UPBEAT - Kent State University

Dear Friends,
In this Fall 2012 edition of UPBEAT, we welcome seven new faculty members into new
positions or new roles within the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music. Dr. Jeff Heisler,
Interim Director of Bands/Saxophone; Mr. Frank Cosenza, Interim Director of Athletic
Bands; Ms. Marla Berg, Voice; Dr. Christopher Venesile, Music Education/Choral (parttime);
Mr. Amitai Vardi, Clarinet (part-time); Mr. Mark DeMio, Bassoon (part-time);
and Mr. John DiCesare, Tuba (part-time).
Additionally there have been two new hires within the College of the Arts which will be
of great benefit to the School of Music. Ms. Jenna Bice has been hired as the
Performing Arts Box Office Manager, and Mr. Ricardo Sepulveda is our new Marketing
Assistant for the School of Music. With the addition of these two positions our
marketing, recruitment, and public relations efforts have been advanced significantly.
We are delighted to have these colleagues join us in these new roles this academic year.
The 2012-2013 Academic Year is off to a great start, and committees have been formed as we prepare to
begin searching for FOUR full-time faculty hires. The plan is to have the hires in place for the beginning of
the 2013-2014 Academic Year. The positions to be filled are:
Director of Bands / Applied
Director of Athletic Bands
Director of Orchestra / Kent/Blossom Music Coordinator
Music Education / Choral
We hope you will encourage any of your colleagues and acquaintances to apply for these positions.
I am thrilled to announce that the School has attained the designation of an All-Steinway School. We will be
celebrating this milestone with a gala reception and free concert in Cartwright Auditorium on Saturday,
October 13, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. Brazilian-born, pianist Arnaldo Cohen will be featured in concert beginning
at 7:30 p.m. (Doors will open at 7:00 p.m.) Prior to the performance, Steinway & Sons President, Ron
Losby, will make the formal presentation recognizing the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music as an All-Steinway
School. A complimentary dessert reception will be held in the Cartwright Auditorium Lobby following the
performance. I encourage you to share this announcement with your friends and neighbors and especially
music students and their parents in our community. We need to fill Cartwright Auditorium for this
celebration!
As always, I invite our alumni and friends to contact me at dseachri@kent.edu and I look forward to seeing
many of you at our performances and concerts this academic year.
Sincerely,
Denise A. Seachrist
Upbeat, Volume 52, Fall 2012
KENT STATE UNIVERSITY
HUGH A. GLAUSER SCHOOL OF MUSIC
UPBEAT

THE HUGH A. GLAUSER SCHOOL OF
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Upbeat, Volume 52, Fall 2012
MUSIC OFFICIALLY BECOMES AN
ALL-STEINWAY SCHOOL
Save the Date: Please come and
join us to celebrate this
wonderful achievement!

Dr. Patricia Grutzmacher
Coordinator of Music
Education
Dr. Craig Resta
Music Education
Dr. Linda B. Walker
Music Education
Upbeat, Volume 52, Fall 2012
MUSIC EDUCATION DIVISION NEWS
T he Music Education Division is proud to announce that a total of sixtynine
(69) students have received the Master of Music in Music education
degree through the new online graduate program since it began in spring of
2010. In addition, the number of students enrolled in our doctoral program has
increased to over a dozen since the initiation of the newly constructed doctoral
curriculum.
This past February, Kent State University had a strong presence at the Ohio
Music Education Association state conference in Columbus, Ohio. There were
more than seven presentations by doctoral students and faculty members from
the Music Education Division. Dr. Craig Resta and Dr. Terry Kuhn, professor
emeritus, presented a session on action research at this conference.
In March, Dr. Craig Resta presented a session at the American String Teachers
Association National Conference in Atlanta, GA on social justice in string teacher
preparation.
