral Lecturer Barbara Noyes, as well as Kevin Harbison to record all four pieces over the course of seven months. Winter will continue the project over the summer with the goal of finding a label to disseminate the recordings.

Congratulations to all grant recipients and our thanks to this year鈥檚 adjudicators: College of Music staff member Kathryn Bistodeau, Music Advisory Board member Laurie Hathorn and University of Denver entrepreneurship faculty member Neil Pollard. 

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Tallman moved to Boulder from 欧美口爆视频 Springs, struck by how tight-knit the College of Music is. 鈥淚 just love the community here,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 have really enjoyed getting to work with fellow students and build strong relationships with other people. 

鈥淚 think it makes us much better musicians when we know people on a personal level because music is such a personal thing.鈥�

Alongside performing, Tallman leveraged the College of Music鈥檚 business offerings: She鈥檒l graduate with a Bachelor of Music in flute performance as well as a Music Entrepreneurship certificate and business minor. 鈥淚 like having a balance of tangible results鈥攍ike working in the nonprofit world鈥攁nd very subjective results, like playing music. I like having both. I think it鈥檚 a nice balance.鈥�

Business courses empowered Tallman to build practical skills for potential future entrepreneurial ventures. 鈥淔or the music entrepreneurship capstone, I鈥檓 working on studio materials for when I want to start a private studio,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 really important. 

鈥淭here are so many aspects of that, like setting up an LLC and payments and all these nitty-gritty things鈥擨鈥檓 really glad that I have the tools and resources to learn those kinds of things now.鈥�

Tallman鈥檚 future goals also include playing chamber music and working in the nonprofit sector. She explains, 鈥淚 want to work for a nonprofit that does outreach to make arts more accessible in schools. I actually had a personal experience with that鈥攊n fifth grade through middle school, the arts were not funded by my school. I think it鈥檚 important that kids have arts experience.鈥�

Next year, Tallman will continue her journey in both performance and management鈥攕he鈥檚 starting a master鈥檚 program in music and arts management at 欧美口爆视频 State University. 鈥淚鈥檓 super excited!鈥�

Congratulations to Madison and all of our winter 2023 and spring 2024 graduates!

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鈥淎 lot of students shared with me that they hadn鈥檛 participated in many networking events and that networking seems stressful,鈥� Brock says. 鈥淚 got a lot of feedback that it felt like it might be overly transactional or anxiety-inducing to go up to people and introduce yourself.鈥�

Those conversations were the inspiration behind Musical Dialogues, a networking event hosted by the ECM that aims to connect students with each other and with musicians from across the Front Range. Among others, participating music professionals include 欧美口爆视频 Symphony members Nicholas Tisherman and Carolyn Kunicki. 

Musical Dialogues follows the framework of a formal networking event, down to the dress code: business formal. 鈥淭his is a really unique opportunity for students to experience what some of these more formal events are like and for them to engage with musicians from a variety of spheres,鈥� Brock says.

Musical Dialogues exemplifies the ECM鈥檚 mission to equip today鈥檚 music students with the skills and tools they need to create sustainable careers in the arts. Brock explains, 鈥淏y attending an event like this, students are developing some of the networking skills that they will very likely be using in their careers. 

鈥淎lso, so many career opportunities come as a direct result of the relationships that have been built over the years and the more that students can get the opportunity to connect with one another and musicians from outside of the university, the more they鈥檒l be able to then build on those relationships and develop those opportunities for one another later on.鈥�

The event is partially funded by the Dr. C.W. Bixler Family Foundation. 鈥淚 am extremely grateful that the ECM has been given this opportunity through the generosity of the Bixler fund,鈥� Brock says. Bixler Foundation funds support faculty projects that elevate and enrich the College of Music experience. 

To the potential attendees, Brock says to come with an open mind. 鈥淭here鈥檚 really space for everyone in terms of musical interests and in terms of career goals. Oftentimes, networking can feel like this prescribed, formulaic thing and really it鈥檚 just about leaning into who you are, bringing your own authentic self and developing connections with other musicians.鈥�

Musical Dialogues will be held on April 10, 2024 from 5-8 p.m. at .

