Tag Archive for: Music

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9th Annual Clark College Fall Choral Festival Coming Nov. 15

Vancouver, WA — The Clark College Music Department is hosting the 9th Annual Fall Choral Festival on Friday, November 15, 2024 in Gaiser Student Center on the campus of Clark College. A total of 18 area middle and high school chamber and concert choirs will sing in this non-competitive festival which runs from 8 am to 4 pm.  Tickets are $5/person for the day.

Clinicians for this festival include: Dr. Katy Green, Dr. John Guarente, Dr. Shohei Kobayashi, and Dr. Tiffany Walker.

“I’m thrilled that we’ll have so many choirs visiting campus for our festival and I’m excited to hear the great work they are doing,” says Festival Director Dr. Jacob Funk, who is also the Director of Choirs at Clark College. “Participating choirs get the chance to work with some highly skilled clinicians and receive written feedback on their performance. Each choir will also get to have a mini-clinic onstage, allowing for the other schools to see how a different choir learns new ways to succeed. Two of the Clark College Choirs will perform for all the participating choirs in the middle of the festival. It will be a wonderful time of music making, learning, and supporting each other in song.”

For complete information about all the Clark College Music Department concerts including the orchestra, concert band, jazz ensemble, and choirs, please see http://www.clark.edu/campus-life/arts-events/music/music-concerts.

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Clark College Orchestra Spring Concert Features Kreston in Lark Ascending

The award-winning Clark College Orchestra performs their Spring Concert of the 2023-2024 season under the baton of Music Director/Conductor Dr. Donald Appert on Friday, June 14, 2024, 7:30 pm at Columbia Presbyterian Church, 805 Columbia Ridge Dr. Vancouver, WA. The program features violinist Anthea Kreston as soloist performing Vaughan Williams’ Lark Ascending and Ravel’s  Tzigane.  The concert will conclude with Dvorak Symphony No. 9 “ From the New World”. The admission is free and open to the public.  

For complete information about all the Clark College Music Department concerts including the orchestra, concert band, jazz ensemble, and choirs, please see http://www.clark.edu/campus-life/arts-events/music/music-concerts.

Donald Appert has appeared as a guest conductor in Japan, Australia, Central America, and throughout Europe.  In Italy La’ovadese wrote, “…the performance of the ‘Serenade in C Major’ of Tchaikovsky, under the exceptional direction of Appert, was in such a style that it brought out the elegance and grace of the melodic lines with Mozartian inspiration.  …The L’Orchestra Sinfonica Città di Grosseto… performed the Barber ‘Adagio’ with rare effectiveness, emphasizing its intrinsically rich melody.”  Giornale di Sicilla praised his interpretation of Nielsen’s First Symphony as “lyrical with an airy freshness,” and his conducting as “precise, painstakingly accurate, and diligent.” He has guest conducted orchestras in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Russia, El Salvador, and Japan.He currently serves as the Music Director/Conductor of the Oregon Sinfonietta and the Jewish Community Orchestra of Portland.

Dr. Appert was awarded the 2020 Winner of The American Prize in Orchestral Programming. He won this same award in 2011 and in 2015 was named an Honored Artist by The American Prize Competition.  He is a recipient of the 2019 – 2020 Clark College Exceptional Faculty Awards, several ASCAPLUS Awards in recognition of his performances of his own compositions in Italy, Qatar, Europe, Central America, Japan, and the United States.  In 2014, Dr. Appert received the Clark County Arts Commission Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award, and in 2009, he received the Washington Community College Humanities Association Exemplary Status Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the Humanities.

Violinist Anthea Kreston enjoys varied musical career. She has performed as a chamber musician in concert halls throughout Europe (from London’s Wigmore Hall to Berlin’s Philharmonie), through Asia, and the United States (Carnegie to the Herbst Theater in San Francisco). She was a member of the internationally renowned Artemis String Quartet, based in Berlin, Germany.  As a recording artist for Warner Classics, she has received both the Echo Award, Europe’s Grammy Award, and the Diaspason D’Or, France’s highest award from music critics. 

Anthea also enjoys writing, penning a popular articles for the London-based Slipped Disk, and as the curator of the Fortnightly Music Book Club.  She is the executive and artistic director of Majestic Chamber Music Series, and has taught at the University of the Arts Berlin and as a Master Teacher, the Queen Elizabeth Chapel in Brussels, and  the Curtis Institute of Music. Her teachers include Ida Kavafian, Shmuel Ashkenasi, the Emerson Quartet and Isaac Stern.   

