April 3 MTSU Visit to Feature Talk by Award-Winning Music Row Mogul
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 20, 2007
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Dr. Bob Wood, 615-898-2532
(MURFREESBORO)—Famed music industry executive Tony Brown, producer of more than 100 No. 1 hit singles and winner of more than a dozen Grammy, CMA, ACM and American Music Awards, will share his expertise and experiences with MTSU Tuesday, April 3, as part of the 2007 SunTrust Lecture Series.
During his visit to campus, Brown, who is nominated for three 2007 Academy of Country Music Awards at the upcoming May 15 ACMs, will present a free lecture for students in MTSU's Department of Recording Industry and the public.
Brown’s visit, made possible through the support of SunTrust Bank, is set for 7 p.m. in the State Farm Room of the Business and Aerospace Building.
“Tony has been very generous with his time and has visited the MTSU recording industry department whenever we have asked him,” said Dr. Bob Wood, coordinator of production and technology for the department.
“His commitment to helping educate the next generation of music industry professionals is laudable, and our recording industry students profit immeasurably from the advice of such an industry luminary.”
Brown, a native of North Carolina, was the son of an evangelist and played piano in his family’s gospel group as a teenager. That experience helped him land a touring job with the Oak Ridge Boys and ultimately put him on the piano bench for Elvis Presley’s final U.S. tour. He then joined Emmylou Harris’s famous “Hot Band” and played piano for bandmate Rodney Crowell’s Cherry Bombs when Crowell went solo.
Brown soon wound up in Nashville working A&R for RCA Records and was asked to produce gospel singer Shirley Caesar in 1983. That work got him noticed by then-MCA chief Jimmy Bowen, whose mentorship helped to guide Brown’s talent and experience onto the road that led to the president’s office at MCA Nashville in 1993 and work with blockbusters like Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, George Strait, Trisha Yearwood and Wynonna as well as favorites like Steve Earle, Patty Loveless, Lyle Lovett, Nanci Griffith and The Mavericks.
In 2002, Brown joined pal Tim DuBois to found Universal South Records, aiming to create what they said would be “a home for truly inventive, highly creative artists.” The pair stepped down from the label last December, with Brown saying he wanted to devote himself once again to full-time music production.
Brown’s 2007 ACM nominations, announced earlier this month, include Album of the Year for Brooks & Dunn’s “Hillbilly Deluxe” and for George Strait’s “It Just Comes Natural,” Single of the Year for Strait’s “Give It Away” and Vocal Event of the Year for “Building Bridges” with Brooks & Dunn, Vince Gill and Sheryl Crow.
Brown also is the reigning Country Music Association producer for “Believe,” the 2006 Single of the Year by Brooks & Dunn.
For more information about the visit, contact Wood at 615-898-2532.
MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry in the College of Mass Communication is one of the largest and best equipped in the nation. The Rolling Stone College Guide has called it “one of the preeminent music business programs in the country.”
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NOTE: Media needing a B&W headshot of speaker Tony Brown should contact the Office of News and Public Affairs via e-mail at gfann@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-5385. Thanks!
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
313 MTSU STONES RIVER CHAMBER PLAYERS PERFORM ‘NOT THE USUAL THREE B’s’
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 20, 2007
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493
(MURFREESBORO)—The MTSU Stones River Chamber Players (SRCP), artists-in-residence at MTSU, will perform a concert titled "Not the Usual Three B's" at 7:30 p.m. March 26 in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
“When a musician refers to the ‘Three B's,’ he usually means Bach, Beethoven and Brahms,” explained Todd Waldecker, associate professor of clarinet at MTSU and co-director for the group. “The SRCP program, ‘Brass, Beaser, Beethoven: Not the Usual Three B's’ is, of course, a play on this familiar ‘Three B's’ phrase.”
The Monday evening concert will feature selections from Robert Beaser’s Mountain Songs for flute and guitar, Beethoven’s Quintet for piano and winds, Op. 16, and brass selections by Anthony Plog and Don Freund performed by the MTSU Faculty Brass Quintet.
Musicians for this concert include Lynn Rice-See (piano), Bill Yelverton (guitar), Deanna Hahn-Little (flute), Michael Ardnt (trumpet), Jeff Bailey (trumpet), Radu Rasu (horn) David Loucky (trombone), Gilbert Long (tuba), Dewayne Pigg (oboe), Maya Stone (bassoon), and Todd Waldecker (clarinet).
SRCP comprises a dozen plus players who divide into multiple configurations to present an exciting variety of chamber music.
The March 26 concert is free and the public is encouraged to attend.
For more information on this and other events in the McLean School of Music, please visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493
(MURFREESBORO)—The MTSU Stones River Chamber Players (SRCP), artists-in-residence at MTSU, will perform a concert titled "Not the Usual Three B's" at 7:30 p.m. March 26 in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
“When a musician refers to the ‘Three B's,’ he usually means Bach, Beethoven and Brahms,” explained Todd Waldecker, associate professor of clarinet at MTSU and co-director for the group. “The SRCP program, ‘Brass, Beaser, Beethoven: Not the Usual Three B's’ is, of course, a play on this familiar ‘Three B's’ phrase.”
The Monday evening concert will feature selections from Robert Beaser’s Mountain Songs for flute and guitar, Beethoven’s Quintet for piano and winds, Op. 16, and brass selections by Anthony Plog and Don Freund performed by the MTSU Faculty Brass Quintet.
Musicians for this concert include Lynn Rice-See (piano), Bill Yelverton (guitar), Deanna Hahn-Little (flute), Michael Ardnt (trumpet), Jeff Bailey (trumpet), Radu Rasu (horn) David Loucky (trombone), Gilbert Long (tuba), Dewayne Pigg (oboe), Maya Stone (bassoon), and Todd Waldecker (clarinet).
SRCP comprises a dozen plus players who divide into multiple configurations to present an exciting variety of chamber music.
The March 26 concert is free and the public is encouraged to attend.
For more information on this and other events in the McLean School of Music, please visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.
312 FAMED FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGIST WILLIAM BASS VISITS MTSU MARCH 27
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 19, 2007
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919, or via e-mail at lrollins@mtsu.edu
Bass Will Kickoff Free Public Lectureship in His Honor, Help Announce New Forensic Institute
(MURFREESBORO)–Dr. William M. Bass, an internationally recognized expert in the field of forensic anthropology who has gained prominence through his research facility, the UT Body Farm, will deliver a free and open guest lecture at 7 p.m. March 27 in the State Farm Room of MTSU’s Business Aerospace Building.
The upcoming visit by Bass will mark the formal kickoff for the Forensic Institute for Research and Education (FIRE), which is led by Dr. Hugh Berryman, and serve as the inaugural talk in the university’s newly established William M. Bass Legends in Forensic Science Lectureship.
A professor of sociology and anthropology, Berryman is the director of FIRE, which was approved by the Tennessee Board of Regents during fall 2006.
In addition to serving as the debut speaker for the lectureship named in his honor, Bass will serve as a member of FIRE’s external board of advisers, a panel that also includes Richard L. Lambert and My Harrison, FBI agents in charge of Tennessee; Tennessee State Medical Examiner Bruce Levy; Mark Gwyn, director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; Nick Fielder of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security teach; odontologist Michael Tabor; Mike Bottoms, a district attorney general; and Harry Sommers, a special agent for the Drug Enforcement Agency who oversee Tennessee and northern Georgia.
Regarding Bass’s involvement in the MTSU-led forensics emphasis, Berryman said, “We are honored to have William Bass not only be our inaugural speaker, but also serve as a member of our external board for the institute.”
Aside from its external board, the institute also has a 14-member internal board of directors composed of MTSU faculty and administrators.
According to its mission, the institute, using an interdisciplinary approach, will focus on training and continuing education for law enforcement and forensic specialists, bringing a forensic focus to campus education, as well as working to obtain external funding for research.
By using an interdisciplinary approach, including the utilization of experts from MTSU’s biology, chemistry and anthropology programs, among others, Berryman said his goal is for FIRE to form cooperatives directed toward a number of different initiatives such as a Forensic Science Initiative, Homeland Security Initiative, Education Initiative, Child Abuse Initiative and a Gangs and Hate Crimes Initiative, among others.
“In all of these areas, FIRE will initiate and cultivate partnering with industry, forensic laboratories, and local, state and federal law enforcement agencies,” he said.
Additionally, Berryman observed, “The Forensic Anthropology Search and Recovery Team is a service arm of FIRE … (and) this 10-person, volunteer, student team is experienced in processing forensic crime scenes involving skeletal remains.”
Under Berryman’s direction, this team of both undergraduate and graduate students assists law enforcement in skeletal crime scene location, documentation and recovery. To date, the team has participated in helping to process at least two crime scenes in Rutherford and Robertson counties, respectively, and received requests from law enforcement to take part in other investigations.
Volunteering their weekend time and weekday evenings, the student team members “do a great job and I’m really proud of them,” noted Berryman, who continues to do skeletal identifications for the state. “This is great experience for the students and they are, in a sense, like ambassadors for MTSU. … They let people know we have talent here.”
Berryman said the William M. Bass Legends in Forensic Science Lectureship will be held once each spring and fall semester and feature prominent experts from within the forensics field. Each lecture will be open to the public and free of charge, Berryman said.
Regarding this year’s speaker, Bass—along with his co-author Jon Jefferson—has also become a successful fiction writer. His Body Farm has been featured in fiction and nonfiction books as well as on television programs such as “The Dead Zone” and “CSI.”
Honored as National Professor of the Year in 1985-86 by The Council for Advancement and Support of Education, Bass received his bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia, his master’s degree from the University of Kentucky and his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
• For more information regarding the March 27 lecture, please contact Connie Huddleston in the College of Liberal Arts at MTSU at 615-494-7628.
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ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request a jpeg of William M. Bass III for editorial us, or to request an interview with Dr. Hugh Berryman, director of FIRE, please e-mail your request to Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU at lrollins@mtsu.
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919, or via e-mail at lrollins@mtsu.edu
Bass Will Kickoff Free Public Lectureship in His Honor, Help Announce New Forensic Institute
(MURFREESBORO)–Dr. William M. Bass, an internationally recognized expert in the field of forensic anthropology who has gained prominence through his research facility, the UT Body Farm, will deliver a free and open guest lecture at 7 p.m. March 27 in the State Farm Room of MTSU’s Business Aerospace Building.
The upcoming visit by Bass will mark the formal kickoff for the Forensic Institute for Research and Education (FIRE), which is led by Dr. Hugh Berryman, and serve as the inaugural talk in the university’s newly established William M. Bass Legends in Forensic Science Lectureship.
A professor of sociology and anthropology, Berryman is the director of FIRE, which was approved by the Tennessee Board of Regents during fall 2006.
In addition to serving as the debut speaker for the lectureship named in his honor, Bass will serve as a member of FIRE’s external board of advisers, a panel that also includes Richard L. Lambert and My Harrison, FBI agents in charge of Tennessee; Tennessee State Medical Examiner Bruce Levy; Mark Gwyn, director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; Nick Fielder of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security teach; odontologist Michael Tabor; Mike Bottoms, a district attorney general; and Harry Sommers, a special agent for the Drug Enforcement Agency who oversee Tennessee and northern Georgia.
Regarding Bass’s involvement in the MTSU-led forensics emphasis, Berryman said, “We are honored to have William Bass not only be our inaugural speaker, but also serve as a member of our external board for the institute.”