Photo: A recent ECM networking event in Grusin Lobby (credit: Marilyn Brock).

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Historically, minority groups have been overlooked in classical music performance. Since 2019, the College of Music鈥檚 Persevering Legacy project鈥攚ith support from the 鈥攁ims to bring such underrepresented artists into the spotlight.

On March 7, will showcase the talents of more than a dozen undergraduate and graduate students in a celebration of women-identifying composers from around the world. Selected from more than 20 submissions, the program will include works for bassoon, saxophone, French horn, trombone, violin, viola, piano, voice and electronic sounds in various combinations and featuring a range of musical styles. 

Professor of Piano Pedagogy Alejandro Cremaschi has been coordinating the annual Persevering Legacy event and chairing the selection committee for the last six years. 鈥淚鈥檝e always been interested in promoting and disseminating works by composers in underrepresented groups in the classical music field,鈥� he says. 

Cremaschi and Assistant Professor of Composition Annika Socolofsky comprised this year鈥檚 Persevering Legacy selection committee.

Many of the works to be performed come from the American Music Research Center鈥檚 including music by Black women composers such as Avril Coleridge-Taylor, Margaret Bonds, Florence Price and Mary Watkins, according to Cremaschi. 鈥淭he program also includes a solo piano work by undergraduate composer Josie Arnett, to be performed by another undergraduate, Holly McMahon,鈥� he adds. 

Cremaschi further notes his excitement to discover how many students are interested in performing often neglected works. 鈥淭he Persevering Legacy project is among the most successful DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] initiatives of the College of Music, creating awareness, excitement and engagement among our students and faculty for exploring amazing works that would otherwise be collecting dust,鈥� he says. 鈥淧ersevering Legacy concerts also create support around the women and women-identifying musicians and composers in our college.鈥�

As part of this year鈥檚 Persevering Legacy event, alumnus Gregory Walker鈥攕on of the composer George Walker and Helen Walker-Hill, a pianist and musicologist who specialized in the music of Black women鈥攚ill present a master class on March 5, 10:50 a.m.-12:20 p.m. (C125). Walker鈥攁 violinist, composer and American Academy of Arts and Letters Fellowship recipient, among other distinctions鈥攊s professor of music and entertainment studies at 欧美口爆视频 Denver.

for Persevering Legacy on March 7 at 7:30 p.m. in the Imig Music Building, Chamber Hall (S102).

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O鈥橬eil Jones鈥攁 third-year DMA student in choral conducting and literature at the College of Music鈥攊s bringing those sounds to Boulder. 

Jones has created the first statewide Jamaican Choral Music Symposium, Feb. 22-25, to elevate the history, language and musical elements of Jamaican choral music through direct interaction with natives of the country. by the University Singers who are based at the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica. The group, now led by Franklin Halliburton, will appear here thanks to a $25,000 Roser Visiting Artists Program grant awarded to Jones. Halliburton is a key figure in furthering Jamaican choral music as a genre, having worked with choral conductor-composer over some 20 years prior to his passing.

鈥淭his music is a major part of who we are,鈥� stresses Jones. 鈥淛amaicans know this music, but they don鈥檛 know who wrote it.鈥� A native of Montego Bay, he grew up singing those songs in church, noting that Jamaica has 1,600 churches, the largest per-capita number of any country in the world. 鈥淭he music was not being preserved, beyond simply being performed,鈥� he explains. Indeed, while there were sacred songs being sung all over the island, most were never written down or were notated in different versions. 

Today, Jones鈥攚ho鈥檚 also the 2023-24 recipient of the Susan L. Porter Memorial Fellowship鈥攊s advancing one of the goals of our American Music Research Center by bringing the choral music and culture of his island home to a wider audience this month, including the participation of area high schools and the 欧美口爆视频 Boulder University Singers, Chamber Singers and Treble Chorus. He also hopes to publish the music of Jamaican choral composers. 

