In January, a small group of Missouri State opera students attended the annual National Opera Association (NOA) conference in Florida. This conference serves as an incredible opportunity for students to network with professionals, scout graduate programs, and attend sessions on acting, repertoire, and professional development. The highlight of the conference is the Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition, where Missouri State students placed second in the undergraduate category.

NOA’s Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition consists of four finalists presenting a short scene up to eight minutes long from any opera. To participate, opera program director Dr. Ann Marie Daehn was required to submit a video of any scene performed by the program in the last year. Daehn initially submitted a snippet from the full opera they performed last spring but ultimately decided to take a duet to the competition.

The original scene Daehn chose was rehearsed heavily in December, but right before the group was set to leave, one of the performers got sick and had to cancel. Luckily Emma Gulovsen, the other student competitor, had a second duet prepared from an opera concert in the fall. Daehn contacted Bailey Freeman the day before the competition and he was able to attend the conference. After a short rehearsal on campus and a fifteen-minute rehearsal with their pianist in Florida, the students performed the next night! Daehn said that the opera scenes event is a favorite of the conference and everyone attends. After deliberation by a panel of five judges, first and second place winners were awarded in the undergraduate, graduate, and musical theater categories.

“Sometimes opera gets a bad rap; it’s really just louder theater. We’re studying all the drama that we know and love from music theatre and from plays.” —Dr. Ann Marie Daehn

Daehn is a governor for the National Opera Association, which she joined to give students more chances to network and compete against big schools and conservatories. Students from the Missouri State opera program have historically done very well at the national conference, winning awards in musical theatre and directing. With scholarship and composition competitions also available, the conference is a great place for students to be featured and participate in a high-level, mentally-enriching experience.

The opera program has an upcoming performance of two one-act operas — “Trial by Jury” by Gilbert and Sullivan and “Così fan tutte” by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Both shows have been modernized, taking inspiration from the “People’s Court,” “The Bachelor,” and college campuses. The performance is on Friday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 10 at 1:30 p.m. in Ellis Hall’s C. Minor Recital Hall. Student tickets can be purchased for just $5. Learn more.

Stay up to date with MSU Opera Theatre by following its Facebook page.

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Many of the favorite choral works of Webb will be performed, and alumni will be coming in from across the country to celebrate his life and legacy at Missouri State. The concert will be full of music, followed by a reception, where many wonderful stories are surely to be shared!

Please join us for this special event and spread the word to others who might be interested. This event is free and open to the public.

Dr. Guy B. Webb taught at the University of Florida, State University of New York in Cortland, and New Mexico State University before he joined Missouri State.

He had a diploma in voice from Juilliard, bachelor’s and master’s music degrees from the Columbia University Teachers College, and a doctorate in the musical arts from the University of Illinois.

Dr. Cameron LaBarr, current Director of Choral Studies recalled that Webb had a laser-like focus during performances, adding that he was a practical joker with a big laugh. “He just always brought a smile to everyone around him.”

LaBarr said comedic antics only amplified how Webb was able to cast long shadows in the memories of his students. LaBarr added, “He was inspiring. He was mystical, to a certain degree. He was a consummate artist. My big takeaway from him is the sheer pursuit of artistry.”

Webb retired in summer 2014 following a farewell tour to England and Scotland. Missouri State alums Dan and Melissa Scott were able to participate in that tour. Together, they established a scholarship at Missouri State in Webb’s honor.

Memorial donations can be made to the “Dr. Guy B. Webb Touring Scholarship” that has been set up at the Missouri State University Foundation, online or by mail. For more information, call 417-836-4143.

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MSU has been a participant of MMTA for several years. In fact, the music department’s very own faculty member, Dr. Jason Hausback, has been vice president of the organization for the last eight years. It’s not unusual for MSU students to do well but at the caliber that they performed this year, it’s something to celebrate.

There are several music teachers associations that exist throughout the nation for each state, but Missouri’s is one of the largest. Typically, the event encompasses nearly 600 competitors and spans four days. It’s no small feat that MSU claimed three out of the four spots in the brass competition alone.