The San Diego Reader said of her “… Anthea is a soloist of the Heifetz- Shaham-Vengerov caliber, whose musical instincts could make even a mere bagatelle thrill the soul and stir the senses to a frenzy.” 

https://www.antheakreston.com

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Clark College Concert Choir Winter Performance, with a WORLD PREMIERE

VANCOUVER, WA —  The Clark College Concert Choir and Chamber Choir under the direction of Dr. Jacob Funk, present their Winter Concert on Saturday, March 16, 2024, 7:30 pm at First United Methodist Church, 401 E 33rd St, Vancouver, WA.  The admission is free and open to the public. Donations to the Clark College Choral Fund accepted at the door. 

What makes this program especially meaning is the programing of a world premiere performance of a work composed by Clark music student Benjamin Friend. The Concert Choir will perform Friend’s “One Last Time,” a work for choral ensemble and string quartet. This is a deeply moving work and we are eager for our community to hear it. Programmed alongside it are well known works like Dawson’s “Soon Ah Will Be Done,” and Runestad’s “The Peace of Wild Things.” The not oft performed “After Music” by Barnum and Hagen’s “On My Dreams” are also on the program, as well “Temporal” by Puerto Rican composers Diana V. Sáez and Suzzette Ortiz.

The Chamber Choir will begin the program with two songs concerning existential anxiety and closing with a one-on-a-part gorgeous piece about eternity. You do not want to miss this concert.

 For complete information about all the Clark College Music Department concerts including the orchestra, concert band, jazz ensemble, and choirs, please see http://www.clark.edu/campus-life/arts-events/music/music-concerts.

Dr. Jacob Funk is the Director of Choirs at Clark College where he conducts three choirs in addition to teaching theory, ear training, music appreciation, rock history, and applied voice. Jacob completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting from the University of Missouri—Kansas City where he was a Graduate Assistant to the Choral Department, Associate Conductor of the Conservatory Concert Choir and co-conductor of the University Singers. While at UMKC he also served as Opera Chorus Master and the director of Canticum Novum. Dr. Funk earned his masters in choral conducting from the University of British Columbia, and his undergraduate degree in vocal performance from John Brown University. Before coming to UMKC he was on the music faculty of John Brown University and Northwest Arkansas Community College, where he taught choir and voice. 

Dr. Jeongmi Yoon, currently, serves as the piano instructor and accompanist at Clark College. She has performed in numerous cities within the United States, China, and South Korea. As a soloist, she has performed with the Poland Katowice Silesian Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chonnam National University  Orchestra. In 2021, Dr.  Yoon received her D.M.A. in Piano Performance from the University of North Texas studying under Joseph Banowetz. Additionally, she holds a Masters’ degree from Portland State University and Bachelor’s degree from Chonnam National University. Dr. Yoon the faculties at the University of Portland and Clark College in January 2022. 

Clark College
Dr. Jacob Funk, Director of Choirs
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60th Annual Clark College Jazz Festival Results Announced

VANCOUVER, WA — After three full days of the return of the Annual Clark College Jazz Festival, the outstanding musician awards and the evening finals results for the 60th Annual Clark College Jazz Festival have been announced. For 2024, the Dale Beacock Memorial Sweepstakes trophy was awarded to Bothell High School Jazz 1, Bothell, WA

Thursday, January 25, 2024 Middle School Silver division jazz ensemble finals results:

1st place – Beaumont Middle School, Portland, OR

2nd place – Chief Umtuch Middle School, Battle Ground, WA

3rd place – Eckstein Middle School, Seattle, WA

A Division:     

1st place – South Whidbey High School, Langley, WA

2nd place – Seton Catholic High School, Vancouver, WA

3rd place – Tukes Valley Middle School, Battle Ground, WA

Outstanding Middle School Jazz Musician certificates were presented to:

