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Newsletter of the Milligan College Music Area
Summer 2009
2008-2009 Successful Year of Performances
This past academic year was a busy one for the
Milligan College music department with many performances by its faculty,
students, and ensembles. One of the highlights of the year was "Step Into
the Spotlight" for Homecoming Weekend. This Broadway-style revue was
presented by the Concert Choir and Orchestra in the new Gregory Center
Theater. Great music from shows such as West Side Story, Annie,
Hairspray, The Sound of Music, and Flower Drum Song were combined
with choreography and staging to create a much celebrated production.
The music department also presented
its annual Community Christmas Concert in Seeger Chapel, which is always the
highlight of the fall semester and provides a showcase of the musical
talents at Milligan as well as a worshipful experience for the large crowds
that attend. In addition, the Milligan Jazz Ensemble performed a special
concert for Christmas that featured well-known guests soloists and some of
the greatest Christmas jazz charts to a packed-out crowd in Seeger.
Music
Department Reaches Out to the Community
Besides its curricular goals for students and its
service to the Milligan community, the music department maintains that one of
its most important functions is reaching out to students, music professionals,
and arts supporters throughout the region. As in the past, the Concert Choir and
Orchestra were frequent performers at area churches, bringing Milligan talent
and spirit to their worship services. Also, the Women's Chorale performed at
numerous community events including at the Sycamore Shoals Hospital, a medical
facility dedicated to promoting healing through the arts.
In addition to community outreach, the
music department also opened its doors to sponsor several important regional
events. In the fall, Dr. John Wakefield again led the All-State choral audition
rehearsal in Seeger Chapel, bringing high school singers and their directors
together from throughout the region. Also in September, Dr. Kellie Brown hosted
the third annual Area-Wide String Workshop, which brought over 200 high school
string players to campus in an all-day workshop and concert led by Maestra
Cornelia Kodkani-Laemmli. In November, Anne Elliott hosted the Sonata Festival
with the Appalachian Classical Music Association, a festival for soloists and
chamber groups involving students from several states as well as an impressive
panel of judges. As a follow-up event, Seeger Chapel also hosted this
organization in March for an all-day workshop for voice and instruments that
concluded in an evening concert featuring guest violinist Benedict Goodfriend,
the Science Hill High School Orchestra, and the Dobyns-Bennett High School
Orchestra.
Music
Professor on Sabbatical
Dr. David Runner, a Milligan faculty member since 1972,
is spending the Fall 2009 semester on sabbatical with the R.A. Colby Organ
Company. Located in Johnson City, Colby is a well-respected organ builder and
restorer, doing work throughout the country, and will now serve as a training
ground for Dr. Runner. As he learns more about repairing and restoring organs,
Dr. Runner will put this knowledge to great use by working on Milligan's Schantz
organ located in Seeger Chapel. According to Dr. Runner, Milligan's organ is
over 40 years old and in need of some major repairs. A pipe organ is a very
complex machine consisting of thousands of metal, wooden and leather parts, and
his task this summer and fall will be to replace all of the worn-out leather
pouches in the choir division - about 550 in all. If he completes this work
before January, then Dr. Runner will assist Colby with some of its other
restoration projects. This is Dr. Runner's second sabbatical. The first was in
1985-86 as a visiting professor at Springdale College in Birmingham, England.
 Voice
Professor Retires
Dr. John C.
Wakefield
Dr. John Wakefield retired in May 2009 after sixteen years of service to the
college. Dr. Wakefield was most known for directing the Milligan Concert
Choir and for being the head of the vocal department, and he also taught
courses in vocal pedagogy, conducting, music ministry, and worship. In
addition, he chaired the music department for several years. Recently
completing a doctor of ministry degree in liturgical studies from the School
of Theology at the University of the South, Dr. Wakefield plans to continue
his research in worship and the Stone-Campbell movement as well as maintain
a busy schedule of writing, traveling, and private teaching.
 Milligan
Welcomes Voice Faculty
The music department will be welcoming Dr. David
Hendricksen this fall as director the Concert Choir. Dr. Hendricksen's
impressive resume includes degrees from Concordia College and Ball State
University where he studied organ performance and music education, as well
as choral conducting.
 Dr. Hendricksen is a well-known conductor in the
region, including being the musical director of the Civic Chorale and
Walters State Community Chorus, and the Director of Music Ministry at First
Presbyterian Church in Greeneville. He has also had extensive teaching
experience at numerous universities and served as Assistant Dean at Tusculum
College.
Dr. Charlotte Anderson, who has been serving as an adjunct professor at
Milligan
since 2008, will join the music faculty in a more permanent role, taking on
a large voice studio and heading the vocal department after the retirement
of Dr. John Wakefield. Dr. Anderson holds degrees from Peabody Conservatory
and is a certified Alexander Technique teacher. In Fall 2008, she taught
Milligan's first Alexander Technique course for the Occupational Therapy
Department and will continue offering these courses every semester for both
OT and Fine Arts students
 Milligan
Choir and Orchestra Release CD
In June 2009, the Milligan Concert Choir and
Orchestra released their first joint recording entitled "Our Song Shall Rise
to Thee." The CD features many great works of Christian hymnody and worship
in special arrangements by Dr. John Wakefield, the choir's conductor, and
Dr. Kellie Brown, conductor of the Milligan Orchestra. The recording was
made in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church in Bristol, known for its
excellent acoustics. The CD is available for $15 at the Milligan College
Bookstore and online at
www.milligan.edu/music. For a special price of $20, this new CD can be
bundled with the "O Holy Night" Christmas CD recorded by the Concert Choir
in 2004.
