By Carey Hix staff reporter "What a great birthday!" thought Jen Shults as she read the acceptance letter one more time. First, she enjoyed the TCU victory at the Mobile Bowl, and then returned home to find that she was one of three TCU students who had been selected to participate in the first national Future Music Teachers of America Honors Ensembles in Washington, D.C. The junior music education major and flutist had heard about the conference at a Music Educator's Organization meeting in the Fall 1999 from Peggy Bennett, chairwoman of music education.She and classmate Rachel Williams, a junior music education major who plays trumpet, decided to record their audition tape together to submit to the conference. The recording session didn't exactly go off without a hitch, but apparently the tape turned out well, considering both students were chosen to participate in the concert. Shults and Williams had reserved Ed Landreth Auditorium to record, but the person in charge of recording that day wasn't available. They then tried to reserve the PepsiCo Recital Hall, but that didn't work out for them either. Finally, they were able to reserve the band hall for the day after Thanksgiving and they couldn't figure out how to work the stereo because it required a special cassette player. "We finally found this really crummy tape recorder," Williams said. "We found that Ed Landreth Auditorium was open so we went in there and made it, and we thought it sounded really bad because of the awful tape recorder." Kim Stanton, a sophomore music education major, said she wanted to get more involved by auditioning for the concert. The clarinet player also heard about the conference from Bennett at the MEO meeting last fall.
She found out that she had been accepted the same day as Shults and Williams, after the bowl game. The experience will be very exciting, Williams said, because of the quality of the conductors who will attend the conference. Williams and Stanton are looking forward to working with Colonel Gabriel, who will conduct the Honors Band Ensemble. It will be interesting to meet educators from other states at the conference, Shults said. "Right now I want to expose myself to as many good teachers and conductors as I can because in a year I'm going to be out there trying to do it," she said. The students are dedicated to performing well at the ensembles. To prepare, they practice two to three hours a day. Dedication is a must for music education majors at TCU's School of Music, Bennett said. These students take lessons an hour a week for every year they attend TCU, and they play in ensembles for more than six hours a week for only half a credit, Bennett said. The fact that all three of the TCU students who auditioned were chosen to participate in the conference reflects the level of talent at the School of Music, said Kenneth Raessler, director of the School of Music. The School of Music is proud of the girls and hopes to show its pride by joining with the Student Government Association to help with funding for the trip, Raessler said.
The music education majors were encouraged by Bennett to audition because there are so many students worthy of participating in this kind of event, Bennett said. "When these three told me they were going to send in their audition tapes, I was so happy that they were brave enough to do so, and to put themselves on such a national scale," Bennett said. "I am very proud of them and I'm very proud for what this represents about their musicianship and their capabilities and promise as music educators," Bennett said. The students plan to leave for Washington, D.C. on March 8. The conference will feature four categories of performances: orchestra, honors band, jazz band and choir. Williams and Stanton will perform in the honors band ensembles and Shults will perform in the orchestra ensemble. The concerts will take place between March 8 and 11.
By Jaime Walker staff reporter Twenty-two members of the Leftist Student Union traded the hectic pace of college life for a weekend of relaxation in the woods, said LSU member Phil Doan. The group's camping trip Friday and Saturday offered a rare opportunity to get away from it all and enjoy nature, he said. "There is nothing better than a bonfire and some fellowship to help you relax," Doan said. "That is what this trip was all about." The Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose, Texas, provided a picturesque backdrop for profound conversations and intense s'more-eating, Doan said. For Crista Williams, a senior psychology major, this was her first opportunity since grade school to go camping. It had all the classic elements she remembered - tents, food and smoky air. But this time, the group's diverse attitudes added an interesting twist. "We are all such independent thinkers that it would be easy for us to get into heated discussions and take things personally," she said. "This weekend was our chance to develop friendships despite our varied opinions." Doan, a junior philosophy major, said the group braved the weekend's cold and windy weather for a chance to get to know each other better. "We talked about everything under the sun," Doan said. "From religion to the future of our education system, it was all fair game." Freshman philosophy major Christina Byrnes said a camping trip was exactly what this budding political organization needed. "Since we don't have a single platform, we really needed to share our perspectives on the issues," she said. "The trip gave us a chance to bond and understand where everyone stands. It was great." Kevin Thompson, a sophomore premajor, said the discussions around the bonfire were the most memorable part of his camping experience. Thompson said he planned the event because he thought camping would be fun, but overall he had few expectations. "From my experience, it's best not to have expectations or presumptions of what the trip will be but rather to let it unfold," he said. "And that's exactly what happened." For the members of the group, the trip became more than just a chance to get in touch with one another at the campsite around sunset on Saturday. It developed into an opportunity to share the beauty of nature, Byrnes said. "Just as the sun was at its most brilliant, deer wandered by," Byrnes said. "I think it was the absolutely most wonderful sight I have ever seen, and I was glad to share it with these friends." Doan said he will remember that night of the trip because it was a perfect example of how people can put aside their differences and experience something that bonds them together. "You just don't see something like that every day in L.A.," said Doan, who is from California. "When you share that moment with people you are just getting to know, it can change the way you look at them. It broadens your appreciation of the world and of those people." Thompson said the trip was a success, and the group plans another soon. "I can think of nothing else I would rather do than go out into nature and hang out with my friends," Thompson said. "I would love to do this on a regular basis."
Jaime Walker |
Stanton's professor Gary Whitman, associate professor of
music, helped her record her tape in the PepsiCo Recital Hall.
"I hope that the SGA and the School of Music will be
able to subsidize the trip for them," he said. "I would hate
to have our students need to use their own money to represent TCU at such
a prestigious event. It is both a personal honor for the students as well
as an honor for TCU."| The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |