Jazz

2026 Persevering Legacy—meet the performers

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:08:54 +0000

2026 Persevering Legacy—meet the performers Mariefaith Lane Thu, 03/12/2026 - 07:08

Kathryn Bistodeau

On March 26, the annual College of Music Persevering Legacy event will celebrate women composers including those from historically marginalized groups. Undergraduate and graduate students have the opportunity to choose compositions from the Helen Walker-Hill collection housed in our very own American Music Research Center, or contribute their own discoveries: This year, seven acts from across the College of Music will present pieces from Jessie Montgomery to Dolores White and more.

Holly McMahon

Senior composition student Holly McMahon describes the event as “music you’ve probably never heard before and a lot of students excited to share pieces that are uniquely interesting to them.”

McMahon is part of an ensemble performing excerpts from a ballet she wrote—“The Snow Queen”—, a rendition of a story by Hans Christian Anderson. McMahon will play piano alongside Katherine Fornshell (cello), Caden Craig (clarinet) and Elijah Pouliot (violin).

McMahon has performed in previous Persevering Legacy events and has been attending them since her first year at 91��ý. “It was a really nice concert for me to go to when I was a freshman,” she says. “I didn’t know that much about female composers and it’s inspiring to see yourself in composers on a program. This year, I wanted to give back and add to the concert.”

She was commissioned by a local dance studio to compose “The Snow Queen” which was performed in full, with dancers, in December. McMahon herself danced seven years before beginning her undergraduate degree. “There’s so much joy that can come from writing music meant for movement,” she says. “It feels very me to have written this ballet.

“I really love the music that I wrote and the group that I’m playing with.”

Lucy O’Byrne

This is also the first year that the 91��ý Thompson Jazz Studies Program will be represented in the event with a sextet performing Esperanza Spalding’s “Mela.” Lucy O’Byrne, a sophomore in jazz saxophone performance, says that only makes sense: “Jazz is a very male dominated music and I’m not saying that classical music isn’t,” she says. “Just historically, women have not been safe or welcomed to perform in a lot of the spaces where jazz is welcome.”

O’Byrne jumped at the chance to perform a more difficult piece, diving in and working hard to prepare. “The music we’re playing is really challenging. We’re having a total of five or six rehearsals,” she says. “We really want to put time and effort into making it sound super good.”

The ensemble will also feature sophomores Bella Lanier (voice), Avi Bergman (trumpet), Gabe Hazleton (piano) and Gavin Hulse (drums), and freshman Mateo Perez (bass). While the ensemble wasn’t assigned by the department, the students have played together before.

“A really awesome thing about the jazz department—which I’m glad that we’re able to feature on this concert—is that all of us have a lot of experience playing with each other. The department’s small and we’re all friends who play together often,” adds O’Byrne.

Shai Wexler

Shai Wexler—a first-year master’s student in violin performance—will perform a piece for solo violin, “T’filah” (“Prayer”) by Lera Auerbach.

“It’s very meaningful to me because it’s a piece by a female Jewish composer on Jewish themes and that I feel very connected to because I’m Jewish,” she says.

For Wexler, there are parts of the piece that portray anxiety and unease about the world, and the ability to use music and prayer to express that. “This piece uses a lot of musical language from Jewish prayers and the violin really mimics the human voice,” she explains. “It sounds a lot like a cantor singing in synagogue which I think is really special.”

Wexler is also looking forward to the freedom the piece offers—it’s an unmetered work, meaning the performing musician can choose the rhythm and pacing. “That’s a really exciting opportunity for me because I haven’t played a lot of works like that,” she says.

“In classical music a lot of the time, we’re trained to play what’s on the page exactly as the composer intended. It’s been really meaningful to have this opportunity to break out of that a little bit and present my own unique interpretation of this piece.”

The participating students’ excitement and anticipation is palpable. They’re eager to work with the other students on the program and experience something new: “I’m really looking forward to being educated on artists and composers from other genres that are also underrepresented in this music,” O’Byrne says. “I’m looking forward to learning and hearing what other people have to say.”

