Greetings from the Department of Music at West Virginia Wesleyan College.

It’s been an exciting few years across Wesleyan’s campus community and the Department of Music is no exception. Student successes abound, ensemble offerings are increasing, a steady stream of guest artists have visited, new faculty are being added to our family, and the relationships that we enjoy with our colleagues in the other departments within the School of Fine Arts and Humanities have never been stronger.

All of this helps to create an environment where our Performing Arts students are the beneficiaries of the collective expertise, professional contacts, and

passion for teaching and learning that our world-class faculty possesses.

As we enter the 2012/2013 academic year we welcome a new Director of Choral Activities, celebrate the recent addition of two new instructors in the jazz area, and highlight the recent successes of two graduating seniors who will represent the very best of Wesleyan’s Department of Music on their respective journeys.

I hope that you’ll find reading these stories as inspiring as I do. If you’re an alumnus you can take pride in the knowledge that Wesleyan’s Department of Music continues to hold itself to the highest of professional and academic standards. If you’re a prospective student, I hope that you will draw inspiration from these stories and place your self in the shoes of the students profiled here. Imagine what your success might look like after receiving a Wesleyan education and having the benefit of working closely with the amazing faculty in our Department of Music.

Thanks for reading!

James Moore, PhDAssistant Professor of MusicChair, Department of Music

Message from the ChairJames H. Moore, PhD

Arts WesleyanDepartment of Music

James Moore, PhDAssistant Professor,Chair, Department of MusicDirector of Instrumental Ensembles

Linda Sabak, DMAProfessor of Music,Coordinator of Keyboard StudiesPiano, Music History

Melody Meadows, DMAProfessor of Music,Organ, Musicianship, Counterpoint

Mandy Spivak, DMAAssistant Professor of Music,Coordinator of Vocal Studies

R. Daniel Hughes, DMAAssociate Professor of Music,Director of Choral Activities

Robert Baden, BMEAdjunct Instructor of Music,Percussion, Percussion Ensemble

Marguerite Bostonia, DMAAdjunct Instructor of Music,Piano, Twentieth/Twentieth Century Theory

Jeff Bush, MMAdjunct Instructor of Music,Trombone, Jazz Ensembles, Jazz Improvisation

Mike Dawson, MMArtist-Instructor of MusicDrum set

(coninued on next page)

Department of MusicFaculty & Staff

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Over the past few years Wesleyan’s Department of Music has seen growth in its jazz offerings. In addition to the Department’s “Big Band” which has existed since 1969, chamber jazz ensembles and jazz repertoire groups have been added to enrich the Department’s already impressive ensemble offerings.

With the addition of Professors Curtis Johnson and Jeff Bush, Wesleyan has been able to bring world-class jazz instruction to its students. Both Johnson and Bush, accomplished jazz performers and members of the Pittsburgh Jazz

Orchestra, are among the regions most skilled jazz educators and clinicians.

Jeff Bush, who joined the Wesleyan faculty in the spring of 2011, teaches applied trombone and directs the colleges jazz trombone ensemble. After completing a Master Degree in Jazz Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, Bush had a successful freelance career as a jazz and commercial trombonist in New York City that culminated in a stint as lead trombonist Harry Connick, Jr. from 2007 to 2009.

When asked about his thoughts on Wesleyan’s jazz area and students, Bush is enthusiastic in his response.

“I teach at WVWC for the students,” says Bush. “Their work ethic, dedication to music and positive attitude make my commute from Pittsburgh unbelievably worthwhile and I openly tell people this when talking about WV Wesleyan.”

Bush, who has taught at numerous colleges and conservatories, is quick to add that Wesleyan’s students and programs stack up well with institutions throughout the region. When asked what he enjoys most about teaching at Wesleyan, Bush responded by saying that the program “especially in the jazz studies area,” is growing and has a great sense of energy among students and faculty.

“The students are excited and driven to study this music and I have personally witnessed considerable harmonic and rhythmic development in their playing as well as a deeper study of the vast lineage

of the music. My day at WVWC flies by and I owe that all to the students”Curtis Johnson, who teaches applied saxophone and small jazz ensembles, came to Wesleyan for the fall 2012 semester with over 30 years of teaching experience. In 2006 Johnson retired from West Virginia University after 20 years as an Associate Professor of Music. Since then he has become one of the most in-demand woodwind performers on the East Coast. Johnson performs regularly in Europe and is on the faculty of the Krakow Jazz Institute in Krakow, Poland.

“I really enjoy teaching the students at WV Wesleyan because they are eager to learn,” says Johnson. “In my 33 years of teaching I have come into contact with hundreds of students and these WVWC students are among the best.  They are like sponges, hungry for knowledge.  On top of that, they show real understanding and accomplishment within their craft.”