In June Dr. Patricia Grutzmacher conducted the Kent Communiversity Band,
culminating in a concert featuring patriotic music on July 5 in downtown Kent. In
addition, she conducted the Canton Concert Band in Price Park in North Canton,
Ohio as part of their summer band series. She performed as principal oboist with
the Sounds of Sousa Band, directed by Marcus Neiman, at Lakeside, Ohio in
August.
Christopher J. Venesile, Ph.D, contributed in the new music reading session of
choral music to the membership of the Ohio Choral Directors Association at
the annual Summer Conference at Otterbein College in June. Dr. Venesile is the
Repertoire and Standards Chair for Vocal Jazz for the organization.
The Music Education Division collaborates with the Division of Bands in
presenting Fab Friday events throughout spring and fall semesters. Area school
band and orchestras come to the Hugh A Glauser School of Music and spend time
working with Kent faculty as well as music education majors on select Fridays.
The program has become very popular, with band and orchestras asking to return
in subsequent years.
Music Education has a new website presence!
Visit our site at
http://www.kent.edu/music/music-education.cfm
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Upbeat, Volume 52, Fall 2012
FUTURE SOUNDS GREAT FOR KENT STARK MUSIC
Published March 21, 2012 By Erin Pustay,
IndeOnline.com staff writer
JACKSON TWP.—MUSIC IS A CONSTANT.
F rom the beginning of time, it has been a way
for humans to communicate, connect and
even define a place in the middle of the
great, big universe.
But even the constant of music has to change.
As technology continues to change the way humans
understand the world around them and the ways in
which they live and communicate, music, naturally
changes, too.
And that’s where Professor Brandon Vaccaro will be.
He’ll be on that razor-sharp edge of music. That
place that is sharpened each time technology and art
collide and redefine each other.
Vaccaro has helped to establish a new major at Kent
State University Stark, one that prepares students
for careers in music production. The music
technology degree, which is the only one of its kind
offered in the region, has attracted students from all
over the state.
This spring, Spencer Martin and Norbert Berninger
will be the first graduates of the program.
SAVING GRACE
Martin admits that he found the program at the
perfect time. It was something that suited his
passions and gave him a chance to soar.
“When I graduated from (Hoover High School), this
program was in its early stages, so it was kind of
serendipitous how it worked out,” Martin said. “I
realized, this is perfect for what I want to do.”
Likewise, Berninger, an Akron resident, found his
way to the program at the perfect time. A
TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS
nontraditional student, he was looking for a career
doing something he loved, and he knew he would
have to start with a college education. Kent State
Stark gave him both when it plugged him into the
music technology major.
“I was in my 30s, approaching my 40s, and I started
thinking about what I want to do,” Berninger said. “I
still have 30 years of my life to work … (and) if was
going to be serious about music, I should get serious
about it and pursue something.”
Vaccaro, who has helped to build the program from
the ground up, said it’s thrilling to be on the cutting
edge of music technology and be pushing the limits
of the field with his students. In doing so, they are
all opening career opportunities.
“It will be key to stay current,” Vaccaro said. “There
are new and unimaginable things that are coming,
things that we haven’t seen yet.”
According to Vaccaro, the major was intended to
prepare students for audio recording engineering,
but that kind of skill can translate into endless
opportunities as music, audio and video evolve.
“It’s a growing field within music,” Vaccaro said,
noting that opportunities abound in music and sound
editing for film. “On the film and television side,
every year they add another 150 channels to my
cable package and someone has to do post
production for all of those shows. Someone had to do
the audio.”
BEYOND EXPECTATIONS
Martin and Berninger say they are honored to be the
first graduates of the new program, but they know
that honor comes with a lot of hard work. From
learning the basics of the technology to
understanding music theory inside and out, the pair
have helped to define the program and prepare for
careers in ways they never expected.

Upbeat, Volume 52, Fall 2012
careers in ways they never expected.
“Initially, it was a little daunting having to do certain things,” Berninger said of the program. “But it
causes you to be stretched and molded and do things you wouldn’t be pushed at home to do on your own.