Complementing the Persevering Legacy event on March 26, 7:30 p.m., Chamber Hall (S102), Imig Music Building, alumnus Gregory Walker (DMA ’92, composition)—son of the late Helen Walker-Hill and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer George Walker—will lead a master class for students on March 24, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (N180D).

Discover the 91��ý Diverse Musicians’ Alliance

The 91��ý Diverse Musicians’ Alliance presents its annual Persevering Legacy event celebrating women composers including those from historically marginalized groups. Meet some of the student performers, learn about their chosen works and join us on March 26!

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Faculty Tuesdays event spotlights songwriting, individual expression

Mariefaith Lane — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 21:14:58 +0000

Faculty Tuesdays event spotlights songwriting, individual expression Mariefaith Lane Mon, 11/10/2025 - 14:14

Adam Goldstein + Sabine Kortals Stein

Associate Professor of Composition Annika Socolofsky and Associate Teaching Professor of Composition Mike Barnett are dedicated educators at 91��ý’s College of Music who also play other roles outside of their status as professors.

Namely, both Barnett and Socolofsky are actively engaged composers and singer-songwriter artists who practice what they preach to their students when it comes to self-expression and creativity through music.

This week’s Faculty Tuesdays event, Nov. 11, offers the duo the chance to spotlight their singer-songwriter sides for our campus and community concertgoers. More broadly, the performance will represent the ways that the College of Music is evolving: Even as Barnett and Socolofsky bring their original compositions to the stage, opportunities for students’ self-expression as musicians, songwriters and artists are continually expanding.

“We were excited when Mike and Annika proposed their event for the Faculty Tuesdays series because it gives us the chance to more fully highlight the diversity of work being done at the 91��ý College of Music,” says CU Presents Executive Director Andrew Metzroth. “It also gave us an opportunity to stretch the boundaries of what can happen in Grusin Music Hall.”

Specifically, Metzroth helped support audio engineering and supplemental lighting—as well as the extra funds needed to support a rock-style concert. CU Presents in general manages event promotions and programs including for all Faculty Tuesday events.

“Mike and I are both so excited to bring songwriting to the Faculty Tuesdays series,” says Socolofsky. The event will feature 10 of her original songs as well as Socolofsky’s queer, country and Western alter-ego EmmyJean Jenkins.

“We’re starting two brand-new degree programs here at the College of Music: Songwriting and Music Production. We hope we’re the first of many songwriting Faculty Tuesdays that showcase the ways that the college’s offerings are branching out.”

Socolofsky will be joined onstage by an ensemble that includes Trace Hybertson on fiddle, isele phoenix harper on keyboards, alumnus Ilan Blanck (MM ’23) on guitar and Nicole Patrick on drums for a program including “a rather thorough needling of the patriarchy along with quite a few jokes about men named Brad ... or Brock ... or Brice ... or some name like that.”

Barnett’s portion of the program will draw on collaborations with Jazz Studies Lecturer Enion Pelta-Tiller on vocals and fiddle, Fritz Gearhart on fiddle and Assistant Teaching Professor of Percussion Carl Dixon on percussion for a showcase of eight of his original songs (plus one cover).

Barnett is an active musician in the Boulder community and beyond; he’s a regular attendee of local songwriting sessions and performs his self-described brand of “Outlaw Folk” in open mics and community performances. Like Socolofsky, he views this event as a chance not only to bring his music to the 91��ý campus, but to contribute to a deeper shift—in terms of focus, access and expression—in the entire community.

“We’re launching these new degree programs and we’re also in the process of building a multitrack studio,” he adds. “That’s going to open doors for all of our students. I think these efforts all speak loudly to what we’re doing here, building a more diverse and inclusive body of artistry.

“I think these efforts all speak loudly to what we’re doing here, building a more diverse and inclusive body of artistry.”

“Music belongs to everyone. There are so many voices that traditionally haven’t been heard in academia. It’s an important part of our mission—and the college’s universal musician approach to achieving that mission—to do these things.”

