Tatsuya Nakatani at Trinosophes
September 27th 2024
Ian Antonio, ENS 465 (Percussion Ensemble)
The Percussion Ensemble traveled to see Tatsuya Nakatani perform at Trinosophes in Detroit. The class also had the opportunity to meet the artist after the concert. Tatsuya Nakatani is an avant-garde percussionist and composer. Originally from Japan and now living in New Mexico, his music centers around his adapted bowed gong as well as drums, cymbals, and singing bowls. Students were able to experience an artist they may not have heard of before and observe innovative techniques.
Inuksuit Performance at the University of Iowa with Steve Schick
October 6th 2024
Douglas Perkins, ENS 465 (Percussion Ensemble)
A cohort of students from Percussion Ensemble traveled to the University of Iowa to perform John Luther Adams' Inuksuit with musicians from the University of Iowa, Steven Schick, and more, as well as attending talks and performances by Steven Schick in celebration of his 70th birthday. Inuksuit is a piece for 9-99 performers that grew out of a musical camping trip that included Steve Schick, John Luther Adams, and me that inspired Adams' to reimagine his compositional practice to include large-scale outdoor works that inspire and and foster a sense of community by shared leadership in the music-making and making the audience become active in their listening participation. The whole ensemble was invited to read from Schick's book, attend zooms with him about his career and Inuksuit, and a voluntary cohort from the ensemble traveled to Iowa for a weekend to attend in-person events and participate in a performance.
Visiting Lecturer: Jules Pegram
October 8th 2024
Catherine Brown, COMPLIT 141 (Great Performances)
Los Angeles-based composer (and SMTD alumnus) Jules Pegram gave a Zoom lecture to prepare students for the Ann Arbor Symphony’s concert with the music of John Williams. Dr. Pegram is an active composer of music for both the concert hall and the film industry. He spoke to the class about what distinguishes a working film composer from a composer of classical/concert music, the ins-and-outs of film music from a composer's point of view, and offered an introduction to the work of John Williams.
Master Series with Sean McKnight
October 8th 2024
Jillian Hopper, Dance 101.002, Dance 211, Dance 311, Dance 303.002, Dance 491.001
Sean McKnight, a master commercial dance artist and instructor, offered three classes throughout the day to all BFA dance majors. Beginning with a masterclass to all students in the Performance Studio, this class focused on Broadway and commercial dance styles. Following this masterclass, McKnight worked with junior and senior level BFA students in a mock audition. To finish the afternoon, McKnight gave a lecture to junior and senior level BFA dance majors regarding working on Broadway and in the commercial avenue of the profession.
Carillon Field Trip
October 12th 2024
Tiffany Ng, Organ 111, 112, 113, 150, 500, 591 (Carillon Studio)
The carillon studio class went on an afternoon field trip to two carillons in Detroit, with performance time for the students on both towers. For many students, this was their first experience playing a carillon off campus for a different community. The first instrument, the 23-bell carillon at Jefferson Avenue Presbyterian Church in the historic Indian Village neighborhood, is the oldest and smallest carillon in Michigan and a memorial to U-M alumnus Henry Russel. The second carillon, at Saint Mary of Redford Catholic Church on Detroit’s upper west side, is larger and allowed students to perform full-scale concert repertoire.
Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan
October 27th 2024
Lisa Makman, ENGLISH 341 (Fantasy)
This grant allowed Makman’s class to attend the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan’s performance of 13 TONGUES, hosted by UMS. Students were introduced to Cloud Gate’s uniquely Taiwanese storytelling style, a blend of visuals, movement, and music to adapt works with fantastical elements. The class was able to discuss and analyze Cloud Gate’s method of adapting folklore in the context of modern fantasy.
Visiting Artist Workshop: Yelena Lembersky
October 30th 2024
Elizabeth Goodenough, RCHUMS/ENVIRON 337 (Children Under Fire: Narratives of Sustainability)
This activity integrated in an Upper Level Writing course the expertise of Yelena Lembersky, a visiting artist, architect, and author, into Children Under Fire to explore connections among three forms of artistic expression: memoir, painting as resistance, and personal expression through video production. The first of two classes that the Visiting Artist conducted were in person followed by four more sessions on zoom. In addition, the Visiting Artist met individuals or pairs of students as they scripted and filmed their final projects, video essays on intergenerational trauma. All the readings in the course focus on trauma of displacement by examining how that early trial is portrayed in picture and chapter books, Y/A fiction, diary, memoir, and verse poetry.
Berliner Philharmoniker and Hansel & Gretel
November 23rd 2024
Karein Goertz, RCGerman191 & RCGerman291 (RC Intensive German)
Students in the Residential College Intensive German program attended the UMS performance of the Berliner Philharmoniker and the SMTD performance of Hänsel & Gretel. In the case of the Berliner Philharmoniker, students were able to see world-class German musicians perform, and for Hänsel & Gretel, they got to experience live music by a German composer. They were also able to see one of their peers in RC German perform in Hänsel & Gretel, who discussed the production with the class beforehand.