music annual - class - cal poly pomona

In This Issue:The Cal Poly Pomona Music Department is proud to announce their 2012/2013 “Year of the Alumni” campaign designed to Acknowledge, Celebrate, and Engage music alumni, and alumni from other majors who participated in music ensembles. The campaign launches with the formation of The Cal Poly Pomona MUSIC SOCIETY, whose mission is to develop and support networking of former graduates and faculty in order to foster fellowship, education, and community between current students and department alumni. Planned activities include: an alumni concert and dinner; guest lectures and master classes; “Professor for a Day” classes; composition commissions; guest performances with student ensembles; a performance of the Mozart Requiem with the Kellogg Chamber Singers, the University Concert Choir, alumni, and orchestra on Saturday, March 9, 2013; and much more!

“We are extremely proud of our alumni and want to provide a forum for them to come back and share their talents with our current students. We plan to celebrate our alumni and provide our current students with the opportunity to meet students who have walked our halls before them, to see where their degree can take them” says Music Department Chair, Dr. Iris Levine.

To get involved contact Music Chair, Dr. Iris Levine, at (909) 869-4566, email [email protected], or visit the MUSIC SOCIETY webpages at http://www.class.csupomona.edu/mu/connect

“YEAR OF THE ALUMNI”Building & Sustaining Our Community

Music Department 2012 Outstanding Graduate, Phillip Pitcher, with music department alum and professor, Dr. David Cahueque.

Congratulations - Pg. 2The Huff Family Legacy - Pg. 3Alum Honor Dr. Burns - Pg. 4Alum are Busy Working - Pg. 5Welcome New Faculty - Pg. 6Department News: Achievements - Pg. 7-8Compositions - Pg. 9-10Music Students Excel - Pg. 11Music Collaborations - Pg. 12

Music AnnualCal Poly Pomona Music Department Qtr: Fall 2012

Issue : AY2011/2012

Editor: Teresa Kelly

The Huff FamilyAlumni LegacySee Page 3

Music Alum are Busy Working, Performing & Teaching In the Music FieldSee Page 5

Welcome New FacultyJenny Amaya andCarol P. RichardsonSee Page 6

Feature Articles:

Isaac Piercy and Cynthia Amaro met in Dr. Yates’ music theory class and started dating in 2005. The couple graduated in 2007, Isaac with a commercial music emphasis and Cynthia in music education. They married in 2008 and are the proud parents of a new baby boy, Evan, born May 19th 2012, weighing in at 9 lbs 4.5 oz. and measuring 21 inches! According to his proud parents, Evan already has an ear for music and likes to move his hands and feet to the beat! The family lives in Hemet, California and Isaac is a seventh grade teacher at New Vision Middle School.

Congratulations Are In OrderPhillip Pitcher - Music’s 2012 Outstanding Graduate

CPP Alums John & Sisilia (Ong) Axume open San Marino Music Center

Alums Isaac & Cynthia (Amaro) Piercy welcome Baby Boy

Phillip Pitcher was selected by the faculty, based on earning the highest GPA and his service to the department, as the 2012 Music Department Oustanding Graduate. Phillip has shown outstanding service to the department receiving scholarships in the performance emphasis, as recipient of numerous piano scholarships, as well as receiving a scholarship for songwriting. He has performed as a solo pianist, in collaboration with others in small ensembles, and in the Kellogg Chamber Singers. Phillip has represented the department by performing at numerous events throughout the campus and in numerous Honor recitals. “Along with being an outstanding student as a double major, he is one of the kindest and most generous people I know,” says Dr. Iris Levine, Music Department Chair.

Cal Poly Pomona alums John and Sisilia Axume have gone from private studio instructors to a full fledged music store. John graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2004, performing with the Guitar Ensemble and many other Music Department events, while Sisilia graduated in 2002 with a Music Education degree. Their store, known as San Marino Music Center, is located at 916 Huntington Drive in the city of San Marino. The husband and wife duo aim to service the music needs of the community through private/group lessons for all instruments/styles, instrument sales, music book sales, and music accessories. On top of this, the Center has a vision

of creating performance groups to offer its patrons the experience of being a real musician working with other instrumentalists with the goal of performing in public. Website - www.sanmarinomusiccenter.com.

