Wrapping it up!!

Greetings friends! My name is Jessica Schlabach and I'm a junior, music therapy major here at the BW Conservatory. Things are sure winding down as the semester closes out!

As classes wrap up, we find ourselves buried in a mountain of papers and finals and juries (oh my!), finals week isn't all that bad for conservatory students! Most of our finals (because they involve a small evaluation of our musical skills learned in the courses we take) only take ten or fifteen minutes as opposed to a two-hour long final! I know that personally I have two papers that were due last week, one this week, and only two written finals this week! All in all I get to work here in the conservatory admissions office, practice, and only spend a total of four hours taking tests over the week...sounds like a sweet deal to me!

Juries aren't all that bad either. A jury is the "final" for your primary instrument. It sounds scarier than it is, because your private teacher assigns you a solo piece to play/sing (depending on your primary instrument or voice) and you prepare it. Then you play it for your private teacher and a couple other teachers from your department. As a double reed player, the bassoon teacher (Jonathan Sherwin) and my oboe teacher (Jeff Rathbun) throw a small, celebratory get together after juries to celebrate our completion of the semester...so I think juries are fun!!!

Friday, December 4th, I played in our last orchestra concert of the semester! I played in the first piece, Beethoven's Prometheus Overture, which was followed by the Vaughn Williams Fantasia on a Theme. The crowning achievement of the performance, however, was the absolutely fabulous performance of Mussorgsky's "Picture at an Exhibition." Sax soloist Kate Trudgen and trumpet soloist David Perkins were outstanding and shone over the already brilliant ensemble. All three pieces received a houseful standing ovation and much applause! I felt so lucky to be involved in such an amazing performance. What a fabulous. Way to close out a semester of hard work! Drilling all those technical passages while paying rigorous attention to intonation sure paid off. Nothing beats the glow of accomplishment after a performance!

Yesterday, Sunday, December 6th, marked our annual holiday concerts. Our Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Brass choirs, and almost every choir was involved in the two holiday concerts. The concerts were full of holiday cheer and merriment, proving to be the perfect way to close out the semester. I know my roommate and I are storing presents for friends under a tiny Christmas tree in our apartment in preparation for the season.

So, as the week ends we must leave our conservatory family for a small, refreshing respite. Classes resume on January, 11th along with rehearsals and more hard, rewarding work. Keep your eyes and ears open for some of the following scheduled concerts next semester:

February 5th--BW Jazztet
February 11-14th--Our Town, Opera
February 19th--BW Jazz Ensemble
February 24th--BW Brass Choir
February 26th--BW Symphony Orchestra
February 28th--BW Women and Men's Choirs
March 26th--Symphonic Wind Ensemble
April 9th--BW Jazz Ensemble
April 16th-18th--BACH FESTIVAL, featuring Bach's St. John's Passion
April 23rd-24th--Spring Musical (TBA)

And many more! Just visit our website
www.bw.edu/academics/conservatory/events/
to find the best concert for you!

Wishing you all well and a very happy holidays, Jes

Wild Party at Baldwin-Wallace!

Greetings from the B-W Conservatory!

My name is Ryan Garrett and I am a sophomore Music Theatre major from San Antonio, Texas. It’s been a crazy few weeks here on campus with the opening and closing of our Fall musical, Lippa’s WILD PARTY. Directed by the head of the musical theatre program, Victoria Bussert, the show featured choreography by Martín Cespedes and music direction by Brian Taylor.

A B-W graduate, Taylor is currently working actively in New York City as a music director. Working with a professional like Brian was a fantastic learning experience for me and for the entire company of the show. Baldwin-Wallace constantly gives students these incredible opportunities to work with professionals who are experts at their craft. The show turned out to be a tremendous success, garnering rave reviews in the local papers and proving to be a great learning experience for the students involved in the production. Here’s a slideshow video of the production: http://www.rogermastroianni.com/multimedia/wildparty/

It’s also been quite a Wild Party here in the admissions office. Just this past weekend, we had our first audition day for the music theatre program. There were 51 students in attendance who were able to observe a master class with New York casting director Bob Cline. It was a great day of new talent as we begin to build the new conservatory class of 2014.

Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Ryan Garrett
B-W Conservatory Admissions

Message to Conservatory

Greetings Bloggers- I just wanted you to know how proud I am of everyone @ the Conservatory. I sent this message out to all students, faculty and staff recently. B-W...it's a great place to be!

