Student Bulletin: January 2024

Watch the Running Start Competition!

Congratulations to this year’s Running Start Competition Finalists!

• AAPI Jazz Outreach program (Andrew Kim, BM jazz trombone; Derong Li, BM jazz guitar; David Alvarez III, MM jazz drums; Emma Wilburn, MM jazz bass; Chris Minami, MM jazz guitar); and Nanami Haruta, PD jazz trombone)
• Mia Chinni-Ianzito, BA Music, jazz guitar
• Ethan Strickland, DMA Percussion
• Sam Gucwa, BM Jazz Saxophone
• Cypress (Brian Allen, BM jazz drums; Al Paige, BM jazz saxophone; Tommy Noble; BM jazz saxophone; Levi Taple, BM jazz guitar; Emma Wilburn, MM jazz bass)
• Michael Gabriel, MM Wind Conducting
• Ethan Frank, BM Jazz Studies

Everyone is invited and encouraged to see the pitches on the projects as these students vie for up to $2,500 in funding!

Support them by attending this Sunday, January 28, from 1-3 PM in Murray Hall or online. Plus, you can vote for your favorite project to get your friends an extra $250 towards their project!

 

Time to Start Planning for Summer

Summer music festivals, internships, competitions and more may seem like they are a ways off, but many applications are due in February while some deadlines have already passed! The Running Start office has created a list with application deadlines. It is definitely not too soon to look over the list and mark your calendar for when you should start preparing to apply.

Summer presents a lot of opportunities for performance majors, but there is also a mix of other activities including camp counseling positions, composition options, and internships in arts administration. Check it out!

Free Hearing Testing

The last day for free student hearing testing this year at MSU is NEXT Monday, 1/22 from 4-9 PM. This day is open to any student wanting to get a baseline for their hearing. Please sign up here. Tests are conveniently conducted in the hearing testing van that will be parked just outside the Music Building lobby.

Training in livestreaming and recording

There are two opportunities to train on the new technology (livestreaming and recording) in Hollander and Cook next week:

• Monday, January 22, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Hollander
• Tuesday, January 23, 8:40 – 9:40 a.m. Cook

If you are planning to have your recital in these spaces and want to livestream or use the built-in recording capabilities, you may wish to drop in during those hours to learn how the system works!

Speak at an MSU Ignite Talk

The MSU Museum CoLab Studio is seeking ten passionate MSU students to each deliver an Ignite talk on their research! We welcome students of any type or level, engaged in projects across all research fields. Ignite talks are an innovative way to share an idea in just 5 minutes, using 20 slides that automatically advance every 15 seconds. We’re looking for speakers who will not only connect with the audience but also make learning fun. No prior public speaking or stage experience is required! All selected speakers will participate in a research communication workshop before the event (March 14, 2024) to help them fine-tune their presentations and truly captivate the audience.

The application deadline is Wednesday, January 24. Apply here.

The MSU Museum aims to host Ignite Talks each semester, showcasing the diverse research undertaken by MSU students. This dynamic platform empowers Michigan State University’s student researchers to share their visionary ideas and become more effective communicators.

New Embedded Counselor in Music

Christian Gibson is joining the College of Music as an embedded counselor from the CAPS program. Jointly appointed to Music and Arts & Letters, Christian explains that by being part of our community (i.e. embedded), she can “address the specific and unique needs of the College of Music through short-term individual counseling, group counseling, tailored outreach and education, consultation with faculty and staff, and more.” She is “looking forward to meeting with students individually in addition to also hosting a self-care group this winter and other fun wellness activities throughout each semester.”

You can find Christian in MPB 204 on Thursdays and Fridays, but she is also available to meet with students any day of the week through virtual and in-person options. The best way for Music students to get connected to CAPS and to Christian is to schedule an Initial Consultation through the CAPS website. During that appointment, students can let the clinician know they are interested in working with Christian. Also, Dr. Yvonne Connelly will continue to meet with students on Friday afternoons from 3-5pm in MPB 204 via CAPS Connect.

Rush Tickets: Two Free Music Events

Two upcoming College of Music concerts, regularly priced at $12 for students, are now available free as rush tickets for MSU Music students. Visit the College of Music Main Office to obtain your ticket, and read more about the events via their links below.

Saturday, January 20 at 3:00 p.m., Fairchild Theatre
A Celebration of the Beautiful Voice

Monday, January 22 at 7:30 p.m., Fairchild Theatre
Happy Birthday, Mozart!

