College of Music in the News

Students presenting in front of Entrepreneurship judge David Cutler

UNT College of Music launches music entrepreneurship competition

DENTON (UNT), Texas - Music students at the University of North Texas are invited to create and submit business plans as part of the College of Music’s inaugural Music Entrepreneurship Competition.

Competitors will be eligible to earn cash prizes totaling $18,000, which can be used by the students to launch start-up businesses.

Fabiana Claure, director of career development and entrepreneurship in music, said the competition aims to engage students in entrepreneurial thinking and help them develop plans of action.

“We want students to know that even though they are busy with coursework, college is one of the best times to start a business,” Claure said. “So many trendsetting businesses, from Google to Facebook, were started by college students.”

Claure knows the potential for such competitions. She won several prizes in a similar contest as a doctoral student at the University of Miami, which helped her launch her own business, Superior Academy of Music, in Miami, shortly after graduation in 2011.

UNT’s competition will have a graduate and undergraduate track, and all College of Music students are eligible to enter.

To develop business plans, students can use a variety of resources, including online tutorials, existing courses, university-sponsored workshops and faculty mentorship. Plans must include summary statements, business descriptions, market analyses, operations statements and financial information.

A panel of judges will include musicians and business people from North Texas and beyond. The competition also will host an artist-in-residency featuring David Cutler, author of The Savvy Musician and founder of the Savvy Arts Venture Challenge at the University of South Carolina.

Deadline for entries is March 15, and three finalists and two honorable mentions in each track will be announced April 14. A grand finale on April 23 in the College of Music’s Recital Hall will feature a live audience. Judges and audience members will be able to ask questions and vote on their favorite students before an awards ceremony. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, go to http://career.music.unt.edu/competition.

 

UNT News Service Phone Number: (940) 565-2108

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Quartet of Disneyland Band Members

UNT tops alumni list for renowned Disneyland band

DENTON (UNT), Texas – For University of North Texas College of Music graduate student Brendon Wilkins, the opportunity to perform in the Disneyland All-American College Band was much more than a summer job.

An alto saxophonist, Wilkins performed with some of the best collegiate musicians in the country while learning tips from the industry’s top jazz musicians.

“It was terrific. I have never had an experience quite like this,” said Wilkins, 24, a member of the 2016 band. “I learned a lot about what it takes to make it as a professional musician.”

Wilkins is the most recent University of North Texas student to earn a coveted spot in the Disneyland All-American College Band.

UNT’s College of Music and the All-American College Band share a strong bond. No other university in the country has had more students chosen to participate in the Disneyland college band, which began in 1971. The 21-piece ensemble performs at the Disneyland Resort in California for 11 weeks each summer. As part of the program, students earn school credit by completing a major educational project and train with industry professionals such as Wayne Bergeron, Gregg Field and Rick Baptist.

UNT has 64 band alumni. University of Southern California came in second with 37, and Indiana University third with 30 members.

Why the distinction?

“First and foremost, UNT is a really great music school that produces really great musicians,” said Ben Goodner, who is Disneyland’s Guest Talent Manager. “Second, word of mouth is our greatest source of advertising and UNT students have spread the word among themselves, which has created a grassroots recruiting effort.”

Any full-time college student in the United States, graduate or undergraduate, is eligible to audition for a spot in the band. If selected, band members perform and attend daily clinics and rehearsals. Performances include a big band show with a jazz format and marching band-style shows.

Talent managers who select the participants say they look for excellent musicians, but also engaging personalities.

“We want people who will put themselves out there,” Goodner said. “We look for someone who is not afraid to smile, someone who is not afraid to look a guest in the eye and make a connection.”

For Brian Clancy, a jazz saxophonist and 2011 UNT graduate in jazz studies, performing with the band expanded his musical repertoire and helped launch his career on the West Coast. Clancy now works as a freelance musician in the Los Angeles area. He landed a part-time job as a stage manager at Disneyland and performs in multiple bands at the park year-round.