It feels fitting, then, that Barnett’s only cover tune during the performance will be Bob Seger’s 1971 folk ballad, “Turn the Page.”

As Barnett reiterates, this week’s event is part of a broader effort. “We’re helping to write a new chapter.”

Associate Professor of Composition Annika Socolofsky and Associate Teaching Professor of Composition Mike Barnett are actively engaged composers and singer-songwriter artists who practice what they preach to their students when it comes to self-expression and creativity through music.

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Innovation as a collaborative act

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 10:00:41 +0000

Innovation as a collaborative act Mariefaith Lane Thu, 10/30/2025 - 04:00

John Davis

From left to right: On Oct. 1-4, 2025, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Margaret Berg, Assistant Dean for Strategic Initiatives Kate Cimino, Dean John Davis and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies Matthew Roeder welcomed participants of the National Association of Music Executives at State Universities (NAMESU) Annual Meeting to our campus and the brand new Limelight Boulder.

Greetings “from the road” where I’ve been engaged in two accreditation site reviews for the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)—at institutions in Mississippi and New York—as well as a trio of October conferences: From hosting the National Association of Music Executives at State Universities (NAMESU) Annual Meeting right here on our campus and at the new Limelight hotel to the 61st Annual Conference of the International Council for Arts Deans (ICfAD) in Santa Fe, New Mexico to the College Music Society (CMS) National Conference in Spokane, Washington this week where I’ll be interacting with other deans and senior arts administrators engaged in public service and mentoring. Everywhere I go, I enjoy representing the unique achievements, aspirations and opportunities of our College of Music; along the way, I’ve been struck by the supportive camaraderie and timely shared learnings among my counterparts.

As noted by American theatre and opera director Anne Bogart, “We have been discouraged to think that innovation can be a collaborative act” and yet it’s exactly that—a collaborative act—that’s at the heart of institutions like ours.

It’s a collaborate act to not only innovate our curriculum in accordance with our universal musician approach—most recently including the launch of our songwriting degree emphasis, a new master’s degree in performance and pedagogy and the addition of a strings emphasis within our jazz studies degree programs; but also to sustain a healthy environment in which our students and faculty can advance their artistic integrity and imagination, and push back against ongoing pressures and pervasive feelings of despair—for example, when the Evergreen High School Cougar Pride Marching Band joined our Golden Buffalo Marching Band for a halftime performance on Oct. 11, marking a significant moment of healing for a community still recovering from a school shooting in September; and when our University Choir takes the spotlight at the National Collegiate Choral Organization Biennial Conference at Cal State Fullerton College on Nov. 7, among just 10 choirs selected to perform via a nationwide competitive application process.

These days, we’re constantly buffeted by events. In the 24/7 news cycle, it’s all too easy to catastrophize, to lose proportion. In response, among arts leaders nationally, I’m finding a palpable purpose to meet the moment with intentionality, resulting in more opportunities for energetic engagement based on shared values.

At ICfAD, I participated in several facilitated discussions including Building Coalitions Across Campus, Creating Cultural Buy-In, and Strategies for Leading and Building a Team; as well as a riveting presentation—Common Characteristics of the Most Successful Fundraising Deans by James M. Langley, a prolific author and successful pioneer of fundraising strategies in higher education. The result? My own deepening dedication to the college’s focus areas—offering relevant, adaptable curriculum and student opportunities; enhancing faculty and staff success; and sustaining a community of wellness and resilience—as well as refining, right-sizing or even shifting college priorities to ignite greater immediate impacts as well as future possibilities for our students.

In short, my notes from a month of travel on behalf of our college—where I’m enthusiastic about my second term as dean—reflect that we’re not alone in taking a fresh look at everything we do to ensure student, staff and faculty flourishing within a resilient community, no matter the external pressures on (and often misdirected passions against) universities, generally.

