Alumni notes 2019
Read on for notes on accomplishments and accolades for College of Music alumni in 2019.
Ryan Alexander Bloom (BA ’07)
Bloom released his third instructional book, with publisher Hudson Music, titled Encyclopedia Rudimentia: The Ultimate Drum Rudiment Collection.
Mark Call (MME ’00) and Jan Osburn (MME ’01)
Call and Osburn received the Impact on Education Award from Boulder Valley Schools for their work as music educators.
Amber Campbell (BME ’92)
Campbell won the 25-Year Service Award from the Colorado Music Educators Association (CMEA) and the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award from the Colorado American String Teachers Association (CASTA).
Andrew Crust (DMA ’16)
Crust was named assistant conductor of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. He is currently assistant conductor of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, conductor of the Memphis Youth Orchestra and assistant conductor of the National Youth Orchestra of the U.S.A. In addition, Crust was the 2018 winner of the Ansbacher Fellowship for Young Conductors and a 2018 finalist for the Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors Award.
Bonnie Draina (DMA ’06)
Draina released a book this year exploring breathing technique from a body mapping perspective, titled The Breathing Book for Singers.
Ellie Falter (PhD ’18)
Falter finished her first year as assistant professor of music education at Drake University. Her recent peer-reviewed publications include a sole-authored research article in Perspectives and a co-authored article in Arts Education Policy Review. Falter was elected secretary of the board for the Early Childhood Music and Movement Association, began serving on the advisory board for the Music Educators Journal and was named special learners chair for the Iowa Music Educators Association. Her original piano work, In the Spaces Between, premiered in May.
Lacey Huszcza (BA ’03)
Huszcza became the new executive director of the Las Vegas Philharmonic in December 2018. She was also named one of Musical America’s Top 30 Professionals for 2018.
Dan Isbell (PhD ’06)
Isbell, associate professor of music education at Louisiana State University, gave presentations on flexible musicianship at the Music and Drama Education Exposition in London and at the 26th European Association for Music in Schools conference in Jelgava, Latvia. Isbell also had articles published in Contributions in Music Education and the Journal of Research in Childhood Education.
Edna Jeon (BM)
Jeon won a piccolo audition with the Honolulu Symphony.
Erik Johnson (BME ’01, MM ’07, PhD ’13)
Johnson, associate professor of music at Colorado State University, co-authored a book, A Guide to Student Teaching in Band. He also gave presentations on music teacher identity development and music teacher resilience at the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) National Research Conference in Atlanta and the American Education Research Association conference in Toronto. Johnson also received the 2018 Colorado State University Award for Distinction in Community Outreach and Engagement.
Geary Larrick (DMA ’84)
Larrick was presented with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by the Marquis Who's Who Publications Board, designating him as a top artist in the fields of music and education. This year, he also celebrated 50 years of writing for the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors (NACWPI) Journal, where much of his doctoral dissertation has been published. In October 2018, Larrick performed six programs of 15 of his own compositions in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, on solo marimba and piano.
Lisa Martin (PhD ’14)
As assistant professor of music education at Bowling Green State University, Martin was recently published in both the Music Educators Journal and the Journal of Music Teacher Education. She also received the award for Undergraduate Faculty Mentor of the Year from BGSU’s Center for Undergraduate Research and Scholarship. Throughout the last year, Martin presented her research at various state and national conferences, including the Seventh Biennial Colloquium for Teachers of Instrumental Music Methods and the NAfME Eastern Division Conference in Pittsburgh.
Pattie Nelson (BME ’84, MME ’08)
Nelson was the winner of the 2018 Lifetime Teacher Award from CASTA.
Taylor Raven (MM ’15)
Raven is currently a member of the LA Opera Young Artist Program. She received first place in the Loren L. Zachary Vocal Competition and performed with Wolf Trap Opera and at the Cincinnati May Festival.
Alan Reese (MM ’14)
Reese just completed his PhD from the Eastman School of Music and was hired as a faculty member at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Rebecca Robinson (AD ’16)
Robinson was a guest soloist with the Santa Fe Symphony.
Stephen A. Slater (MM ’04)
Slater held the fourth horn position with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra for the 2018-19 season and the second horn position with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra in 2017-18.
Max Stern (BM ’69)
A retrospective album of Stern’s biblical compositions was released this year by the Israel Music Institute and Ministry of Culture.
Colleen White (DMA ’18)
White has been appointed assistant professor of flute at Kansas State University.
Amy Woodley (BME ’01)
Woodley is serving as the music coordinator for Jeffco Public Schools in Jefferson County, Colorado.
Aubrey Yeh (BME ’10)
Yeh is serving as the interim director of fine and performing arts for the Boulder Valley School District.
Julio Zabaleta (MM ’18)
Zabaleta won a position in the flute section of the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo (OSESP) Academy in São Paulo, Brazil.