Dear Conservatory Family,

I was quoted several times this weekend saying that “it’s a good time to be at the Conservatory of Music at Baldwin-Wallace College”. This sentiment was kindled through various avenues, not the least of which is that plans are moving ahead with our conservatory building project despite a faltering economy and other challenging factors. I will be able to speak more fully as the next few weeks unfold. The work that we do in the final planning stages of our building will affect conservatory students, staff and faculty for many decades to come.

Even more exciting news however comes from what my ears and heart enjoyed this past weekend having had the pleasure to attend both performances through competition weekend at the conservatory, and by our student orchestra on Friday night led by conductor Dwight Oltman with piano soloist Dr. Sungeun Kim. I could not have been more pleased with the excellent performance by all of these musicians. In just four and a half quick weeks, they coalesced into a uniform ensemble displaying a wonderfully blended string sound, mature wind soloists with impeccable intonation, and a brass and percussion section capable of a complete range from subtleties to overwhelming power. Their performance of the Beethoven and Saint-Saens program proved these difficult pieces to be well within their musical and technical grasp. They set the bar exceeding high at this first performance of the year, and I look forward to hearing them exceed that level on each successive outing. The full to capacity crowd enjoyed the performance led by their commanding leader Dwight Oltman, and heard the artistry of a musician, pianist and magnificent soul of our own Dr. Kim.

I also had the pleasure to hear all thirteen finalists compete in the Concerto Competition on Saturday with Senior Music Education Major, Laura Schupbach winning. I hope you will attend the B-W Symphony Orchestra concert on Friday 4 December when she performs Samuel Barber’s masterwork for soprano and chamber orchestra, Knoxville: Summer of 1915. Hearing Laura’s performance and that of all twelve finalists helped to highlight the talent of our conservatory student body. I hope even more students will consider performing in this conservatory-wide competition next year.

Sunday brought the Hakola Vocal Competition to the fore, and I am pleased to announce that the winner of this scholarship award is soprano Jessica Waddle. Once again, all eleven performers exhibited the highest level of accomplishment.

Thank to everyone for your hard work thus far this semester. I wish I could attend each and every performance on and off campus, but alas, that just isn’t possible. Good luck in the coming weeks.

Sincerely,

Peter Landgren, Director
Conservatory of Music
Baldwin-Wallace College

Fall Happenings at the Conservatory

Hello Everyone! My name is Elizabeth, and I am the new BW Conservatory student blogger. In anticipation of my first blog, I was trying to narrow down exactly what I wanted to say about the BW Conservatory at this time of year. After taking one look out the window, I knew I had the perfect topic.

From a student's perspective, BW is GORGEOUS this time of year. As the weather starts to cool down and the leaves start to change, the campus seems to come alive with all of the students finally settling into their routines and making the most of their musical education. As always, this is also the time of year when mid-terms are right around the corner! However, on a day like today, when the sun is shining and a nice, cool fall breeze is floating through the air, it's the perfect opportunity for a walk down to Coe Lake to start on some of that much-needed relaxation!


Just in time to welcome the change of seasons, this upcoming weekend marks one of the first performance-packed weekends of the semester:

Friday September 25, 2009 @ 8pm: Our fabulous Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dwight Oltman, will perform The Saint-Saens "Organ" Symphony and Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.4 featuring Dr. Sungeun Kim, one of the newer members of our wonderful piano faculty.

Saturday September 26, 2009 @ 1pm: 13 talented student instrumentals and vocals will compete in the Concerto Competition by performing 10 minutes of a major work for their specific instrument and orchestra. The winner of the competition will receive a cash prize and the opportunity to perform their entire work with the BW Symphony Orchestra later in the semester.

Saturday September 26, 2009 @ 8pm: The B-W Jazztet, directed by Greg Banaszak, will perform, featuring the "Take Five" Jazz String Quartet and 3 student vocalists. Mr. Banaszak will be touring with the Vienna Chamber Orchestra this October, premiering two new saxophone concertos in Paris and Vienna, and will conclude the tour with a performance at the 2009 Henry Gorceki Music Festival in Krakow, Poland!

Sunday September 27, 2009 @ 4pm: 11 vocalists will perform in the Hakola Vocal Competition in the hopes of winning an annual scholarship sponsored by long-time BW Conservatory faculty member, Mel Hakola.

Sunday September 27, 2009 @ 8pm: Henry Peyrebrune, our double bass faculty member, will give a recital featuring other members of our voice and instrumental faculty.


As you can see, there is hardly a dull moment at the BW Conservatory! There is always something to do, something to see, or something wonderful to hear....even if you are just walking by the practice rooms!