Aside from its external board, the institute also has a 14-member internal board of directors composed of MTSU faculty and administrators.
According to its mission, the institute, using an interdisciplinary approach, will focus on training and continuing education for law enforcement and forensic specialists, bringing a forensic focus to campus education, as well as working to obtain external funding for research.
By using an interdisciplinary approach, including the utilization of experts from MTSU’s biology, chemistry and anthropology programs, among others, Berryman said his goal is for FIRE to form cooperatives directed toward a number of different initiatives such as a Forensic Science Initiative, Homeland Security Initiative, Education Initiative, Child Abuse Initiative and a Gangs and Hate Crimes Initiative, among others.
“In all of these areas, FIRE will initiate and cultivate partnering with industry, forensic laboratories, and local, state and federal law enforcement agencies,” he said.
Additionally, Berryman observed, “The Forensic Anthropology Search and Recovery Team is a service arm of FIRE … (and) this 10-person, volunteer, student team is experienced in processing forensic crime scenes involving skeletal remains.”
Under Berryman’s direction, this team of both undergraduate and graduate students assists law enforcement in skeletal crime scene location, documentation and recovery. To date, the team has participated in helping to process at least two crime scenes in Rutherford and Robertson counties, respectively, and received requests from law enforcement to take part in other investigations.
Volunteering their weekend time and weekday evenings, the student team members “do a great job and I’m really proud of them,” noted Berryman, who continues to do skeletal identifications for the state. “This is great experience for the students and they are, in a sense, like ambassadors for MTSU. … They let people know we have talent here.”
Berryman said the William M. Bass Legends in Forensic Science Lectureship will be held once each spring and fall semester and feature prominent experts from within the forensics field. Each lecture will be open to the public and free of charge, Berryman said.
Regarding this year’s speaker, Bass—along with his co-author Jon Jefferson—has also become a successful fiction writer. His Body Farm has been featured in fiction and nonfiction books as well as on television programs such as “The Dead Zone” and “CSI.”
Honored as National Professor of the Year in 1985-86 by The Council for Advancement and Support of Education, Bass received his bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia, his master’s degree from the University of Kentucky and his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
• For more information regarding the March 27 lecture, please contact Connie Huddleston in the College of Liberal Arts at MTSU at 615-494-7628.
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ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request a jpeg of William M. Bass III for editorial us, or to request an interview with Dr. Hugh Berryman, director of FIRE, please e-mail your request to Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU at lrollins@mtsu.
310 JEFFERSON COUNTY FARM JOINS STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 16, 2007
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947
Fairview Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions
(MURFREESBORO)—The Fairview Farm in Jefferson County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation (CHP), which is located on the MTSU campus.
Hankins said Fairview was a well-known historic property long before 370 acres were conveyed to Lissie Reed James in 1894. Married to Samuel James, the couple had seven children. Their names were Thomas, James, Mollie, Viola, Adelaide, Charles and Robert. On 370 acres, the farm produced beef cattle, hay, wheat and corn. In addition to managing the farm, the family owned the local livery, feed and sales stable in Jefferson City.
The next owners of the farm were their sons, Robert T. and C. C. James.
C. C. married Nelle Duncan James, but they had no children. Robert wed Valley Eve Duncan and they had one son named Robert V. James.
In 2000, the great-granddaughter of the founder, Mary E. James Musick acquired the property. Currently, the land is worked by Mary’s husband, Larry R. Musick, who produces hay and beef cattle. The family, which includes daughter Sarah, is active in the Jefferson County Extension Agent and the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce and often brings groups to tour the farm.
The house at Fairview was designed by William Strickland who was the first president of the American Institute of Architects and the designer of the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville. The farm also has the original slave quarters, the kitchen and a smokehouse.
The Battle of Mossy Creek was fought on the farm in 1863. As a result of its historical significance and architecture, Hankins noted, Fairview is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Century Farm Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have continuously owned, and kept in production, family land for at least 100 years. Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farm Program, and continues to administer this program.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) began the Tennessee Century Farm Program in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial. Today the TDA provides a metal outdoor sign, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural, and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.
ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview Hankins or the farm’s owners, or obtain jpeg images of this farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947
Fairview Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions
(MURFREESBORO)—The Fairview Farm in Jefferson County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation (CHP), which is located on the MTSU campus.
Hankins said Fairview was a well-known historic property long before 370 acres were conveyed to Lissie Reed James in 1894. Married to Samuel James, the couple had seven children. Their names were Thomas, James, Mollie, Viola, Adelaide, Charles and Robert. On 370 acres, the farm produced beef cattle, hay, wheat and corn. In addition to managing the farm, the family owned the local livery, feed and sales stable in Jefferson City.
The next owners of the farm were their sons, Robert T. and C. C. James.
C. C. married Nelle Duncan James, but they had no children. Robert wed Valley Eve Duncan and they had one son named Robert V. James.
In 2000, the great-granddaughter of the founder, Mary E. James Musick acquired the property. Currently, the land is worked by Mary’s husband, Larry R. Musick, who produces hay and beef cattle. The family, which includes daughter Sarah, is active in the Jefferson County Extension Agent and the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce and often brings groups to tour the farm.
The house at Fairview was designed by William Strickland who was the first president of the American Institute of Architects and the designer of the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville. The farm also has the original slave quarters, the kitchen and a smokehouse.
The Battle of Mossy Creek was fought on the farm in 1863. As a result of its historical significance and architecture, Hankins noted, Fairview is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Century Farm Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have continuously owned, and kept in production, family land for at least 100 years. Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farm Program, and continues to administer this program.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) began the Tennessee Century Farm Program in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial. Today the TDA provides a metal outdoor sign, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural, and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.
ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview Hankins or the farm’s owners, or obtain jpeg images of this farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.
309 FRANKLIN COUNTY FARM JOINS STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 16, 2007
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947
Atkinson Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions
(MURFREESBORO)—The Atkinson Farm in Franklin County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation (CHP), which is located on the MTSU campus.
As Tennessee recovered from the Civil War, William Utey Sherrill bought 200 acres southwest of Winchester in 1868. William, who cultivated wheat and corn on his property, never married, and in the 1870s the land passed to his sister, Alanson Isabella Virginia Sherrill Atkinson.
Married to Mahlon Currier Atkinson, the couple had three children. During their ownership, they continued to produce grains and added row crops.
Over the years, the land passed through several generations of Atkinsons.
Today, he farm is now owned by the great-grand-nephew of the founder, Richard S. Atkinson. Currently Richard, his wife, their two children and Richard’s mother, Elizabeth R. Atkinson, live on the farm, where they continues to raise the traditional grains of corn, wheat as well as soybeans. The two-story house constructed in 1900 continues to be the center of the family farm.
The Century Farm Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have continuously owned, and kept in production, family land for at least 100 years. Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farm Program, and continues to administer this program.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) began the Tennessee Century Farm Program in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial. Today the TDA provides a metal outdoor sign, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural, and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.
ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview Hankins or the farm’s owners, or obtain jpeg images of this farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947
Atkinson Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions
(MURFREESBORO)—The Atkinson Farm in Franklin County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation (CHP), which is located on the MTSU campus.
As Tennessee recovered from the Civil War, William Utey Sherrill bought 200 acres southwest of Winchester in 1868. William, who cultivated wheat and corn on his property, never married, and in the 1870s the land passed to his sister, Alanson Isabella Virginia Sherrill Atkinson.
Married to Mahlon Currier Atkinson, the couple had three children. During their ownership, they continued to produce grains and added row crops.
Over the years, the land passed through several generations of Atkinsons.
Today, he farm is now owned by the great-grand-nephew of the founder, Richard S. Atkinson. Currently Richard, his wife, their two children and Richard’s mother, Elizabeth R. Atkinson, live on the farm, where they continues to raise the traditional grains of corn, wheat as well as soybeans. The two-story house constructed in 1900 continues to be the center of the family farm.
The Century Farm Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have continuously owned, and kept in production, family land for at least 100 years. Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farm Program, and continues to administer this program.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) began the Tennessee Century Farm Program in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial. Today the TDA provides a metal outdoor sign, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural, and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.
ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview Hankins or the farm’s owners, or obtain jpeg images of this farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.
308 CLAVIERFEST COMPETITION FINALS SET MARCH 24 AT MTSU
Performance Will Feature Top Pianists, Free & Open to Public
(MURFREESBORO)—Talented young pianists from throughout the region and from places as far away as Ohio and even Japan will gather for the 11th annual Clavierfest competition, Saturday, March 24, in the Wright Music Building (WMB) on the MTSU campus.
The daylong event will culminate with a 7:30 p.m. finalists' competition/concert in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the WMB, which is free and open to the public.
The finalist concert will feature the competition’s 12 top finalists. Three finalists will be selected from each of four categories including K-3rd grade, 4th-6th grades, 7th-9th grades and 10th-12th grades.
"The concert of finalist has always been very inspiring and impressive and represents some of the best young talent in the area," said Dr. Jerry Perkins, coordinator of keyboard studies at MTSU.
"It's a wonderful opportunity for the public to hear these talented young pianists," Perkins added.
This year, in conjunction with Clavierfest, two guest artists will perform recitals and give master classes in the Hinton Music Hall. The first guest artist, David Northington, will give a master class at 11 a.m. and an 8 p.m. Friday, March 23, performance titled A Waltz through the Life of Frederic Chopin. The second guest artist, Douglas Humphreys, will give a recital at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 25, as well as a master class at 11 a.m. March 26. Both concerts are free and open to the public.
Northington is first-prize winner of the Concert Artists Guild Competition and the East/West Artists Competition. He is chairman of the piano department at UT-Knoxville.
Humphreys was gold medalist at the inaugural Gina Bachaeur International Piano Competition. He is co-chairman of the piano department at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y.
The Clavierfest contest is co-sponsored by the MTSU McLean School of Music and the Steinway Piano Gallery of Nashville.
For more information regarding the March 24 Clavierfest contest or related recitals, please contact the McLean School of Music at 615-898-2493.
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(MURFREESBORO)—Talented young pianists from throughout the region and from places as far away as Ohio and even Japan will gather for the 11th annual Clavierfest competition, Saturday, March 24, in the Wright Music Building (WMB) on the MTSU campus.
The daylong event will culminate with a 7:30 p.m. finalists' competition/concert in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the WMB, which is free and open to the public.
The finalist concert will feature the competition’s 12 top finalists. Three finalists will be selected from each of four categories including K-3rd grade, 4th-6th grades, 7th-9th grades and 10th-12th grades.
"The concert of finalist has always been very inspiring and impressive and represents some of the best young talent in the area," said Dr. Jerry Perkins, coordinator of keyboard studies at MTSU.
"It's a wonderful opportunity for the public to hear these talented young pianists," Perkins added.
This year, in conjunction with Clavierfest, two guest artists will perform recitals and give master classes in the Hinton Music Hall. The first guest artist, David Northington, will give a master class at 11 a.m. and an 8 p.m. Friday, March 23, performance titled A Waltz through the Life of Frederic Chopin. The second guest artist, Douglas Humphreys, will give a recital at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 25, as well as a master class at 11 a.m. March 26. Both concerts are free and open to the public.
Northington is first-prize winner of the Concert Artists Guild Competition and the East/West Artists Competition. He is chairman of the piano department at UT-Knoxville.