“As far as the degree goes,” he added, “it’s not for the faint-hearted. It’s a lot of work, but you will get
out of it what you put into it.”
Pouring himself into the program gave Berninger more than he anticipated. It opened the door to careers
with live music. He went in assuming that he would focus on a career in production of recorded music, but
through internship opportunities and classes, he has found another passion.
“I still very, very much love recording,” he said. “I love listening to recordings and listening for those
subtle differences in the music and try to capture them in recorded music. … I realized that all that I was
doing with recording and producing I could do with live sound.”
Discovering those opportunities that exist in production — recorded and live, audio and visual — has been
exciting for Martin.
“To be honest, when I first entered the program, I thought it would be a risky venture,” Martin said. “But
there are so many things you can do with it. There are more and more possibilities all the time.”
Like his professor, he is thrilled to be on the cutting edge of music and he can’t wait to discover where the
field will go next.
“Music and technology,” Martin said, “have come to a point where they are almost inseparable.”
Navigating the future of music without a program like Kent Stark’s, however, would have left both of the
soon-to-be graduates behind before they even started.
“That’s the advantage to this program,” Berninger said. “There is a certain about of knowledge that you
are not going to gain on your own, tinkering around and trying to figure things out.”
Kent State Stark
Campus students
Spencer Martin,
center, and
Norbert Berninger,
work with
Professor Brandon
Vaccaro, left, on a
24-track mixing
board in class.
Spencer and
Norbert will be in
the first graduating
class of the
Music Technology
program.
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Upbeat, Volume 52, Fall 2012
THE 45 TH SEASON OF KENT / BLOSSOM MUSIC
JUNE 24-JULY 28, 2012
T his summer marked the 45th season of Kent/Blossom Music, a fabulous program with an
International reputation founded by legendary figures such as George Szell, Aaron Copland, Louis
Lane, William Steinberg, Rudolph Firkusny, Rafael Druian, Lynn Harrell, Maurice Sharp, John Mack, Robert
Marcellus, Myron Bloom, and many others. This season 44 fabulous young musicians from around the
globe participated in the yearly summer tradition of celebrating and performing great chamber
music. The students came from China, Korea, and throughout the United States, and they were selected
by members of the Cleveland Orchestra, who whittled the participants from a list of more than 150
candidates.
The 2012 K/BM Subscription Concert Series included five Faculty/Artist Concerts (June 27, July 2, 11, 18,
and 25) and six Chamber Players Series (July 6, 7, 8, 20, 21, and 22). The students also performed at the
Hudson Historical Library, and they added a concert on July 26, in which they wowed the audience with
(hidden) talents of other styles and instruments including "fiddling" and accordion playing!
Artistic Coordinators, Keith Robinson and Danna Sundet programmed pieces that are rarely performed but
are real gems of the chamber literature, including the Schoenberg Chamber Symphony in E Major for 15
and the Messiaen Quartet for the End of Time. Standard works, such as the Brahms Piano Quartet in C
minor, Beethoven and Strauss Octets, Frank Piano Quintet in F minor, and the Mozart Flute Quartet in
Major, were also heard. The final concert was the Side –by-Side Concert before a capacity audience at
the Blossom Music Center on July 28, in which time the K/BM students joined members of the Cleveland
Orchestra in a stirring performance of Beethoven's Symphony 5.
Two of the faculty subscription concerts were recorded for rebroadcast by local stations, and all five of
the faculty concerts were performed to enthusiastic audiences who filled Ludwig Recital Hall.
Two additional items of note occurred during the K/BM festival this year. Robinson and Sundet are
working to record and produce the first K/BM commercial CD to be released in 2013. Five/Four
Productions, known for winning Fifteen Grammy®Awards for production, engineering, and performance
excellence, transformed Ludwig
Recital Hall into a state-of-theart
recording studio.
Additionally, due to the
generosity of Mrs. Peggy Shaffer
and other donors,
100% of the students received
scholarship support to assist with
housing costs and partial or full
tuition waivers.