“I was a judge before I was vice president and it’s tough to be a judge. Sometimes it’s like comparing apples and oranges. You’ll have this person on this instrument, then someone on a different instrument with different music. How do you pick the winner?” —Dr. Jason Hausback

These musicians range from pre-college to the graduate level and include any brass instrument. The candidates select three pieces of music to perform in an open audition. “It’s basically like performing a mini recital,” Hausback explained.

So, what is it that sets MSU students apart from everyone else? Hausback shared some of his insight about how he mentors students.

The student need to prepare well in advance. Hausback typically meets with them the summer before and once the school year starts, they hit the ground running. From choosing repertoire, to filling out goal sheets, and getting feedback on their performances from their peers, these students work on their pieces anywhere from three to nine months, depending on how far they advance in the competition.

While it may sound exhausting, Hausback explained that it actually helps establish a sense of camaraderie among his students. “We have studio class where my students perform for each other and give feedback,” Hausback said, “The auditions are open so they get to go in the room and hear their friends compete.”

Hausback emphasized that another important component for a competitor is the music selection. Judges want musicians who can play with finesse and highlight the musical detail in a piece, not just the loud and flashy pieces. “Dr. Hausback and I chose the pieces together,” Darwin Gist, one of Hausback’s students, said in an interview. “We put together more of a program, starting from early Baroque music to more contemporary music.”

Gist, a junior studying musical performance, has been Hausback’s student since high school. In the summer, he was a winner in an online national competition and in November he won the Missouri Teachers National Association (MTNA) Young Artist Brass competition. Hausback described him, and most of his students, as naturally hard workers.

“Being in the performing arts is like being any other student but with 20 to 30 more hours of stuff. The time that classes meet is a very small portion of their time, it’s mostly practicing and rehearsals. When are you done? Really never.” —Dr. Jason Hausback

Amid the pressures of performing and the stress of competition, Hausback managed to cultivate an experience for his students that emphasizes togetherness and teamwork by way of music.

Gist was selected to be an alternate in the MTNA scheduled for March 2022.

Below is a complete list of MSU students who received awards or honors in the MMTA competition this year:

MTNA Young Artist Brass Competition

Darwin Gist, bass trombone, Winner

Drew Robertson, trombone, Honorable Mention

MMTA Collegiate Upper Brass Competition

Emmitt trumpet, trumpet, Winner

Kalleigh Hickory, trombone, Runner Up

Vaughn Griffith, trombone, Honorable Mention

Kennedy Ryan, trumpet, Honorable Mention

MMTA Collegiate Graduate Brass Competition

Patrick Perry, bass trombone, Winner

Hyejin Yi, trumpet, Runner Up

Alberto Martinez, trombone, Honorable Mention

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Music and storytelling have long been intertwined with one another. From Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s famous score that underlies the ballet performance of The Nutcracker to the trope of using Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee” in a film to create a sense of urgency or danger. But, while classical music has proven to be a powerful force in our culture, it’s struggled to find its place in younger generations.

Too often the only encounters children have with music and musical instruments is a brief class visit from a musician. Unless they take up the hobby themselves, their only opportunity to establish a connection with music is a watching a visiting flutist play a scale during a special class demonstration, or, if they’re lucky, be able to pluck the string of a violin. Dr. Daniel Ketter, cellist and assistant professor of music, explained that more and more people are quick to write off contemporary classical music as out of touch, difficult to play, and paling in comparison to the classical musicians like Bach and Beethoven. He and Dr. Emlyn Johnson, an instructor of music and flutist, have taken on the task of changing people’s minds.

Last year, they came upon the opportunity to work with composer Daniel Pesca to commission a piece inspired by the children’s book “Pezzettino” by Leo Lionni.

“We have a long-standing interest in performing contemporary music, supporting contemporary composers, and advocating for their work,” Ketter says. Beside him, Johnson emphasizes how their new project is “a dream becoming reality.”