Humphreys was gold medalist at the inaugural Gina Bachaeur International Piano Competition. He is co-chairman of the piano department at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y.
The Clavierfest contest is co-sponsored by the MTSU McLean School of Music and the Steinway Piano Gallery of Nashville.
For more information regarding the March 24 Clavierfest contest or related recitals, please contact the McLean School of Music at 615-898-2493.
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Thursday, March 15, 2007
307 ABC’S LYNN SHERR TO KEYNOTE NATIONAL JOURNALISM EVENT AT MTSU
‘Women and Media’ is focus of March 26 panel, lecture
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 15, 2007EDITORIAL CONTACT: Beverly Keel, 615-898-5150 (MURFREESBORO)—ABC News “20/20” correspondent Lynn Sherr is the keynote speaker for a Women’s History Month event at MTSU Monday, March 26, on “Women and Media: Are Women’s Voices Heard in Mainstream Journalism?”
The Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies is sponsoring the event, which is free and open to the public. All talks will be held in the State Farm Room of MTSU’S Business and Aerospace Building.
“Women and Media” kicks off at 2:20 p.m. with a panel that addresses the main topic. The panelists are Laurie Goodstein, national religion correspondent at the New York Times; Cindy Dampier, freelance journalist and former People magazine bureau chief; Rita Henley Jensen, founder and editor-in-chief of Women’s eNews; Cynthia Williams, anchor/reporter at WSMV-TV in Nashville; and Jennifer Brooks, reporter at The Tennessean. Beverly Keel, director of the Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence, will moderate the panel.
"This will certainly be a memorable day for our students, faculty and guests," said Keel, who also is a mass communication professor at MTSU. "I am eager to hear what these national journalism leaders in the fields of broadcast, print and Internet have to say. They will provide fascinating insights about their personal experiences and their professional opinions about the state of women in journalism today."
Sherr will deliver the keynote address, “Women, Politics and the Media,” at 6 p.m. She has traveled the world as a correspondent for 20/20 and reported on presidential elections, NASA shuttle launches and HMO fraud. She won George Foster Peabody Awards for her coverage of the millennium in Bombay and her report on an alternative treatment for anorexia and bulimia. She also won American Women in Radio and Television Commendation Awards for her report on anorexia and for the ABC primetime special she co-hosted, “Susan B. Anthony Slept Here.” She has also received awards for stories on presidential elections, Ireland’s abortion amendment, tattooed cosmetics, the abortion pill, breast-cancer victims and sexual harassment.
Sherr is the author of several books, including “Outside the Box,” “Tall Blondes” and “Failure is Impossible: Susan B. Anthony in Her Own Words.” She has a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College, where she now serves as a trustee.
Goodstein joined the Times in 1997 after working at The Washington Post for eight years. She has covered religion and politics, the challenge of increasing religious diversity in communities and schools, clergy sexual abuse, government funding of "faith-based" charities, and the conflicts over gay marriage, abortion and stem cell research. Among the honors she has received are the 2004 first place award for Best In-Depth Reporting on Religion from the American Academy of Religion and the Templeton Religion Reporter of the Year and the Supple Religion Writing Award, which she won in 1995 and 1996. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where she won a Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship.
Dampier is a freelance journalist who spent 17 years at People magazine. She spent 10 years as the Chicago bureau chief and was the youngest bureau chief in the magazine’s history. She oversaw the magazine’s coverage in 14 states and part of Canada and worked on stories involving Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, John F. Kennedy Jr. and Renee Zellweger. She was raised in Sebring, Fla., and has a bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Miami.
Jensen founded Women’s eNews (www.womensenews.org), an award-winning independent daily news service covering issues of concern to women. The New York Daily News named her one of the 100 most influential women in New York. A former senior writer for the National Law Journal and a columnist for The New York Times Syndicate, she has more than 20 years of experience in journalism and journalism education. Her awards include the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism Alumni Award, the Hunter College Presidential Grant for Innovative Uses of Technology in Teaching, the Alicia Patterson fellowship and the Lloyd P. Burns Public Service prize. Jensen is also a survivor of domestic violence and a former welfare mother who earned degrees from Ohio State University and Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.
Williams has anchored, reported and produced series pieces for Sweeps at WSMV-TV in Nashville. She is also the accomplished author of a series of four children's books that focus on a fictional inner-city neighborhood. The main character is "Enid," a young, adventurous girl who triumphs by using her leadership skills to improve her troubled community. Williams is a native of Mobile, Ala., and a graduate of the University of South Alabama.
Brooks is a reporter for The Tennessean who has also worked as a White House and congressional correspondent for various Washington news outlets, including United Press International and Gannett News Service. Over the course of a 15-year journalism career, she has covered stories ranging from the presidential impeachment and trial to the Olympics and Hurricane Katrina. Born in Muncie, Ind., she grew up in Zanesville, Ohio, and graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's degree in political science.
In 1986, the university instituted The John Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies, honoring Seigenthaler’s lifelong commitment to free expression. The Seigenthaler Chair funds a variety of activities related to freedom of the press and other topics of concern for contemporary journalism, including distinguished visiting professors and visiting lecturers at MTSU, research and seminars and meetings related to the study, promotion and defense of free speech and First Amendment values.
One of the largest programs in the nation, the MTSU College of Mass Communication offers degree concentrations in 14 major areas—ranging from journalism to digital media and media management to recording industry management—and is accredited by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.
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NOTE: Media needing a color headshot of keynote speaker Lynn Sherr should contact the Office of News and Public Affairs via e-mail at gfann@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-5385. Thanks!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 15, 2007EDITORIAL CONTACT: Beverly Keel, 615-898-5150 (MURFREESBORO)—ABC News “20/20” correspondent Lynn Sherr is the keynote speaker for a Women’s History Month event at MTSU Monday, March 26, on “Women and Media: Are Women’s Voices Heard in Mainstream Journalism?”
The Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies is sponsoring the event, which is free and open to the public. All talks will be held in the State Farm Room of MTSU’S Business and Aerospace Building.
“Women and Media” kicks off at 2:20 p.m. with a panel that addresses the main topic. The panelists are Laurie Goodstein, national religion correspondent at the New York Times; Cindy Dampier, freelance journalist and former People magazine bureau chief; Rita Henley Jensen, founder and editor-in-chief of Women’s eNews; Cynthia Williams, anchor/reporter at WSMV-TV in Nashville; and Jennifer Brooks, reporter at The Tennessean. Beverly Keel, director of the Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence, will moderate the panel.
"This will certainly be a memorable day for our students, faculty and guests," said Keel, who also is a mass communication professor at MTSU. "I am eager to hear what these national journalism leaders in the fields of broadcast, print and Internet have to say. They will provide fascinating insights about their personal experiences and their professional opinions about the state of women in journalism today."
Sherr will deliver the keynote address, “Women, Politics and the Media,” at 6 p.m. She has traveled the world as a correspondent for 20/20 and reported on presidential elections, NASA shuttle launches and HMO fraud. She won George Foster Peabody Awards for her coverage of the millennium in Bombay and her report on an alternative treatment for anorexia and bulimia. She also won American Women in Radio and Television Commendation Awards for her report on anorexia and for the ABC primetime special she co-hosted, “Susan B. Anthony Slept Here.” She has also received awards for stories on presidential elections, Ireland’s abortion amendment, tattooed cosmetics, the abortion pill, breast-cancer victims and sexual harassment.
Sherr is the author of several books, including “Outside the Box,” “Tall Blondes” and “Failure is Impossible: Susan B. Anthony in Her Own Words.” She has a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College, where she now serves as a trustee.
Goodstein joined the Times in 1997 after working at The Washington Post for eight years. She has covered religion and politics, the challenge of increasing religious diversity in communities and schools, clergy sexual abuse, government funding of "faith-based" charities, and the conflicts over gay marriage, abortion and stem cell research. Among the honors she has received are the 2004 first place award for Best In-Depth Reporting on Religion from the American Academy of Religion and the Templeton Religion Reporter of the Year and the Supple Religion Writing Award, which she won in 1995 and 1996. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where she won a Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship.
Dampier is a freelance journalist who spent 17 years at People magazine. She spent 10 years as the Chicago bureau chief and was the youngest bureau chief in the magazine’s history. She oversaw the magazine’s coverage in 14 states and part of Canada and worked on stories involving Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, John F. Kennedy Jr. and Renee Zellweger. She was raised in Sebring, Fla., and has a bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Miami.
Jensen founded Women’s eNews (www.womensenews.org), an award-winning independent daily news service covering issues of concern to women. The New York Daily News named her one of the 100 most influential women in New York. A former senior writer for the National Law Journal and a columnist for The New York Times Syndicate, she has more than 20 years of experience in journalism and journalism education. Her awards include the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism Alumni Award, the Hunter College Presidential Grant for Innovative Uses of Technology in Teaching, the Alicia Patterson fellowship and the Lloyd P. Burns Public Service prize. Jensen is also a survivor of domestic violence and a former welfare mother who earned degrees from Ohio State University and Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.
Williams has anchored, reported and produced series pieces for Sweeps at WSMV-TV in Nashville. She is also the accomplished author of a series of four children's books that focus on a fictional inner-city neighborhood. The main character is "Enid," a young, adventurous girl who triumphs by using her leadership skills to improve her troubled community. Williams is a native of Mobile, Ala., and a graduate of the University of South Alabama.
Brooks is a reporter for The Tennessean who has also worked as a White House and congressional correspondent for various Washington news outlets, including United Press International and Gannett News Service. Over the course of a 15-year journalism career, she has covered stories ranging from the presidential impeachment and trial to the Olympics and Hurricane Katrina. Born in Muncie, Ind., she grew up in Zanesville, Ohio, and graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's degree in political science.
In 1986, the university instituted The John Seigenthaler Chair of Excellence in First Amendment Studies, honoring Seigenthaler’s lifelong commitment to free expression. The Seigenthaler Chair funds a variety of activities related to freedom of the press and other topics of concern for contemporary journalism, including distinguished visiting professors and visiting lecturers at MTSU, research and seminars and meetings related to the study, promotion and defense of free speech and First Amendment values.
One of the largest programs in the nation, the MTSU College of Mass Communication offers degree concentrations in 14 major areas—ranging from journalism to digital media and media management to recording industry management—and is accredited by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.
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NOTE: Media needing a color headshot of keynote speaker Lynn Sherr should contact the Office of News and Public Affairs via e-mail at gfann@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-5385. Thanks!
306 FABULOUS FOOD, COSMOPOLITAN CULTURE HIGHLIGHT BANQUET
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 15, 2007
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081
Irish, German Dishes and Music and Dance from Russia, Japan, Dominican
(MURFREESBORO) – An array of mouthwatering delights from all around the world is on the menu for this year’s International Banquet Saturday, March 31, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building.
Attendees will have the opportunity to dine on Irish stew, vegetable stir-fried rice, shrimp coconut curry, tandori chicken (marinated in Indian spices and roasted), German pork schnitzel with brown sauce, beef fajitas, Asian cole slaw, spring mix salad with dressing, sushi, and assorted pastries.
The evening’s entertainment will be provided by MTSU student Socrates Garcia, a guitarist from the Dominican Republic; Russian harpist Svetlana Yatskaya; Junko Tanaka, who will play taiko, or traditional Japanese percussion instruments; Def Leprechaun, which has been described as “a Celtic fusion band”; and dancers from Tango Nashville, described on its Web site as a nonprofit organization “dedicated to the education and entertainment of residents of Nashville and Middle Tennessee in the art and culture of Argentine Tango.”