Music Annual Cal Poly Pomona Music Department 2012


The Huff Family has a long legacy of giving back to the Cal Poly Pomona Music Department. Lori Rosenbauer Huff (‘80)received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Cal Poly Pomona, and was actively involved with the music program performing in many ensembles: alto saxophone, flute, and piccolo in Wind Ensemble and Concert Band; alto saxophone in Jazz Band; piccolo and saxophone in Marching Band; timpani, percussion, and saxophone in the Orchestra; and soprano and alto saxophone in the Pep Band and the Saxophone Quartet. In addition, Professor Huff served as the Treasurer and the President of the Music Board, and she was the President of Mu Phi Epsilon.

After receiving her Master of Arts degree in Musicology from Cal State Los Angeles, Professor Huff began teaching for the Music Department in the Fall of 1987. She has taught many music classes and is the director of the Cal Poly Pomona MIDI Band. Several of her students have gone to successful careers in music education and as professional saxophonists. Professor Huff is currently Principle Saxophonist in the Symphonic Winds of the Pacific, the Orange County Wind Symphony, and the Orange County Symphony.

The Huff family alumni legacy continues with Professor Huff’s son James Huff (‘07) and daughter-in-law, Sarah Wallin Huff (‘06). The couple met while attending Cal Poly Pomona as music majors where James studied conducting with Dr. Iris Levine and Dr. Tony Mazzaferro, and trumpet with David Grasmick and David Evans. James is a Happiness Engineer for Automattic, and a musician at heart. He currently plays trumpet with the Symphonic Winds of the Pacific and digital trumpet with the Cal Poly Pomona MIDI ensemble. James is a Mac user, freeware enthusiast, open source advocate, and graphic novel collector. He created MacManX.com and regularly writes on Weblog Tools Collection about web technology, particularly WordPress.

Sarah Wallin Huff studied violin and graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and received her Masters in Music Composition in 2008 from Claremont Graduate University. She performs with the CPP MIDI Band as a volunteer and coach, and has written sixteen fully-detailed arrangements for the group. She has also had the opportunity to work with the CPP String Ensemble as a guest coach. Sarah is particularly proud of her composition “Anima Mechanicae: Soul of the Machine” which was performed with the New England String Quartet and professionally recorded. In addition to performing as first violinist in several string quartet concerts, Sarah has had the privilege of performing a program of epic works for solo violin and piano with fellow alum, Nicodemus Marucut (‘07).

In addition to all the service that the Huff Family has given, they wanted to leave a lasting legacy for the Cal Poly Pomona Music Department and established The Joy Rosenbauer Music Education Endowment in honor of Professor Huff’s mother, which provides annual scholarship awards for music majors enrolled with an emphasis in music education. The 2012/13 scholarship was awarded to Trevor Vasquez.

The Huff Family Alumni LegacyGiving back to the Cal Poly Pomona Music Department

Music Alumni Gather to Honor Susan BurnsJackie Lorenzo Cox and Kristen Olson HamiltonCoordinate Reception for Susan Burns’ RetirementEvery year since they graduated, both Jackie Lorenzo Cox (‘97) and Kristen Olson Hamilton (‘99) have performed in the Charles Lindsley Memorial Vocal Scholarship Fundraiser, entertaining the audience with their witty and fun performances. The 2011 event was followed by a fabulous retirement reception for Dr. Susan Burns, who has produced the annual event since its inception. Cox and Hamilton coordinated the lovely reception, hosted by the music department, which was well attended by alumni, current students, faculty and staff.


Jackie Lorenzo Cox and Kristen Olson Hamilton perform at the Lindsley Memorial Vocal Scholarship Fundraiser

L-R - Shaina Zalma Ostroff, Christina Galit (‘07), Frances Chee, Dr. Susan Burns, Alyssa Cossey (‘06), and Joel Wilson (‘03)

L-R - Cindy Varghese (‘12), EdCarlo Arafiles (‘11), Tracy Chin (‘10), Mikella Anson, Dr. Susan Burns, Carlos Cardenas, Diana Amaya (‘12), Christine Fox (‘12), Cara Borchardt, Raeanne Pfeifer (‘11), and Angelina Hu (‘12)