Through radical resourcefulness, and with your programmatic and scholarship support, I’m eager to redirect adversity into advocacy, and conflict into collaborative acts that elevate music making as a basic human right: A right that serves and sustains the human experience, that draws us together when words fail, that offers an inclusive place of refuge and that uplifts expression of the beauty within all of us.

Dean Davis shares reflections “from the road” where he’s been engaged in a trio of October conferences as well as two accreditation site reviews for the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).

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College of Music announces new Applied Jazz Strings course

Mariefaith Lane — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 21:12:09 +0000

College of Music announces new Applied Jazz Strings course Mariefaith Lane Tue, 10/28/2025 - 15:12

Adam Goldstein

The College of Music’s Thompson Jazz Studies Program is excited to announce the addition of Applied Jazz Strings—taught by recent alumna and current Jazz Studies Lecturer Enion Pelta-Tiller—to the college’s following BA, MM and DMA jazz performance degrees: BA with jazz emphasis, MM jazz performance + pedagogy and DMA jazz performance.

Jazz music is about more than trumpets, trombones, saxophones, bass, drums and the like—and no one knows that better than Pelta-Tiller. An accomplished musician, composer and educator, she’s well aware of the rich history and complex contemporary reality of the uniquely American genre. Specifically, the role of stringed instruments in jazz holds a special place in Pelta-Tiller’s heart, and it’s no wonder: She’s a brilliant violinist and the varied history of jazz has long informed her approach to the instrument.

From her roles as a founding member of the critically acclaimed indie-folk group Taarka to directing the College of Music’s Cross-Genre American Roots Strings Ensemble, Pelta-Tiller’s musical resume has incorporated a wide array of cues from the genre, past and present.

“Especially in earlier forms of jazz, there’s a strong tradition of violin players,” Pelta-Tiller explains. “Players like Stuff Smith, Stéphane Grappelli and Eddie South are some of the prominent names from that early era of the music who are really foundational to where strings in jazz comes from, and what people are still doing with string instruments in jazz.

“I mean, even Ornette Coleman played the violin on some recordings,” she adds, referring to the seminal free jazz pioneer of the ’60s and ’70s.

The role of strings in jazz has long been overlooked by historians and even musicians, but Pelta-Tiller will soon bring jazz strings back in the spotlight for College of Music students and performers: With approval by the university’s curriculum committee to launch the Applied Jazz Strings course in fall 2026, violinists, violists and cellists will be offered an in-depth experience into the profound and multifaceted role of strings in the birth, development and current course of jazz.

From exploring the violinists who led early jazz ensembles in the ’20s and ’30s to the bluegrass players and Western Swing pioneers who added new folk-based elements to the genre, the new course will shed fresh light on jazz and its component parts. Specifically, it will illustrate how African American musical traditions, European theory elements and folk strains from across the country fused in a uniquely American art form that’s only continued to evolve and grow.

“String instruments have been a part of jazz since its earliest days,” notes Pelta-Tiller. “But they’ve been sidelined somewhat and it’s very exciting to bring back awareness of that history. I think a lot of students of jazz don’t get to experience or study much of that early history and by bringing back these instruments, there’s more of an opportunity to engage with it.”

Indeed—according to Pelta-Tiller—engagement is key: She aims to ensure that students have plenty of opportunities to perform, even envisioning a full ensemble of string players taking on all the varied roles of a traditional jazz group—from rhythm to melody to percussion.

It’s an ambitious vision that aligns both with Pelta-Tiller’s own musical history and the college’s universal musician approach to achieving its mission. “It’s exciting to revisit all this music that I love through my students’ eyes and finding new ways of engaging with it myself,” she concludes.

Questions? Email thompsonjazzstudies@colorado.edu. For application info, visit colorado.edu/music/admissions.

The 91��ý College of Music’s Thompson Jazz Studies Program is excited to announce the addition of Applied Jazz Strings—taught by recent alumna and current Jazz Studies Lecturer Enion Pelta-Tiller—to the college’s BA, MM and DMA jazz performance degrees.