Cody Halley – Laurin Middle School, Battleground, WA

London Coy – Laurin Middle School, Battleground, WA

Tyson Ruark – Wy’east Middle School, Vancouver, WA

Henry Ormson – Wy’east Middle School, Vancouver, WA

Oliver Armstrong – Hockinson Middle School, Brush Prairie, WA

Elliot Foster – Skyridge Middle School, Camas, WA

Daniel Liu – Skyridge Middle School, Camas, WA

Jacob Weinstock – Skyridge Middle School, Camas, WA

Dylan Her – Aspire Middle School, Lacey, WA

Nate Richardson – Aspire Middle School, Lacey, WA

Emily Chen – Eckstein Middle School, Seattle, WA

Ellie Bailey – Eckstein Middle School, Seattle, WA

Margo Cox – Eckstein Middle School, Seattle, WA

Oren Sternberg – Eckstein Middle School, Seattle, WA

Rowan Armintrout – Liberty Middle School, Camas, WA

Charlotte Summers – Liberty Middle School Camas, WA

Katie Evert – Liberty Middle School, Camas, WA

Gavin DeMoss – Chief Umtuch Middle School, Battle Ground, WA

Eli Lennick – Chief Umtuch Middle School, Battle Ground, WA

Marilyn Ruthruff – Beaumont Middle School – Portland, OR

Iris Ruthruff – Beaumont Middle School – Portland, OR

Nate Lyon – Beaumont Middle School – Portland, OR

Lhamo Doryang – South Whidbey Middle School, Langley, WA

Judah Macarro – South Whidbey Middle School, Langley, WA

Dante Churchill – South Whidbey Middle School, Langley, WA

Lizzy Bloom – View Ridge Middle School, Ridgefield, WA

Danica Jahr – VSAA, Vancouver, WA

Zach Pan – VSAA, Vancouver, WA

Ben Mittge – Chehalis Middle School, Chehalis, WA

Maxton Hill – Chehalis Middle School, Chehalis, WA

Outstanding high school musician awards for the A Division were presented to:

Olin Nelson – South Whidbey High School, Langley, WA

Corbyn Orchard – South Whidbey High School, Langley, WA

Lincoln Toland – Tukes Valley Middle School, Battle Ground, WA

Jackson Pierce – Tukes Valley Middle School, Battle Ground, WA

Basil Middlemas – Tukes Valley Middle School, Battle Ground, WA

Joseph DiPrima – Seton Catholic High School, Vancouver, WA

Parker Zaemann – Seton Catholic High School, Vancouver, WA

Kyler Dixon – Seton Catholic High School, Vancouver, WA

Stephen Samwel – Seton Catholic High School, Vancouver, WA

Danny McCarthy – Concordia Christian Academy, Tacoma, WA

Jason Nguyen– Concordia Christian Academy, Tacoma, WA

Anna Zendt – Columbia High School, White Salmon, WA

August Peterson – Columbia High School, White Salmon, WA

Jeremy Solis – Henrietta Lacks High School, Vancouver, WA

Graham Rank – Henrietta Lacks High School, Vancouver, WA

Kristin Dunlap – La Center High School, La Center, WA

Dominic Stub – La Center High School, La Center, WA

Aleks Chygasov – La Center High School, La Center, WA

Jordan Stout – Adna Middle/High School, Adna, WA

Myra Medina – Adna Middle/High School, Adna, WA

Stacti Dore – Woodland Middle/High School, Woodland, WA

Emma McCaullough – Woodland Middle/High School, Woodland, WA

Sam Purcell – Woodland Middle/High School, Woodland, WA

Harland Wakefield – Woodland Middle/High School, Woodland, WA

Friday, January 26, 2024 AA division high school jazz ensemble finals results:

AA Division:  

1st place – Hockinson High School, Brush Prairie, WA

2nd place (tie) – Richland High School Freshman, Richland, WA

2nd place (tie) – Lakewood High School, Lakewood, WA

Outstanding middle school and high school musician awards for the AA Division were presented to:

Michael Grove – Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield, WA

Naomi Halbrook – Heritage High School, Vancouver, WA

Cynthia Reyes-Mendoza – Heritage High School, Vancouver, WA

Jocelyn Cole – Heritage High School, Vancouver, WA

Preston White – Columbia River High School, Vancouver, WA

Amanda Linwood – W.F. West High School, Chehalis, WA

Parker Morrison – W.F. West High School, Chehalis, WA

Zandy Owens – Bishop Blanchet High School, Seattle, WA

Henry Van Mason – Richland High School, Richland, WA

Victor Zinchuk – Richland High School, Richland, WA

Leo Sandoval – Lakewood High School, North Lakewood, WA

Isaias Fuentes-Palominos – Lakewood High School, North Lakewood, WA

Hayden McCarty – Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground, WA

Chloe Kalson – Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground, WA

Thilo Kluth – Hockinson High School, Brush Prairie, WA

Jack Smith – Hockinson High School, Brush Prairie, WA

Levi Brown – Hockinson High School, Brush Prairie, WA

Adam Haunreiter – Hockinson High School, Brush Prairie, WA

Blake Bruning – Hockinson High School, Brush Prairie, WA

Saturday, January 27, 2024 AAA and AAAA division high school jazz ensemble finals results:

