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SHANNON MOORE JOINS FIFE AND DRUM CORPSShannon Moore, who is pursuing a DMA in flute

performance, was selected

to join the U.S. Army Old Guard

Fife and Drum Corps. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Middle Tennessee State University a Performance Certificate from the Trevor Wye Summer Course in England and a Master’s Degree from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Moore is a student of Elise Blatchford.

The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps is the only unit of its kind in the armed forces and is part of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (the Old Guard). The Fife and Drum Corps is stationed at Fort Myer, Va. The musicians of this unit recall the days of the American Revolution as they perform in uniforms patterned after those worn by the musicians of Gen. George Washington's Continental Army.

As an official representative of the U.S. Army, the Corps averages approximately 500 performances annually. In support of the

President, the Corps performs at all armed forces arrival ceremonies for visiting dignitaries and heads of state at the White House and has participated in every presidential inaugural parade since John F. Kennedy's in 1961.

Moore’s audition process began with submitting a video to the unit. “I had always been interested in military bands,” she says. The live

audition was a two-day process in which she had to perform prepared pieces and march with the group. It was also her first experience playing the fife. She says it is very different from the flute or piccolo and everyone auditioning had experience playing it except her.

Despite that, Moore won the audition, passed the military entrance exams and began basic training at Ft. Jackson, S.C. in May. She will be a staff sergeant when she begins her first tour.

Moore’s father is Scott Moore, principal trumpet for the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. “He influenced me in every way possible and I wanted to follow in his

footsteps,” she says. This was her first professional audition and he had been preparing “heartbreak speeches” in the event she did not succeed. Needless to say, he is excited about the appointment.

Interestingly, there is a family connection to the Corps. The fife and drum ensemble is a branch of the Old Guard, the oldest military group in the nation. This is the group that guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Moore’s great grandfather was one of the

soldiers who brought the remains of the unknown soldier home to the tomb. “Unfortunately,” she says, “I won’t have the opportunity to play there because I am not tall enough.”

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FALL 2019

THE RUDI E. SCHEIDT SCHOOL OF MUSIC NEWSLETTER

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DIRECTOR’S NOTEThe Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music is a remarkable place to be at this historic juncture in its history. Just think how much has changed in a

very short period of time.

Five years ago the dream of a new building for the School of Music seemed just

that, a dream. But the vision and determination of UofM President M. David Rudd put into motion an effort that resulted in over $11 million in private funding, led by the Scheidt family, and matched by almost $30 million from the State of Tennessee. The Scheidt Family Music Center will be completed in spring of 2021.

In 2016, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra (MSO) was facing serious financial challenges, with the real prospect of having to suspend operations. In May of that year, we announced a unique partnership between the University of Memphis, the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music and the Memphis Symphony. Collaborative efforts involving faculty and students from the School of Music, the musicians from the MSO and the administrative leadership of both organizations has helped put the symphony in a far

stronger financial position today and for years to come.

Not too long ago there was no such thing as Opening Night at the Scheidt. Today, the School of Music’s inimitable concert celebrating our musical partners and their central role in making Memphis a great musical city is one of the year’s most anticipated programs.

Over the last five years, we have changed the conversation about music in Memphis. We consciously chose to foster an atmosphere of mutual support for all who make music here, resulting in growing audiences for all musical groups. Today we support dozens of partners through sharing of resources, facilities, musicians and forward-looking ideas.

Whether you are an alum of the School of Music or an avid supporter, you can be proud to be a part of this extraordinary musical legacy as it enters a new age of distinction. We are, and will always be, “Where the Music Is!”

John Chiego Director, Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music

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PLAYING AT THE LEVITT SHELL In September, 2019, the School of Music entered into a partnership with the Levitt Shell. That month, the UofM Wind Ensemble and commercial music groups performed a concert reflecting the legacy of Memphis music. That was just the beginning because in 2020, the school’s ensembles will present a series of concerts at the Shell.

“We are envisioning exciting partnership ideas for 2020,” said Natalie Wilson of the Levitt Shell. The school hopes to present programs by our bands, symphony orchestra, choral groups, jazz ensembles, UofM Opera and commercial music bands. In addition to performing, music business and recording technology students will intern at the Shell, focusing on concert production.