DSO Featuring Alum Henry Dorn

$20 Main Floor Detroit Symphony Orchestra tickets are availabe for MSU Music students for a program featuring Transitions by MSU alum Henry Dorn. This work for orchestra takes the audience on a journey through the ravenous wildness of change. Also on the program, English pianist Paul Lewis performs Beethoven’s First Piano Concerto, and the DSO performs Sibelius Symphony No. 2.

The promo code TRANSITIONS24 can be used by MSU faculty, students, and staff. Make sure to enter the promocode prior to selecting your seats.

The DSO also livestreams every classical and jazz series concert through their Facebook, YouTube, and website for FREE! This concert will be livestreamed on January 20 at 8 PM for anyone who can’t make the trip down to Detroit.

Specially Priced Tickets for Emanuel Ax, Leonidas Kavakos and Yo-Yo Ma

Emanuel Ax, Leonidas Kavakos and Yo-Yo Ma will be coming to Wharton Center on Wednesday, January 31, 2024. This all-Beethoven program will feature the Trio in D Major, Op. 70, No. 1, “Ghost”; Piano Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 70, No. 2; and an arrangement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 for trio.

Specially Priced Individual Student and Youth Tickets:
To purchase $19 and $29 MSU Student tickets, visit Emanuel Ax, Leonidas Kavakos, Yo-Yo Ma on the Wharton website, select “Students” on the lower right-hand side of the page, and enter your Student ID to redeem.

Performed by three of the world’s greatest musical titans, the evening features beloved works originally written for piano trio, as well as an arrangement of one of Beethoven’s iconic symphonies, maintaining the power and immediacy of his orchestral work in an intimate arrangement.

Technology Update

Live streaming and recording capabilities were installed over the winter break in several performance spaces. Livestreaming and recording from the tech cart is now available in MB120 (Hollander). Cook Recital Hall will be online in a few weeks. As a reminder, Murray already has this functionality.

If you have a recital in one of these spaces, you will receive information on how the systems work in your recital confirmation email. There are also instructions on the tech carts. In addition, there will be two upcoming training times to learn how to run the systems:

Hollander tech time: Monday, January 22, 3:00-4:00 p.m. (drop in at any time)
Cook tech time: Tuesday, January 23, 8:40-9:40 a.m. (drop in at any time)

• Please note, audio levels in these rooms are set to allow many different types of instruments to be livestreamed. A test run is strongly recommended to check levels. You may still wish to check out a Zoom H8N camera from the main office to record if you wish a microphone to be closer to your instrument or customized to your sound levels.
• If you are recording (not livestreaming) from the tech carts, you need a minimum of a USB3.0 device (exFAT formatted) to transfer your recording off the tech cart. If you are recording from the tech cart and you don’t think your USB device is correctly formatted, you can check out a large external hard drive from the main office which is correctly formatted to make sure your recording transfers correctly at the end of your recording session.
• Local recording and live streaming instructions can be found here.

Graduate Research Funding

Funds are available for graduate students to travel to present their “research” at professional venues. This includes researchers whose papers have been selected for presentation at a conference through a peer-review process, composers whose works have been selected through a peer-review process for performance at a conference, festival, or other prestigious venue, or performers or conductors who have been selected through apeer-review process to appear in a competition, conference, festival, or other prestigious venue.

Funds are also available to support activities that enhance graduate students’ research projects including travel to participate in workshops, data collection, short courses and master classes.

Visit the Funding page for more information and application requirements.

Theft/Security Announcement

There was another attempted theft of personal belongings that were left unattended last week at the College of Music. The College has reached out to the Department of Police and Public Safety, and they reinforced the importance of reporting ANY theft or attempted theft, even if nothing is taken. This allows DPPS to determine patterns and take action to deter behaviors. Please remind students to be diligent about taking care of belongings and do not leave them unattended, even for a short period of time. In addition, please reach out to report the theft of any belongings to MSU police.

14th Annual National Collegiate Solo Competition

The 14th Annual National Collegiate Solo Competition hosted by The U.S. Army Band, “Pershing’s Own,” is a prestigious event and a fantastic opportunity for brass, woodwind, and percussion college students to showcase their playing.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Open to currently enrolled college students studying in the U.S.
• Applicants must be no older than 27 years as of January 1, 2024.

Grand Prize:

• The winner will have the honor of performing their solo with The U.S. Army Concert Band.
• The performance will be on June 7th at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C.—all travel expenses will be covered.

Deadline: March 9, 2024, at 11:59 pm.