Tickets for the International Banquet are $16 for adults, $14 for children age 12 and under, $14 for students from other colleges or schools, and $10 for MTSU students. Tickets will not be sold at the door. The doors will open at 4:30 p.m. for viewing of cultural exhibits. The meal will begin promptly at 5 p.m.
For further information, call 615-898-2238, or come to Room 124 of MTSU’s Keathley University Center.
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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For color jpegs of entertainers from Tango Nashville and Def Leprechaun, contact Gina Logue at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081
Irish, German Dishes and Music and Dance from Russia, Japan, Dominican
(MURFREESBORO) – An array of mouthwatering delights from all around the world is on the menu for this year’s International Banquet Saturday, March 31, in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building.
Attendees will have the opportunity to dine on Irish stew, vegetable stir-fried rice, shrimp coconut curry, tandori chicken (marinated in Indian spices and roasted), German pork schnitzel with brown sauce, beef fajitas, Asian cole slaw, spring mix salad with dressing, sushi, and assorted pastries.
The evening’s entertainment will be provided by MTSU student Socrates Garcia, a guitarist from the Dominican Republic; Russian harpist Svetlana Yatskaya; Junko Tanaka, who will play taiko, or traditional Japanese percussion instruments; Def Leprechaun, which has been described as “a Celtic fusion band”; and dancers from Tango Nashville, described on its Web site as a nonprofit organization “dedicated to the education and entertainment of residents of Nashville and Middle Tennessee in the art and culture of Argentine Tango.”
Tickets for the International Banquet are $16 for adults, $14 for children age 12 and under, $14 for students from other colleges or schools, and $10 for MTSU students. Tickets will not be sold at the door. The doors will open at 4:30 p.m. for viewing of cultural exhibits. The meal will begin promptly at 5 p.m.
For further information, call 615-898-2238, or come to Room 124 of MTSU’s Keathley University Center.
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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For color jpegs of entertainers from Tango Nashville and Def Leprechaun, contact Gina Logue at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.
304 ROYAL PHILHARMONIC FLUTIST SUSAN MILAN VISITS MTSU DURING U.S. TOUR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 15, 2007
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493
Free and Open Lecture, Master Classes and Performance
(MURFREESBORO) – Susan Milan, principal flutist of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London, will give a recital stop on her U.S. tour with pianist Lillian Pearson at 8 p.m. March 21 in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
Milan will also present a lecture on historical recordings at 10 a.m. and a master class at 11:15 a.m. earlier March 21 in the adjoining Saunders Fine Arts Building (SFA) Room 301. In addition, there will be a second master class at 10:30 a.m. March 22 in SFA’s Room 117.
The 8 p.m. concert featuring Milan and Pearson will include Phillipe Gaubert’s Sonata No. 3, Gabriel Faure’s Fantaisie Op.79, Edwin Roxburgh’s Stardrift, Robert Muczynski’s Sonata, Georg Philipp Telemann’s Sonata in F Minor, Franz Albert Doppler’s Fantaisie Pastorale Hongroise Op.16 and Frank Martin’s Ballade.
Dr. Deanna Little, MTSU associate professor of flute, said that Milan’s 10 a.m. lecture will be from her lecture series titled “Master Classics Flute Archive Series.”
“She restores old recordings of famous flute players such as Marcel Moyse, Rene LeRoy and Phillipe Gaubert, among others,” Little said.
In the March 21-22 master classes, MTSU students will play for Milan and she will, in turn, work with them individually.
During her current tour, Milan has visited Seattle, Canada, Utah, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Houston, Lake Charles, La., and Baton Rouge. After her MTSU visit, she will travel to Colorado to end her tour.
Milan was the first woman to be appointed a member and principal of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, beginning a broad career as an orchestral principal, chamber musician, soloist, teacher and lecturer. She is a professor and fellow of the Royal College of Music, where she was a scholar at the age of 16. She is regularly invited to give master class courses in the United Kingdom, U.S., South Korea, Taiwan, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.
Pianist Pearson is associate professor of music and coordinator for keyboard studies at Western Carolina University. She has served as an official accompanist for the International Horn Workshop, the International Double-Reed Society, the International Trumpet Guild, the Southeastern Horn Workshop and others. She has also appeared as a soloist with groups such as the Ashville Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony and the Breckenridge Festival Orchestra.
The March 21 and 22 events, including master classes, are free and open to the public.
For more information on this and other events in the McLean School of Music, please visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.
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CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493
Free and Open Lecture, Master Classes and Performance
(MURFREESBORO) – Susan Milan, principal flutist of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London, will give a recital stop on her U.S. tour with pianist Lillian Pearson at 8 p.m. March 21 in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
Milan will also present a lecture on historical recordings at 10 a.m. and a master class at 11:15 a.m. earlier March 21 in the adjoining Saunders Fine Arts Building (SFA) Room 301. In addition, there will be a second master class at 10:30 a.m. March 22 in SFA’s Room 117.
The 8 p.m. concert featuring Milan and Pearson will include Phillipe Gaubert’s Sonata No. 3, Gabriel Faure’s Fantaisie Op.79, Edwin Roxburgh’s Stardrift, Robert Muczynski’s Sonata, Georg Philipp Telemann’s Sonata in F Minor, Franz Albert Doppler’s Fantaisie Pastorale Hongroise Op.16 and Frank Martin’s Ballade.
Dr. Deanna Little, MTSU associate professor of flute, said that Milan’s 10 a.m. lecture will be from her lecture series titled “Master Classics Flute Archive Series.”
“She restores old recordings of famous flute players such as Marcel Moyse, Rene LeRoy and Phillipe Gaubert, among others,” Little said.
In the March 21-22 master classes, MTSU students will play for Milan and she will, in turn, work with them individually.
During her current tour, Milan has visited Seattle, Canada, Utah, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Houston, Lake Charles, La., and Baton Rouge. After her MTSU visit, she will travel to Colorado to end her tour.
Milan was the first woman to be appointed a member and principal of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, beginning a broad career as an orchestral principal, chamber musician, soloist, teacher and lecturer. She is a professor and fellow of the Royal College of Music, where she was a scholar at the age of 16. She is regularly invited to give master class courses in the United Kingdom, U.S., South Korea, Taiwan, Germany, Italy and Switzerland.
Pianist Pearson is associate professor of music and coordinator for keyboard studies at Western Carolina University. She has served as an official accompanist for the International Horn Workshop, the International Double-Reed Society, the International Trumpet Guild, the Southeastern Horn Workshop and others. She has also appeared as a soloist with groups such as the Ashville Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony and the Breckenridge Festival Orchestra.
The March 21 and 22 events, including master classes, are free and open to the public.
For more information on this and other events in the McLean School of Music, please visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.
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290a CANCELED - GUEST CLARINETIST NICHOLAS DEL GRAZIA
MEDIA ADVISORY
The below-mentioned concert has been canceled because of a medical emergency affecting the artist. The event will not be rescheduled, according to performance organizers. The School of Music apologizes for any inconvenience this cancellation may have created.
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CANCELED CANCELED CANCELED CANCELED CANCELED CANCELED
WILL PERFORM AT MTSU
March 16 Performance Free and Open to the Public
(MURFREESBORO)–Nicholas del Grazia (clarinet) and Chris Lysack (piano) will perform a free and open recital at 6 p.m. March 16 in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
"Dr. Del Grazia is a world-class musician who is bringing an exciting program which will include works by Italian composers, his specialty,” said Todd Waldecker, associate professor of clarinet at MTSU.
The duo will perform the Italian works Nino Rota’s Sonata in D, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Sonata Op. 128 and Johannes Brahms’ Sonata Op. 120 No 2 in Eb.
Del Grazia has appeared as a soloist, orchestral and chamber musician throughout the United States, England, Austria and Italy. Composer Shulamit Ran has described him "from every conceivable point of view ... an absolute HIT!" He studied clarinet at City University in London and the Guildhall School of Music. Del Grazia also obtained a master's degree in music theory and analysis from King's College London and a doctor of music degree from Indiana University.
Originally from Vancouver, pianist Lysack studied at Indiana University School of Music, where he received graduate degrees in piano and
French literature. He is in demand as a performer throughout North America, from Vancouver to Florida, and has premiered more than 15 new compositions spanning from solo piano with tape to orchestral works.
For more information on this and other events in the McLean School of Music, please visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.
The below-mentioned concert has been canceled because of a medical emergency affecting the artist. The event will not be rescheduled, according to performance organizers. The School of Music apologizes for any inconvenience this cancellation may have created.
======================================
CANCELED CANCELED CANCELED CANCELED CANCELED CANCELED
WILL PERFORM AT MTSU
March 16 Performance Free and Open to the Public
(MURFREESBORO)–Nicholas del Grazia (clarinet) and Chris Lysack (piano) will perform a free and open recital at 6 p.m. March 16 in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
"Dr. Del Grazia is a world-class musician who is bringing an exciting program which will include works by Italian composers, his specialty,” said Todd Waldecker, associate professor of clarinet at MTSU.
The duo will perform the Italian works Nino Rota’s Sonata in D, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s Sonata Op. 128 and Johannes Brahms’ Sonata Op. 120 No 2 in Eb.
Del Grazia has appeared as a soloist, orchestral and chamber musician throughout the United States, England, Austria and Italy. Composer Shulamit Ran has described him "from every conceivable point of view ... an absolute HIT!" He studied clarinet at City University in London and the Guildhall School of Music. Del Grazia also obtained a master's degree in music theory and analysis from King's College London and a doctor of music degree from Indiana University.
Originally from Vancouver, pianist Lysack studied at Indiana University School of Music, where he received graduate degrees in piano and
French literature. He is in demand as a performer throughout North America, from Vancouver to Florida, and has premiered more than 15 new compositions spanning from solo piano with tape to orchestral works.
For more information on this and other events in the McLean School of Music, please visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
299 MTSU GUEST ARTIST RECITAL FEATURES TENOR RANDALL UMSTEAD
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 28, 2007
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493
(MURFREESBORO)–Guest artist Randall Umstead (tenor) will be be joined by MTSU faculty member Caleb Harris (piano) in a recital at 8 p.m. March 14 in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
“It will be a pleasure to welcome such an accomplished and wonderful artist to campus,” said Harris of Umstead.
“It will (also) be a wonderful opportunity for audiences to hear a cycle of songs by Benjamin Britten, The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, Op. 35,” Harris added. “This set of nine songs will be the centerpiece of the program and include highly virtuosic writing for both tenor and piano.”
As well as presenting works by Britten, they also will perform pieces by Liszt and Schubert. The duo will perform the Three Petrarch Sonnets by Liszt.
“These wonderful songs (by Liszt), which have become standards of the tenor repertoire, are beautiful examples of the some of the most lyrical and passionate writing for voice and piano,” Harris said.
Umstead, who has performed widely in both operatic roles and concert music, holds a master of music degree in voice from the University of Cincinnati College’s Conservatory of Music as well as a bachelor of music degree in voice from Oklahoma Baptist University. He currently is a candidate for the doctor of musical arts degree in voice from the University of Cincinnati College. He is presently an assistant professor of voice at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
Pianist Harris maintains an active teaching schedule as teaching assistant for Professor Douglas Humpherys at the Eastman School of Music and as assistant professor of piano and collaborative piano at MTSU. Music critic Richard Dyer has recognized Harris as “a gifted and earnest pianist.”