The idea for the partnership began when School of Music director John Chiego was brainstorming with Wilson. “We wanted to partner with them because anything with the Levitt Shell name on it is a high-profile event in the city and they

have a huge audience base that we can tap into for the School,” says Chiego. Taking concerts into the community is a high priority, and the Shell’s exposure was paramount in the decision.

Audiences at the Shell encompass all Memphians. They consistently have large crowds for virtually every performance because they have a reputation for putting on great acts, and the venue itself is attractive to many people. People often say they are going to the Shell for a concert and when asked who will be performing, they don’t even know or care; they just want to go to the Shell.

Just how hard is it to present a concert in an off-campus venue? Logistically everything at the Shell is very accessible. The biggest problem is transporting students and equipment there from the campus. The stage is quite large and will easily accommodate any of the school’s ensembles except for the marching band.

In 1936, the City of Memphis and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) built the Overton Park Shell for $11,935. Of the 27 band shells the WPA build, the Levitt Shell is one of only a few that are still standing. For the next two decades, the Shell hosted Memphis Open Air Theater, orchestras, light opera and musicals. In 1954, the Shell hosted Elvis Presley’s first professional rock ‘n’ roll show. In 2007 a large-scale renovation was funded by the Levitt Foundation and the Overton Park Shell was renamed the Levitt Shell. Currently, the Shell puts on more than 50 free concerts and events each year.

“The community treasure that is the Levitt Shell is the perfect showcase for our world-class program,” according to Chiego. “Sharing what we do every day in the Scheidt School of Music at this one-of-a kind venue is a gift from the School and the Shell to the entire Memphis community.”

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DR. DAVID EVANS WINS SECOND GRAMMYThe School of Music’s professor emeritus, Dr. David Evans, won this year’s Grammy® for Best Album Notes. Evans wrote the pieces for the boxed CD set, Voices of Mississippi: Artists and Musicians Documented by William Ferris. The CDs contain the performances of various artists recorded by Ferris in Mississippi in the late 1960s. There are four CDs in the set: Blues, spiritual/gospel, spoken word and some of Ferris’ documentary films. Together, they offer a summation of Ferris’ field research in African American music in Mississippi. In addition to Evans’ win, the set itself won for best historical recording.

Evans became involved in the project when the record label Dust to Digital asked him to participate. He had done a few other projects for them in the last 10-15 years. The essays he wrote for this album were extensive. “It was more of a book than a booklet,” he says. The notes themselves talk about the process of recording African American folk music, a subject Evans knows a lot about since he himself has recorded much in the genre. The point of the recordings was to place this music in the larger context of commercial/popular music recorded in the 1960s.

Evans was unable to accept his Grammy® in person as he was participating in an event at the Clinton Center in Little Rock. “I didn’t expect to win,” he says. “The competition was stiff. There were five other nominations and they were all very good.”

This is the second Grammy® Evans has received for Best Album Notes. In 2003, he won for Screamin' and Hollerin' the Blues: The Worlds of Charley Patton. The two sets of notes differ in that the most recent album was based on field recordings, but the 2003 album was a re-issue of commercial recordings.

In addition to work on program notes, Evans is currently working on publishing recordings he made recently in Ethiopia. He is also working on a book about the field work he did in the 1960s. He continues to edit the book series American Made Music, which has released close to 100 volumes in the last 25 years.

Evans says he plans to pursue his research and writing for as long as possible. “I am trying to tie up a lot of loose ends…things I always wanted to do but couldn’t get around to.”

Adding to the Grammy® glow, alumna Rebekah Wineman received a nomination for audio remastering of recordings from pianist Oscar Levant, Rhapsody in Blue; The Extraordinary life of Oscar Levant. Wineman received a degree in recording technology at the School of Music and now works for the audio engineering company Meyer Media LLC, where she takes old analog music and converts it into a digital form. To date, she has worked on projects about the New York Philharmonic, Leontyne Price and Leonard Bernstein.

David Evans with Calvin Jackson and Little Joe Ayers, two of the artists he has recorded.Evans also has a regular performance schedule.

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GREG FALLIS TOURS WITH GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRASince January 2019, School of Music alumnus Greg Fallis has been touring with the Glenn Miller Orchestra (GMO). Fallis, who plays trombone, completed his MM degree in jazz and studio music last summer. In the first four months of the tour, he estimates the orchestra performed 70 concerts. The venues for the concerts range from the Orpheum in Memphis, to the Orpheum in New Orleans, to Seattle’s Benaroya Hall, to the Tobin Center in San Antonio. There are smaller venues as well, including the Border Theater in Mission, Texas which also functions as a church and a movie theater.