“Jeff and Curtis bring so much talent to Wesleyan that it never really ceases to amaze me,” says Dr. James Moore, who overseas the jazz area at Wesleyan.

“Our students are getting to study with some of the best performers in the world, and that’s no exaggeration. Jeff and Curtis are not only invested in Wesleyan’s students, they work to bring their extensive professional contacts to bear and give our students an edge when entering the professional music scene.”

With such additions to the faculty, Wesleyan’s Department of Music is continuing distinguish itself as a superior place to study music.

Wesleyan Welcomes Two Jazz Artists to the Faculty

West Virginia Wesleyan College has a long tradition of excellence in choral education and performance. With the retirement of Dr. Larry Parsons as Director of Choral Activities after forty-two years at the helm, the Department undertook an exhaustive national search to find someone to take the choral program into its next phase.

Enter Dr. R. Daniel Hughes, who comes to Wesleyan from Nassau CommunityCollege just outside of New York City.Hughes, who holds a DMA in Choral Music from the University of Illinois, served as an Associate Professor of Music at NCC from 2003 to 2012 and maintained a healthy performance profile in New York City. Hughes, whose academic credentials include a BA in Vocal Performance from Otterbein College and an MM in Choral Conducting from the Eastman School of Music, is excited to take the baton from Dr. Parsons and is eager to start working with Wesleyan’s regionally renowned choral groups.

 “I’m really looking forward to getting to know the students, and working with

them as individuals and as members of the different ensembles.  I’m also eager to collaborate with new colleagues on a variety of fronts, sharing my ideas with their vision for the music department and the college.”

When asked why Hughes sought anappointment at a liberal arts institution like Wesleyan he had this to say.

“My wife Katherine and I are both from the Midwest, we grew up in Ohio and met as freshmen at Otterbein College.  My initial impressions of Wesleyan remind me very much of our experiences there as undergraduate students, and the community we loved being a part of.  Since graduating, our academic and professional work has repeatedly taken us further from our childhood homes.  Now that we have two kids, and have experienced living in the city, we long to return to this type of community, and closer to our extended families in Ohio and Virginia.”

Dr. Hughes comes to the Wesleyancommunity with his wife Katherine, who is an accomplished musical theatre performer, and his two children Amelia and Benjamin. In addition to taking over as Director of Choral Activities, Hughes will teach applied voice lessons, choral conducting, Voice for Musical Theater, and serve as the official liason between the Departments of Theatre and Music.

“I’m excited begin work as a new member of this community, to do everything I can to help develop the choral music program here at Wesleyan,” adds Hughes.  “I’ll bring a new perspective, but one grounded in the hallmarks I believe the ensembles and audiences have come to expect over the past several decades.  Honestly, I just can’t wait to get started.” 

Department of Music Welcomes Dr. R. Daniel Hughes

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Department of MusicFaculty & Staff(continued)

Arts WesleyanDepartment of Music

Anne Hamilton, MMAdjunct Instructor of Music,Violin, Viola

Mark Hamrick, MMAdjunct Instructor of Music,Guitar, Bass Guitar

Curtis Johnson, MMAdjunct Instructor of Music,Saxophone, Jazz Ensembles, Jazz Repertoire

Marie Mallory, MMAdjunct Instructor of Music,Piano

Rick Manspeaker, BMAdjunct Instructor of Music,Double Bass, Cello

Robert Turizziani, MMAdjunct Instructor of Music,Clarinet, Instrumental Conducting

Linda Wolfersheim, M.EdAdjunct Instructor of Music,Flute, Flute Ensemble

Jane ZopffAdjunct Instructor of Music,Harp

Arts Wesleyan Arts Wesleyan

Jeff Bush

Curtis Johnson

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WV Wesleyan College senior Matthew Gillich was busy this summer. Gillich traveled to Ghana to immerse himself in a vibrant musical culture in the hopes that such an intense experience would help him to grow as a musician and scholar. What follows is an email that he sent to faculty at Wesleyan from Ghana.

I am now in my 5th week in Ghana and still loving it. This past weekend Ihiked the tallest mountain in Ghana and swam in the tallest waterfall in Ghana. What an experience! The people here are so full of life. I danced and played drums with a group at the falls, which was surreal. I have learned 5 complete dances in my dance class at the University.