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Celebrate + aspire

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 15:59:06 +0000

Celebrate + aspire Mariefaith Lane Thu, 03/13/2025 - 09:59

John Davis

On March 2, the College of Music’s talented Opera Theater Singers once again delivered outstanding performances at our Eklund Opera Program gala at the Academy University Hill. We were honored to welcome Chancellor Schwartz for the first time at this annual fundraising event that aims to sustain and support the arts in our community. Pictured above (left to right): Andrew Todd, Assistant Dean for Advancement; Justin Schwartz, 91��ý Chancellor; Leigh Holman, Eklund Opera Program Director; Paul + Kristina Eklund, naming donors of the Eklund Opera Program; and John Davis, College of Music Dean.

At the College of Music’s recent Eklund Opera gala, Chancellor Justin Schwartz described the magic of music as a hallmark of human connection; of a civilized society; and as its own kind of renewable energy.

More broadly, in the words of Ukrainian-born writer Joseph Conrad, “All creative art is magic, is evocation of the unseen in forms persuasive, enlightening, familiar and surprising, for the edification of mankind.”

As I reflect on the first months of 2025, I’m struck by the countless ways in which our students, alumni, faculty, staff and supporters embody these values. In these disorienting times, I’m heartened that our mission is more relevant than ever—as is my commitment to continue to celebrate and support our students and colleagues in their transformative work and artistic aspirations.

For example, I encourage you to discover how Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Professor of Music Education Margaret Berg is creating sustainability through music education, ensuring the well-being of individuals and communities. By integrating human and environmental sustainability into music education, the College of Music is preparing students to make an impact on our interconnected society. Related, two graduate students—Nicholas Felder and Ian Gunnarschja—received grants to support innovative projects that promote equity in music and wellness among neurodiverse musicians.

Creative courage and unique expression at our college are further personified by Enion Pelta-Tiller—a master’s candidate in jazz performance and pedagogy—whose ambitious, experimental approach to music brings together a wealth of coexisting influences and helped shape our new cross-genre ensembles and curricula. And, in case you missed it, our Distinguished Professor of Piano David Korevaar recently shared a delayed tribute to Beethoven’s semiquincentennial birthday—a labor of love and creative fortitude in the face of COVID-19 lockdowns and social distancing five years ago.

Additionally, more than 100 guest artists, ensembles and lecturers have energized our classrooms and graced our stages so far this academic year—most recently including Kennedy Center honoree and five-time Grammy Award-winner Renée Fleming, and Pulitzer Prize-winning Diné composer, musician and sound installation artist Raven Chacon; as well as visiting scholars in our Musicology + Music Theory Colloquium Series and local luminaries like alumnus Gregory Walker—son of the late Helen Walker-Hill and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer George Walker—who presented a master class last week as part of our annual Persevering Legacy events showcasing works by women composers including those from historically marginalized groups. Also inspiring to our community this month was a musicians’ workshop led by Blues icon (and Boulder resident) Otis Taylor, a Colorado Music Hall of Famer.

For all these reasons among many more, I remain steadfast in our resolve to inspire artistry and discovery, together.

With gratitude,

John Davis
Dean, College of Music

"At the College of Music’s recent Eklund Opera gala, Chancellor Justin Schwartz described the magic of music as a hallmark of human connection; of a civilized society; and as its own kind of renewable energy. As I reflect on the first months of 2025, I’m struck by the countless ways in which our students, alumni, faculty, staff and supporters embody these values. In these disorienting times, I’m heartened that our mission is more relevant than ever—as is my commitment to continue to celebrate and support our students and colleagues in their transformative work and artistic aspirations."

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The impact + influence of jazz polymath Paul McKee

Mariefaith Lane — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 14:55:28 +0000

The impact + influence of jazz polymath Paul McKee Mariefaith Lane Thu, 03/13/2025 - 08:55

John Gunther

Paul McKee speaking with the Indianola High School Wind Ensemble sharing stories and life advice. Photo courtesy: Indianola High School Band.