“I learned how to truly perform in a variety of styles,” said Clancy, who is from Southlake. “I also developed connections, learned a lot about myself and learned a lot about the music industry. I left with a much bigger network than I had when I arrived.”

Wilkins, who earned a bachelor’s degree from UNT in jazz studies and music education in 2016 and is now pursuing his graduate degree, said he has encouraged fellow UNT students to audition for the band.

“The high standards we are accustomed to at UNT and the College of Music set us up to succeed with the All-American College Band,” he said. “We learn everything we need at UNT and are able to put it into action at Disneyland.”

 

UNT News Service Phone Number: (940) 565-2108

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Jazz Saxophone Students with Brad Leali

UNT jazz student wins two international saxophone competitions

DENTON (UNT), Texas - University of North Texas College of Music senior, Howard Dietz, won the Buffet Crampon and Julius Keilwerth Saxophone Idol competition and Yamaha Young Performing Artists Program award for saxophone.

Saxophone Idol is an international jazz competition in which selected finalists from around the world are invited to perform live in front of a panel of judges and a sold-out house. The Yamaha Young Performing Artists Program award “recognizes outstanding young musicians from around the world of classical, jazz and contemporary music.”

Dietz has always loved music and began playing saxophone at age 12 at the encouragement of his father.

After seeing a video of the One O’Clock Lab Band in high school, Dietz decided he wanted to study jazz. He chose UNT because of the College of Music’s prestigious jazz studies program. At UNT, Dietz studies saxophone with associate professor Brad Leali, whom he says is “an honest musician and person.”

“When I first started taking lessons with him, he exposed my weaknesses,” Dietz said. “That was the most helpful thing for me.”

To make it to the final rounds of the Saxophone Idol competition, Dietz sent an initial audition video which secured him a spot as a semifinalist. After another round of judging, three finalists were chosen to perform live at Andy’s Jazz Club in Chicago for a panel of five judges, including Keilwerth Saxophone Artists Brad Leali, Mike Smith, and Don Zentz, along with Buffet Crampon USA President and CEO François Kloc and “Downbeat Magazine” Contributing Editor Ed Enright.

Dietz said he was excited when he found out he won the competition and was amazed at the talent and abilities of his competitors.

“It felt really euphoric when I actually won,” he said. “Even though this was a competition, there was a friendly environment. It’s all about the music and the people I competed against had the same sentiment.”

As winner of the 2016 Saxophone Idol contest, Dietz was presented with a Julius Keilwerth MKX Saxophone. Additional prizes included a year supply of D'Addario Reeds and a two-year subscription to “Downbeat magazine,” courtesy of contributing sponsors D'Addario, a manufacturer of musical instruments, and “Downbeat.”

Dietz first heard about the Yamaha Young Performing Artists competition when he was in high school and has entered on and off since then. For winning this year, he will perform at Yamaha’s Music for All Summer Symposium in June and participate in workshops and networking sessions designed to help launch his career.

“If you’re a saxophonist or musician looking to enter these competitions, I’d say go for it,” Dietz said. 

 

UNT News Service Phone Number: (940) 565-2108

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Vocal Performing Ensemble "Roomful of Teeth"

Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth returns to UNT for unique performance

What: Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth will perform a concert at the University of North Texas.

When: 8 p.m. March 9 (Thursday).

Where: Margot and Bill Winspear Performance Hall in the Murchison Performing Arts Center, 2100 Interstate 35E, Denton. The event also will be streamed live at https://recording.music.unt.edu/.

Cost: $10 for the public; $8 for UNT faculty, staff and Alumni Association members; free for UNT students. Students can pick up their free ticket at the Murchison Performing Arts Center box office. UNT faculty, staff, alumni and the public, may purchase their tickets at the Murchison Performing Arts Center online.

Parking: Free parking will be available in the lot next to the MPAC, with overflow parking available in lots 4 and 26.

More information: For a complete list of UNT College of Music events, including faculty and student recitals, visit the College of Music online calendar at http://music.unt.edu/calendar and connect with the College of Music on Facebook at Facebook.com/UNTCollegeofMusic and on Twitter at @UNTCoM.