L-R - Elsie Duke, Dr. Susan Burns, and Jennie Kreutzkamp Duke (‘00)

L-R - Dr. Iris Levine, Dr. Susan Burns, (Ryann Clover (‘09) in the background), Janet Noll, and Jacklyn de la Cruz (‘00)


Sariy Jaradat (’11) is working for ASCAP, The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, as a member services representative, interacting with songwriters, composers, and publishers on public performance licensing issues. http://www.ascap.com/

Holly Bergk (’12) works as an Audio Engineer/Stage Manager for the Rose Center Theater in Westminster, http://www.rosecentertheater.com, and has recently accepted a position at Knott’s Berry Farm as an Entertainment Technician working with theatrical lighting and lighting design.

Karlo Arenas (’06) is Director of Operations at SBJCT Design and is the Production and Creative Director for The Noise Academy developing events that are relevant to current social and cultural ideas. http://thenoiseacademy.com/

Derek Bergheimer (’10) is the owner/producer/engineer at Dberg Studios in Pomona, a full-service recording studio. http://www.dbergstudios.com/

Roxana Cervantes (’10) is a Mechanical Licensing Administrator at Universal Music Publishing Group, a unit of Universal Music Group, the world’s largest music company. http://www.umusicpub.com/

Nate Haessly (’11) is the owner/producer/engineer at Elwood Studios in Riverside, a full-service recording studio. http://www.elwoodstudios.net

Nickolas Meade (’08) is an independent audio engineer as well as an Audio Specialist and Engineer at Key Code Media, a digital media communication systems company. http://www.keycodemedia.com

Kurt Samson (’07) is a Regional Sales Manager for Córdoba Music Group, the leading distributor of nylon string guitars in the United States, offering Córdoba, Ramírez, Loriente, and Sakurai-Kohno guitar lines. http://cordobamusicgroup.com

Mark Velarde (’05) is a musical theater performer currently with Norwegian Cruise Lines and the Utah Festival Opera, http://www.ufoc.org/. He has also performed with the Candlelight Pavilion, http://www.candlelightpavilion.com/, Sierra Repertory Theatre, Moonlight Stage Productions, and The Walt Disney Company.

Gabriel Zuniga (’09) is a co-founder of Original Knockoff producing music videos, promotional material, and event coverage. He and his partner, Dennis Chung, are currently working on a feature-length documentary set to be released in 2013. http://originalknockoff.com/

Vaughn Fahie (‘99) is the owner of Sax 4 God Productions providing instrumental jazz and ambient music for events featuring a full jazz ensemble with talented and gifted musicians. In addition they offer recording services for aspiring artists. http://www.sax4god.com/fr_bookings.cfm

Steve Krumbine (‘00) is the Music Director at Alvarado Intermediate School in Rowland Heights, CA. He also continues to perform in professional groups such as the Symphonic Winds of the Pacific, Orange County Wind Symphony, and various saxophone quartets.

Sal Munoz (’04) has accepted a new position with the Santa Monica-Malibu USD teaching elementary band at seven schools in the district. The district is well-known and respected for it’s music program and Sal will be teaching music in Spanish at two of his dual language elementary sites!

Alumni are Busy - Working, Performing, & TeachingIn the Music Field

Jenny AmayaThe Music Department is proud to welcome Jenny Amaya to the faculty. Professor Amaya’s educational background includes a traditional bachelor’s degree in composition, a MIDI and audio recording certificate, and a master’s degree in commercial music. She is proficient on a handful of musical instruments and has studied and mastered the accordion. As a composer, Professer Amaya has written music for a variety of instruments and ensembles, including music for film. Her original wind band compositions have won several young composer competitions and awards.

Professor Amaya has been teaching music software for most of her life, beginning with onstage clinics at the NAMM Show for Passport Designs, the makers of Encore, in 1995. Her love of notation and music software led her to a position as an ambassador for Sibelius, USA in 2001. Over the years, she has worked countless trade shows and conventions for Sibelius, and she began teaching Sibelius-sponsored training clinics and in-services in 2007. Professor Amaya was offered her first college-level teaching position at Riverside Community College in 2006 (teaching Digital Performer and MIDI recording), followed by a teaching assignment as a Sibelius Instructor for UCLA Extension in 2007. Since then, she has been employed to teach various courses in music and audio at Riverside Community College, Mt. San Jacinto College, and Mira Costa College.