The composition is written to highlight the cello and flute. While the story is being read aloud, the two musicians will accompany the story line. This challenges Ketter and Johnson to play a versatile range of emotions on their instruments. They want to show their audiences that music can be strong, it can be timid, it can be calming, or it can create a sense of danger. It all just depends on how it is written and performed. They want to change the way kids, and maybe even their parents too, think about classical music and how they engage with it.

“We hear new music all the time in movies and TV shows,” Johnson says. “We’re always surrounded by new music but when we think about sitting down for a performance for contemporary music that’s a different feeling for most audiences. So, it is exciting for us to be able to make a very friendly introduction.”

But why children’s literature?

Ketter insists that what he and Johnson are doing isn’t new. He points out George Lucas’ use of music in the Star Wars franchise, how it’s birthed recognizable tunes like “Leia’s Theme” and, of course, “The Imperial March.” Johnson chimes in with Peter and the Wolf, a classic music composition that has been adapted numerous times into books, films, and theatrical performances.

“There is a long history of using music in opera or in movies to help to tell stories that really, as multimedia elements, the story makes people be able to connect with the music more,” Ketter explains.

“The Pezzettino story is about being yourself,” adds Johnson. Throughout the book, the little shape the readers follow, meets different characters with new colors and distinct personalities and this lends itself well to showing the different styles of music that can be performed, so a listener can associate it with different emotions or concepts.

Ketter and Johnson hope that they’ll have the opportunity to take the live performance into schools and encouraging kids to think about what makes them unique like the book does, with potential to incorporate the performance into lesson plans and curriculum focusing on themes of identity.

“We’re hoping to also share our passion for doing this kind of work and encourage other musicians to also think about creating this kind of work too; to access different audiences, to introduce younger audiences to music. In a different way than just saying ‘this is what a flute looks like, this is what a flute sounds like.’ [Instead] here is a story, here is a message, here are other topics we can talk about with it,” explains Johnson.

The two musicians are set to perform the piece on October 23 at 12 p.m. at Pagination Bookshop and another composition is already underway. Kim Osberg has begun work on adapting “My Father’s Dragon,” by Ruth Stiles Gannett, into a piece. A video recording of the composition will also be available starting September 21, made in collaboration with Darcy Stevens, a recording arts editor, and recent film graduate student, Chris Gawat, and includes animation.

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That’s the subject of the story about the associate professor and director of choral studies recently published online in Missouri State University’s Mind’s Eye website. Mind’s Eye is a publication that highlights faculty research activities at the university.

The 2021 edition of Mind’s Eye will be available in print form this September.

Read the full story

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The department of music is continuing its tradition of Double Reed Day virtually this year. This event is an online workshop for oboe and bassoon players in grades 7-12.

On Saturday, February 27, 2021, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., students will participate via Zoom in a master class and performances. The master class will be led by Cooper Wright, a professor of oboe at Mahidol University, and Lia Uribe, a professor of bassoon at the University of Arkansas. An online ensemble performance will be held at noon and parents are encouraged to watch online.

Students will be joined by guest recitalists “Duel Duo” made up of composer Jisoo Lee, bassoonist Yoon Joo Hwang, and oboist Jung Choi, who organized this event. “Double Reed Jeopardy” will be played to win Edmund Nielsen gift cards of $25 for the winner and $10 for the runner up.

This is a free event and students must register online by February 20.

Register

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Opera is a blend of many art forms: it incorporates the dramatic arts, the virtual arts, movement, singing and orchestra. All of these are high-contact activities.

“This year we’ve adjusted our numbers, our rehearsal space, our time together and exchanged the grand opera for the micro opera. On good weather days we have rehearsed or held class meetings outside and music was largely rehearsed with my colleague Dr. [Sam] Oram on Zoom. When we met indoors, we spaced at least 16 feet from the pianist, were masked and limited rehearsal time—trying to incorporate ‘air circulation’ time into our rehearsal,” Daehn says.

In years past, the opera usually performed one or two nights of scenes or a large opera—both with a large audience. This fall, however, Daehn opted to place all performances outside and to only perform micro operas: short operas between 5 and 25 minutes long.