 

DENTON (UNT), Texas - The Grammy-winning vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth is bringing their unique sound back to the University of North Texas. The eight-member ensemble that “mines the expressive potential of the human voice” will perform at 8 p.m. March 9 (Thursday) in the College of Music’s Margot and Bill Winspear Performance Hall in the Murchison Performing Arts Center, 2100 Interstate 35E, Denton. The ensemble is returning to perform their final concert as part of their 2016-17 UNT Institute for the Advancement of the Arts residency.

Roomful of Teeth is known for incorporating indigenous vocal techniques from around the world to create unique harmonies. For this reason, the group often characterizes themselves as a “vocal band.”

The ensemble won a Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance in 2013 for its debut album, Roomful of Teeth. Member Caroline Shaw won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2013 for her composition, Partita for 8 Voices, that was included on that album. Roomful of Teeth released its second album, Render, in 2015.

One of its members is UNT alumnus Cameron Beauchamp. Thann Scoggin, who earned his bachelor’s in performance in 2004 and master’s degree in library science in 2007, will also perform with the ensemble.

Tickets cost $10 for the public, $8 for UNT faculty, staff and Alumni Association members, and are free for UNT students. Students can pick up their free ticket at the Murchison Performing Arts Center box office. The public can purchase tickets through the MPAC box office at 940-369-7802 or visit the center's website. The event also will be streamed live at UNTMusicLive.com.

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"Harp Beats" Ensemble sitting atop University of North Texas sign

College of Music harp ensemble raising funds to perform on international stage

College of Music harp ensemble raising funds to perform on international stage

DENTON (UNT), Texas - The University of North Texas HarpBeats will perform at the World Harp Congress, one of the most prestigious honors in the world for harpists.

The HarpBeats, a 10-member College of Music ensemble, will travel to Hong Kong in July for the concert.

“This is an incredible honor,” said Jaymee Haefner, director of the ensemble and assistant professor of harp. “The World Harp Congress is the best of the best in the world, and we are humbled and thrilled to be included.”

UNT’s 10-year-old ensemble has attracted international attention for its innovative arrangements of traditional and popular music, ranging from Bach to Led Zeppelin. The group recently won the National Harp Ensemble Competition of the American Harp Society.

One of the largest and most highly acclaimed college harp ensembles in the country, HarpBeats is now recording a CD that features original compositions and arrangements by ensemble members.

This will be the ensemble’s first performance at the World Harp Congress, which meets every three years and draws harpists from more than 50 countries.

Members have so far raised $20,000 for the trip through concerts, alumni donations and university funding. They need to raise $5,000 more to meet their goal, Haefner said.

“World Harp Congress is one of the most important performance platforms for young harpists in the world,” she said. “This is an important step in increasing the visibility for HarpBeats on an international stage.”

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UNT Grammy Nominees

College of Music alumni see Grammy wins

DENTON (UNT), Texas - University of North Texas alumni picked up several awards at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday (Feb. 12). Here are a round-up of the winners:

Maren Morris: Country star newcomer Maren Morris won big with the Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance.

Snarky Puppy: Snarky Puppy, a group made up of several College of Music alumni, took home the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album Grammy. UNT College of Music alumnus Michael League is the bassist, composer and founder of the band Snarky Puppy. Among the other alumni who make up the band that has roughly two dozen rotating members are Nate Werth, percussion; Justin Stanton, trumpet and keyboards; Bob Lanzetti, guitar; Mike Maher, trumpet; Chris Bullock, tenor saxophone; Chris McQueen, electric guitar; and Jay Jennings, trumpet.

Michael Daugherty: Composition alumni Michael Daugherty won big with three Grammy Awards. He took home the awards for Contemporary Classical, Classical Instrumental Solo and Classical Compendium.

Patricia Racette: Opera stars Patricia Racette and Scott Scully provided vocals for the album “Corigliano: The Ghosts of Versailles,” which won the Grammy for Best Engineered Album (Classical). Racette also was part of the group that won for Best Opera Recording.

