The coming months might prove essential in getting
the music department national and international
recognition. Three premiere music ensembles, the
Commonwealth Singers, the Symphonic Wind
Ensemble and Jazz Orchestra 1, will travel to China,
New York and Chicago, respectively, to represent the
finest of what VCU has to offer.
Tiffanie Chan, director of marketing for the music
department, said she understands the magnitude of
such an honor.
“It’s a reflection of how VCU is growing,” she said.
“Our faculty is really getting well-connected by going
out there and meeting people.”
Through these connections, the ensemble directors
have gotten their feet in the door with the right people,
said Terry Austin, director of the Symphonic Wind
Ensemble.
“Typically, the way this particular type of event
works is the art director of the festival has heard your
group or heard a lot about your group,” he said.
Austin accepted an invitation for his group to perform
in New York City’s Carnegie Hall on March 18.
“In this case, the art director heard us play at the
American Bandmasters Association in 2004 and issued
the invite the following year, but we declined due to
conflicts. We also got an invite to play at the Kennedy
Center in 2005,” Austin said.
When asked if he expects more of this type of
opportunity to present itself, Austin said he was
optimistic.
“The invitations will continue to come because we’ve
shared good experiences. I’d really like to have VCU
make a regular thing of performing in world-class
historic performing halls,” Austin said.
Another group, Jazz Orchestra I, headed by Antonio
Garcia, also has big plans for the coming months.
Held in Chicago, the prestigious Midwest Clinic is
hosting the VCU’s ensemble along with groups from
30 organizations from around the globe. The clinic is
named for the 90-plus workshops and clinics that are
hosted at the five-day event. VCU is the first college
or university ensemble to perform at the Midwest
Clinic.
In addition to student representation at the festival,
formidable jazz faculty member Rex Richardson (trumpet)
and renowned alum Steve Wilson (saxophone)
will be among featured guest-soloist performers.
Professor Taylor Barnett, Jazz Orchestra II director,
will also be guest-conducting one of his original
arrangements of legendary trumpeter Woody Shaw’s
“Beyond All Limits.”
Garcia is enthused by the whole ordeal, knowing
the publicity is good for VCU.
“These events should assist in elevating the entire
jazz program, as they will represent a semester-long
push,” Garcia said.
Chan said the preparation is not as demanding as
it might seem to the music office staff.
“(The tasks) are mostly administrative things that
need to be done, like reserving buses and making sure
that people can get places. People in the office are
doing so much paperwork, especially when passports
are involved,” Chan said.
The passports are for the Commonwealth Singers,
headed by John Guthmiller, director of choral activities.
To commemorate the arrival of the 2008 Olympics in
Beijing, the Commonwealth Singers will spend 10 days seeing what Beijing
and Shanghai have to offer.
“It’s a choral tribute to the 2008 Beijing Olympics,” Chan said. “Dr.
Guthmiller is going to be directing a mass choir.”
Guthmiller, who arrived at VCU 19 years ago, achieved fame while
performing and conducting nationally and abroad. He said the school’s
recent fame has been a long time coming.
“It’s finally happened that the department is getting recognition for ensembles
that have been good for a long time just for one reason or another. It
seems ironic that all three happened in the same year,” Guthmiller said.
Chan said the Commonwealth Singers also are demonstrating their
versatility by performing with other singers from around the country.
“It’s not just the Commonwealth Singers who are going to be singing,”
Chan said. “It’s going to be a mass choir of colleges from across the country
featuring a Chinese soloist.”
Although the music department has received limited recognition,
Guthmiller said, it should strive to share the most of its performers’ talents
with the public.
“All of (the department employees) have felt for a long time that despite
the quality of work, we haven’t gotten the recognition we deserve. We are
the lifeblood of this community,” Guthmiller said.
Chan said VCU shouldn’t be underestimated simply because Richmond
is such a relatively small place.
“A lot of people think that we’re a local thing, but we’re expanding our
reach, and here is evidence of how we’re doing that,” she said. “Our new
catch phrase for the year is, ‘Find out where we can take you.’ ”
Chan said the recent influx of students and unprecedented opportunities
are not just a stroke of luck.
“Our students are getting stronger, our alumni are making names for
themselves and that slowly builds. Now we’re starting to see the results of
all this building.