Elizabeth Wojtowicz
Student Ambassador
Conservatory Admissions

NEW LIFE

Three weeks into the fall semester, and things are rolling along smoothly and busily here at the Conservatory of Music. The new life, of course, refers to the 82 new freshmen that we are so excited about, including a pianist from Bangkok and three vocalists from Arizona. It's fun to watch the ebb and flow of the Conservatory community as some students graduate and new students arrive; yet the over-arching commitment to excellence in music and performance continues.

New life includes our new faculty: Andreas Metz, music theory; David Brockett, horn; Anna Maria D'Antonio, dance; Amy Hall, voice, and Boyd Mackus, voice. There are 68 artist faculty educating and supporting our 320 music majors.

The addition of our Conservatory annex (UCC Church) has brought new life because of the new opportunities for usable space! Though renovation and new construction lies in the future; the annex is supplying additional rehearsal, teaching, and studio space.

Last but not least is the celebration of new life to be for our Conservatory Office manager, Shannon Fujimura. She and her husband Dylan will welcome their new baby soon; but we took the opportunity to celebrate today.

Wishing you the very best as you find ways to breathe new life into your work and daily routines.

VALUE

What do I value at Baldwin-Wallace College? Many things, but mostly our students. Any college community is unique in its own particular combination of faculty, students, and staff; but it is the students that are ever-changing, give energy to the campus, and a reason for faculty to teach.


Take at a look at these two fine Conservatory students, Mike and Kristen. At this moment they are showing the campus to rising seniors and their families as part of our final summer cook-out. Mike is a music education and trumpet performance major from North Carolina. Kristen is a percussion performance major from Binghamton, NY; and is approaching her final year at B-W. They have worked tirelessly greeting admission guests this summer and getting us ready for the coming year. Our aquarium has become a key feature of our office (right down to naming the fish); and they are also creating play lists and facebook type pages for all our student assistants. Thanks Mike and Kristen, for all you have done to enrich our office!

WHAT'S NEW

The College has incorporated the use of vans for part of our campus tour. You get to see our quaint Berea downtown area and a glimpse of our beautiful Cleveland Metroparks system, as well as our diverse campus.

WHAT'S FUN

Several of those valued students came to my house for dinner on Tuesday and to play"Pit". Everyone is taking advantage of end-of-summer opportunities like the Cleveland Orchestra at Blossom Music Center, the Cedar Point amusement park, or the show Pippin at Cain Park.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

My daughter will be applying to the musical theatre program at Baldwin-Wallace this Fall. My question to you is whether you want the DVD listed in the Common Application Supplement?

This answer has three parts:

• All music theatre students must audition on campus



• We don't require a pre-screening DVD for voice or music theatre



• Only instrumentalists may submit a DVD in lieu of a live audition

I wish you fun in your own favorite activities to make the end of summer special for you.

A pal at the Conservatory, Anita

Connections

Musicians are very connected people: connected by teachers, primary instruments, ensembles, performances, and the music to which they listen. Occasionally you hear that life has become too impersonal and that we all spend too much time with technology. But when you consider texting, blogs, email, facebook, cell phones, and twitter; people are more connected than ever and can communicate with one another in an instant.

Colleges are great places for connections too. At Baldwin-Wallace we are part of a very friendly campus community; and folks like to stay connected long after they leave this place. Here are just a few of the fun encounters I've had the past two weeks:

• A mom writes because she saw B-W graduate Cassie Okenka performing the part of Dorothy in the national tour of The Wizard of Oz and felt very proud for B-W


• An '05 graduate from my home town scored extremely high on the LSAT (Law School Admission test). A call to his home revealed that he will attend William & Mary this fall for law school.


• A conference in our nation's capital led to dinner with two of our parent and alumni volunteers, who regaled us with stories of B-W and the music life in D.C.


• A proud Mom from Florida called to say that she will soon be a grandma, and that her son who lives in Korea was recently hired to work for the U.S. Embassy there. She said, "He wouldn't be where he is today if it wasn't for B-W".


• Yesterday I talked with a Conservatory graduate from 1956! He called to recommend a prospective student he teaches, asked for a recording, and told me about another successful B-W music graduate who teaches at the University of Maine.

When you choose a college, you are also making a choice for friends, and educational and professional connections that will last a lifetime. For now, please stay tuned to B-W through this blog, our website, campus visits, phone, or email. We want to get to know you!

WHAT'S NEW

90 students and their families are visiting the campus today for a cook-out; one of three cook-outs for prospective students this summer.