On March 20, Thompson Jazz Big Bands will celebrate the impact and influence of Associate Professor of Jazz Studies Paul McKee who retires this year. In the following tribute, Professor of Jazz Studies John Gunther—who directs our Thompson Jazz Studies Program—reflects on the remarkable career and contributions of the world-renowned jazz trombonist, arranger, composer and educator:

For more than a decade, Paul’s contributions to the Thompson Jazz Studies Program and the College of Music have been of the highest caliber and his tenure at 91��ý caps a 33-year career in higher education that began in 1991.

Paul possesses remarkable artistry in his performance and composition. As a jazz trombonist, he is regarded as one of the top performers in the world. His ability on the instrument shows a level of artistry rarely heard. He is simply a beautiful player with a gift for swing and expressive melodic improvisation.

As a composer and arranger, Paul is equally regarded as one of the best. Paul’s specialty as an arranger is in the tradition of big band swing, having spent many years on the road with one of the great touring swing bands—the Woody Herman Orchestra. He can create an arrangement that captures the spirit of the tradition of the music while adding his own contemporary voice. Many of his arrangements are performed by high school and college bands across the country. Creating a jazz composition that is accessible to young musicians yet still retains the sound and excitement of the idiom is not easily accomplished, but it is a craft that Paul has mastered.

Paul approaches all his classes and applied lessons with high expectations for his students, a sense of genuine care, and a dedication to their growth and learning. At 91��ý, he has directed the department's large and small jazz ensembles, taught applied jazz trombone lessons, and taught Jazz Composition + Arranging and Jazz Theory + Aural Skills—as well as advised and directed graduate students in individual composition study. Just recently, while attending a concert, I heard how much growth had occurred in one of the young jazz trombonists. He had a grasp of jazz improvisation at a level that I had not heard just a few months before. When I complimented the student, he grinned and said, “... it’s because I’m studying with Paul!”

Paul has been an integral part of the growth and success of the College of Music’s jazz program. As department chair, I have always been able to rely on his steadfast commitment to his teaching and artistry. He will be greatly missed and leaves us with a legacy of great teaching and beautiful music making.

On March 20, Thompson Jazz Big Bands will celebrate the impact and influence of Associate Professor of Jazz Studies Paul McKee who retires this year. In this tribute, Professor of Jazz Studies John Gunther—who directs our Thompson Jazz Studies Program—reflects on the remarkable career and contributions of the world-renowned jazz trombonist, arranger, composer and educator.

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Enion Pelta-Tiller on pushing creative expression

Mariefaith Lane — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 16:16:20 +0000

Enion Pelta-Tiller on pushing creative expression Mariefaith Lane Wed, 03/05/2025 - 09:16

Adam Goldstein

Photo credit: Anne Staveley

A wealth of influences coexist in Enion Pelta-Tiller’s approach to music.

Classical components drawn from composers like Berlioz, Mahler, Bartok and Stravinsky; jazz violin echoes that summon the best work of Stephane Grappelli and other giants of the genre; folk and traditional elements that run the geographical gamut from Eastern Europe to Ireland to India—all of these ingredients figure into Pelta-Tiller’s ambitious and unique brand of fusion.

It’s no wonder, considering her consistent dedication to musical exploration which started with childhood and college classical music studies in San Francisco and continued after she moved to New York, connected with her future husband/musical collaborator David Tiller and eventually landed in Colorado.

“The Bay Area was a great place to grow up, musically speaking,” Pelta-Tiller recalls. “I became quite interested in experimenting with improvisation and often spent hours improvising music that sounded like what I was supposed to be practicing, or played along with Coltrane, Miles, TISQ, Jascha Heifetz and Ravi Shankar records. I was in this environment of classical, new acoustic and bluegrass-adjacent music, jazz and Indian music—and soaking it all up.

“When I moved to New York after college, I got involved in playing new music, rock, Irish music and bluegrass.”