The March 14 concert is free and open to the public.
For more information on this and other events in the McLean School of Music, please visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.
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CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493
(MURFREESBORO)–Guest artist Randall Umstead (tenor) will be be joined by MTSU faculty member Caleb Harris (piano) in a recital at 8 p.m. March 14 in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
“It will be a pleasure to welcome such an accomplished and wonderful artist to campus,” said Harris of Umstead.
“It will (also) be a wonderful opportunity for audiences to hear a cycle of songs by Benjamin Britten, The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, Op. 35,” Harris added. “This set of nine songs will be the centerpiece of the program and include highly virtuosic writing for both tenor and piano.”
As well as presenting works by Britten, they also will perform pieces by Liszt and Schubert. The duo will perform the Three Petrarch Sonnets by Liszt.
“These wonderful songs (by Liszt), which have become standards of the tenor repertoire, are beautiful examples of the some of the most lyrical and passionate writing for voice and piano,” Harris said.
Umstead, who has performed widely in both operatic roles and concert music, holds a master of music degree in voice from the University of Cincinnati College’s Conservatory of Music as well as a bachelor of music degree in voice from Oklahoma Baptist University. He currently is a candidate for the doctor of musical arts degree in voice from the University of Cincinnati College. He is presently an assistant professor of voice at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
Pianist Harris maintains an active teaching schedule as teaching assistant for Professor Douglas Humpherys at the Eastman School of Music and as assistant professor of piano and collaborative piano at MTSU. Music critic Richard Dyer has recognized Harris as “a gifted and earnest pianist.”
The March 14 concert is free and open to the public.
For more information on this and other events in the McLean School of Music, please visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.
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298 ‘THE COUNTRY WIFE’ PRANCES ONTO TUCKER STAGE THIS SPRING
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 12, 2007
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919
(MURFREESBORO)—William Wycherley’s comedy of manners, “The Country Wife,” will come to life at 7:30 nightly March 30-31 and April 4-7 in MTSU’s Tucker Theatre as the next offering in the MTSU CenterStage Series.
“Love, lust, deception, curious wives and jealous husbands make this 1675 Restoration Comedy one of the funniest and most vulgar plays of its time,” remarked Jeff Gibson, assistant professor, speech and theatre, who adds that for 200 years, it was considered too outrageous to be performed.
According to the play’s storyline, London's elite are reeling from the news that its most notorious playboy, Jasper Horner, is back from France and rumored to be a medically certified eunuch. Consequently, husbands practically throw their wives at him, delighted that they can have affairs without losing their honor. However, Horner has not been so honest and seduces the wives of his all too trusting friends. Horner's cleverness is taxed, though, when he becomes involved with Margery Pinchwife, a newlywed from the country whose husband is an extremely jealous fop who will protect her innocence at any cost.
“Most of our students have never performed in a play from the Restoration period, and so this show is an exceptional opportunity for them to learn the style of that time,” said Deborah Anderson, professor of speech and theatre and the show’s producer.
“I have spent a lot of time with the students in developing the movement, posture and language of the Restoration period, because we want this show to be as historically true and authentic as possible,” she added.
Production organizers said the dedicated work of Tommy Macon, director of costume, played a vital role in making the show authentic. It was the job of Macon and his staff to recreate the embellished fashion of the late 1600s, including big wigs, elaborate costumes and fancy footwear.
“We are extremely privileged to have Tommy Macon on our faculty,” remarked Anderson, regarding the first-year costume director. “He is a true professional in his field and has designed absolutely stunning costumes for our production.”
Not only will the production be beautiful to view, but also promises to provide much humor and wit for audiences.
Ryan Chittaphong, a senior theater major who plays the role of Pinchwife, said, “I have been having such a blast doing this show. I don’t think I have ever laughed so much in rehearsals than I have for this production.
“There are just so many clever puns and sharp lines within the dialogue,” he added, “and I think the audiences are truly going to love every minute of it.”
•TICKET INFO: Tickets for “The Country Wife” may be purchased at the door on the evening of the performance. Prices range from $4 to $8. MTSU students will be admitted free of charge with a valid I.D. For more information please call (615) 494-8810 or visit the department’s Web site at www.mtsu.edu/~theatre.
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ATTENTION, MEDIA—For editorial needs, including interview requests with performers or faculty, photo requests or to obtain review tickets, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU at 615-898-2919.
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919
(MURFREESBORO)—William Wycherley’s comedy of manners, “The Country Wife,” will come to life at 7:30 nightly March 30-31 and April 4-7 in MTSU’s Tucker Theatre as the next offering in the MTSU CenterStage Series.
“Love, lust, deception, curious wives and jealous husbands make this 1675 Restoration Comedy one of the funniest and most vulgar plays of its time,” remarked Jeff Gibson, assistant professor, speech and theatre, who adds that for 200 years, it was considered too outrageous to be performed.
According to the play’s storyline, London's elite are reeling from the news that its most notorious playboy, Jasper Horner, is back from France and rumored to be a medically certified eunuch. Consequently, husbands practically throw their wives at him, delighted that they can have affairs without losing their honor. However, Horner has not been so honest and seduces the wives of his all too trusting friends. Horner's cleverness is taxed, though, when he becomes involved with Margery Pinchwife, a newlywed from the country whose husband is an extremely jealous fop who will protect her innocence at any cost.
“Most of our students have never performed in a play from the Restoration period, and so this show is an exceptional opportunity for them to learn the style of that time,” said Deborah Anderson, professor of speech and theatre and the show’s producer.
“I have spent a lot of time with the students in developing the movement, posture and language of the Restoration period, because we want this show to be as historically true and authentic as possible,” she added.
Production organizers said the dedicated work of Tommy Macon, director of costume, played a vital role in making the show authentic. It was the job of Macon and his staff to recreate the embellished fashion of the late 1600s, including big wigs, elaborate costumes and fancy footwear.
“We are extremely privileged to have Tommy Macon on our faculty,” remarked Anderson, regarding the first-year costume director. “He is a true professional in his field and has designed absolutely stunning costumes for our production.”
Not only will the production be beautiful to view, but also promises to provide much humor and wit for audiences.
Ryan Chittaphong, a senior theater major who plays the role of Pinchwife, said, “I have been having such a blast doing this show. I don’t think I have ever laughed so much in rehearsals than I have for this production.
“There are just so many clever puns and sharp lines within the dialogue,” he added, “and I think the audiences are truly going to love every minute of it.”
•TICKET INFO: Tickets for “The Country Wife” may be purchased at the door on the evening of the performance. Prices range from $4 to $8. MTSU students will be admitted free of charge with a valid I.D. For more information please call (615) 494-8810 or visit the department’s Web site at www.mtsu.edu/~theatre.
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ATTENTION, MEDIA—For editorial needs, including interview requests with performers or faculty, photo requests or to obtain review tickets, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU at 615-898-2919.
297 5th ANNUAL TENNESSEE GUITAR FESTIVAL SET MARCH 16-21 AT MTSU
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 12, 2007
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, (615) 898-2493
Free Concerts and Master Classes Offered in Conjunction with Festival
(MURFREESBORO)—The 2007 Tennessee Guitar Festival, which will consist of five consecutive nights of guitar concerts by top-notch guitar virtuosos, will be held at 8 each evening beginning March 16 in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
In addition to the nightly concerts, the festival—which is the largest of its kind in the state—will feature three master classes that will conclude March 21. All concerts and master classes are free and open to the public in MTSU’s Hinton Music Hall.
Opening night, March 16, will feature MTSU faculty William Yelverton, who will perform a program on both lute and guitar, along with duos with flutist Deanna Hahn. Roger Hudson will round out the program, performing on both guitar and the oud, a Middle Eastern instrument, with percussionist David Pruett.
Saturday night, March 17, will feature classical guitarist Stephen Robinson, who was heralded by The New York Times for his “effortless virtuosity with intelligence and good taste.”
“One of the most brilliant guitarists of our times,” commented Andrés Segovia.
Sunday night, March 18, will feature acoustic guitar virtuoso Michael Chapdelaine, the only guitarist to win both the Guitar Foundation of America International Classical Guitar Competition and the National Fingerstyle Championships at the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival in Winfield, Kansas.
“We like to have something ‘different’ every year in the Tennessee Guitar Festival, Michael is definitely unique,” remarked Yelverton. “He’ll play a program with both steel string and classical guitar that’ll include his own works as well as arrangements of pop/rock standards.”
Monday night, March 19, will bring Tennessee State University faculty member Richard Todd to perform in his trademark style that Soundboard Magazine has described as “thoughtful and nuanced” but with “intensity, variety of tone color, and ebb and flow in the music.”
The festival will conclude Tuesday, March 20, with a concert by classical guitarist Michael Patilla, an assistant professor of guitar at Mississippi State University.
“Michael is an extremely talented artist,” Patrick Kavanaugh, author, conductor, and executive director of the Masterworks Festival, has said. “I particularly love his approach to South American music.”
Regarding the festival’s featured master classes, Robinson will conduct a 10 a.m. master class March 18; Chapdelaine will sponsor a master class at 10 a.m. March 19; and Patilla will hold a master class at 9:30 a.m. March 21. All master classes will be held in Hinton Music Hall.
•For more information on the Tennessee Guitar Festival, please call (615) 898-2493 or visit http://www.mtsu.edu/~yelverto/guitfest.html.
PERFORMERS AT A GLANCE:
March 16: 8 p.m.—William Yelverton/Roger Hudson and friends
March 17: 5 p.m.—Erol Ozsever, Senior Recital
March 17: 8 p.m.—Stephen Robinson
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, (615) 898-2493
Free Concerts and Master Classes Offered in Conjunction with Festival
(MURFREESBORO)—The 2007 Tennessee Guitar Festival, which will consist of five consecutive nights of guitar concerts by top-notch guitar virtuosos, will be held at 8 each evening beginning March 16 in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
In addition to the nightly concerts, the festival—which is the largest of its kind in the state—will feature three master classes that will conclude March 21. All concerts and master classes are free and open to the public in MTSU’s Hinton Music Hall.
Opening night, March 16, will feature MTSU faculty William Yelverton, who will perform a program on both lute and guitar, along with duos with flutist Deanna Hahn. Roger Hudson will round out the program, performing on both guitar and the oud, a Middle Eastern instrument, with percussionist David Pruett.
Saturday night, March 17, will feature classical guitarist Stephen Robinson, who was heralded by The New York Times for his “effortless virtuosity with intelligence and good taste.”
“One of the most brilliant guitarists of our times,” commented Andrés Segovia.
Sunday night, March 18, will feature acoustic guitar virtuoso Michael Chapdelaine, the only guitarist to win both the Guitar Foundation of America International Classical Guitar Competition and the National Fingerstyle Championships at the Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival in Winfield, Kansas.
“We like to have something ‘different’ every year in the Tennessee Guitar Festival, Michael is definitely unique,” remarked Yelverton. “He’ll play a program with both steel string and classical guitar that’ll include his own works as well as arrangements of pop/rock standards.”
Monday night, March 19, will bring Tennessee State University faculty member Richard Todd to perform in his trademark style that Soundboard Magazine has described as “thoughtful and nuanced” but with “intensity, variety of tone color, and ebb and flow in the music.”
