Evidence of service to the University

As Piano Area Coordinator, I have had the great opportunity to serve on various Department of Music committees, including:

§ the Music Education Curriculum Committee (major revisions completed)

§ the Performance Curriculum Committee (revisions completed)

§ the Music Gala Committee (which led the entire department through four very successful extravaganza performances, bringing in amazingly high numbers of audience members and improving public relations as well as recruiting efforts)

§ three Graduate Student Committees

§ the Digital Keyboard Lab Renovation Project Committee

§ Chair of the New Faculty Handbook Committee, and

§ Chair of the Master of Music Curriculum Committee (major revisions completed).

Committee work is a learning experience, of which I am grateful. I feel that I have a much better comprehension of how our department functions – of its shining successes yet also of its few challenges. Interpersonal communication skills are imperative for any successful musician and educator. I continue to work on expressing my personal thoughts in a professional manner as well as being a positive collaborator, contributing to the department in whatever way that I can. Trying to always channel this passionate energy as constructive, I work to be a team player and to see the whole, big picture with its many points of view.

In addition to committee work, I have written reports for the NASM and SACS accreditation entities, of which the UTEP Department of Music successfully passed all requirements as of Fall 2006.

I have recently found myself learning more about our institution as I recently completed my duty as a Faculty Senate Representative (Spring 2005 through Spring 2007). Attending these meetings allowed me to participate at a much broader level, seeing what other departments do, what our administrative leaders expect and to ensure that the Department of Music is right in line with everybody else. It is energizing to know that our department is a leading body when it comes to many issues on campus.

Much of my efforts have been in recruitment. Continued development of the Piano Area web pages and publicity materials are essential in communication for interested students. Continued work in returning all phone calls, emails, letters and meeting students and parents are the most important means for recruitment. The UTEP Piano Area maintains a strong and healthy relationship with the local piano teachers (EPMTA) as we often judge their competitions, attend their meetings and support their endeavors by hosting events at UTEP. Other recruiting projects have developed, including monthly outreach sessions with public schools, participation at the Texas Music Teachers Association Convention, and performances throughout the state and county. The only way to recruit students is to inform the public of the great product we have in the Piano Area at UTEP. And I truly believe that the academic and music program we piano faculty have put in place here in El Paso is excellent.

Since my arrival at UTEP, the Piano Area has hired two additional piano faculty, Dr. Oscar Macchioni, tenure-track assistant professor of music (piano with pedagogy specialty) and Dr. Margaret Hagedorn, adjunct lecturer of music (piano). Along with Professor Ruben Gutierrez, who has increased his work load to include attending all piano area meetings and also strongly assisting with academic activities, the academic and performance support of this piano faculty has helped the area and the department immensely. Their contributions to the Department of Music and Piano Area are vital for continued and increasing success. However, with the ever-growing number of students and now faculty, there are of course more administrative demands: scheduling, scholarships, curriculum questions, budgetary concerns, master class scenarios, piano situations, tuning problems and keys for practice rooms are a few examples of how my administrative efforts are spent. I work hard to be an efficient and good leader, an open communicator and team player. As a unit, we delegate projects and share performance responsibilities. I listen to faculty concerns along with trying to implement their requests and resolve unsettled matters.

Our piano faculty has witnessed some difficult academic situations as a result in lack of proper assessment of student work. As a result, I led the faculty to discuss and draft a document which outlines all requirements and assessment procedures for any piano major who studies at UTEP.

Another contribution to the department is the implementation of the following new courses:

§ Piano Pedagogy (of which I taught one semester and now is currently taught by my colleague, Dr. Oscar Macchioni)

§ Music Of Spain

§ Piano Chamber Music: Duos for one or two pianos

§ Class Piano Instruction for Non-Majors

One of my most recent endeavors was to act as team member of the Digital Keyboard Lab Renovation Project. This complete overhaul of the digital keyboard lab housed on the fourth floor of the Music Building was made possible by a $250,000.00 grant given by the Brown Foundation, a Texas state organization whose main purpose is to distribute funds as encouragement and assistance to education, community service and the arts. Working with Dr. Oscar Macchioni and Dr. Lowell E. Graham, initial steps for proposal writing began in the Spring semester of 2004. Meetings and email correspondence with Associate Vice President Mr. Robert Nava and Director of Development Ms. Roberta Cohen led to the award of funding for our proposed plan in the Fall 2006 semester. Weekly meetings began in late February, 2007 and included collaboration with Mr. Carlos Torres, Project Manager of Facilities Services; Mr. Gregory Cook, Architect of Planning and Construction; Mr. Glen Kelley, Audio-Visual Supervisor of Instructional Support Services and Dr. Graham, Dr. Macchioni and myself. As a result of this project team’s efforts, our Department of Music now houses a state-of-the-art piano lab—perhaps the best of its kind in the United States, if not internationally. Not only will UTEP music majors benefit from this lab, but non-majors, local piano teachers and community members will also grace the doors of this newly constructed space. It is our intent to hold national and international conventions for piano pedagogues in order to promote this unique and beautifully built room that combines music teaching with technology.