Combined, these influences helped carve out Pelta-Tiller’s unique niche in the local music scene, and show up in her work as a performer and an educator, as a composer and as a collaborator with musical luminaries from across the globe. She’s a founding member of the critically acclaimed indie-folk group Taarka and directs our new Cross-Genre American Roots Strings Ensemble, roles that draw directly on her wide-ranging interests and skills. She’s also a master’s candidate in jazz performance and pedagogy at the College of Music, set to graduate in May.

Pelta-Tiller’s no-holds-barred musical approach is sure to figure in her upcoming show at Dazzle Denver on March 11 with her group EnQuintet—a jazz ensemble that also features 91��ý faculty members John Gunther on winds/reeds and Victor Mestas on piano as well as Eric Thorin on bass and Kevin Mathews on drums.

“This time, we’re mostly focusing on repertoire from members of the David Grisman Quintet because I’m interested in how that music—so inspired by both jazz and bluegrass—sounds when played by more traditional jazz instruments instead of in a string band setting,” she says. “For a couple tunes, we’ll add extra horns—Wil Swindler, Jonas Peterson and Cian Kruger—and give our pianist a rest.”

The show will also be an occasion to experience Pelta-Tiller playing her six-string violin—also known as a fadolin—made by New York-based luthier Eric Aceto, offering the depth and tone of a baroque instrument. “It’s amazing for accompanying myself on voice and expanding my improvisational palette,” she notes.

Expanding her skill-set and pushing the boundaries of creative expression have long been a hallmark of Pelta-Tiller’s approach and her connections within the College of Music have only deepened that mission, especially as it aligns with the college’s universal musician approach to fulfilling its mission.

She speaks of the work she’s done with students in her cross-genre ensemble, taking part in fiddle flash mobs and collaborating with artists like Klezmer fiddler Alicia Svigals. She speaks of working with jazz faculty members like Gunther, Mestas and composition professor Annika Socolofsky. It’s all been part of a musical evolution that began when Pelta-Tiller played musical call-and-response games with her father as an infant.

91��ý has been integral to that evolution and Pelta-Tiller looks forward to continuing the connection long after the upcoming Dazzle show and her time as a graduate student.

“In directing combos, my arranging and improvisation skills have been challenged,” she notes. “And in playing with my graduate colleagues in the jazz department, some of whom are doing really far out stuff, my concept of form and my musical imagination have been stretched further than I could have conceived.”

A wealth of influences coexist in Pelta-Tiller’s ambitious, experimental approach to music. A master’s candidate in jazz performance + pedagogy at our College of Music, her creative evolution to date will culminate in a show at Dazzle Denver on March 11.

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Jazz Studies Lecturer Matt Smiley awarded prestigious MacDowell Fellowship

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Jazz Studies Lecturer Matt Smiley awarded prestigious MacDowell Fellowship Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 10/17/2024 - 00:00

MarieFaith Lane

Alumnus Matt Smiley (DMA ’22), a jazz studies lecturer at the 91��ý College of Music, has been awarded a MacDowell Fellowship—one of the most prestigious, cross-disciplinary artist residency programs in the country. Set to take place over fall break, the fellowship aligns perfectly with Smiley’s teaching schedule, allowing him dedicated time to focus on his creative work without disrupting his commitments to students.

Smiley, who teaches a large 370-student jazz history class as well as a jazz combo, plans to use the fellowship to advance his compositional goals. His primary focus during this time will be composing a suite of octet music—a significant leap in scope from his usual compositions for smaller groups like trios, quartets and quintets. He’s looking ahead to spring 2025 when he hopes to record his new compositions with both Colorado musicians and other collaborators from across the country.

As a composer, Smiley’s work sits at the intersection of jazz and contemporary classical music, drawing on improvisational techniques that challenge the conventions of both genres. “The music I write is always too improvisational for the contemporary classical world but utilizes modern compositional techniques that are still foreign to most of the jazz world,” he explains. Smiley is inspired by composers such as Christian Wolff, known for creating compositions meant to be performed in different ways with varying orchestrations, ensuring that no performance is ever the same. This flexible, open form of composition has become a hallmark of Smiley’s approach which he’s excited to explore further.