Ghana is such a beautiful place. Two weeks ago I traveled to Kumasi, which took about seven hours in a large van. The road from Accra to Kumasi is one of the worst in all of Ghana and driving on

it feels like riding on the most dangerous roller coaster never constructed and the driving habits Ghanians can be classified as absolutely terrifying. I have counted seven traffic lights in my travels, though instead of stopping, drivers use their car horns to warn other drivers of their presence. It’s always an adventure.

Kumasi is the seat of the ancient Ashanti kingdom and I went to the palace that was used by the Ashanti chiefs for many years. Also in Kumasi is the largest open market in all of West Africa. Talk about busy! There were no places to sit down and foot traffic was so congested that our van moved three blocks in an hour and a half. The upside was that the market had almost everything that you could ever need. The first weekend I was here I toured the slave castles in Cape Coast and El Mina. El Mina had the deepest impact

on me because the dungeons retain the stench of human sweat and it is one of the strangest feelings I have ever felt. The dungeon is pitch black except for a tiny window that does not really let air in or out. The press of bodies, real and imagined, really brings home the conditions that people were forced into.

I had the fortune of being born in June, so my birthday was celebrated in Africa, which was so amazing. Hands down one of the best birthdays I have ever had. I picked up my custom drum from the art center that day and all the drum makers from the shop played and danced with me. Then I got the chance to see some great music at a jazz club called +233.

I think that there are more stray goats here than dogs or cats. Goats roam from the most urbanized areas to the most remote. It’s kind of strange to see random goats wandering around outside of a restaurant or sitting onthe stoop of a hair salon. There is also a lot public religious display. It is most evident in business such as God Is Great Electronics, or He Is The Only One Snacks, or The Lord Is My Shepherd Photocopy. These are places along the road and it’s interesting how many are in the name of the Lord.

The rainy season is coming to an end, so it hasn’t been hot at all. It’s been staying in the mid 70’s to low 80’s. The rainstorms are pretty violent and I was caught in several while hiking in the rainforest. When its not raining it’s hot and dusty. I’m enjoying myself and can’t wait to share more stories

Maaha,Matthew

Students Abroad: A Summer in Ghana

It wasn’t until my junior year of high school that I even began to think about what college I would be attending.

W.V.U., W.V. Wesleyan, and Glenville State College were popular choices among my classmates, so I naturally gravitated towards those schools. But what really sold me on Wesleyan was my early interactions with Professor James Moore. He spent a lot of time with me, helping me work through my options, all the while encouraging me as a musician, something people from the other schools didn’t do. This personal connection with faculty was something that continued throughout my time at Wesleyan and was one of my favorite things about my experience there.

My professors in the music department were some of my closest mentors, but I should also mention that the professors

in the School of Education and the many other teachers I encountered in general studies classes were instrumental in my academic and professional development.

In music, Dr. Moore and Professor Jeff Bush taught me everything I know about jazz and the trombone through classes, lessons, and rehearsals, but also through gigs that I attended and were apart of with these teachers. It was in Dr. Meadows’ theory classes that I gained the skills I needed to make me a solid, well-rounded musician; and it was as a music theory tutor, working directly with Dr. Meadows , that I really improved my teaching skills. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Dr. Sabak’s amazingly thorough approach to teaching the vast history of music. Also, how well Dr. Parsons taught me to express music through singing, and how Dr. Bostonia broadened my

musical horizons through her Twentieth/Twenty First Century music class.

These teachers not only helped to shape me as a musician, they deliberately prepared me for graduate school. When I decided that I wanted to pursue a Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies, Prof. Bush, Dr. Moore, and Dr. Meadows helped tremendously during the process of graduate school selection, application, and audition. Although I was also accepted into Manhattan School of Music and The University of Miami, I ultimately decided to attend The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. It wasn’t an easy choice, since I had been accepted into all of my dream schools, I decided that The University of the Arts was the right fit for me. Dr. Moore, who is an alumnus of the MM in Jazz Studies program there, was a big help to me, putting me in touch with professors and former students at the school so that I felt connected to the community there before I actually arrived.

Perhaps the most important element of Wesleyan’s program that prepared me for graduate school was the amazing experience I had in Big Band with Dr. Moore. I was able to make the “Z” Big Band at UArts, one of the premiere groups at the University and I credit my time in the Wesleyan Big Band as a major factor in this. The program at UArts is very intense. I’m currently on track to graduate in May of 2013. It’s hard to believe that I might be holding a master’s degree in just eight months! I am incredibly thankful for everything that I experienced at WV Wesleyan and for everyone that helped me. They pointed me in the right direction every step of the way and I would be nowhere without WV Wesleyan.

A Student’s Perspective:The Road to Graduate School

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Arts WesleyanDepartment of Music

Arts Wesleyan Arts Wesleyan