AAA Division:           

1st place – Heritage High School Jazz I, Vancouver, WA

2nd place – Bothell High School Jazz II, Bothell, WA

3rd place – Battle Ground High School Intermediate Jazz I, Battle Ground, WA

AAAA Division:        

1st Place – Bothell High School Jazz I, Seattle, WA

 2nd Place – Lake Stevens High School Jazz I, Lake Stevens, WA

3rd Place – Grant High School Jazz I, Portland, OR

Outstanding high school musician awards for the AAA Division were presented to:

Cooper Givens – Union High School, Camas, WA

Kieran Iyer – Union High School, Camas, WA

Liam Purcell – Skyview High School, Vancouver, WA

Cadence Sempk – Skyview High School, Vancouver, WA

Nathan Lauruhn – Grant High School, Portland, OR

Cannon West – Richland High School, Richland, WA

Tyler Hornell – Richland High School, Richland, WA

Heidi Anderson – Kamiak High School, Mukilteo, WA

Ryan Jackson – Kamiak High School, Mukilteo, WA

Allison Llubit – Lake Stevens High School, Lake Stevens, WA

Mark Rodeheaver – Lake Stevens High School, Lake Stevens, WA

Christian Oversvee-Choi – Bothell High School, Bothell, WA

Nathan Bardsley – Bothell High School, Bothell, WA

Sachita Kadievelu – Bothell High School, Bothell, WA

Aliah Bragg – Bothell High School, Bothell, WA

Logan Gillespie – Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground, WA

Janae Clark – Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground, WA

Gavin Williamson – Heritage High School, Vancouver, WA

Sam Arslanian – VSAA, Vancouver, WA

McKelvey Brewer – VSAA, Vancouver, WA

Kyle Davenport – Prairie High School – Battle Ground, WA

Judah Bollock – Prairie High School – Battle Ground, WA

Maggie Roth – Ingraham High School, Seattle, WA

Felix Lewis – Ingraham High School, Seattle, WA

Outstanding high school musician awards for the AAAA Division were presented to:

James Brady – Richland High School, Richland, WA

Henry Rice – Richland High School, Richland, WA

Gavin Bunbury – Edmonds-Woodway High School, Edmonds, WA

Addisyn Johnson – Edmonds-Woodway High School, Edmonds, WA

Henry Goss – Ingraham High School, Seattle, WA

Nathan Doyle – Ingraham High School, Seattle, WA

Kono Tiyaamornwong – Buchanan High School, Clovis, CA

Will Damrose – Buchanan High School, Clovis, CA

Trevor Nix – Buchanan High School, Clovis, CA

Alejandro Santana – Skyview High School, Vancouver, WA

Sean Malcom – Skyview High School, Vancouver, WA

Ethan Park – Kamiak High School, Mukilteo, WA

Ian Park – Kamiak High School, Mukilteo, WA

Izzy Cryan – Union High School, Camas, WA

Evelyn Lo – Union High School, Camas, WA

Andie Townsend – Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground, WA

Carter Stafford – Battle Ground High School, Battle Ground, WA

Phineas Ruji – Lake Stevens High School, Lake Stevens, WA

Jack Santos – Lake Stevens High School, Lake Stevens, WA

Sasha Burns – Grant High School, Portland, OR

Xander Buck – Grant High School, Portland, OR

Oli Rangle – Grant High School, Portland, OR

Dylan Reed – Bothell High School, Bothell, WA

Thomas Holmes – Bothell High School, Bothell, WA

Aaron Mamula – Bothell High School, Bothell, WA

Nicholas Ang – Bothell High School, Bothell, WA

Congratulations to all the fine bands who participated!  

