January 2022

Music Student Bulletin

1.5.22 Bulletin  |  1.12.22 Bulletin  |  1.20.22 Bulletin  |  1.26.22 Bulletin

Music Student Bulletin 1.26.22
 

Music Building roof replacement
 
Alexander Technique class opportunity
 
REMINDER: A return to in-person classes on January 31
 
REMINDER: Undergraduate scholarships available
 
REMINDER: Wagner Chamber Music Competition is open for entrants
 
REMINDER: Deadline to receive a COVID-19 booster and submit information
 
REMINDER: Booster clinics on campus
 

Music Building Roof Replacement

The Music Building’s flat portion of the roof replacement started Monday, January 24. The project is expected to take approximately 3-5 weeks (pending weather). The courtyard entrance to the Music Building will be periodically closed throughout the project. The closures will be primarily in the mornings but may last longer during the early part of the project. A crane and a construction dumpster will be located in front of the Music Building courtyard entrance and north toward the loading dock. Access to the loading dock, the Performance Parking (permit required and scheduled through the Dean’s office), and Handicap Parking spots will be available during the work (with a possible few exceptions). There may be some minor noise during the removal of the old roof. Please DO NOT attempt to park in the courtyard area during the project.

Alexander Technique class opportunity

A class specifically for MSU College of Music Students and held in the Music Building, the Alexander Technique will help you begin to discover freedom of movement, poise, pain reduction, strategies for stress relief, relaxation without collapse, resisting gravity without stiffening, finding and renewing one's inner balance, and the inter-relatedness of mind and body. The basic principles and practical tools of the Alexander Technique will be explored through guided movement and discussion. 

Classes meet Wednesdays, 5-6 p.m.

  • Class Dates: February 2, 9, 16, 23 and March 2, 23, 30, 2022
  • Class will meet in Music Building Room 145
  • Cost: $165 (students can pay in installments)
  • 5 student minimum; 10 student maximum

In-person classes resume January 31

Per MSU President Stanley's message on January 21, MSU will resume in-person classes Monday, Jan. 31, as planned. Please be sure to plan accordingly.
 

Music Student Bulletin 1.20.22
 

Important dates for those graduating in Spring 2022
 
Undergraduate scholarships available
 
Wagner Chamber Music Competition is open for entrants
 
Free at-home COVID-19 test kits

REMINDER: Deadline to receive a COVID-19 booster and submit information
 
REMINDER: Booster clinics on campus
 

Important dates for those graduating in Spring 2022

For all students planning to graduate this semester: Please note that there are two separate processes, one for applying to graduate and one for walking in a commencement ceremony. Applying for one does not qualify you for the other.

APPLYING FOR GRADUATION
If you are planning to graduate Spring 2022, please apply for graduation. The Graduation Application is on student.msu.edu. After clicking on the Academic Progress tile, you will see a link to Apply for Graduation in the left-hand navigation under the Graduation heading.

To have your name in the commencement program you MUST apply BEFORE January 28, 2022!

WALKING IN A COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY
You cannot participate (walk) in the ceremony if you do not Register to Participate. Visit the commencement web site for details.  

Registration will begin in late January 2022.

Undergraduate scholarships available

MSU Student Life & Engagement has more than 20 scholarships available for undergraduate students. The deadline for most of these scholarships is March 14, 2022. For more information and to apply, visit the MSU Student Life & Engagement scholarship page.
 
If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Vanwelsenaers at vanwelse@msu.edu.

Wagner Chamber Music Competition is open for entrants

The 2022 Wagner Chamber Competition is open for entrants! Ensembles can be any instrumentation from 3-8 players, including vocal performers. Mixed and traditional chamber groups are encouraged. Prizes range from $1000-$4000 for the winning groups.

The deadline to apply is January 23, and students need faculty approval to apply. The final round of the competition will occur on April 15-16, 2022.  

  • Details about the competition, including repertoire requirements can be found here.
  • The faculty approval form can be found here.