The festival will conclude Tuesday, March 20, with a concert by classical guitarist Michael Patilla, an assistant professor of guitar at Mississippi State University.
“Michael is an extremely talented artist,” Patrick Kavanaugh, author, conductor, and executive director of the Masterworks Festival, has said. “I particularly love his approach to South American music.”
Regarding the festival’s featured master classes, Robinson will conduct a 10 a.m. master class March 18; Chapdelaine will sponsor a master class at 10 a.m. March 19; and Patilla will hold a master class at 9:30 a.m. March 21. All master classes will be held in Hinton Music Hall.
•For more information on the Tennessee Guitar Festival, please call (615) 898-2493 or visit http://www.mtsu.edu/~yelverto/guitfest.html.
PERFORMERS AT A GLANCE:
March 16: 8 p.m.—William Yelverton/Roger Hudson and friends
March 17: 5 p.m.—Erol Ozsever, Senior Recital
March 17: 8 p.m.—Stephen Robinson
294 EXPERT ON ARAB GULF REGION TO ANALYZE IMPACT OF IRAQ WAR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Mar. 8, 2007
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081
MTSU’s Middle East Center to Present Compelling and Timely Speaker
(MURFREESBORO) – One of the nation’s foremost experts on U.S.-Arab Gulf relations, Dr. F. Gregory Gause III, will speak on “The Iraq War: Causes and Consequences” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 14, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business Aerospace Building.
Gause is an associate professor of political science at the University of Vermont and director of its Middle East Studies Program. He is the author of Oil Monarchies: Domestic and Security Challenges in the Arab Gulf States (Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1994) and Saudi-Yemeni Relations: Domestic Structures and Foreign Influence (Columbia University Press, 1990).
From 1987-1995, Gause was on the faculty of Columbia University and was Fellow for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York from 1993-1994. He has testified before the Committee on International Relations of the U.S. House of Representatives, and his articles have appeared in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Middle East Journal, Security Studies, and other publications.
Gause earned his bachelor’s degree (summa cum laude) from St. Joseph’s University in 1980 and his Ph.D. in political science from Harvard University in 1987.
This event, which is sponsored by MTSU’s Middle East Center, is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Allen Hibbard, director of the center, at 615-494-8809 or ahibbard@mtsu.edu or Chantal Rich at 615-494-7906 or cfrich@mtsu.edu.
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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color jpeg photo of Dr. F. Gregory Gause, contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Gina Logue, 615-898-5081
MTSU’s Middle East Center to Present Compelling and Timely Speaker
(MURFREESBORO) – One of the nation’s foremost experts on U.S.-Arab Gulf relations, Dr. F. Gregory Gause III, will speak on “The Iraq War: Causes and Consequences” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 14, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of the Business Aerospace Building.
Gause is an associate professor of political science at the University of Vermont and director of its Middle East Studies Program. He is the author of Oil Monarchies: Domestic and Security Challenges in the Arab Gulf States (Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1994) and Saudi-Yemeni Relations: Domestic Structures and Foreign Influence (Columbia University Press, 1990).
From 1987-1995, Gause was on the faculty of Columbia University and was Fellow for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York from 1993-1994. He has testified before the Committee on International Relations of the U.S. House of Representatives, and his articles have appeared in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Middle East Journal, Security Studies, and other publications.
Gause earned his bachelor’s degree (summa cum laude) from St. Joseph’s University in 1980 and his Ph.D. in political science from Harvard University in 1987.
This event, which is sponsored by MTSU’s Middle East Center, is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Allen Hibbard, director of the center, at 615-494-8809 or ahibbard@mtsu.edu or Chantal Rich at 615-494-7906 or cfrich@mtsu.edu.
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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color jpeg photo of Dr. F. Gregory Gause, contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.
293 MENTAL HEALTH EXPERT TO SPEAK AT MTSU
Sita Diehl to Focus on Consumer and Ex-patient Perspectives
(MURFREESBORO) - Sita Diehl, executive director of NAMI Tennessee, the state affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, will speak from 12:35 p.m. to 1:35 p.m. Wednesday, March 14, in Room 316 of the Keathley University Center at Middle Tennessee State University. Diehl’s address, which is free and open to the public, is titled “A Closer Look at the Consumer and Ex-patient Movement for the Mentally Ill.”
Diehl is best known as editor of the BRIDGES curriculum, a peer-run program of mental health care consumers. She is a co-author of Back from Wherever I’ve Been, a collection of recovery stories from people in the BRIDGES program.
The recipient of master’s degrees in community psychology from Antioch University and social work from the University of Tennessee, Diehl has trained consumer staff of drop-in centers in peer counseling and was a contributing author to the 1998 Journey of Hope curriculum. She has conducted research on public-managed behavioral health care and consumer-operated services, as well as a multi-year study of mental health services in Tennessee county jails, and has developed curricula to cross-train mental health and criminal justice personnel.
This event is sponsored by the MTSU Department of Political Science. For more information, contact Dr. Sekou Franklin at 615-904-8232 or franklin@mtsu.edu.
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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color jpeg of Sita Diehl, contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.
(MURFREESBORO) - Sita Diehl, executive director of NAMI Tennessee, the state affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, will speak from 12:35 p.m. to 1:35 p.m. Wednesday, March 14, in Room 316 of the Keathley University Center at Middle Tennessee State University. Diehl’s address, which is free and open to the public, is titled “A Closer Look at the Consumer and Ex-patient Movement for the Mentally Ill.”
Diehl is best known as editor of the BRIDGES curriculum, a peer-run program of mental health care consumers. She is a co-author of Back from Wherever I’ve Been, a collection of recovery stories from people in the BRIDGES program.
The recipient of master’s degrees in community psychology from Antioch University and social work from the University of Tennessee, Diehl has trained consumer staff of drop-in centers in peer counseling and was a contributing author to the 1998 Journey of Hope curriculum. She has conducted research on public-managed behavioral health care and consumer-operated services, as well as a multi-year study of mental health services in Tennessee county jails, and has developed curricula to cross-train mental health and criminal justice personnel.
This event is sponsored by the MTSU Department of Political Science. For more information, contact Dr. Sekou Franklin at 615-904-8232 or franklin@mtsu.edu.
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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For a color jpeg of Sita Diehl, contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081 or gklogue@mtsu.edu.
291 SLAVERY IS ILLEGAL, BUT IT IS FAR FROM A THING OF THE PAST
Panel Discussion to Shed Light on International and Local Human Trafficking
(MURFREESBORO) – Activists who have dedicated themselves to combating human trafficking and the sex slave trade will participate in a free and open panel discussion at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 21, in Room 108 of the Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building.
Featured speakers will include Amber Beckham, Network of Emergency Trafficking Services (NETS) coordinator for World Relief; Elena Dering, an independent activist against human trafficking; and Colette Bercu, founder and president of Free for Life Ministries, a Nashville-based nonprofit organization.
The underreported crime of human trafficking is described by the United States Department of Health and Human Services as “a modern-day form of slavery. Victims of human trafficking are subjected to force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor. … After drug dealing, human trafficking is tied with the illegal arms industry as the second largest criminal industry in the world today, and it is the fastest growing.”
“It’s a pretty difficult problem to identify if people aren’t looking for it,” Beckham says.
The United States Department of State estimates that between 18,000 and 20,000 victims are trafficked into the U.S. every year, usually from Asia, Central and South America, and eastern Europe. Experts say these victims either wind up in the sex trade (brothels, massage parlors, strip clubs) or in low-paying exploitative jobs in professions with a highly transient and sometimes loosely documented or undocumented work force (construction, agriculture, sweatshops).
Targets of trafficking usually do not file complaints because they frequently are in dire financial straits, speak only the language of their homelands, and are under threat of physical harm or blackmail if they reveal how they are being treated.
“Often times, human trafficking victims will not self-identify upfront,” Beckham says. “It takes prodding on the part of first-responders to get to the heart of the issue.”
Beckham says trafficking victims can suffer from depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and Stockholm Syndrome, a psychological condition in which the captive identifies with and becomes sympathetic to the captor.
Under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, federally funded social service programs can be made available to help victims of trafficking, including health care, education, and job training. Some are even eligible for the federal Witness Protection Program. Also, the law provides for the issuance of so-called “T visas,” which allows trafficking victims to become temporary U.S. residents. Previously, many victims were deported as illegal aliens.
The panel discussion is co-sponsored by the American Democracy Project, and two student organizations, GLOBAL (Get Lost Outside Boundaries and Limitations) and AID (Americans for an Informed Democracy).
The American Democracy Project Web site describes the program as “an initiative of 219 AASCU (American Association of State Colleges and Universities) campuses that seeks to create an intellectual and experiential understanding of civic engagement for undergraduates enrolled at institutions that are members of AASCU.”
GLOBAL is “an international organization. We try to bring students together to raise awareness about global issues and general knowledge of different countries and cultures,” Candi Nunley, GLOBAL president, says.
Americans for Informed Democracy is “a non-partisan organization that brings the world home to the next generation of leaders through educational seminars, leadership summits, town hall meetings, opinion pieces, and global videoconferences,” states its Web site.
For more information, contact Dr. Andrei Korobkov, associate professor of political science, at 615-898-2945 or korobkov@mtsu.edu; Nunley at global@mtsu.edu; or AID President Angie Feeney at amf3g@mtsu.edu.
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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For photos and logos, please contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081.
(MURFREESBORO) – Activists who have dedicated themselves to combating human trafficking and the sex slave trade will participate in a free and open panel discussion at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 21, in Room 108 of the Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building.
Featured speakers will include Amber Beckham, Network of Emergency Trafficking Services (NETS) coordinator for World Relief; Elena Dering, an independent activist against human trafficking; and Colette Bercu, founder and president of Free for Life Ministries, a Nashville-based nonprofit organization.
The underreported crime of human trafficking is described by the United States Department of Health and Human Services as “a modern-day form of slavery. Victims of human trafficking are subjected to force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor. … After drug dealing, human trafficking is tied with the illegal arms industry as the second largest criminal industry in the world today, and it is the fastest growing.”
“It’s a pretty difficult problem to identify if people aren’t looking for it,” Beckham says.
The United States Department of State estimates that between 18,000 and 20,000 victims are trafficked into the U.S. every year, usually from Asia, Central and South America, and eastern Europe. Experts say these victims either wind up in the sex trade (brothels, massage parlors, strip clubs) or in low-paying exploitative jobs in professions with a highly transient and sometimes loosely documented or undocumented work force (construction, agriculture, sweatshops).
Targets of trafficking usually do not file complaints because they frequently are in dire financial straits, speak only the language of their homelands, and are under threat of physical harm or blackmail if they reveal how they are being treated.
“Often times, human trafficking victims will not self-identify upfront,” Beckham says. “It takes prodding on the part of first-responders to get to the heart of the issue.”
Beckham says trafficking victims can suffer from depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and Stockholm Syndrome, a psychological condition in which the captive identifies with and becomes sympathetic to the captor.
Under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, federally funded social service programs can be made available to help victims of trafficking, including health care, education, and job training. Some are even eligible for the federal Witness Protection Program. Also, the law provides for the issuance of so-called “T visas,” which allows trafficking victims to become temporary U.S. residents. Previously, many victims were deported as illegal aliens.