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Local Band Creates Ultimate Expression of Love For Holidays in Lockdown

Folk duo Fox and Bones offers custom songwriting services for the perfect contact-free gift

Camas, WA — With lockdowns and quarantines affecting many long-standing holiday traditions this year, local band Fox and Bones has come up with the perfect contact-less gift that allows people to express their love from a distance. The duo, who previously made their living touring internationally but moved home to Camas when the first wave of lockdowns hit, put their minds together to create “Our Custom Song”, a boutique personalized songwriting service where they are commissioned to write what they call “the ultimate expression of love” —  a highly personalized, radio quality song.

Though Fox and Bones, aka Sarah Vitort and Scott Gilmore, launched this new service in the wake of COVID-19 shutdowns, the idea for Our Custom Song initially came to the real life couple three Christmases ago, when Gilmore wrote Vitort a song and gave it to her as a Christmas present. 

“To this day it’s the best gift I’ve ever received, truly a gift that keeps on giving. There is nothing quite like the feeling of being someone’s muse,” said Vitort. 

Vitort realized that equipped with 20+ combined years of songwriting experience that feeling was one they could offer to others and became more valuable than ever when COVID changed everyone’s lives.

The custom songwriting process begins with an hour-long ZOOM consultation, where Vitort and Gilmore ask thought provoking questions in order to step into their customers’ shoes before writing the song. In addition to the initial consultation, customers get two rounds of edits between the first and final drafts to ensure the song is exactly what they want. Customers also get to choose the genre, feel and instrumentation of the song, and are offered add-ons like their own photo slideshow music video, an engraved lyric plaque, or a CD of the song.

“It didn’t feel somebody created this song just because it was purchased, it felt like you guys really could understand how we felt, and took all the stories and things that we talked about and made them come to life,” said Shelby Cinnamon, who, with her siblings, commissioned a song for her mom for Mother’s Day. 

BAND
www.champpizza.com

Her sister Carley, a Camas resident, added, “I wish I had the words to convey to people how special and how meaningful the entire process was. It’s such a priceless song that we will treasure forever.”

In addition to custom songs, Our Custom Song also offers a more budget-friendly option in the form of “Song-Grams,” where clients can choose any song for the duo to cover with a special dedication to the recipient, a nostalgic cross between a singing telegram and a radio song dedication. 

Our Custom Song was created by Vitort and Gilmore as a way for people to commission personalized songs for the people they love most. Vitort and Gilmore use their 20 years of combined songwriting and music industry experience and their deep ability to empathize to create heartfelt, radio quality songs for their customers. The pair has been lauded for their songwriting in outlets such as Parade Magazine, No Depression, and Pop Matters since they formed in 2016.

Interested parties are encouraged to learn more and book their song at www.ourcustomsong.com

 

Band
Sarah Vitort and Scott Gilmore of Fox and Bones.
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Columbia River Gorge Elementary Music Sessions An Online Success

Columbia River Gorge Elementary Music teacher, Amy Switzer, stands alone in her classroom in front of her computer screen filled with tiles of smiling first grade students.  She leads them in the Good Morning song complete with hand clapping and stomping.  When asked for suggestions on other movements they can do, student hands fly into the air.  Gideon is called on, unmuted and suggested adding hopping to the song.  Another verse is sung.

“It’s great to see the students once a week in live zoom lessons,” said Switzer. “I really miss them!” 

Since traditional elementary music class is such a participatory, whole-group experience, Switzer said it was a challenge to figure out how to accomplish music goals remotely. 

“Kindy, 1st and 2nd Grades traditionally spend time exploring music through singing, listening and moving,” she said.  “I have found it is possible for me to continue much of that in Zoom Music Class.”  

In addition to Zoom Classroom, the SeeSaw educational app is an effective tool allowing students to create videos and other multimedia items.

“Our first SeeSaw lesson was a musical scavenger hunt to find things they could shake, hit or scrape and collect in a box to use in music class,” Switzer said. “Then ‘Ta da!’  They now have their own instruments to practice playing steady beats and rhythm in Zoom Music Class.” 

Switzer’s music lessons have become more project based with upper grade level students.  For example, her 3rd, 4th and 5th grades have started a project called the “World Music Tour.”  Their Google Classroom assignment is to interview an adult in their family or adult of their choice to see what continents and countries their ancestors came from and do they know any songs that have been passed down in their family. “Once the information is collected, we will ‘visit’ those places through music,” Switzer explained.  “It has been so much fun getting to know my students through this project!”