We look forward to next
summer’s festival, and we are
working to ensure the 50 th
Anniversary is grand!

Upbeat, Volume 52, Fall 2012
INTRODUCING OUR NEW FACULTY
We are delighted
to welcome our
new faculty!
Mr. Amitai Vardi
Clarinet
Dr. Jeffrey Heisler
Director of Bands /
Saxophone
Mr. Mark DeMio
Bassoon
Mr. John DiCesare
Tuba
Ms. Marla Berg
Voice
Dr. Christopher Venesile
Music Education / Choral
Mr. Frank Cosenza
Director of
Athletic Bands
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Upbeat, Volume 52, Fall 2012
At the end of May, Jay White (voice)
represented the School of Music and
presented two master classes for high
school and young artists, respectively,
at the National Classical Singer
Convention in Chicago, IL. This
semester, Dr. White will be joining
the Cleveland-based ensembles
Apollo's Fire Singers, for their Celtic
Christmas and Handel's
Messiah concerts, and Quire
Cleveland, for their annual Carols for
Quire.
—————————————————————–—
Marcus Neiman (music ed) conducted
the Sounds of Sousa Band at Lakeside
on August 25 th . Patricia Grutzmacher
(music ed) was a member of the
ensemble, performing on oboe.
——————————————————————
Dale Bazan (on-line music ed) has
been asked to present at the
upcoming OMEA conference in
Columbus.
——————————————————————
The third edition of World Music: A
Global Journey, by Terry Miller
(ethnomusicology, emeritus) and
Andrew Shahriari (ethnomusicology)
has been released.
——————————————————————
Donna Lee (piano) and Keith
Robinson’s (cello) CD Mendelssohn
Cello Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2. Album Leaf
in b. Songs Without Words: op. 109 in
D. Variations Concertantes, op. 17
was released on the Blue Griffin Label
in December.
——————————————————————
Thomas Janson (theory/composition)
has been named one of the recipients
of the 2012 Kent State University
Outstanding Research and Scholarship
Awards.
——————————————————————
Cleveland's Contemporary Youth
Orchestra, directed by Liza Grossman
(orchestra), was named one of the
first-place winners of 2011-12 ASCAP
Awards for Adventurous Programming
at the League of American Orchestra's
67th annual conference in Dallas.
FACULTY NEWS
Jerry Wong (piano) published an
article in the March/April issue of
Clavier Companion titled: "The yin
and the yang of Beethoven:
exploring two contrasting early
sonatas." In June, he was invited to
give a master class at the Cleveland
Institute of Music Summer Sonata
program.
——————————————————————
David DeBolt (bassoon) played three
Baroque and Beyond performances in
Maine during June 2012, including
his adaptation of Gordon Jacob's
songs with KSU Alumna (soprano),
Amanda-Joyce Abbott.
——————————————————
Donna Lee (piano) was in Brno,
Czech Republic in April to
participate in the Rudolf Firkušný
100 year Celebration-2012. She was
one of eleven former students of the
great master who performed in
concerts and gave masterclasses at
the Janacek Academy of Music. In
May, she was a featured artist at the
Maui Classical Music Festival in
Hawaii, and in June, at Music-on-the
-Hill in Rhode Island. She returned
to Brevard Music Center in North
Carolina for three weeks, where she
has been on faculty since 2006.
Dr. Jay White
Dr. Jerry Wong
Theodore Albrecht (musicology)
presented a paper, “A Falling Out
between Beethoven and Anton
Schindler (August – November,
1823),” to the Allegheny Chapter,
American Musicological Society,
April 14, 2012, with a greatly
revised version read on his behalf by
Matthew Pilcher, International
Beethoven Conference, Manchester,
England, June 25, 2012.
