2019 – Institute for Music Leadership

Rich Thompson: Renaissance Man: Performer. Composer. Sportscaster? Meet Eastman Alum Nabaté Isles.

Kristijan Bogdanovski — Mon, 04 Jan 2021 00:09:00 +0000

Rich used the Departmental Matching Grant to host Grammy-winning trumpeter and composer Nabaté Isles in a guest speaker eventto discuss how you can combine your love your music with your other passions. Nabaté focused his talk on factors to emphasize while self-producing your own album or artistic endeavor; how to create game-plans for yourself (and stick to them); and how you can learn to converse with anyone at any time. He also shared stories from his own career showcasing performing highlights, unique opportunities he’s had to work in TV and film, and explained how he had time to start a sportscasting career on top of everything else.

Miki Kaneda: New Music, New Work: How the Creative Labor of Performers Shapes Contemporary Music

Emma Gierszal — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 18:21:37 +0000

New Music, New Work sheds light on the active role that performers working in innovative new music ensembles play in shaping both aesthetic and ethical priorities in the field of contemporary music. Viewing music as a social practice, New Music New Work considers how performers, composers, performing arts administrators, audiences, critics, and granting agencies as well as ensemble members respond to shifting priorities in the field of contemporary music. Increasingly, equity for underrepresented voices, and the ability of creative projects to speak to diverse musical communities is a major priority for many involved in contemporary music–– whether as creators, consumers, or advocates. Research for this project combined interviews and fieldwork with new music performers, composers, and administrators working with innovative ensembles in New York City, along with participation in the NYC-based new music scene as a listener, supporter, and scholar. Some of the organizations involved included the International Contemporary Ensemble, Either/Or Ensemble, Yarn/Wire, Ensemble Pamplemousse, Wet Ink Ensemble, Ensemble Signal, Talea Ensemble, NOW Ensemble, New Music USA, Miller Theatre, Blank Forms, and EMPAC.

David Kjar: Empowering the Portfolio Musician: Innovative Chamber Music Pedagogy for a 21st-century Artist

Emma Gierszal — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 18:10:49 +0000

This project explores, within the context of conservatory training, the “psychological, cultural, historical, and artistic issues in the practice of chamber music in the twenty-first century” (Dogantan-Dack 2019). Building on a formulation of educational modes for training portfolio musicians, this research investigates what constitutes chamber music in the 21st century. How does repertoire, personnel, venue, and listener-performer-composer agency define it? Most importantly, how do or can conservatory curriculums deliver such a new definition for their emerging professionals? The findings serve the larger purpose of understanding the innovative role chamber music plays in contemporary collaborative music-making and listening, responding to current hypotheses and discourses on the empathic nature of music.

This research had two intertwined goals for findings: first, to understand pedagogy regarding the empathic nature of chamber music, focusing on musical collaboration in 21st-century portfolio contexts; and second, to articulate how conservatories, in an increasingly gig-driven economy, are and might better prepare students for a portfolio career. The findings were published in the “The Chamber Musician in the Twenty-First Century,” edited by Mine Dogantan-Dack at the University of Cambridge (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute: Basel).

An essential element in this research was to gather comparative data from institutions committed to innovative chamber music training in this century. One goal was to interview faculty, students, and staff at two such institutions: New England Conservatory (NEC) and the Berklee College of Music. Both of these institutions provide exemplary chamber music training for their students. NEC underscores community engagement, while Berklee prioritizes the contemporary and music industry.

Ben David Aronson: EXILE: Incantare concert series

Emma Gierszal — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 17:55:10 +0000

Incantare launched a series of concerts called EXILE that trace the paths of populations forced into diaspora during the Renaissance and early Baroque periods, specifically refugees of war, plague, and famine; victims of cultural and political shifts; and underrepresented musicians.

Incantare’s two inaugural EXILE concerts took place in New Jersey and New York City as a pair at Rutgers University and the Center for Jewish History in March 2020. They highlighted the paths of Jewish populations as they shifted and melded with musical traditions in Italy, England, and Germany. EXILE took as its starting point the rich musical cultures fostered by Jews in early modern Italy and their points of contact with non-Jewish traditions. From there, they touched on the influences of Italian, German, and English music and Jewish culture, highlighting Jewish musicians, the non-Jewish composers they influenced, and composers who inspired innovations in Jewish composition. The purpose of the program was to draw attention to the mutual influences of the early modern European Jewish experience – to break down preconceptions of Jewish music and culture and explore the implications of diaspora on Jewish artistic legacy.