Since finishing her formal education in music, Professor Amaya has completed audio training and expert-level Pro Tools certification at The Recording Arts Center in San Diego, CA. In 2009 she joined the ranks of an elite group of Avid Certified Instructors, and now teaches certified curriculum at two of Avid’s Official Learning Partner locations in Southern California. She was also chosen, after a world-wide search, to be the Sibelius author at Lynda.com.


Carol P. RichardsonDr. Carol P. Richardson joined the music department faculty in the Winter 2012 quarter, returning to teaching after serving as the dean of the College of Letters, Arts & Social Sciences for three years. With an extensive background in music education, Dr. Richardson has served on the faculty in the School of Music, Theatre and Dance at the University of Michigan for 12 years, teaching music education and research methods, and overseeing theses and dissertations. For six years, she also served as chair of the Music Education Department, leading a curriculum review, redesign, and implementation for the undergraduate and graduate programs and establishing continuous assessments. Dr. Richardson’s previous teaching experience also includes serving on the faculty at the School of Music and Music Education at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, School of Music at Northwestern University, and the Music Department at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

For her undergraduate education, Dr. Richardson attended Valparaiso University in Indiana, majoring in music education. She received her master’s degree in music from Northwestern University and her doctorate in music education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She was an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow (2004-2005), working with Chancellor Nancy Cantor (Syracuse University) and President Mary Sue Coleman (University of Michigan).

Department News - Welcome New Faculty Members


Department News - Achievements & Accomplishments Dr. Michael Millar’s Music 394S Class Project Named to the Presidential Honor Roll

Dr. Michael Millar’s service-learning course, MU 394S, was one of three projects for which Cal Poly Pomona was named to the 2012 Presidential Honor Roll. Senior level undergraduate music students coordinated three education projects. One team created and implemented an entire music education curriculum for youth at the Boys and Girls Club of Pomona. A second worked in conjunction with administrators to create musical education stations on drum circles at a junior high school, and a third team mentored and coached charter school students on songwriting

and performances. The President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, launched in 2006, annually highlights the role colleges and universities play in solving community problems and placing more students on a lifelong path of civic engagement by recognizing institutions that achieve meaningful, measureable outcomes in the communities they serve.

Cal Poly Pomona Jazz BandLed by Dr. Dave Kopplin,Chosen as Finalist for 2012 Monterey Next Generation Jazz Festival

Every spring, the Monterey Jazz Festival invites the top student musicians from across the country and around the world to participate in the Next Generation Jazz Festival. This marks Cal Poly Pomona’s first-ever appearance in the Next Generation Jazz Festival.

Dr. Nadia Shpachenko Performs for Cal Poly Pomona Audiences and Across the U.S.AIn April 2012, Professor Nadia Shpachenko and Juilliard School of Music Professor, Jerome Lowenthal, performed a program of solo and piano duo works by Fauré, Debussy and Liszt at Cal Poly Pomona and to a full house at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art which was broadcast on KUSC radio. Dr. Shpachenko also performed with Los Angeles Philharmonic principal concertmaster, Martin Chalifour, at Cal Poly Pomona in February 2012. In addition, Shpachenko performed solo concerts and master classes in California, North Carolina, and Massachusetts including newly-composed pieces for toy piano, percussion, and voice by Cal Poly Pomona professors Peter Yates and Dave Kopplin. Nadia Shpachenko, Jerome Lowenthal, Charles Parsons

Dr. Iris S. Levine Writes Article

Professor and Chair of the Music Department, Dr. Iris S. Levine, wrote an article entitled The Community Women’s Chorus: A “How-To Guide” for a new book Conducting Women’s Choirs: Strategies for Success published by GIA Publications, Inc.

Department Says Farewell to Mark Chubb

The Music Department said a sad farewell to Professor Mark Chubb who moved to Georgia this past summer where he will continue to compose and work from his home studio. We will miss him.