——————————————————————
Tim Culver (voice) received a fine
review by Donald Rosenberg of
Opera Per Tutti's recent
presentation of Gounod's Faust.--
Timothy Culver made a fine
transition from hunched old Faust
to impassioned young buck. He
evinced a true sense of French
style, using his tenor with ardent
delicacy in “Salut! demeure chaste
et pure” and letting the voice ring
out elsewhere.
——————————————————————
In July of this year, Ethan Miller
(saxophone) received a Performing
Arist endorsement from Conn-
Selmer and Selmer Paris
saxophones. A subsidiary of
Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc.,
Conn-Selmer is the leading
manufacturer and distributor of
musical instruments for student,
amateur, and professional use.

Upbeat, Volume 52, Fall 2012
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Congratulations on your Retirements
Sue Chunn, Michael Chunn, Kay Lee and Michael Lee
Scott Curfman, Craig Resta and Jay White
H. Scott Curfman
John M. Lee
Michael Lee
Thank you for all your wonderful contributions
to the School of Music
Michael Lee, Jane Dressler, John Lee, Roy Dressler and Amanda Lee
Denise A. Seachrist, Scott Curfman, John Lee and Michael Lee
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Upbeat, Volume 52, Fall 2012
ALUMNI & STUDENTS
Ryan Gresko, MM ‘12 (percussion)
and his family have moved to
Columbia, South Carolina where
Ryan will be a graduate assistant
working toward his DMA in
Percussion Performance.
——————————————————————-
Beth Thompson, MM ‘08 (flute) and
MLIS ‘12 (Master of Library and
Information Science), has just
accepted the position of Digital
Formats and Metadata Librarian at
University of North Carolina,
Wilmington. Currently, Beth has
held the position of Project
Cataloger for the Library and
Archives of the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame and Museum in Cleveland,
Ohio.
——————————————————————-
Graduate conducting student
Eunseok Seo has been accepted as
a Fellow in the Conductors Institute
of South Carolina.
——————————————————————
Pete Sustarsic BM ‘05 appeared
with his band Oberhofer on
Letterman. To find him, type the
following link into your browser:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=XK2BPn9rzUU&feature=player
——————————————————————
Joanne Chang (BM, piano, ’12)
attended Bowdoin International
Music Festival as a scholarship
recipient.
——————————————————————-
Graduate piano student Ya-Ju
Chuang attended Brevard Music
Festival as a scholarship recipient.
——————————————————————-
Kimberly Davis (MM, piano, ’12)
performed several joint recitals
with David Jaramillo (BM, piano,
’12) in Ecuador in May. She then
went on to be a summer staff
accompanist at Interlochen Center
for the Arts in Michigan.
NEWS FROM THE JOHN MACK OBOE CAMP
DANA SUNDET—DIRECTOR AND MASTER TEACHER
e gratefully acknowledge the support of Kent State University and
W the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music in continuing the legacy of the
John Mack Oboe Camp. The John Mack Oboe Camp is unique in that the
participants range from advanced high school students, college age students
to seasoned professionals seeking a brush up course. This year our 60
students, 3 guests and 7 member staff came from 20 different states in the
U.S.
NEWS FROM THE PIANO INSTITUTE
AT KENT STATE UNIVERSITY
F ourteen talented, young pianists between the ages of 12-17 convened
on campus to attend the 7 th annual Piano Institute at Kent State from
July 15-25. These students were selected through an application screening
process, and came from Ohio, New York, Virginia, China and Prague.
Co-directed by Drs. Donna Lee and Jerry Wong, the program culminated in a
Gala Concert at Reinberger Chamber Hall in Severance Hall, Cleveland.

Upbeat, Volume 52, Fall 2012
ANNOUNCEMENTS
KENT COMMUNIVERSITY BAND IS YEAR-ROUND
r. Patricia Grutzmacher, director of the Kent Communiversity Band,
D announces that the band will now rehearse and perform throughout
the school year. Fall semester rehearsals have already begun, but it is not
too late to join. The band is open at no cost for all students, alumni, and
other community musicians. Rehearsals are held each week from 7:30 pm to
9:30 p.m. in E112 (rehearsal room) in the Music and Speech Building.