Fallis began his journey to join the GMO when he received an email from one of his professors, forwarding an email from the band’s manager. The email said they had an opening for trombone and interested applicants should send their resume and several videos. Fallis responded and the second week of December (during finals) he received the offer. “They needed me to fly out on Jan. 7. I had to figure out school,” he says. He talked to his professors and they came up with a way for him to finish his degree online. “After that,” he says, “I decided it was a no-brainer. I had to go. I put everything in storage, quit my jobs and flew out to Ft. Lauderdale.” He met the band in the hotel, got on the bus, and since has toured from Florida to the Pacific Northwest, to the Midwest.

His first day with the orchestra was baptism by fire. Fallis got “The Book” of 250 arrangements only hours before the first concert. “It looked like something Indiana Jones dug up,” he says – tattered, yellow with age and dog-eared. At

the same time, he got 10 minutes to learn the choreography the band performs. His ability to sightread was his saving grace, since the band never rehearses as a group. In addition, he went on stage for the first song and discovered he didn’t have his music. He had to leave, get the music and come back on stage.

Life on the road is arduous and Fallis had to learn to take care of his health. He says it is not unusual to spend six to 10 hours a day in the bus. It is easy to get dehydrated. He often carries Tupperware containers of food with him. Another obstacle is finding time to practice. He usually does that after concerts from 11 p.m.-1 a.m. For a practice room, he uses the bus parked outside the hotel.

Since his time with the GMO began, Fallis says he has learned to be flexible. “You live on a bus with 19 other people and even share a room with someone. You try to be considerate because you are with the same people all day, every day.”

Fallis credits his professors, Dr. Jack Cooper and Dr. John Mueller, with instilling in him the work ethic that led to his becoming a better musician. He credits the ensembles he played with for teaching him how to be professional and to perform as a soloist.

For now, Fallis will continue to tour with the GMO. If and when he tires of that experience, he would like to perform in a stage show like Michael Bublé or Cirque Du Soleil. He would also like to live and perform in New Orleans, and can see himself as a teacher.

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CHAMBER CHOIR PERFORMS IN ITALYLast summer, 24 members of the UofM Chamber Choir toured Italy under the direction of Dr. Ryan Fisher. Seeking great performance opportunities and the chance to experience Italian history and archeology were two of Fisher’s goals. Also, he wanted the choir to connect things they had only seen on a page with something in real life. Working with Performance International, the group mapped out an itinerary in Italy. The company had experience in booking tours that included concerts in quality churches.

The first stop was Venice, where the choir sang Mass at St. Mark’s Basilica. Fisher admits he was anxious because he was not familiar with the Cathoic Mass and was not fluent in the language. His concern was knowing when to sing and when to stop. Fortunately, there was someone affiliated with St. Mark’s who cued the entrances. This was successful until the group sang “Os justi” by Anton Bruckner for the offertory. There is a section in the motet where the sound builds to

a great crescendo, followed by a softer section. After the crescendo, Fisher paused, allowing the sound to resonate before re-entering, but the priest continued the mass before they could start singing again.

In Florence, the students and staff had some free time before the concert. Approaching the church after dinner, Fisher and his wife heard a song that was on the choir’s program. Supprised, he found the students performing in front of San Gaetano, where they would sing later that evening. A crowd had gathered, and the students enjoyed it so much they did outdoors pre-concerts in several other locations.

Rome brought the opportunity to sing in two venues. First at Basilica di San Marco, the choir performed with Aramus, a local choir. “That concert stands out to me because as we were singing some especially moving pieces I noticed an older man in the audience, weeping at the beauty,” says Fisher. Also in Rome, the group sang Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica. The group was surprised to learn that Mass there was accompanied by an

organ and that visitors continued to tour the facility during the service.

In Palestrina, the Chamber Choir sang at Palestrina Cathedral and at San Peter Basilica. Both performances included the “Schola cantorum al belli.” “Even during dress rehearsal, we got the sense that this would be something special because the acoustics were very live and sounds resonated for 10 seconds,” says Fisher. Also, this was the last concert for some students who had sung with the choir for four years. For their last encore they sang “We Shall Walk Through the Valley in Peace,” a spiritual and everyone was in tears.