In fact, knowing students better has been one of the surprising benefits that Switzer has seen. 

“It is nice to connect with each and every student who participates in Seesaw and Google classroom,” she said. “I get the chance to see and read their work in depth.  I really enjoy seeing and reading each and every one of their assignments and can respond to them with thoughtful feedback. Some students also find they are braver when communicating with teachers through Google Classroom.”  

Music
Columbia River Gorge Elementary Music teacher, Amy Switzer, stands alone in her classroom in front of her computer screen filled with tiles of smiling first grade students.

Switzer’s students are reacting positively to the idea of remote learning music classes.

“They are so grateful to have live special subject classes again,” she said. “For some students, special subjects can be the reason they get up and go to school.”

But still, it has been tough for her to not be able to see her students in person. 

“It’s also hard not being able to have kids up and moving around interacting together playing singing games, recorders, band instruments, choir, ukuleles, and Orff instruments and experiencing the language of music,” she said.  

Teaching music remotely presents many challenges, but Switzer said she is fortunate to have the support of the WSD elementary music team. 

“Becky, Anna, Frank and I are a strong team,” she said. “We each have our strengths and collectively we help each other figure this out.  We spend each week brainstorming and sharing ideas. We communicate through email daily and try out new approaches on each other before trying with students.  They have been my rock through this whole experience.”  

Music
www.champpizza.com

When asked if music class can play a role in helping students cope with the situation around remote learning, Switzer said she believes music gives students connections to the world they live in and to each other. 

“It takes them to creative places in their brain that other activities cannot,” she said. “Music is a powerful antidote that can relieve anxiety and get our minds back in an even rhythm to cope with whatever life throws at us.  Kids too.” 

A student gave Switzer a plaque that read: Music is life, that’s why our hearts have beats. “You don’t have to understand that to experience it,” she explained.  “Our work is called ‘play’ for a reason.  It’s important to visit that part of who we are, especially for growing and developing minds.”

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Clark College Orchestra Performs 30th Anniversary Season of Dr. Donald Appert

The award winning Clark College Orchestra will present its Fall concert as part of the 2019-20 season celebrating the 30th anniversary of Music Director/Conductor Donald Appert on Wednesday, December 4 at Skyview High School in Vancouver, WA. 

This all-orchestral extravaganza will include La Valse by Maurice Ravel, Nuages and Fêtes from Claude Debussy’s Nocturnes and Josef Suk’s Symphony No. 1 in E minor. The performance is at 7:30 pm and admission is free and open to the public. Donations to the Orchestra General Fund will be accepted at the door.

For complete information about all the Clark College Music Department concerts including the orchestra, concert band, jazz ensemble, and choirs, please see http://www.clark.edu/campus-life/arts-events/music/music-concerts.

Donald Appert has appeared as a guest conductor in Japan, Australia, Central America, and throughout Europe.  In Italy La’ovadese wrote, “…the performance of the ‘Serenade in C Major’ of Tchaikovsky, under the exceptional direction of Appert, was in such a style that it brought out the elegance and grace of the melodic lines with Mozartian inspiration.  …The L’Orchestra Sinfonica Città di Grosseto… performed the Barber ‘Adagio’ with rare effectiveness, emphasizing its intrinsically rich melody.”  Giornale di Sicilla praised his interpretation of Nielsen’s First Symphony as “lyrical with an airy freshness,” and his conducting as “precise, painstakingly accurate, and diligent.”  In the United States, he has appeared as a guest conductor of the Vancouver (Washington) Symphony, the University of Texas – Arlington Symphony Orchestra, the Eastern Washington University Symphony Orchestra, and the University of Central Arkansas Symphony.

As one of only five musicians chosen, Dr. Appert received the 2015 Honored Artists of The American Prize, the Honored Artists being “…individuals who have proven themselves to be musicians of “sustained excellence” over a number of seasons as contestants in the competitions.”  Adding to this distinctive honor is his 2011 The American Prize in Orchestral Programming – Vytautas Marijosius Memorial Award for his work with the Oregon Sinfonietta.  

Orchestra
www.MeuPilates.com

Dr. Appert was awarded the 2015 ASCAPLUS Award in recognition of his performances in Italy and the United States.  His awards in previous years were for performances in Romania, Qatar, Europe, Central America, Japan, and the United States.  Dr. Appert is the recipient of the 2014 Clark County Arts Commission Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award, and in 2009, he received the Washington Community College Humanities Association Exemplary Status Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the Humanities. 