The panel discussion is co-sponsored by the American Democracy Project, and two student organizations, GLOBAL (Get Lost Outside Boundaries and Limitations) and AID (Americans for an Informed Democracy).
The American Democracy Project Web site describes the program as “an initiative of 219 AASCU (American Association of State Colleges and Universities) campuses that seeks to create an intellectual and experiential understanding of civic engagement for undergraduates enrolled at institutions that are members of AASCU.”
GLOBAL is “an international organization. We try to bring students together to raise awareness about global issues and general knowledge of different countries and cultures,” Candi Nunley, GLOBAL president, says.
Americans for Informed Democracy is “a non-partisan organization that brings the world home to the next generation of leaders through educational seminars, leadership summits, town hall meetings, opinion pieces, and global videoconferences,” states its Web site.
For more information, contact Dr. Andrei Korobkov, associate professor of political science, at 615-898-2945 or korobkov@mtsu.edu; Nunley at global@mtsu.edu; or AID President Angie Feeney at amf3g@mtsu.edu.
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ATTENTION, MEDIA: For photos and logos, please contact Gina Logue in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5081.
Friday, March 02, 2007
288 TENNESSEE ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS HONORS MTSU STUDENTS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 2, 2007
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Dr. Brendan Martin, 615-898-2643 or cbmartin@mtsu.edu
TENNESSEE ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS HONORS MTSU STUDENTS FOR EXCELLENCE
Student-Created Exhibit on Permanent Display at Sam Davis Home in Smyrna
(MURFREESBORO)–The Tennessee Association of Museums (TAM) has awarded a group of MTSU students in with an Award of Excellence for their class project, which is now a permanent exhibit at the Sam Davis Home in Smyrna.
Dr. Brenden Martin, MTSU history professor, said graduate students in his Museum Management Seminar class spent last semester planning and constructing the exhibit titled “Recovering Their Story: African Americans on the Davis Plantation, 1850-1925.”
“Interpreting artifacts uncovered in a 2004 archaeological dig, the exhibit tells the story of free and enslaved African Americans who lived on the plantation,” said Martin, who—along with teaching assistant Brian Hackett—assigned specific jobs to each of the 10 students in the class.
“The idea behind this experiential learning project was for students to receive hands-on training in developing a professional work product,” Martin explained. “From design to publicity, students got a crash course in exhibit development and created a final product that reflects the complex lifestyles of an often-overlooked group of people.”
Martin and his students—all of whom are master’s and Ph.D. candidates in the public history program at MTSU—will receive the award during the 2007 TAM Annual Conference, which will be held March 21-23 at the Murfreesboro DoubleTree. The students also will lead a presentation on the exhibit project during the conference.
Regarding the success of the exhibit, Martin said, “Hopefully, this project and the TAM award will enhance their prospects on the job market.”
The exhibit was sponsored by Nissan North America Inc., the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area and the MTSU Public Service Committee.
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EDITORIAL CONTACT: Dr. Brendan Martin, 615-898-2643 or cbmartin@mtsu.edu
TENNESSEE ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS HONORS MTSU STUDENTS FOR EXCELLENCE
Student-Created Exhibit on Permanent Display at Sam Davis Home in Smyrna
(MURFREESBORO)–The Tennessee Association of Museums (TAM) has awarded a group of MTSU students in with an Award of Excellence for their class project, which is now a permanent exhibit at the Sam Davis Home in Smyrna.
Dr. Brenden Martin, MTSU history professor, said graduate students in his Museum Management Seminar class spent last semester planning and constructing the exhibit titled “Recovering Their Story: African Americans on the Davis Plantation, 1850-1925.”
“Interpreting artifacts uncovered in a 2004 archaeological dig, the exhibit tells the story of free and enslaved African Americans who lived on the plantation,” said Martin, who—along with teaching assistant Brian Hackett—assigned specific jobs to each of the 10 students in the class.
“The idea behind this experiential learning project was for students to receive hands-on training in developing a professional work product,” Martin explained. “From design to publicity, students got a crash course in exhibit development and created a final product that reflects the complex lifestyles of an often-overlooked group of people.”
Martin and his students—all of whom are master’s and Ph.D. candidates in the public history program at MTSU—will receive the award during the 2007 TAM Annual Conference, which will be held March 21-23 at the Murfreesboro DoubleTree. The students also will lead a presentation on the exhibit project during the conference.
Regarding the success of the exhibit, Martin said, “Hopefully, this project and the TAM award will enhance their prospects on the job market.”
The exhibit was sponsored by Nissan North America Inc., the Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area and the MTSU Public Service Committee.
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287 MTSU PROFESSOR PARLAYS CAREGIVING ROLE INTO OUTREACH PROJECT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 2, 2007
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919
MTSU PROFESSOR PARLAYS CAREGIVING ROLE INTO OUTREACH PROJECT
Taylor Takes Sabbatical to Implement Faith-Based Caregiver Project in Local Churches
(MURFREESBORO)–Dr. James E. Taylor never set out to become an expert in family caregiving, but life has provided him with the experiences and motivation to do just that.
An assistant professor of social work at MTSU since 1998, Taylor recently began a 12-month sabbatical from full-time teaching to help create what he hopes will become a network of family caregiving resource points within the membership of Nashville’s 14 African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Churches.
Taylor, who found himself in the role of caregiver for his mother 12 years ago, said that when most find themselves in such a role, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and not know where to turn for support.
“Family caregiving is a job we volunteer for and what we do in order to take care of our loved ones,” Taylor said. “I didn’t know that is what I was called, but I was just that.”
The “family caregiver” term, he explained, refers to anyone who provides assistance to someone who is ill, in capacitated or disabled and needs such care to maintain an optimal level of independence. In turn, because families provide the majority of care, they are called “family caregivers,” Taylor said.
Moreover, caregivers may be “informal” care providers, meaning they are not hired and are non-professionals, or “formal” care providers, meaning professionals. Informal caregivers usually are not trained and they may be a friend or relative of the person needed care, Taylor added, while formal caregivers are trained to provide care and often have no family ties to the person receiving the care they provide within private homes, hospices, medical centers or nursing homes.
An only child, Taylor said that when he first began overseeing his mother’s care—including locating and arranging needed services for his elderly mother in spite of their multi-state distance—he didn’t realize that a family caregiver is precisely what he had become.
It was this firsthand experience, though, that ultimately opened a new career for Taylor, who previously worked lived in Maryland, where he served as a program manager for the U.S. Department of Education until his retirement. Once out of the full-time workforce, it didn’t take long for Taylor to grow “tired of being retired,” he said. Thus, Taylor segued his long background in research grant management and social welfare policy organization into a full-time teaching role within MTSU’s Department of Social Work.
“When I came here and started hanging around some of the other professors, and when they found out what I was doing in regard to family caregiving … I ended up parlaying that into a family caregiving class for social workers,” said Taylor, who continues to care for his now Murfreesboro-based mom, age 94.
Initially offered in spring 2002, the Family Caregiving elective course Taylor developed wasn’t met with the student response he had hoped. “But as soon as the Regents Online Degree Program opened up, I modified that course to fit into that instructional format and it’s proved to be very popular,” he said, smiling.
The Family Caregiving elective, which grew in popularity via word of mouth and now boasts full student enrollments, became the impetus for Taylor’s current pilot program, dubbed the MTSU Faith-Based Caregiver Project, that’s focused on family caregiving and the need to serve a traditionally underserved community; namely, the black community.
By the close of December, Taylor said he hopes to help select members of the Women’s Ministry Societies within Nashville’s AME churches become educated about the numerous resources and agencies available to those who are engaged in family caregiving. By partnering with a multitude of such agencies, Taylor’s goal is to provide caregiving workshops that will enable the chosen AME representatives to become aware of the services available to family caregivers, and in turn, then point congregation members who find themselves in the role of caregivers to the proper resources.
Usually, Taylor said, “You’re unprepared for (serving as a caregiver) … and don’t know where to turn or find resources. My contention is that African Americans who attend my churches don’t know where to turn or where to go, so I’m setting up an information source in the church.”
Regarding project’s emphasis on the black community, “Historically, African-Americans face greater health problems, and when they are blessed to have a long life, they may not have the financial resources to pay for needed health care,” Taylor observed.
“Instead of living in a nursing home or an assisted-living residence,” he continued, “they often rely on family members or lived one to care for them in their homes. … Often, these caregivers are not well-informed about available resources and hot to locate services to help their ill family members.”
Although his non-instructional assignment began only this year, already Taylor has contacted and received a positive response from social agencies such the Area Agency on Aging and Disability, the Alzheimer’s Association, the Tennessee Department of Health, the local Arthritis Foundation, Tennessee Center for Child Welfare, Tennessee Respite Coalition, and the Tennessee Centers for Independent Living, among others.
“Usually when we think about family caregiving, we think about old people, but there are many other situations where family caregiving is at work,” Taylor noted. “We have children who are born with spina bifida and lots of other things, and when you have to go through life with that kind of experience, family caregiving is involved.”
In spite of the fact many may family caregivers may feel isolated, “There are a lot of us,” assured Taylor, who added that current literature estimates there are currently at least some 50 million family caregivers.
Moreover, he added, “The dollar value that we attach to the services that (family caregivers) provide is said to be in the neighborhood of $400 billion dollars. Given the amount of that dollar value and the number of us that do it, there’s not an industry in the world that comes close to that.”
With his awareness and expertise on family caregiving firmly in place, Taylor said his current project is a win-win for all involved, thanks to the public service it promises to provide and the partnerships it has begun to create. Additionally, he said he hopes other university faculty and graduate students interested in contributing to his current effort in some way will contact him about possible collaborations or added partnerships related to the caregiver project.
“I am excited about this; I can hardly wait!” exclaimed Taylor, regarding his project designed to serve. “I am going full-speed ahead … and working in the coming year to organize an advisory group, but I need support to help me do clerical work, work with churches and set up workshops.
“I would like to capture the essence of what’s going to take place in this model that I am building so I can create how-to manuals on family caregiving to distribute to the communities. … I think what we are providing is a public service, and that is how I am pursuing this, but I always welcome help and support.”
• For more information about Taylor’s Faith-Based Caregiver Project, please contact him directly via e-mail at jetaylor@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-5049.
—30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA—To request an interview with Dr. Taylor regarding his Faith-Based Caregiver Project, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919. To secure a jpeg of Dr. Taylor for editorial use, please e-mail your request to lrollins@mtsu.edu.
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919
MTSU PROFESSOR PARLAYS CAREGIVING ROLE INTO OUTREACH PROJECT
Taylor Takes Sabbatical to Implement Faith-Based Caregiver Project in Local Churches
(MURFREESBORO)–Dr. James E. Taylor never set out to become an expert in family caregiving, but life has provided him with the experiences and motivation to do just that.
An assistant professor of social work at MTSU since 1998, Taylor recently began a 12-month sabbatical from full-time teaching to help create what he hopes will become a network of family caregiving resource points within the membership of Nashville’s 14 African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Churches.
Taylor, who found himself in the role of caregiver for his mother 12 years ago, said that when most find themselves in such a role, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and not know where to turn for support.
“Family caregiving is a job we volunteer for and what we do in order to take care of our loved ones,” Taylor said. “I didn’t know that is what I was called, but I was just that.”