Free at-home COVID-19 test kits

The federal government has opened up the link that you can use to order four free at-home COVID-19 tests. The process is straightforward and simple. Go to special.usps.com/testkits, fill in the required contact information, and you will receive an email that includes a specific confirmation number and shipping details.
 

Music Student Bulletin 1.12.22
 

Deadline to receive a COVID-19 booster and submit information
 
Booster clinics on campus
 
Steps to take in various scenarios related to COVID-19
 
Update on Music Library services
 
University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum
 
Free Parking!
 
Free tickets to see Damien Sneed at Wharton Center

Deadline to receive a COVID-19 booster and submit information

As stated by MSU President Samuel Stanley, the deadline for students, faculty and staff to receive a COVID‑19 booster and submit their information is Feb. 1.

The vast majority of those in the MSU community are eligible for boosters and should make an appointment now, whether they have returned to the East Lansing area or not. For those who are not yet eligible for a booster (five months after completing a Pfizer vaccine regimen, six months after Moderna or two months after Johnson & Johnson), you will have 14 days after you are eligible to comply with the requirement, and you will receive reminders as your eligibility date nears. 

A few other important notes: 

  • The system to fill out your booster information will be the same one you used to record your original vaccinations. The vaccine verification form will begin accepting booster submissions Jan. 26, and a reminder will be sent out as this date approaches. I realize that leaves only a week before the deadline for those now eligible, but we are working as fast as possible on many COVID-related projects. 
  • Those who already have religious or medical exemptions will remain exempt from the booster requirement. Students who have an online-only exemption for spring 2022 are also exempt. 
  • Students, faculty and staff who fail to meet the Feb. 1 deadline or do not submit their booster verification 14 days after they are eligible will be referred to the appropriate disciplinary process.

Booster Clinics on Campus

Michigan State University and the Ingham County Health Department are partnering to offer several COVID-19 vaccine booster clinics at the Breslin Center over the next month. As President Stanley announced this week, the deadline for students, faculty and staff to receive a COVID‑19 booster and submit their information is Feb. 1.

Booster clinics will be held Jan. 17, Jan. 26 and Jan. 31 at Breslin, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. The clinics are open to the campus community and the public, and all three FDA-approved or -authorized vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson) will be available.

What you need to know:

  • Bring a valid ID (MSU student/employee IDs are acceptable).
  • Bring your vaccination card if available.
  • Appointments are strongly encouraged and can be made via the health department website. Walk-ins will be accepted until 5:45 p.m. each day.
  • Free parking is available in Lot 63 off Harrison Road, to the south of Breslin.
  • Enter Breslin using the southeast Hall of History entrance by the Magic Johnson statue.
  • Arrive 10-15 minutes before your appointment. Wear clothing with short sleeves and do not fast before your appointment if possible.
  • If you need transportation, CATA provides free transportation across campus.

Boosters also are available to the MSU community at the MSU Health Care Pharmacy, and students may now get a booster through Olin Health Center from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday by calling (517) 353-4660 to book an appointment. Additional vaccine clinics are being explored by the university, and general information on where to find a vaccine also can be found on the Together We Will website.

Steps to take in various scenarios related to COVID-19

Last week, the University updated the Together We Will COVID-19 guidance page for students and employees to inform them of the steps they should take in various scenarios related to COVID-19. All are encouraged to become familiar with these guidelines.

Update on Music Library services

Beginning January 10, the Music Library will be accessible by appointment only. Materials will be paged daily for pickup at the main Circulation desk or in touchless lockers; delivery to faculty and staff offices; or shipment by mail. You may continue to request items through the library catalog. For any questions or to make an appointment, students may use the "ask music" form.

University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum

The 24th University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF) will take place on April 8, 2022, in-person at the Breslin Center and virtually on Symposium by ForagerOne. Poster, oral, performance, film, exhibit, and demonstration presentations will all be on display.  Abstracts/proposals do not need to be complete at the time of registration. Registration will be open from January 11 until February 10, 2022.

Current MSU undergraduates and December 2021 graduates are eligible to present at UURAF 2022. This event provides an opportunity for students involved in research and creative activities at Michigan State to share their work with their peers, faculty, staff, and external audiences. Work presented at other venues (college/department forums, off-campus conferences, etc.) are also invited to present at UURAF.