FACULTY NEWS
Dr. Kellie Brown was appointed assistant conductor of the Johnson City Symphony
Orchestra and conducted them in two children’s Christmas concerts at Freedom
Hall Coliseum (Johnson City, TN), the annual JCSO Christmas Concert in
Milligan’s Seeger Chapel, a spring children’s concert in Seeger, and in a special
pops concert featuring renowned soloist Steve Lippia. She also conducted the musical The Music Man
at Sullivan South High School (Kingsport, TN). In April Dr. Brown received the YWCA annual
Tribute to Women Award for her work in and support of the arts and arts
education and was featured on the soundtrack of the new documentary film by Ross Spears entitled
Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People.
Anne Elliott directed a vocal ensemble from Central
Baptist Church (Johnson City, TN) in a November 2008 performance at
historic Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. In December, she and Dr.
Sharon Nelson Rush performed a piano duo program at Biltmore Estate. She
was also named Music Teacher of the Year by the Appalachian Music
Teachers Association.
Dr. David Runner played an organ recital and conducted
an organ master class at Greenville College (Greenville, IL) in October.
He continues to serve as member at-large for the local chapter of the
American Guild of Organists, and in January 2009, he attended the 13th
Annual Religious Arts Festival at East Carolina University in
Greenville, NC. In addition Dr. Runner presented an organ recital and
master class for the ETSU Piano Camp at Munsey Methodist Church in
Johnson City, TN and his annual faculty organ recital at Milligan in
March.
Rick Simerly was guest soloist and clinician at
Florida State University in Tallahassee and the Savannah Music Festival
in Savannah, GA. In addition, he performed at the Highlands Jazz
Festival in Abingdon, VA and was a guest soloist at the Southern
Wesleyan Jazz Camp in Central, SC.
Dr. John Wakefield conducted the All- State
Chorus auditions rehearsal for the East Tennessee Vocal Association in
September and continues to serve as interim director of music ministries
at Memorial Presbyterian Church, Elizabethton, TN. In Fall 2008, he
developed and conducted a missions-related Christmas concert, "Lord of
the Nations/Child for the World."
MUSICAL FOR FEBRUARY
The theater and music departments will combine in February 2010 to
present the musical Little Women, based on the classic novel by
Louisa May Alcott. The musical will feature a full orchestra in the pit
and will be the first Milligan musical to be presented in the new
Gregory Center. The play will be directed by Dennis Elkins, a Milligan
alum and new member of the faculty. Dr. Charlotte Anderson will serve as
the vocal director, and Dr. Kellie Brown will conduct. Stay tuned for
more information about performance dates and ticket sales.
UPCOMING MUSIC EVENTS ON
CAMPUS
September
|
12 |
All-State Choir Rehearsal
|
9 am - noon |
Seeger Chapel |
| 13 |
Music Dept. Picnic & JCSO Pops Concert |
5 pm |
Winged Deer Park |
| 19 |
Area-wide String Orchestra Workshop |
9 am- 4 pm |
Seeger Chapel |
| |
Area-wide String Orchestra Concert |
7 pm |
Seeger Chapel |
October
|
10 |
Johnson City Symphony
Orchestra |
7:30 pm |
Seeger Chapel |
| 21 |
Peter and the Wolf
Children's Concert |
10:00 am |
Seeger Chapel |
November
| 6 |
Milligan Orchestra
Concert |
7:30 pm |
Seeger Chapel |
| 7 |
Sonata Festival |
|
Seeger Chapel |
| 14 |
Johnson City
Symphony Orchestra |
7:30 pm |
Seeger Chapel |
| 20 |
Scholarship
Auditions |
Noon-5 pm |
Seeger Chapel
(Walker Auditorium) |
| 21 |
Voice Studio
Recital |
7:30 pm |
Seeger Chapel |
| 23 |
Milligan Jazz
Concert |
7:30 pm |
Seeger Chapel |
December
| 5 |
Jazz Combo |
8:00 pm |
Sub 7 |
|
6 |
Milligan College
Christmas Concert |
7:30 pm |
Seeger Chapel |
| 12 |
Johnson City
Symphony Orchestra |
7:30 pm |
Seeger Chapel |
February
| 12 |
Scholarship
Auditions |
Noon-5 pm |
Seeger Chapel
(Walker Auditorium) |
| 13 |
Johnson City
Symphony Orchestra |
7:30 pm |
Seeger Chapel |
March
| 20 |
Johnson City
Symphony Orchestra |
7:30 pm |
Seeger Chapel |
| 26 |
Milligan Music
Faculty Joint Recital |
7:30 pm |
Seeger Chapel |
April
| 16 |
Milligan
College Orchestra Concert |
7:30 pm |
Seeger Chapel |
| 23 |
Milligan
Choral Union |
7:30 pm |
Seeger Chapel |
| 26 |
Jazz Ensemble
Concert |
7:30 pm |
Seeger Chapel |
May
| 1 |
Milligan
Arts Festival |
|
|
| 1 |
Jazz Combo |
8:30 pm |
Sub 7 |
For more information, visit
www.milligan.edu/arts
 LOOKING AHEAD ...
Plans are being finalized for an exciting year of
performances by the music department. In October, the Milligan Orchestra
will combine with the East TN Regional Symphony and a local ballet troupe to
present Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. The performance will be given
for close to 800 area school children. The Milligan Orchestra has
collaborated two other times in the past with the ETRS for the ballet
Musical Mice and the drama production Beethoven Lives Upstairs.
Also new for next year will be the Milligan Arts
Festival on May 1. This all-day event will showcase the excellent work that
Milligan faculty and students do in the arts. Performances, lectures, and
gallery shows will happen at various venues across campus. For more details
about this and other arts events, visit
www.milligan.edu/arts.
STAY CONNECTED
with Former Music Students and Faculty
Check out our Facebook Page: Milligan College Music Alum. For former
Orchestra members, there is also a special Facebook page for you.
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