Dr. Susan Burns Received Faculty Emeritus

John Sandhagen Received Staff Emeritus

Dr. Janine Riveire Receives 2012 John Swain College/University Educator Award

The California Music Educators Association (CMEA) has awarded music Professor Janine Riveire the 2012 John Swain College/University Educator Award. The award honors a California music professor’s contribution to music education and for helping to shape the music education profession in a meaningful way for students and educators. Iris Levine, music department chair, was the 2011 recipient of the CMEA/John Swain award.

President Ortiz Presents Honors to Music Retirees:


Department News - Achievements & Accomplishments

Dr. Iris S. Levine with her community women’s chorus “Vox Femina” at Zipper Hall


Department News - Collaborations & Compositions Peter Yates Forms “Ensemble Fret” with Buzz Gravelle and Walter Marsh

Original Compositions by Peter Yates and alum Eric Pham (‘11) Performed at “Fortune My Foe” Concert

Peter Yates and Nadia Shpachenko continue to collaborate performing together with featured guests each year. In April the Fortune My Foe concert featured alum Eric Pham (‘11) performing his original composition 5 Hobo Dreams (2011) for guitar and arpeggione with Professor Yates. This duo provides glimpses into the interrupted slumbers of five different characters living on the streets. With each “Hobo” having such a unique perspective on their situation and surroundings, this piece takes its listener deep into the world of concrete dreaming.

The concert also featured two compositions by Peter Yates. Three Songs (2011) Others, Be Kind, How Pleasant was performed with mezzo-soprano Alexandra Grabarchuk and Yates on guitar. Others, Be Kind, and How Pleasant are from a cycle of PopArt songs. In two of these three, syllables and pitches are moved around, but with the two elements always linked, in the manner of solfége.

Professor Yates’ Fortune My Foe (2012): 62 variations on “The Hanging Tune” was performed with Nadia Shpachenko on piano and Yates on guitar. Back in the day, the melody was played as a comfort to prisoners being led to the gallows. This version derives from 100 variations for solo guitar, each of which was performed and recorded in a different location such as a mountaintop, a 19th-century jail, the shoulder of a highway, a cathedral in York, and a decommissioned outhouse. The

theme threads its way through historical styles ranging from counterpoint to serialism to stomp-bass fingerpicking, all viewed through a bent prism of melancholy and contemplation.

Eric Pham and Peter Yates perform at“Fortune My Foe” Concert


Department News - Collaborations & Compositions Dave Kopplin Composes New Work for Cal Poly Pomona’s Concert Band

Journey North (2012)by Dave KopplinProfessor Dave Kopplin’s “Journey North” was written especially for the Cal Poly Pomona Concert Band and premiered at the Concert Band’s March 2012 concert.

Dave Kopplin and Peter Yates Compose New Works for Nadia Shpachenko which were Premiered at Cal Poly Pomona

Variations On A Ukrainian Lullaby (2012)for Toy Piano, Toy Percussion, and Voice

by Dave Kopplin

Dedicated to Mother Nadia, Ace Grizzly, and Mondy Maritimus“Variations on a Ukrainian Lullaby” was inspired by Dr. Nadia Shpachenko-Gottesman’s directions to me when she suggested that I write a piece for her to play on toy piano. She mentioned the possibility of her playing percussion and perhaps even singing on it. I liked that idea.

The toy instrument itself also inspired the direction I took: its slightly-out-of-tune, delicate quality is unique, but it is still a percussion instrument at its heart. This brought to mind toy percussion; that part of the composition was determined by what toy instruments I could find that would make real music.

The notion of Nadia singing made me wonder what she might sing to her two young children, Ace and Mondy, who celebrated their first birthday last fall. I also wondered what

Nadia’s mother might have sung to her when she was young, so I searched for a traditional Ukrainian lullaby as a jumping off point. The tune I found that I liked best was Ой ходить сон коло вікон (roughly translated: The Dream Passes). I imagined a storm approaching (you will hear this in the percussion), and a mother singing a lullaby to her children to sooth them. The toy piano is the glue that binds all of the various parts together.DK

Story Time (2011)For Voice, Toy Piano and Percussionby Peter Yates

Each of these five pieces tells a story pertaining to art, perception and the creative process. This is a serious and absurd matter. The player, encumbered with toys and unfamiliar hardware, is forced to speak, perhaps to sing! Her only defense is to retreat, hoping for the best, to a state of innocence and wonder. The piece is dedicated to the performer, whose wide-ranging curiosity and insight inspired it.PY