All stages of research and creative scholarship are welcomed, from preliminary to capstone projects and everywhere in between! Research and creative activity conducted during courses, internship/REU, Education Abroad, or community-based participatory research are also accepted. Work conducted during any semester (fall, spring, and summer) may be submitted for presentation at UURAF.

Free Parking!

The University has made all pay by plate parking areas COMPLIMENTARY through January 30. The “Sparty lot” is one of those lots, so feel free to park there for the next two+ weeks.

Free tickets to see Damien Sneed at Wharton Center

A reminder that free tickets are available THIS WEEK for College of Music students, faculty, and staff to see MSU artist in Residence Damien Sneed upon his return to campus for Our Song, Our Story: The New Generation of Black Voices.  The concert is on Tuesday, January 18 at Wharton Center, and we appreciate the generous offer from Wharton Center. Claim your tickets between Monday, January 10 and the close of business on Monday, January 17 in the Music Building Main Office.

Our Song, Our Story is an evening of music highlighting some of the world’s most well-known arias, art songs and spirituals. The concert brings together two of today’s most exciting operatic voices, Raehann Bryce-Davis and Brandie Inez Sutton, accompanied by a string quartet and Damien Sneed on piano in a diverse and powerful event. Learn more about this special event.

Music Student Bulletin 1.5.22
 

The start of our Spring 2022 semester
 
A free ticket offer from Wharton Center

The start of our Spring 2022 semester

As you know, President Stanley recently sent a message to the university community indicating that Spring 2022 academic classes will begin primarily remotely beginning on January 10 for at least the first three weeks of the semester.  Additional clarifying language from the Office of the Provost to the Council of Deans indicated that in “Areas where in-person learning is necessary (e.g., academic and research laboratories, music instruction, etc.) are still allowable, with appropriate discretion given to the university’s desire to de-densify to reduce the spread of disease.” 
 
The College of Music deans have been in consultation with the Office of the Provost, those with specialized knowledge of infectious disease safety protocols, and with all College of Music performance area chairs and conductors about the way forward for our applied lessons, chamber music, recitals, ensemble rehearsals and concerts.  Following this consultation, which strongly supported in-person instruction, the College of Music will continue with in-person applied music instruction, chamber music, ensemble rehearsals, instrumental methods classes, and public concerts in Spring Semester beginning on January 10, 2022.  MSU will soon begin requiring proof of vaccination or recent negative COVID test for ticketed athletic, music, and theatre performances on campus. Academic courses in the College of Music will begin remotely.

  • Applied instructors, ensemble conductors, and graduate TAs will be in touch with specific lesson, rehearsal, and methods class information
  • We recommend the use of K-95 masks;
  • We will continue with the safety and health protocols that were in place during the Fall semester;
  • We will closely monitor circumstances and rely on updates from the President and local public health officials;
  • We appreciate the responsible caring way in which students have come forward freely if they feel at all ill and the responsiveness of the faculty in appropriately making decisions that are supportive; 
  • Please be in touch with any questions.

This message is shared again with gratitude for the great work all have done through the challenges of this pandemic. We thank you in advance for your flexibility, dedication to your studies, and participation in the modified learning opportunities the College of Music faculty and staff will provide in the Spring.

A free ticket offer from Wharton Center

We greatly appreciate the generous offer from Wharton Center of free tickets for College of Music faculty, staff, and students to see MSU artist in residence Damien Sneed upon his return to campus for Our Song, Our Story: The New Generation of Black Voices on Tuesday, January 18. Our Song, Our Story is an evening of music highlighting some of the world’s most well-known arias, art songs and spirituals. The concert brings together two of today’s most exciting operatic voices, Raehann Bryce-Davis and Brandie Inez Sutton, accompanied by a string quartet and Damien Sneed on piano in a diverse and powerful event. Claim your tickets between Monday, January 10 and the close of business on Monday, January 17 in the Music Building Main Office. Learn more about this special event.