Tyler Summers: Alumnus Tyler Summers, who is based out of Nashville, played alto and tenor saxophone on Kirk Franklin's Grammy winning Best Gospel Album.

Others who received Grammy nominations or worked on projects that received Grammy nominations included:

  • UNT alumnus Andrew Savage from the band Parquet Courts which was nominated for Best Recording Package
  • UNT alumna Carmen Cusack, who was the principal soloist on the "Bright Star" album which was nominated for the Best Musical Theater Album
  • UNT alumni Dave Pietro and Rob Wilkerson, who are members of Darcy James Argue's Secret Society which was nominated for Best Large Jazz Ensemble for "Real Enemies"
  • UNT alumni James Blackwell and  Chad Willis who performed with Bob Mintzer who was nominated for Best Large Jazz Ensemble for "All L.A. Band"
  • UNT alumnus Ray Brinker from the Tierney Sutton Band which was nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album for "The Sting Variations"
  • UNT College of Music faculty member Joseph Banowetz who played piano on "Friedman: Original Piano Compositions" which was nominated for Producer of the Year (Classical)

 

 
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Vocal Performing Ensemble "Roomful of Teeth"

Roomful of Teeth to serve as 2016-17 artist-in-residence

What: A free performance by Roomful of Teeth, the Grammy-winning vocal ensemble and artist-in-residence at the University of North Texas for 2016-17.

When: 8 p.m. Oct. 17 (Monday)

Where: Paul Voertman Concert Hall, located in the Music Building at 415 Avenue C, Denton.

Cost: Free, but interested guests are asked to reserve their seats at http://www.thempac.com.

Parking: Free parking will be available in lots 4 and 26.

DENTON (UNT), Texas -- Roomful of Teeth, a Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble, will serve as the 2016-17 artist-in-residence for the University of North Texas.

Roomful of Teeth will perform a concert at 8 p.m. Oct. 17 (Monday) at Voertman Hall in the Music Building. The members will also work with students in the College of Music as part of their residency this fall and next spring. The concert is free, but interested guests are asked to reserve their seats at www.thempac.com.

The residency is sponsored by UNT's Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Institute for the Advancement of the Arts, the arm of UNT that promotes artistic and creative expression.

Roomful of Teeth is an eight-member ensemble that "mines the expressive potential of the human voice." The ensemble is known for incorporating indigenous vocal techniques from around the world to create unique harmonies. For this reason, the group often characterizes themselves as a "vocal band."

The ensemble won a Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance in 2013 for its debut album, Roomful of Teeth. Member Caroline Shaw won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2013 for her composition, Partita for 8 Voices, that was included on that album. Roomful of Teeth released its second album, Render, in 2015.

One of its members include UNT alumnus Cameron Beauchamp, who is excited about making new relationships with UNT students and faculty when the ensemble visits next month.

"With such an incredibly vast and diverse school of music, we'll have endless possibilities of collaboration," he said. "I can't wait for the ideas to start flowing."

Thann Scoggin, who earned his bachelor's in performance in 2004 and master's degree in library science in 2007, will also appear with the ensemble.

Warren Henry, professor of music education and senior associate dean for academic affairs, said Roomful of Teeth would have a significant impact on the College of Music and UNT for several reasons.

"Part of our mission in the College of Music is to provide experiences for students that enhance and enrich their degree requirements," Henry said. "Having Roomful of Teeth in residence means that our students can integrate with the members of the ensemble in ways that would not be possible with just a one-day visit."

The ensemble's leader, Brad Wells, will talk to students about entrepreneurship and promoting ideas – which aligns with UNT's new classes in career development and music entrepreneurship.

Roomful of Teeth will also work with students from the choral and vocal areas. Because the ensemble frequently commissions new works, the members will also interact with students from the Division of Composition.

The ensemble will return in April, at which time they will present a second concert in the Murchison Performing Arts Center.

Beauchamp said he's eager to be back in Denton and UNT.