Primary among those is a major force in Jamaican choral music鈥攁nd a pivotal figure in the lives of both Jones and Halliburton: Noel Dexter (1938-2019). 鈥淗e鈥檚 the reason I鈥檓 here,鈥� says Jones. 鈥淗e was my mentor, he gave me my first voice lesson and he taught me how to conduct.鈥� Their bond began in 2009 and continued until Dexter鈥檚 death.

Dexter sent Jones on a journey of discovery that led him to Boulder. Since Jamaica had no serious conducting program, he encouraged his young student to enroll at Mississippi鈥檚 Alcorn State University where another of Dexter鈥檚 former students had been teaching. Jones obliged, then continued his studies at the University of Southern Mississippi. Eventually, he met Assistant Professor of Voice Andrew Garland at a national singing competition at 欧美口爆视频 Boulder. 鈥溑访揽诒悠� allowed me to accept Professor Garland鈥檚 invitation to continue studying voice while actively pursuing a career in conducting,鈥� Jones says. 

In 2021, he settled in Boulder, although Jamaica remained close to his heart. 鈥淚n preparing my conducting recitals, I included one song by Mr. Dexter to honor his memory鈥攆rom there, the zeal to bring more of his music to the world was ignited,鈥� he adds.

The 欧美口爆视频 Boulder College of Music presents at Macky Auditorium on Feb. 25, 2024.

Photos: O鈥橬eil Jones (top); Noel Dexter (right). 

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Brock is a PhD candidate at Denver University, pursuing a degree in business administration. She also teaches classes in DU鈥檚 entrepreneurship program. Previously, Brock earned two music degrees鈥攁 bachelor鈥檚 in vocal performance from Pittsburg State University and a Master of Arts in musicology from DU. 

鈥淥ne of the things I tell my students frequently is how important it is to network and build relationships,鈥� Brock says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 how I came to be at the ECM. A friend of mine told me about the job and connected me with Jeff Nytch. From there, I did an interview and got the job offer the next day!鈥�

In her current position, Brock works with students in classes, and runs events and workshops as the center director. 鈥淭here are a few different pieces to this role,鈥� Brock explains. 鈥淭here are the courses I teach, looking at music business, careers and entrepreneurship.

Brock says her goals for the ECM are to continue the momentum already in place and to use her connections to bring lessons about the broader music industry to our students. 

鈥淚 love to provide opportunities for students to learn in the classroom, or in workshops, things that I had to learn the hard way,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nother goal for me is to develop as much collaboration as possible鈥攚ithin the College of Music, with other parts of campus, or even with guests that we have coming in this year. I also want to ensure that diverse voices are represented and that I鈥檓 creating a space where regardless of identity or background, students feel safe and feel a sense of belonging within the ECM.鈥�

In fall 2023, Brock helped bring many guests to campus as part of the ECM鈥檚 Learning Lunch series: Informal chats about the business and administrative sides of the music industry. She also set up open house workshops about networking and worked with a local photographer to bring free headshot opportunities to students.

鈥淚t鈥檚 rare that you would have a dean who is willing to take not one but two mornings to speak to a class, and I think that鈥檚 a really amazing reflection of the College of Music,鈥� Brock says. 

Brock鈥攚ho will be with the College of Music through the spring semester鈥攈as plans for even more guests, workshops and Learning Lunches. 鈥淚 want to give students the opportunity to learn as much as they can to support their own individual goals and find what drives them, what their passions are and how they can then support what they鈥檙e wanting to do with their music degrees.鈥�

Photo credit for session photos: Kathryn Bistodeau

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is a 欧美口爆视频 Boulder alumna, a flutist and now the artistic operations manager at the . She graduated from the College of Music in 2019 with a Bachelor of Music in flute performance and an Arts Administration micro-credential. The College of Music recently caught up with Fischer to ask about her current job and her time at 欧美口爆视频 Boulder!