As a member of ASCAP, most of Dr. Appert’s compositions have been published and his works have been performed throughout the world.  A recent work, Concerto for Cello and Orchestra, commissioned by, and for, Jeffrey Butler of the Houston Symphony, had its world première to great applause on June 17, 2018, with Mr. Butler as soloist and the Clark College Orchestra accompanying him.       

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Generation Headstrong — 4 Member Youth Band Off to Great Start

Generation Headstrong. They’re new. They’re young. And, they’re bold.

The rock and blues band (that plays a little metal, too) formed just months ago, but the four boys – Jameson Reese Fyfe, 9; Aiden Baird, 14; Grayson Much, 14; and Bennett Fyfe, 11 — are moving pretty fast in the music world with regular performances in the region, and their eyes on an international competition.

The SW Washington band members knew other over the last three years, thanks to the Hammersmith Rock Institute in Vancouver, where they learn about music and practice. Eventually, the the stars aligned, and in February 2019 Generation Headstrong was born.

Not long after, the band heard about the International Blues Competition, and were approached by the Cascade Blues Association to represent the Pacific Northwest at the annual event in Memphis, Tennessee next January.

And in this short amount of time, they’ve quickly learned to connect and combine their talents to create their own style.

Aiden, a Camas resident, plays guitar and does backup vocals. Grayson, of Vancouver, is lead guitar player with vocals and background vocals. Bennett, the band’s deep thinker and organizer, plays bass and is the lead vocalist, and his little brother Jameson does drums and backup vocals.

“I have to do drums,” said Jameson. “It gets the hyper out of me!”

His older brother, Bennett, just shakes his head.

“We’ve connected to the point where our playing is meaningful as we connect onstage and offstage,” said Aiden. “We know what to do to make our playing a little bit better each time. We’re playing at levels some adults don’t play yet. It’s some complex stuff. One of the songs is ‘A Cult of Personality’. We’re starting off as a cover band. It was a hard song to learn. It’s faced-paced. It came along and it’s a really, really good song. We rehearse it a lot.”

Generation Headstrong
From left: Grayson Much, Aiden Baird, Jameson Fyfe, and Bennett Fyfe.

Rehearsals happen twice weekly at Bennett and Jameson’s house, and sessions typically last three hours. They’re also beginning to write their own music.

They continue to perform all over the area, including at A Beer At A Time in Downtown Camas. So, what can audiences expect when they perform?

“Usually we have two sets: one is a set of songs, then we do a second set,” said Aiden. “The first set is a little bit more low key. Sets are 45-50 minutes with 10-15 songs per set. We’re playing 2-3 hour shows right now.”

Leon Fyfe, who has his own history in music, manages the band, which has played at a lot of local youth jams.

They get paid for the gigs and each boy is a paid a little money, and the rest is being used to cover the Memphis trip.

“We have to cover all the costs to get there,” said Grayson. “It’s the last week of January. All of this brings us together and makes us feel comfortable. We want to be bigger. We play at the zoo, A Beer At A Time, Billy Blues, and we did a road trip to Enterprise, OR. We played two shows there. One place called Terminal Gravity and then the other was at Embers.”

A Rich History in Music

Grayson’s roots started with the piano, and 2.5 years ago he picked up the guitar.

“Mom found a place called Hammersmith Rock Institute at 1st and 172nd in Vancouver,” said Grayson. “Then mom asked me if I wanted to play guitar. I really liked it and learned from John Guffey. Shout out to him! He taught me for two years, I started at 11. In 2017, I met Aiden, and we started getting close.”

Aiden started out liking music because his family had a musical background.

Generation Headstrong
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“Mom likes singing,” said Aiden. “I would play air guitar to songs on the radio. Grandpa and mom bought me a guitar when I was 5, and I took lessons for two years, then moved onto drums for a while then I was introduced to Hammersmith. We walked in and talked to the people there and I was enrolled in drum lessons. We’d play shows with Grayson and Bennett. We did rehearsals and shows together.”

The Fyfe boys also have a rich music heritage. Their mom, Trisha Fyfe, grew up with music and played piano while her father and grandfather were both in bands.

Jameson was the last to join the budding band, and he’s glad he did.

“It’s just so much fun,” he said.