The “family caregiver” term, he explained, refers to anyone who provides assistance to someone who is ill, in capacitated or disabled and needs such care to maintain an optimal level of independence. In turn, because families provide the majority of care, they are called “family caregivers,” Taylor said.
Moreover, caregivers may be “informal” care providers, meaning they are not hired and are non-professionals, or “formal” care providers, meaning professionals. Informal caregivers usually are not trained and they may be a friend or relative of the person needed care, Taylor added, while formal caregivers are trained to provide care and often have no family ties to the person receiving the care they provide within private homes, hospices, medical centers or nursing homes.
An only child, Taylor said that when he first began overseeing his mother’s care—including locating and arranging needed services for his elderly mother in spite of their multi-state distance—he didn’t realize that a family caregiver is precisely what he had become.
It was this firsthand experience, though, that ultimately opened a new career for Taylor, who previously worked lived in Maryland, where he served as a program manager for the U.S. Department of Education until his retirement. Once out of the full-time workforce, it didn’t take long for Taylor to grow “tired of being retired,” he said. Thus, Taylor segued his long background in research grant management and social welfare policy organization into a full-time teaching role within MTSU’s Department of Social Work.
“When I came here and started hanging around some of the other professors, and when they found out what I was doing in regard to family caregiving … I ended up parlaying that into a family caregiving class for social workers,” said Taylor, who continues to care for his now Murfreesboro-based mom, age 94.
Initially offered in spring 2002, the Family Caregiving elective course Taylor developed wasn’t met with the student response he had hoped. “But as soon as the Regents Online Degree Program opened up, I modified that course to fit into that instructional format and it’s proved to be very popular,” he said, smiling.
The Family Caregiving elective, which grew in popularity via word of mouth and now boasts full student enrollments, became the impetus for Taylor’s current pilot program, dubbed the MTSU Faith-Based Caregiver Project, that’s focused on family caregiving and the need to serve a traditionally underserved community; namely, the black community.
By the close of December, Taylor said he hopes to help select members of the Women’s Ministry Societies within Nashville’s AME churches become educated about the numerous resources and agencies available to those who are engaged in family caregiving. By partnering with a multitude of such agencies, Taylor’s goal is to provide caregiving workshops that will enable the chosen AME representatives to become aware of the services available to family caregivers, and in turn, then point congregation members who find themselves in the role of caregivers to the proper resources.
Usually, Taylor said, “You’re unprepared for (serving as a caregiver) … and don’t know where to turn or find resources. My contention is that African Americans who attend my churches don’t know where to turn or where to go, so I’m setting up an information source in the church.”
Regarding project’s emphasis on the black community, “Historically, African-Americans face greater health problems, and when they are blessed to have a long life, they may not have the financial resources to pay for needed health care,” Taylor observed.
“Instead of living in a nursing home or an assisted-living residence,” he continued, “they often rely on family members or lived one to care for them in their homes. … Often, these caregivers are not well-informed about available resources and hot to locate services to help their ill family members.”
Although his non-instructional assignment began only this year, already Taylor has contacted and received a positive response from social agencies such the Area Agency on Aging and Disability, the Alzheimer’s Association, the Tennessee Department of Health, the local Arthritis Foundation, Tennessee Center for Child Welfare, Tennessee Respite Coalition, and the Tennessee Centers for Independent Living, among others.
“Usually when we think about family caregiving, we think about old people, but there are many other situations where family caregiving is at work,” Taylor noted. “We have children who are born with spina bifida and lots of other things, and when you have to go through life with that kind of experience, family caregiving is involved.”
In spite of the fact many may family caregivers may feel isolated, “There are a lot of us,” assured Taylor, who added that current literature estimates there are currently at least some 50 million family caregivers.
Moreover, he added, “The dollar value that we attach to the services that (family caregivers) provide is said to be in the neighborhood of $400 billion dollars. Given the amount of that dollar value and the number of us that do it, there’s not an industry in the world that comes close to that.”
With his awareness and expertise on family caregiving firmly in place, Taylor said his current project is a win-win for all involved, thanks to the public service it promises to provide and the partnerships it has begun to create. Additionally, he said he hopes other university faculty and graduate students interested in contributing to his current effort in some way will contact him about possible collaborations or added partnerships related to the caregiver project.
“I am excited about this; I can hardly wait!” exclaimed Taylor, regarding his project designed to serve. “I am going full-speed ahead … and working in the coming year to organize an advisory group, but I need support to help me do clerical work, work with churches and set up workshops.
“I would like to capture the essence of what’s going to take place in this model that I am building so I can create how-to manuals on family caregiving to distribute to the communities. … I think what we are providing is a public service, and that is how I am pursuing this, but I always welcome help and support.”
• For more information about Taylor’s Faith-Based Caregiver Project, please contact him directly via e-mail at jetaylor@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-5049.
—30—
ATTENTION, MEDIA—To request an interview with Dr. Taylor regarding his Faith-Based Caregiver Project, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at 615-898-2919. To secure a jpeg of Dr. Taylor for editorial use, please e-mail your request to lrollins@mtsu.edu.
286 MTSU GUEST ARTIST RECITAL FEATURES TENOR RANDALL UMSTEAD
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 28, 2007
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493
(MURFREESBORO)–Guest artist Randall Umstead (tenor) will be be joined by MTSU faculty member Caleb Harris (piano) in a recital at 8 p.m. March 14 in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
“It will be a pleasure to welcome such an accomplished and wonderful artist to campus,” said Harris of Umstead.
“It will (also) be a wonderful opportunity for audiences to hear a cycle of songs by Benjamin Britten, The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, Op. 35,” Harris added. “This set of nine songs will be the centerpiece of the program and include highly virtuosic writing for both tenor and piano.”
As well as presenting works by Britten, they also will perform pieces by Liszt and Schubert. The duo will perform the Three Petrarch Sonnets by Liszt.
“These wonderful songs (by Liszt), which have become standards of the tenor repertoire, are beautiful examples of the some of the most lyrical and passionate writing for voice and piano,” Harris said.
Umstead, who has performed widely in both operatic roles and concert music, holds a master of music degree in voice from the University of Cincinnati College’s Conservatory of Music as well as a bachelor of music degree in voice from Oklahoma Baptist University. He currently is a candidate for the doctor of musical arts degree in voice from the University of Cincinnati College. He is presently an assistant professor of voice at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
Pianist Harris maintains an active teaching schedule as teaching assistant for Professor Douglas Humpherys at the Eastman School of Music and as assistant professor of piano and collaborative piano at MTSU. Music critic Richard Dyer has recognized Harris as “a gifted and earnest pianist.”
The March 14 concert is free and open to the public.
For more information on this and other events in the McLean School of Music, please visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493
(MURFREESBORO)–Guest artist Randall Umstead (tenor) will be be joined by MTSU faculty member Caleb Harris (piano) in a recital at 8 p.m. March 14 in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
“It will be a pleasure to welcome such an accomplished and wonderful artist to campus,” said Harris of Umstead.
“It will (also) be a wonderful opportunity for audiences to hear a cycle of songs by Benjamin Britten, The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, Op. 35,” Harris added. “This set of nine songs will be the centerpiece of the program and include highly virtuosic writing for both tenor and piano.”
As well as presenting works by Britten, they also will perform pieces by Liszt and Schubert. The duo will perform the Three Petrarch Sonnets by Liszt.
“These wonderful songs (by Liszt), which have become standards of the tenor repertoire, are beautiful examples of the some of the most lyrical and passionate writing for voice and piano,” Harris said.
Umstead, who has performed widely in both operatic roles and concert music, holds a master of music degree in voice from the University of Cincinnati College’s Conservatory of Music as well as a bachelor of music degree in voice from Oklahoma Baptist University. He currently is a candidate for the doctor of musical arts degree in voice from the University of Cincinnati College. He is presently an assistant professor of voice at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
Pianist Harris maintains an active teaching schedule as teaching assistant for Professor Douglas Humpherys at the Eastman School of Music and as assistant professor of piano and collaborative piano at MTSU. Music critic Richard Dyer has recognized Harris as “a gifted and earnest pianist.”
The March 14 concert is free and open to the public.
For more information on this and other events in the McLean School of Music, please visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.
—30—
Thursday, March 01, 2007
285 MTSU GUEST ARTIST RECITAL FEATURES TENOR RANDALL UMSTEAD
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 28, 2007
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493
(MURFREESBORO)–Guest artist Randall Umstead (tenor) will be be joined by MTSU faculty member Caleb Harris (piano) in a recital at 8 p.m. March 14 in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
“It will be a pleasure to welcome such an accomplished and wonderful artist to campus,” said Harris of Umstead.
“It will (also) be a wonderful opportunity for audiences to hear a cycle of songs by Benjamin Britten, The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, Op. 35,” Harris added. “This set of nine songs will be the centerpiece of the program and include highly virtuosic writing for both tenor and piano.”
As well as presenting works by Britten, they also will perform pieces by Liszt and Schubert. The duo will perform the Three Petrarch Sonnets by Liszt.
“These wonderful songs (by Liszt), which have become standards of the tenor repertoire, are beautiful examples of the some of the most lyrical and passionate writing for voice and piano,” Harris said.
Umstead, who has performed widely in both operatic roles and concert music, holds a master of music degree in voice from the University of Cincinnati College’s Conservatory of Music as well as a bachelor of music degree in voice from Oklahoma Baptist University. He currently is a candidate for the doctor of musical arts degree in voice from the University of Cincinnati College. He is presently an assistant professor of voice at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
Pianist Harris maintains an active teaching schedule as teaching assistant for Professor Douglas Humpherys at the Eastman School of Music and as assistant professor of piano and collaborative piano at MTSU. Music critic Richard Dyer has recognized Harris as “a gifted and earnest pianist.”
The March 14 concert is free and open to the public.
For more information on this and other events in the McLean School of Music, please visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.
—30—
CONTACT: Tim Musselman, 615-898-2493
(MURFREESBORO)–Guest artist Randall Umstead (tenor) will be be joined by MTSU faculty member Caleb Harris (piano) in a recital at 8 p.m. March 14 in the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
“It will be a pleasure to welcome such an accomplished and wonderful artist to campus,” said Harris of Umstead.
“It will (also) be a wonderful opportunity for audiences to hear a cycle of songs by Benjamin Britten, The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, Op. 35,” Harris added. “This set of nine songs will be the centerpiece of the program and include highly virtuosic writing for both tenor and piano.”
As well as presenting works by Britten, they also will perform pieces by Liszt and Schubert. The duo will perform the Three Petrarch Sonnets by Liszt.
“These wonderful songs (by Liszt), which have become standards of the tenor repertoire, are beautiful examples of the some of the most lyrical and passionate writing for voice and piano,” Harris said.
Umstead, who has performed widely in both operatic roles and concert music, holds a master of music degree in voice from the University of Cincinnati College’s Conservatory of Music as well as a bachelor of music degree in voice from Oklahoma Baptist University. He currently is a candidate for the doctor of musical arts degree in voice from the University of Cincinnati College. He is presently an assistant professor of voice at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
Pianist Harris maintains an active teaching schedule as teaching assistant for Professor Douglas Humpherys at the Eastman School of Music and as assistant professor of piano and collaborative piano at MTSU. Music critic Richard Dyer has recognized Harris as “a gifted and earnest pianist.”
The March 14 concert is free and open to the public.
For more information on this and other events in the McLean School of Music, please visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.
—30—
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