WHATS FUN

We have a new IPOD and speakers for the office featuring "play-lists" from our student workers. What's on your IPOD?



Question of the week:



I would love to audition for Baldwin-Wallace. How do I sign up for an audition slot?



The only way to select your audition date is to apply to Baldwin-Wallace and the Conservatory of Music. You can use the B-W online application which should have the new audition dates included beginning August 1; or you can submit the common application with the B-W supplement which includes the audition portfolio questions.



Summer has been beautiful in Ohio; I hope it is beautiful where you are, and Happy August!



A friend in admission,



Anita

cusp of August

Greetings,

This is my first post on the Conservatory of Music admission blog. Welcome to you! We are through the summer camp season which featured middle school string, band and choir camps, Latin Jazz Camp, Music Theatre Intensive, and SMI- the Summer Music Institute for high school instrumentalists. These young musicians learned a lot and experienced the thrill of making music with other talented students. We also welcomed many, many prospective students and families to campus throughout the summer months who were checking out colleges. We're all pleased that B-W was on their agenda, and maybe it's on your short list as well. Please stay in touch as you get ready to fill out your college applications. We're happy to answer any questions that you may have.

We are just a few weeks away from welcoming our college students to campus for the start of another school year. If you are interested in coming back to the campus to see what it is like when classes are in full swing, please let us know that you are interested in coming for a visit.

I will be travelling to Chautauqua, New York next weekend (8 and 9 August) to perform with five of our current conservatory students. If you are in the area, come check us out. Here is a link for more information: http://www.bw.edu/alumni/programs/chautauqua/

Keep in touch with us through this admission blog. I'll be posting from time to time to let you know what is going on in the Conservatory of Music.

Take care.

Peter Landgren
Conservatory Director
Baldwin-Wallace College

B-W Conservatory, Blog One

Hello! Friday 3-20-09





It's Friday evening and time to go home, but I am determined to start a weekly blog. I love this time of year with the excitement of accepted students committing to our Conservatory; and juniors getting their College visits started over Spring Breaks.





My goal is to share with you a sense of what makes the Conservatory special to me, so you can imagine what it might be like to be a part of this community. I'll share what's new, what's fun, and some of the latest questions posed to me by students. I promise; I'll try to be more interesting and creative next time around.

WHAT'S NEW:

• The College has officially purchased the historic UCC church next door and we will take possession this summer. Eventually we will have more practice rooms, more studios, and more dedicated rehearsal space; important and exciting stuff for musicians.


• 13 students have sent their new student fee to join the Conservatory this fall.


• Visitors this week were from Boston, Kansas, North Carolina, Indiana, and Ohio.

WHAT'S FUN:

• Andy Florian from CA had his birthday on Friday the 13th. His parents sent a rather large black music stand with Mickey Mouse ears that now adorns our lobby. It's a great place for magazines and our wind-up Bach doll. (It plays Minuet in G; does not dance.)


• Our US Map in the hallway is decorated with stick pins representing the home locations for our Fall 2009 incoming music students. Right now we go as far west as Nebraska and as far east as MA.

QUESTION FOR THE WEEK?

I've been accepted and will soon be officially enrolled as a student at Baldwin Wallace for the fall 2009 semester. I know Baldwin Wallace's Conservatory of Music is internationally recognized. What I would like to know from you is if there is anyway I could set up an audition to gain acceptance to the Conservatory for maybe a minor in Music or possibly a double major. Since I've already been accepted, I didn't know if this process would be any different... In fact I'm not even sure how to go about this. Please help!

One of the great things about being a Conservatory within a liberal arts campus, is that we have great options for students who want to continue their involvement with music, but maybe not as a career. A music minor does not require an audition, but you do need to let your advisor and the Conservatory know your intention. The liberal arts music major which is about two years of solid music study, does require an audition and you can double major this way. A student in this situation needs to contact the Conservatory Admission Office to see if auditions are still open in his area, and what additional documents may be required.

WHAT'S COMING: (just had to had this last bit)

• Art Song Festival tonight (B-W)
• Two trumpet recitals for me: Dave Perkins in junior recital at 2:00 pm Saturday, B-W; Malachy Rodriguez at 8:00 pm Sunday evening at CIM (B-W '07)
• Elysian Trio tomorrow (B-W, Schubert and Mendelssohn)
• Next week "The Marriage of Figaro" with The Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall
  

Your friend at Conservatory Admission, Anita (aevans@bw.edu) It's 7:52 pm; I'm really going home . . . .