"I am really looking forward to seeing how the school of music has changed, connecting with former professors and eating my way through lots of old favorite restaurants," he said.

Past IAA artists-in-residence have included screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga, composer Jake Heggie, visual and performance artist Nick Cave, sculptor and printmaker Kiki Smith, novelist Aleksandar Hemon and playwright Doug Wright.

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UNT Student Union, external shot

Lab bands, jazz ensembles featured at UNT Union Syndicate

The University of North Texas College of Music is celebrating 70 years of jazz by offering free evening and lunchtime jazz performances in the University Union Syndicate, 1155 Union Circle. 

The free weekly concerts are open to the UNT community and the general public. Performances will showcase the UNT College of Music's variety of jazz ensembles at noon on Thursdays and Fridays and 9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The One O'Clock Lab Band will kick off the first Wednesday night and Thursday lunchtime events.

The Tuesday at 9 p.m. schedule includes:

Jan. 31 – Jazz Combo Night

Feb. 7 – U-Tubes, directed by Conner Eisenmenger; and Jazz Combos

Feb. 14 – Guitar ensembles, directed by Daniel Pinilla and Ethan Stalbaum; and Zebras, directed by Brent McCollough

Feb. 28 – Latin Jazz Lab, directed by José Aponte

Mar. 7 – Third Street, directed by Andrew Evangelista; Jazz Singers, directed by Jennifer Barnes; and Vocal Jazz Combos

Mar. 21 – West End, directed by Justin Binek; Avenue C, directed by Andrew Evangelista; and Vocal Jazz Combos

Mar. 28 – Guitar ensembles, directed by Daniel Pinilla and Ethan Stalbaum; and Zebras, directed by Brent McCollough

Apr. 4 – US Army Jazz Ambassadors (Special Guest Artist)

Apr. 11 – Latin Jazz Lab, directed by José Aponte

Apr. 18 – U-Tubes, directed by Conner Eisenmenger; and Vocal Jazz Combos

The Wednesday at 9 p.m. schedule includes:

Feb. 1 – One O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Alan Baylock

Feb. 8 – Three O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Tanya Darby; Two O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Rodney Booth

Feb. 15 – Five O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Luke Wingfield; Four O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Brian Horton

Mar. 1 – Seven O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Abdullah Ebrahim; Six O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Conner Eisenmenger

Mar. 8 – Nine O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Brian Woodbury; Eight O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Colleen Clark

Mar. 22 – One O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Alan Baylock

Mar. 29 – Three O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Tanya Darby; Two O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Rodney Booth

Apr. 5 – Five O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Luke Wingfield; Four O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Brian Horton

Apr. 12 – Seven O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Abdullah Ebrahim; Six O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Conner Eisenmenger

Apr. 19 – Nine O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Brian Woodbury; Eight O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Colleen Clark

The Thursday at noon schedule includes:

Feb. 2 – One O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Alan Baylock

Feb. 9 – Two O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Rodney Booth

Feb. 16 – Three O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Tanya Darby

Mar. 2 – Four O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Brian Horton

Mar. 9 – Five O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Luke Wingfield

Mar. 23 – Six O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Conner Eisenmenger

Mar. 30 – Seven O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Abdullah Ebrahim

Apr. 6 – Eight O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Colleen Clark

Apr. 13 – Nine O'Clock Lab Band, directed by Brian Woodbury

The Friday at noon schedule features:

Feb. 3 – Jazz Combo

Feb. 10 – U-Tubes, directed by Conner Eisenmenger

Feb. 17 – Zebras, directed by Brent McCollough

Mar. 3 – Guitar ensembles, directed by Daniel Pinilla and Ethan Stalbaum

Mar. 10 – Latin Jazz Lab, directed by José Aponte

Mar. 24 – Jazz Singers, directed by Jennifer Barnes

Mar. 31 – Avenue C, directed by Andrew Evangelista

Apr. 7 – Third Street, directed by Andrew Evangelista

Apr. 14 – West End, directed by Justin Binek

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