Graduate Music Workshops

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Workshop Registration and Housing Payment Form for 2009

Workshop Fees

The cost to receive two graduate credits is $1,206. The fee for noncredit participation is $TBD. You may pay by check, made payable to Ithaca College, or by credit card.

Registration for any of the graduate music workshops must be done through the Division of Graduate and Professional Studies. Please download the Registration and Housing Payment Form (PDF) and mail or fax it to:

Division of Graduate and Professional Studies
Ithaca College
953 Danby Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
Phone: 607-274-3143
Fax: 607-274-1263

Housing and Meals

Housing is available for workshop participants from Sunday night through Friday night, June 28-July 3, 2009.

Some residence halls have community bathrooms and showers (separated by gender) and are not climate controlled. Some have private bathrooms with showers, and are climate controlled. Smoking is not permitted in any of the residence halls.

Meals may be purchased in the College snack bar or off campus. A College dining hall, where you may purchase cafeteria-style meals on a fixed-price basis, will also be open.

June 29-July 3, 2009

Each of the workshops listed below is offered for two graduate credits, or noncredit.

Choral Music Experience Workshop
The Complexity of Simplicity: Connecting West African Singing, Dancing, and Drumming to Choral Music
When one first hears West African drumming, it might sound like many sounds played loudly. As one's understanding of the art form grows, the ability to hear the communication between parts and the patterns within the music increases. The same is true of classical and contemporary choral music. This workshop will explore listening with the mind and body and allowing this listening to influence the performance, creating more artistry and connection to spirit. Through listening and communicating with other parts, the performer learns intense listening and how to perform with greater understanding and musicianship. One can maintain his/her own voice while being a vital part of the whole. Singers learn that the way they sing their part is associated with what the other parts are doing. A musical community is formed, and performances become more musical and vibrant. Join Janet Galván, Kathy Armstrong, and Jennifer Haywood as they connect the wisdom of drumming to the artistry of singing. For those who have studied with Armstrong before, there will be opportunities to go to higher levels and more challenging involvement. As part of the workshop, participants will refine their conducting gesture, vocal pedagogy, and score study. Each participant will have the opportunity to work on their conducting and rehearsal technique with the resident chorus of young people (ages 10 to 18). A package of distinctive repertoire will be used as the basis for score study (including cultural context) and vocal pedagogy. The repertoire will be varied, featuring works for all levels (easy to difficult) from several styles and periods for treble voices, mixed choirs, and young men's choruses. Members of the Young People's Chorus of New York City (Francisco Núñez and Elizabeth Núñez, conductors) will join the Ithaca Children's Choir to be singers for the conductors.

Northeast Wind Conducting Symposium
The Ithaca College Northeast Wind Conducting Symposium is designed to investigate and improve techniques of conducting and rehearsing, and to explore other topics of interest to the serious wind conductor. The 2009 symposium features Anthony J. Maiello, professor of music and director of instrumental studies at George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, and Stephen Peterson, director of bands at Ithaca College. Together they will lead lecture/discussion sessions with wind conductors at all levels. Each of the five days will include the opportunity to conduct a live ensemble on a variety of well-known wind works, during which time conducting technique will be addressed. There will be discussion concerning rehearsal technique, repertoire at several different levels, perhaps a reading session, lectures on current trends including implementation of national standards, and plenty of opportunity for meaningful discussion about all aspects of being a wind conductor/teacher.

Successful Leadership in Contemporary Music Education
This workshop, designed for the contemporary music educator and/or supervisor, will be presented by Keith Kaiser, Ithaca College music education department chairperson. Participants will examine effective leadership and its relationship to the successful teaching within our contemporary environment, including strategies for advancing music in our society. Workshop participants will be encouraged to actively synthesize and apply class principles and materials to their current teaching settings. The five-day workshop will give participants the opportunity to develop a better understanding of:

• key leadership skills (understanding the characteristics of quality leadership)
• responsibilities to and strategies for advancing music in contemporary society
• nurturing leadership characteristics in students
• getting beyond the administrative tasks to exploring vision related to individual and program advancement
• exploring how goal-setting, communication, perspective, and environment affects success
• empowerment, principle-centered leadership, and building trust and professional equity
• advocating in contemporary society
• creating a motivating environment
• managing conflict and affecting change
• current legislation, regulations, and trends affecting contemporary music education
• "sharpening the saw" - the importance of professional development and personal "balance"
• related resources and support

Creativity in Public School Music: Improvisation and Composition
This workshop is for music teachers and other musicians who have limited or no background in composition or improvisation, designed to broaden their musicianship while learning to teach in these areas as suggested by the new National Standards and State Framework for Music. The workshop will serve to develop skills, provide specific ways these skills can be developed in students at both the middle school and high school levels, and hopefully develop a long-term personal interest and self-confidence regarding both improvisation and composition. Since "hands on" experience is emphasized, participants are encouraged, but not required, to bring any instrument on which they feel comfortable performing.

Dr. Louise Mygatt is a composer and jazz musician who has taught in the School of Music at Ithaca College since 1993. She directs an improvisation ensemble for composers and players, teaches improvisation and composition for non-music majors, as well as jazz piano and voice. Dr. Mygatt also teaches American Popular Music: Blues to Hip Hop, Women in Music, and Women in Popular Music: Bessie Smith to MTV.

Dana Wilson is a widely recognized composer and jazz pianist, with many commissions and grants to his credit. His compositions have been performed throughout the United States, Europe, and the Far East. He is currently the Charles A. Dana Professor of Music at Ithaca College, has taught many courses in both composition and improvisation, and has given many clinics for public school teachers.