For additional information, please contact Dr. Grutzmacher at
pgrutzma@kent.edu, or at 330-672-3871.
THE NEW PERFORMING ARTS BOX OFFICE
SCHOLARSHIPS
Tuesday Musical Association held their
annual competition at the University of
Akron on Saturday. In the local division
of piano, Joanne Chang, a senior
performance major in Jerry Wong's
studio, won the $1,000 Marguerite
Thomas award, and Kimberly Davis, a
master’s degree student from Donna
Lee’s studio, won the $500 Zada
Willaman award.
OUR NEW MEMBER OF
THE FAMILY
n September 20, 2012 at 6:35
O a.m., Melissa Davis (voice) and
her husband, Jerry Wong (piano)
welcomed Felix Davis Wong into this
world. Felix weighed 6 pounds, 7
ounces and was 17 inches. We want to
congratulate both on the birth of their
son!
he new performing arts box office provides tickets for all theatre, dance and music events in one convenient
T location. The performing arts box office is located in the lobby of the Roe Green Center in the Music and Speech
Center at 1325 Theatre Drive. Patrons will now be able to purchase tickets for School of Music events including KSU
Orchestra concerts, Kent Keyboard Series, Chorale concerts, Opera productions and the Men’s and Women’s Chorus
concert at the performing arts box office, as well as all School of Theatre and Dance performances and the Fashion
School’s annual fashion show in April. The performing arts box office is open Mon. through Fri. 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and
one hour prior to performances. The box office accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, cash and personal checks. For
more information, visit kent.edu/artscollege or call the performing arts box office at 330-672-ARTS (2787).
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Upbeat, Volume 52, Fall 2012
INTRODUCING
Jenna Bice
Performing Arts Box Office Manager
Ricardo Sepulveda
Marketing Assistant for the School of Music
CONTACT US!
Hugh A. Glauser School of Music
Kent State University
Kent, OH 44240
P: 330.672.2172
F: 330.672.7837
www.kent.edu/music
ANNOUNCEMENTS
DONATIONS
We want to express our deep appreciation
for your continuous support !
Your donation of cash/check can be mailed out to
The Hugh A. Glauser School of Music
P.O. Box 5190 Kent, OH 44242
Thank you for your time and generosity
and we hope to see you at all of our events
UPCOMING EVENTS
Orchestra Concert I - Oct. 14
Cartwright Auditorium — 3:30pm
Featuring our Tuba professor and Alum, John DiCesare
Works by Tan Dun, Vaughan Williams and Khachaturian
Chorale Fall Concert - Oct. 28
Kent Presbyterian Church — 3:00pm
Works by Britten, Brahms, Byrd, Josquin
Kent Keyboard Series - Nov. 4
Ludwig Recital Hall — 3:30pm
Featuring guest artist Peter Miyamoto performing
works by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin and Brahms
Orchestra Concert II - Nov. 11
Cartwright Auditorium — 3:30pm
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5
Men’s and Women’s Concert - Nov. 16
Cartwright Auditorium — 7:30pm
Works by Bach, Martin, Orff, Ogaru Ro, Thompson, Wilberg and more
Opera Scenes - Nov. 17 - 18
Wright-Curtis Theatre — 7:30pm
Works by Barber, Bernstein, Floyd, Gilbert & Sullivan, Menotti and more
Kent Chorus - Dec. 2
Cartwright Auditorium — 7:30pm
Featuring KSU Alumna Nancy Paterson (harp) and guest choirs
Works by Benjamin Britten: A Ceremony of Carols and seasonal music.
For more information on subscription sales, early reservations or how to buy your
tickets please call 330.672.ARTS (2787) or stop by the Performing Arts Box Office
located in the lobby of the Roe Green Center in the Music and Speech Center at
1325 Theatre Drive.