Evidence of service to community

I was fortunate when I got this job: people were hungry to participate in piano events at UTEP. Coming from a small town, being a pianist, and inheriting a sense of community and legacy, active approaches to getting people involved with the Piano Area has been a top priority. And the match between community and college has been an easy relationship to make: the Piano Area has seen an increase from three initial scholarships in 2002 to now ten scholarships specifically held by piano majors. Two of the largest scholarships have recently been established by Mrs. Wilma Salzman in honor of her late husband, Michael and by Mrs. Cheryl McCown in honor of her daughter, also named Dena. An endowment of over $17,000.00 plus a scholarship of $20,000.00, these awards were a direct result of my ability to reach out to the community. Here are a few of the activities that I have spearheaded and which have brought the UTEP Piano Area into light – being seen as an active organization that is fulfilling the mission statement of our university.

I. Ivories on the Border. A local piano guild associated with UTEP and the Department of Music’s Piano Area, members pay a nominal fee in order to receive a bi-monthly newsletter and discount ticket costs for professional piano events. What started initially as a fifteen member group now has thirty-eight associates. Many of these people are local piano teachers who bring their own students to piano events, but the organization also contains professional pianists who live in El Paso as well as aficionados of the instrument with no musical background whatsoever. The Piano Faculty work diligently to bring in world-renowned guest artists to campus, who perform a solo recital but also offer a free and public master class (Please see List A below). Our Ivories on the Border members are notified of all of these events, are encouraged to participate and are given the “red carpet treatment.” As director of this group, I want their input and suggestions and to also let them know what a difference their participation makes in regard to the successes of our students. I personally believe that what is the most dominant factor about Ivories on the Border is that people know they are actively contributing to the UTEP Piano Area through their attendance, support and encouragement.

II. Outreach performances for local auxiliary groups, retirement communities, public schools and in private homes. Another way to reach out to the community is to perform and speak about music: to share it. Below is a list (List B) of select outreach performances I or my students have offered since my arrival in September 2002. I thoroughly enjoy these performances because often these are the most receptive and appreciative audiences. The exchange between performer and audience member is over-the-top positive in these situations.

III. Constantly Evolving Relationship with the El Paso Music Teachers Association.. Upon arrival to El Paso, I immediately became familiar with the local piano teachers’ association, the EPMTA, because I value their work immensely. These teachers are the direct bridge to the group of students with whom I work. They are the ones who teach the up and coming piano majors, and therefore, one entity really can not exist healthily without the other. In attending their meetings, serving on their Advisory Board as well as being the UTEP Liaison, they feel as if they are being noticed for their work (as they should be) and that their desires as pre-college teachers are being heard at the collegiate level. For the first time in many years, the Irma Kluck Baroque Competition was held at UTEP in February 2005, bringing in over two-hundred students and parents. Also, for the first time ever, piano faculty attended the Texas Music Teachers Convention – a yearly convention for primarily pianists, their families and local piano teachers. This event, containing competitions, workshops and performances, is said to welcome over 5,000 people from all over the state of Texas. UTEP had a representative booth, promoting our Department of Music and Piano Area. At the 2004 convention, I worked for two months prior to the event to coach the high school piano ensemble that performed at the convention. Twelve pianists at twelve digital keyboards all played Ernesto Lecuona’s Malagueña at the same time, dressed in Spanish costume. At the 2005 convention, Dr. Hagedorn performed as new piano faculty and at the 2006 convention, I presented a lecture recital on the piano works by Joaquín Rodrigo. At every convention, faculty go to support the pre-college students from El Paso who are competing at the state level. All of these attempts, along with a large, publicity advertisement that highlights the UTEP Piano Area in the convention program, bring a sense of community and unity for both organizations. It is truly exciting to see the relationship developing with more and more UTEP piano majors coming directly from this organization.

These are select activities. Service for me, as I’m sure for many other UTEP professors, comes easily. I enjoy working with others and find that many times I am not even recording the things that I do. Although somewhat time consuming, this type of work propels my other academic and musical endeavors. I truly feel that El Paso is my home and who would not want to try and make a difference where one lives?