Every concert ended with a standing ovation, calls for encores and gifts of appreciation. The students got the opportunity to sing in incredible spaces and to perform masterworks in the places where they were first heard. Says Fisher, “It was life-changing for many of them. There is something special about leaving the comfort of home and being exposed to a different culture, language and societal norms that makes you see the world differently.”

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MUSIC STUDENTS AT LAMBUTH LAUNCH NEW CDLambuth Music and Entertainment students released a new CD at their spring semester concert in April. This is a part of a biennial series of CD productions. Everyone who attended the concert received a copy of the 12-song CD.

The concert itself was essentially a CD release party. Students performed the 12 songs on the album and a few cover songs of pop music. The show is only performed once. Afterward, the students can take their songs, which they own, and release them independently on media such as YouTube, Spotify and iTunes. One of the groups made a video of their song during a rehearsal and released it to YouTube.

The students in the Music and Entertainment program take courses in songwriting and production techniques, recording studio techniques, commercial music and music licensing and publishing. Then they are tasked with producing an album. The students themselves select the songs, work with the recording artists and produce the recording. In addition, all the original music is composed by the students.

Dr. Jeremy Tubbs, who teaches the courses, has overseen the process for many years. “It is important for me and my students to be challenged by it,” he says. “It lets us see the fruits of our classes. To do something with what they have learned is a natural process.”

Tubbs says that on this particular CD, he sees a talent pool that is greater than some in the past. “The songs on this one were great, and collectively, had magic. This record doesn’t have a bad song on it.” The songs vary in genre and style, but using the same studio and equipment ties them together into a cohesive album.

Students who participated in the project were Christian Austin, Jacob Bengtson, Dylan Crabb, Riley Hawk, Josh Honey, Dakota Jackson, Dalton Lavelle, Chloe Lawson, Mary Katherine Mueller, John Pate, Aiden Psungo, James Reed, Matt Tolley, Bryton Wallace, Thaddaeus Williams and Ryan Young.

Album cover for the 12-song CD.

M. David Rudd, UofM President proudly displays his copy of the CD.

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

OCTOBER

16 Octubafest | Harris Concert Hall | Free

17-18 Octubafest | Harris Concert Hall | Free

21 Faculty and Friends Chamber Music | Harris Concert Hall | Free

22 George Crumb 90th Birthday Celebration: Kevin Richmond, piano | Harris Concert Hall | Free

23 Concerts International presents East Coast Chamber Orchestra | Harris Concert Hall | Admission charged

24 Sound Fuzion | The Columns — 40 South Main St. | Free

24 UofM Symphony Orchestra | Harris Concert Hall | General $15; seniors $10; faculty staff and students free

26 Honors Orchestra | Harris Concert Hall | Free

27 UofM Chamber Choir | Harris Concert Hall | Free

28 Hyery Hwang, collaborative piano | Harris Concert Hall | Free

30 Out to Lunch Concert | Harris Concert Hall | Free

NOVEMBER

1 Sound Fuzion | Harris Concert Hall | Free

3 University Singers | Location TBA | Free

3 New Sounds | Harris Concert Hall | Free

4 UofM Faculty Jazz Group Harris Concert Hall | Free

6 UofM Wind Ensemble | Harris Concert Hall | General $15; seniors $10; faculty staff and students free

7 UofM Percussion Ensemble | 137 CFA Building

9 Memphis Symphony Orchestra Classic Accents | Harris Concert Hall | Admission charged

12 TCU Percussion Orchestra | Michael D. Rose Theatre | Free

17 UofM Collegiate Choir | Location TBA | Free

22-23 UofM Opera presents PuccinI Plus | Harris Concert Hall | General $20; seniors $15; faculty staff and students free. memphis.edu/operatix

25 ComboNation | Newby’s on Highland | Free

25 Contemporary Chamber Players | Harris Concert Hall | Free

26 Southern Comfort Jazz Orchestra | Harris Concert Hall | General $15; seniors $10; faculty staff and students free

DECEMBER

2 901 Jazz Band | Newby’s on Highland | Free

3 School of Music Holiday Concert | Harris Concert Hall | Free

4 UofM Symphonic Band | Harris Concert Hall | Free

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