Daehn says, “The casts are very small—between 2 and 4 people. Normally, our performance is in mid-November, but to catch the good weather, we already have performed twice, and have two performance dates to go. It’s been a challenge to get them ready so early in the year, but the students have been motivated and have worked hard.”

Because these micro operas were outside, a small, live audience was possible. The operas were also streamed online through Facebook Live.

“My number one goal was to continue to offer performance opportunities. Interestingly enough, students have had several new experiences that hadn’t occurred to me. Most have never sung solos outdoors and had never used a body mic—opera tends to be acoustic. I also wanted as many students to have the opportunity to perform a full role as possible, so for many this is their first featured role. We have a large number of incredibly talented singers and they all deserve to leave MSU with as much experience as I can provide. Yes, much of my goals have purely been to survive and ensure the safety of my singers and audience, but I also just want them to see a project through from beginning to end and grow as performers,” Daehn says.

Daehn hopes to further expand the opera in the spring.

Daehn adds, “This spring we are hoping to do a more traditional program—a double bill of Puccini’s ‘Gianni Schicci’ and Michael Ching’s ‘Buoso’s Ghost.’ There are more actors on stage, but I think I have an interesting solution. It is a little unorthodox, but these times demand creativity! Be sure to check us out in the spring to see how we’ve made big opera safe!”

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“It is an absolute honor to have my music featured in this series.”—Michael Murray

Butterfly Days was written in June of this year during Murray’s creative residency at Hambidge Center for Creative Arts & Sciences. This four-song piece is based on Robert Frost’s New Hampshire collection and represents nature and human interactions with it. The mezzo-soprano part was written for Dr. Ann Marie Daehn, who will deliver the premiere performance. The Darkening Green is a single-movement piece that reflects “differing perceptions of the passage of time on small and large scales”—Michael Murray. The title and theme are a reference to William Blake’s poem “The Echoing Green” from Songs of Innocence. Genevieve’s Cats was written for soprano Genevieve Fulks and is a three-movement piece based on cats in different points of their lives. The text comes from the poetry “The Kitten” by William Wordsworth, “The Cat and the Moon” by W.B. Yeats and “To Mrs. Reynolds’s Cat” by John Keats.

This concert will premiere online on November 12 at 7:30 p.m. through Parma Recordings event page.

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The GLP is an executive graduate certificate program focused on social impact and change through music. Johnson was chosen among colleagues from across the world; the fellows range in age and experience, from late-stage graduate students to professionals with long careers in music performance, education, and non-profit administration.

“I think that something that makes GLP unique is that it curates a cohort from a wide range of professional backgrounds, and the program is really enriched by that diversity of perspectives. Just a few weeks into the program this fall, I’m already so impressed by my fellow cohort members and their passion for, experience in, and dedication to arts advocacy and the idea of music as an agent for social change,” Johnson says.

The program has two main components: a yearlong curriculum led by artists, entrepreneurs, and researchers from around the world and a two-part, hands-on residency completed by each participant. In June of 2021, the cohort will travel as a group to Spain to work with a variety of arts organizations. Each fellow will undertake an individual residency tailored to their professional and personal interests.

“We’re still in the process of finalizing these plans—pending the current COVID-19 situation—but I plan to travel internationally to work with an organization that uses chamber music performance and participation as a way to promote a stronger sense of community in its region,” Johnson says.

Johnson is a flutist, with a background in flute performance and teaching. At Missouri State, she teaches a wide variety of music courses, mostly to students who aren’t necessarily music majors. She and her husband, Dr. Daniel Ketter, co-direct American Wild Ensemble, which aims to bring people together through the commissioning and performance of newly composed music.

When she’s not working on teaching preparation, American Wild Ensemble planning, or her own practicing, you can find Johnson co-hosting a podcast called “New Music Listening Club,” jogging on the Galloway Creek Greenway Trail, or re-watching old episodes of “The Office.”

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Her story tells of her belief that music “can cross cultural barriers that written language often can’t.”

“When I’m performing, I’m trying to communicate with the audience through my music. It’s then up to the audience to decide how they’re going to receive it and how they’re going to translate it,” she said.

Read her whole story online.

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