List A – Organizing and/or overseeing the events of the following Guest Pianists, providing Recitals and Master Classes for UTEP Music Majors and Community Members

March 31, 2007 The Arcadia Trio, Piano Trio originating in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

February 15, 2007 Dr. Andrew Parr, Piano Division Coordinator, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas

November 9, 2006 Andreas Haefliger, Pianist, in conjunction with El Paso Pro-Música

April 29, 2006 Ms. Tannis Gibson, Professor of Piano, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

February 10, 2006 Dr. Shannon Loerhke, Piano Division Coordinator, Angelo State University, San Angelo, Texas

November 11, 2005 Ms. Dora de Marinis, Professor of Piano, National University of Cuyo -Mendoza, Argentina

April 9, 2005 Michael Hawley, 2002 Winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, as well as the author of the world’s largest book, Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey Across the Last Himalayan Kingdom

January 28, 2005 Dr. Matthew Manwarren, Chair of the Department of Music, Erskine College, Due West, South Carolina

September 25, 2004 Piazzolla da Camera, Piano Trio who features the works of Argentine composer, Astor Piazzolla

July 31, 2004 Louise Scott Houghton, guest pianist

February 5, 2004 John Nauman, Steinway Artist

December 12, 2003 Michael Esch, Silver Medalist of the Ludmilla Knezkova Hussey International Piano Competition.

September 6-7, 2003 Libor Novacek, in conjunction with the Bruce Nehring Consort

April 18, 2003 Dr. Nohema Fernández, Steinway Artist and Dean of the Claire Trevor Arts School, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California

September 26, 2003 Tatiana Vetrinskaya, Specialist on the Piano Works by American Composer John Donald Robb

List B – Select Outreach Performances and Projects

November 10, 2006 Invited Speaker, The Piano Music of Ludwig van Beethoven with Zuill Bailey, musical director and Dr. Dominic Dousa, Professor of Composition, Pre-Concert Talk, Andreas Haefliger Piano Recital, El Paso Pro-Música, Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall, El Paso, Texas

September 23, 2006 Hostess and Performer, Piano for Hurricane Relief, Benefit concert in conjunction with the El Paso Music Teachers Association with over 50 solo and chamber pianists of varying levels participating (raised $1000.00)

September 19, 2005 Accompanied student Nate Schocker, Guest Pianist, Concerto Version of Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin, Americas High School Second Annual Tri-M National Music Honor Society Induction Ceremony, El Paso, Texas

August 17, 2005 Soloist, Selections from The Soul of Spain Concert, The Monte Vista at Coronado Retirement Community, El Paso, Texas

June 18, 2005 Invited Soloist and Chamber Pianist, Summer Music in El Paso, “A Celebration of Life”: Remembering Michael Salzman

April 26, 2005 Outreach Solo Piano Recital, Sonya Boureslan (student in my studio), the Monte Vista Retirement Community

March 6, 2005 Invited Soloist, Richard Burges Library, El Paso, Texas. The second half of the program was dedicated to select piano works and verbal comments about Joaquín Rodrigo.

March 1, 2005 Outreach Solo Piano Recital, Luis del Villar (student in my studio), the Monte Vista Retirement Community

February 25, 2005 Chamber Musician with David Ross, clarinet, The Works of Robert Bledsoe, Music Forum, El Paso Art Museum, El Paso, Texas

June 19, 2004 Organizer of the Michael Salzman Tribute Concert, In Celebration of a Life Devoted to Music, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas

May 22, 2003 Ysleta Retired Teachers Luncheon Collaborative Performance with Professor Suzanne Bowles, Holiday Inn Convention Room, El Paso, Texas

May 18, 2003 Invited Performer, An Afternoon of Music for and with Piano, Music Forum, Chamber Musician and Solo Pianist performing with Susan Beehler and Marcia Fountain, El Paso Art Museum, El Paso, Texas

April 12, 2003 Invited Judge, El Paso Music Teachers Association, Performance Competition, El Paso, Texas

April 10, 2003 Lecturer at the El Paso Music Teachers Association monthly meeting, Joaquín Rodrigo’s Easy to Intermediate Piano Music.

March 29, 2003 Performer and Hostess, Ivories on the Border Kick-Off Gala showcasing all levels of piano performance found within our city

February 10, 2003 Guest Performance, The MacDowell Club, Chamber Musician and Solo Pianist performing with Yvonne Marmolejo, Elisa Fraser Wilson and Joe Estala

February 9, 2003 Painting Without Brushes: An Introduction to Musical Impressionism (in conjunction with a French Impressionist Exhibition), Chamber Musician and Solo Pianist, performing with Drs. Alicia M. Doyle, Melissa Colgin-Abeln and Elisa Fraser Wilson, El Paso Art Museum

January 16, 2003 The Piano Music of Claude Herndon: Preserving El Paso’s Musical Heritage, Commemorative Program with Speeches and Performances, Lecturer and Performer, Liaison between Michael and Wilma Salzman, who donated over 40 cartons of piano music to UTEP’s Special Collections Library, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas

December 11, 2002 Invited guest performer for the Long Life Learning Music Appreciation Class taught by Dr. Alicia Doyle, performing movements from Mozart’s Sonata in A Minor and Beethoven’s Sonata in F Minor

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