So, where did the name ‘Generation Headstrong’ come from?

“The whole band and parents discussed it,” said Aiden. “We had multiple ideas and it stuck. Generation was something we all picked out. Headstrong means we’re smart. It means we’re determined.”

Their next performance is Friday, August 2 at 6 pm at A Beer At A Time.

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Music: 5th Annual Clark College Fall Choral Festival Coming Friday

VANCOUVER, WA —   The Clark College Music Department is hosting the 5th Annual Fall Choral Festival on Friday, November 9, 2018 in Gaiser Student Center on the campus of Clark College.  Over 15 area middle and high school chamber and concert choirs will sing in this non-competitive festival which runs from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Tickets are $5/person for the day.

“We’re very happy the festival is returning this year,” says Festival Director Dr. Jacob Funk, who is also is the Director of Choirs at Clark College. “Participating choirs get the chance to work with some highly skilled clinicians and receive written feedback on their performance. Each choir will also get to have a mini-clinic onstage, allowing for the other schools to see how a different choir learns new ways to succeed. Two of the Clark College Choirs will perform for all the participating choirs in the middle of the festival. It will be a wonderful time of music making, learning, and supporting each other in song.”

Laser

For complete information about all the Clark College Music Department concerts including the orchestra, concert band, jazz ensemble, and choirs, please see http://www.clark.edu/campus-life/arts-events/music/

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Joshua W. Turner’s Debut Album “Be OK” Filled With Diverse Imagery

Meet Joshua W. Turner. Singer. Songwriter. Musician. Producer. Entrepreneur.

The Tacoma, WA artist is a busy man who’s actively promoting his new debut EP album, “BE OK,” which has catchy hooks, heartfelt lyrics, and colorful, diverse songwriting imagery.

“It’s an enticing story of love, hope, and the longing desire to get up and change,” says Turner. “It was written, recorded and produced by myself over a year span and features guest vocals from both my sister-in-law, Savannah Turner, and my beautiful wife, Erin Turner.”

This specific album is a collection of songs Turner wrote more than a decade ago, and a few written within the last year.

“It’s a compilation of doing music for 13 years, and picking songs that represent me as a solo artist,” said Turner. “This is my first solo album I’ve put out.”

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A fiercely independent man, Turner has chosen Bandcamp.com to his release “Be OK” because it gives him more autonomy.

“Bandcamp is a platform to release an album on your own terms, you can determine pricing and do it more your way,” Turner said. “It’s not as popular but it’s a good starting point to have an album presented in its entirety.”

“Be OK” can be streamed and/or downloaded through this link:
http://joshuawturner.bandcamp.com/album/be-ok

Getting the word out to Music Supervisors is key as he’s chosen the sync licensing route to generate income. It’s not easy, but it works for Turner, and other artists like him. Sync licensing enlists Music Supervisors to set moods for various media productions, and it requires extensive research to know how to do it right.

Turner said his genre is singer-songwriter, which has the feel of one man with a guitar speaking his heart. The music really sets a tone, a mood.

“It has country aspects woven into it, and part of it is my style, and part of it is to make the songs more diverse for sync licensing opportunities,” he said. “I put all my history into one album. “This was a test for me because I needed to figure out how to produce music. The album was released August 30, and it’s gotten some interest. It’s been sent to music supervisors and it’s gaining traction.”

Background

“I got started in my bedroom,” he said. “I grew up on Whidbey Island and I just decided I wanted to sing, and was taught I could develop my voice and going to voice lessons. So, for two years I learned on my own, and then went to Berkeley College of Music in Boston, and I got in and I just started learning how to sing, and while I was there, I was awarded the Berkeley Achievement Scholarship.”

“Then, after Berkeley I went to Musicians Institute in Hollywood to study guitar. I was doing rock music then, and I was in the genre of Smashing Pumpkins meets Gun’s and Roses. I caught up with people who were developing a rock band. We went to red carpets featuring Richie Sambora.”

As time passed, Turner became disheartened and walked away from Los Angeles — and walked away from music. In time, he met his wife and got a normal preschool job teaching music.

“Then I started realizing I wanted to keep making music,” Turner said. “What I had to do was take on the responsibility of being the sole provider, which led me back to music. I opened a music coaching school, where I train singers to be confident about themselves. Confidence issues hold people back in music. I recognize that I have to do several streams of income to support my family. You have to be creative.”

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