The concerts were free and open to the public, welcoming all audiences throughout the New Jersey and New York metropolitan areas. Incantare’s core members were joined by singer-specialists Molly Quinn, Clara Osowski, Garrett Eucker, and Jonathan Woody; scholar-performer Dongmyung Ahn, violin, and musicologist Dr. Rebecca Cypess playing harpsichord and organ.

John Pippen: Survey of Innovative Ensemble Members in Chicago

Emma Gierszal — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 14:53:17 +0000

John Pippen’s research examines how race and class shape labor dynamics within Chicago’s new music ensembles. Building on prior fieldwork and existing studies of the profession, he anticipated that most musicians and employees in these innovative ensembles would come from predominantly white, middle- to upper-class backgrounds. His project challenges merit-based narratives often found in arts entrepreneurship and instead highlights how structural inequalities influence access and success in the field. By conducting a detailed survey with around sixty participants, Pippen collected data on race, income, education, and familial background to better understand “portfolio careers” in the creative sector. Collaborating with the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences (IRISS) at Colorado State University, he designed a mixed-methods study to analyze patterns of identity and labor. His work contributes a more nuanced perspective on how social markers affect professional experiences in new music and connects these findings to broader trends in cultural labor and the global economy.

Malina Rauschenfels: Cycles of Creation and Annihilation: a Burning River Baroque/Blue Streak Ensemble collaboration

Emma Gierszal — Thu, 01 Aug 2019 14:35:43 +0000

In a bold collaboration, Burning River Baroque and the Blue Streak Ensemble united for Cycles of Creation and Annihilation, a thought-provoking program that merged stunning music with urgent environmental themes. Inspired by the fiery history of Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River, which burned over a dozen times before catalyzing sweeping environmental reform, this immersive performance series used music to ignite meaningful conversations about climate change and humanity’s impact on the planet. Performed in Cleveland, Youngstown, and Northeast Ohio, the program bridged centuries of music and thought. At its core was Margaret Brouwer’s Light, a rich tapestry of voices and instruments that explored creation, destruction, and renewal in both nature and the cosmos. The program also featured powerful selections from Bach and Telemann, a riveting piece on ethics by Kate Soper, and a new work by Malina Rauschenfels, a heartfelt promise to the Earth. With every note, Burning River Baroque and the Blue Streak Ensemble continue their mission: to harness the power of music as a force for reflection, dialogue, and lasting social change.

Nicholas Goluses & Mark Watters: Breaking Through the Newman Shadow: Creating Your Unique Path in Music

Kristijan Bogdanovski — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 00:09:00 +0000

Nicholas and Mark used the Departmental Matching Grant to host guest speaker Maria Newman. As a part of what is often referred to as the “Musical Newman Family Dynasty,” the daughter of 9-time Academy Award-winning composer, Alfred Newman, the sister of film composers and conductors Thomas Newman and David Newman, and the cousin of Randy Newman,American violinist, violist, and composer Maria Newman has had a unique journey through the musical landscape. Maria (who also happens to be an Eastman alumna) shared stories about the projects, initiatives, and ventures that she has launched, the successes and failures she’s gone through, and the lessons learned. She also discussed unexpected roadblocks and how they were dealt with, the skills and knowledge that she wished she had before starting, and the trajectory of her many projects.

Deidre Huckabay: Jane Ate Soup: a Mocrep project partnership with Civic Orchestra

Emma Gierszal — Tue, 01 Jan 2019 16:09:33 +0000

Mocrep culminates a residency with the Civic Orchestra or Chicago by presenting a concert of two brand new devised works and a new version of Jessica Anne’s Jane Ate Soup in Buntrock Hall at Symphony Center.

Melissa Ngan: 5th House Ensemble – Rivers Empyrean

Emma Gierszal — Tue, 01 Jan 2019 15:58:12 +0000

In collaboration with the Friends of the Chicago River, 5th House Ensemble hosted a celebration of the Chicago River system and featured a newly commissioned work, a K-6 assembly program, and a educational residency at two schools for grades 6-8.