Why did you choose the 欧美口爆视频 Boulder College of Music for your degree?

From the moment I listened to Professor of Flute Christina Jennings鈥� Rochberg album, I was enthralled (and still am!) with her sound. I had simply never heard a flute sound like that and knew immediately I had to study with her. Then it sealed the deal when I learned all of the holistic offerings that 欧美口爆视频 Boulder provides. I knew early on that I wanted to attend a school with a conservatory feel but still had the wealth of opportunities that a large institution can offer. I remember being so excited at the start of each semester picking out my classes鈥攅arly music ensemble, Impressionism and Expressionism theory class, French, orchestral excerpts class with Brook Ferguson of the 欧美口爆视频 Symphony, Alexander Technique, fundamentals of audio recording鈥攕uch a breadth of options!

When you think of your time at the 欧美口爆视频 Boulder College of Music, is there an experience that stands out?

As a total flute nerd, my weekly highlight was flute studio class where I refined my skills of critical listening, giving and receiving feedback, and performing under pressure. I learned so much from the graduate students in particular who were outstanding mentors. The close proximity to the 欧美口爆视频 Symphony was another major highlight, as was the access to the 欧美口爆视频 Flute Association. I was also very involved with chamber music throughout my entire degree and some of my favorite memories are late-night rehearsals preparing the Poulenc Sextet. We somehow convinced what felt like every instrumental faculty member to coach us and it was an incredible experience.

Who were the faculty members that had an impact on you?

I was lucky to work with many of the stellar faculty at the College of Music. One of the most special parts of the college is the close-knit community and low student-to-faculty ratio that allows you to seek out opportunities for collaboration. Of course I credit so much of my development to Professor Jennings鈥攕he shaped the way I approach music and flute playing and also taught me the importance of developing a strong community, as evident in the 鈥渇ludio鈥� (flute studio) who are some of my closest friends.

Other faculty highlights were working with Joan Braun and SoYoung Lee in the arts administration certificate courses. It was so influential to work with and learn from women in leadership roles. My time with them helped motivate me to pursue my interests beyond just performance. And of course I have to mention studying with Margaret McDonald and working with the incredible collaborative piano department, chamber music coachings with Nicol貌 Spera, developing my ensemble skills in the Wind Symphony with Don McKinney, the weekly career workshops with Jeff Nytch at the Entrepreneurship Center for Music (ECM) 鈥� the list goes on.

The current dean of the College of Music, John Davis, has a vision for the college that includes developing what he calls universal musicians. This means developing multiskilled, multifaceted musicians with a broader education to help them in their future careers. Why is this important in a musical career?

Developing a holistic skillset is a necessary requirement in the current musical landscape. Pursuing a broad education actually helps you specialize because it gives you opportunities to explore and discover what is best suited to you. A degree in music at a well-rounded institution such as 欧美口爆视频 Boulder gives you transferable skills for many different career paths. Your life will take many twists and turns鈥攁nd when you鈥檙e first starting college it鈥檚 impossible to predict the trajectory of your career. The college鈥檚 ECM, Diverse Musicians鈥� Alliance, Arts Administration micro-credential and working in the box office at 欧美口爆视频 Presents opened up the world of arts administration for me. Through these offerings, I learned about internships at summer festivals and ultimately found a rewarding career path fitted to my unique skill sets and complimenting my training and background in performance.

What are you up to now?

I work in the artistic operations department at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California. My role is focused on supporting our annual eight-week summer festival and year-round programming, and includes coordinating the logistics of our guest artists, creating the festival schedule and helping put on over 120 master classes, concerts and competitions each summer. It鈥檚 a very fulfilling job鈥擨 love getting to know so many different musicians and supporting their artistry. When you work 鈥渂ehind the scenes鈥� of any organization, you realize just how many details go into everything.

I had such an amazing undergrad and am so grateful for my time in Boulder. I miss the Flatirons, the farmers market, but mostly the community at the College of Music鈥擨 can鈥檛 wait to visit! 鈥楽ko buffs!

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