Music Theatre Workshop Students Collaborate with Broadway Star Susan EganCollaboration was the word for Music Theatre Workshop students and Broadway star, Susan Egan, who directed their production of Once Upon a Mattress this past Spring. Janet Noll and alum Joel Wilson

worked as musical directors, and alum Raeanne Pfeifer served as Assistant Director for the production. Egan found the students to be hard-working professionals, stating “I was extraordinarily impressed with the Cal Poly students, who not only showed their talents on stage, but who enthusiastically helped deliver in every area of the technical side of the show, from sewing costumes and set pieces, to painting flats and boxes, to hanging lights and running sound. Their spirit embodies what theatre (especially musical theatre) should be ... a perfect collaboration of music, drama, and design. I absolutely loved working

with them! I was also incredibly fortunate to work alongside Janet Noll and Joel Wilson -- two musical geniuses who also have tremendous senses of humor, and who embraced the style of this show with gusto!”

Piano Students Accepted to Prestigious Festivals

Dr. Nadia Shpachenko has two piano students to be very proud of this year. Michael Jung was accepted with a scholarship to the Montecito International Music Festival, which he attended this past summer. Michael also received Honorable Mention at the College Division of the Music Teachers’ Association of California Solo Piano Competition. Charles Parsons was accepted with a scholarship to the Chautauqua International Music Festival, which he attended this past summer. Both Michael and Charles were awarded Eric and Elizabeth Turkel Endowment Scholarship awards for classical piano performance.

Photos: L - Charles Parsons plays for Juilliard School of Music professor Jerome Lowenthal R - Michael Jung performs at the Phillip Clarke Memorial Piano Scholarship Fundraiser


Department News - Music Students Excel $30,675 in Scholarships Awarded for 2012/2013

The Cal Poly Pomona Music Department awarded $30,675 in scholarships for the 2012/2013 Academic Year, the largest amount awarded to date. Eighty scholarships, ranging from $200 to $1000 each were awarded for outstanding achievement in music academics, ensemble performance, music industry studies, and to encourage creative activities. Scholarship funds are raised through donations, endowments, faculty and staff performances, student ensemble performances, and grants.

Music CollaborationsCreative and Scholarly Series GuestsKeynote Speaker, Christopher Waterman, Dean of the UCLA School of the Arts and ArchitectureMoira Smiley, singer-composerKadima String QuartetKevin Fitz-Gerald, USC Professor of Keyboard Collaborative Arts and Keyboard StudiesMartin Chalifour, violin, Principal Concertmaster with the Los Angeles PhilharmonicLawrence Rosenblum, UC Riverside Psychology Professor Calico WindsAndreas Mitisek, Artistic/General Dir. Long Beach OperaSandy Seufert, Manager of Curriculum/Artist Development at Music Center

Special Guest Artists Mykola Suk, piano, Liszt virtuosoGenevieve Lee, pianoNick Terry, percussionJustin DeHart, percussionMartin Chalifour, violin, Principal Concertmaster with the Los Angeles PhilharmonicKelly Jones with Bill DeMain and Larry GoldingsJonathan Bass, pianoLine Forms Hear Guitar TrioJerome Lowenthal, piano, Professor at the Juilliard School of MusicSusan Egan, broadway star, singer, actressDanielle Cummins, violinBenjamin Coyte, cello

Master ClassesSongwriting with Bill DeMainArtistic Collaboration with Martin ChalifourPiano with Jerome Lowenthal, Jonathan Bass andGenevieve LeeGuitar with Line Forms Hear Guitar TrioSoul Music with Siedah GarrettPercussion in the Music Industry Series withAaron Smith, Ken McGrath, Gabriel Cobas, and Susan WillmeringChamber Singers with Rachle Fox, Amy Fogerson, Brandon Hynum, and Scott Graff

Faculty ArtistsDave Cahueque, guitarJanet Noll, pianoVernon Snyder, pianoPeter Yates, guitar and arpeggioneBuzz Gravelle, mandolin and guitarNadia Shpachenko, piano, toy piano, percussion


music annual - class - cal poly pomona

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