[074] MTSU Faculty Premieres 'Shapes' During Sept. 14 Recital

MTSU FACULTY PREMIERES ‘SHAPES’ DURING SEPT. 14 RECITAL

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU faculty clarinetist and pianist/composer Jackson Henry will premiere Henry's new work, “Shapes,” during a free concert at 8 p.m. Sept. 14 in the Hinton Music Hall of the Wright Music Building on the MTSU campus.
"We are very excited to present (this premier) by ... Henry," said Todd Waldecker, associate professor of music at MTSU. "I approached Jackson last year about arranging some gospel tunes for clarinet and piano. Jackson welcomed the challenge and has ingeniously crafted a charming suite of songs from the shape-note hymn tradition.
“The suite contains tunes of faith that are beautiful, haunting and joyful,” he added. “It's a welcome addition to the clarinet and piano repertoire."
In addition to “Shapes,” the duo will perform “Romanian Folk Dances” by Béla Bartók, “Arpeggione” by Franz Schubert and “Four Pieces in Bird Shape” by Takashi Yoshimatsu.
MTSU’s Waldecker was a recipient of the 2006 MTSU Foundation Outstanding Teacher Award. He has earned degrees from Indiana University, Yale University and the University of Missouri. Prior to his appointment at MTSU, he held teaching jobs at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Purdue University and the University of Northern Iowa.
Henry is a United Methodist minister and musician originally from Kingsport, Tenn. He now serves in Murfreesboro at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church as director of music ministries and has also been an adjunct member of MTSU’s music faculty. He is a graduate of the Master of Sacred Music program at Perkins School of Theology/Meadows School of the Arts, Southern Methodist University, where he received the Prothro Promise for Ministry Scholarship, the Roger Deschner Prize in Sacred Music and the Master of Sacred Music Award.
While at SMU, he was also assistant director of the Seminary Singers under Dr. C. Michael Hawn. Before coming to Murfreesboro, Jackson served as director of music ministries at the United Methodist Church of the Disciple, DeSoto, Texas.
The Sept. 14 concert is free and open to the public. For more information on this and other concerts in the MTSU School of Music, visit www.mtsumusic.com or call 615-898-2493.
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