While Smiley is accustomed to composing for small ensembles of musicians with whom he regularly collaborates, the MacDowell Fellowship offers an opportunity to expand his creative work to larger ensembles and broader collaborations—a challenge he’s ready to embrace while maintaining the intimacy and improvisational spirit of his works for smaller ensembles.

Smiley’s path to the MacDowell Fellowship was marked by persistence and inspiration from peers. Annie Booth (BM ’11, MM ’20)—a 91��ý College of Music alumna and a successful local composer, pianist, educator and entrepreneur—encouraged him to apply for composition residencies. “I have never had planned time off from teaching, performing and working to sit down and focus solely on writing music,” Smiley notes. “I have a lot of goals to accomplish while I’m there.”

Especially, Smiley is eager to develop new compositions that embrace the unpredictability of improvisation while utilizing advanced compositional techniques. His work will undoubtedly continue to challenge the boundaries of both the jazz and contemporary classical music worlds—bringing fresh perspectives to both genres.

College of Music Jazz Studies Lecturer Matt Smiley has been awarded a MacDowell Fellowship enabling him to advance his compositional goals by exploring the intersection of jazz and contemporary classical music, and embracing improvisation and innovative composition techniques that challenge the boundaries of both genres.

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Meet the 2024 ECM artist assistance grants recipients

Anonymous — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Meet the 2024 ECM artist assistance grants recipients Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 06/17/2024 - 00:00

Kathryn Bistodeau

At the 91��ý Entrepreneurship Center for Music (ECM), students can find the skills and tools they need for their music careers. Most recently, the ECM awarded $5,820 in artist assistance grants to support eight student-led professional development and community engagement projects including:

Josie Arnett

Josie Arnett
“I’m really picky about which pieces I release on streaming platforms because I’m 20 and need to be able to write really bad music … and then release the things that I really love,” says Josie Arnett, an undergraduate composition student.

“Last fall, I got the opportunity to write a saxophone quartet piece for a group that travels all over the United States. I was really happy with the piece and really proud of it, so I reached out to a faculty member who set me up with the 91��ý graduate saxophone quartet.”

Sanitas Saxophone Quartet

Working with the Sanitas Saxophone Quartet, College of Music Recording Engineer Kevin Harbison and a mixing artist, Arnett recorded the piece for projected release on streaming platforms this summer. The ECM grant helped pay the artists and distribution fee.

Arnett says she learned a lot about how to interact in a professional recording setting and enjoyed collaborating within the College of Music. “It’s been fun to work with people that have a lot of energy, positive attitudes and are just really excited about what they do,” she shares.

Alice Del Simone
At the end of May, DMA student in voice performance and pedagogy Alice Del Simone was part of a workshop presentation at the Voice Foundation Symposium in Philadelphia titled “Legato Then and Now, Vibrato Edition: A Close-Up of What Happens Between the Pitches in the Classical Bel Canto Tradition.”

“The workshop offered a toolbox of exercises for how to teach the type of legato singing that was happening at the end of the 1800s, beginning of the 1900s when we started to have recordings available,” Del Simone says.

“It was my very first time presenting at a conference where there are often hurdles for a young academic to get an invitation to present. I’ve been lucky that I’ve been able to work with a group of people who are more prominent in the community than myself.”

During the symposium, Del Simone stayed at the conference hotel, partially funded by her ECM grant.

Zachary Howarth
Zachary Howarth, a DMA student in jazz studies, will go on the road this summer to record music in studios in Reno and South Lake Tahoe. Howarth also hopes to perform this music live in venues across Colorado and Nevada.

The project will involve a contemporary jazz quartet—trumpet, piano, bass, drums—writing and recording the music. The ECM grant will help the project get off the ground by assisting with studio fees, production costs and travel expenses.

“The opportunity to write, record and play music with such high-level artists is invaluable to my collaborative research in compositional tendencies in contemporary jazz mediums and fully improvised music,” Howarth says.

SeaJun Kwon

SeaJun Kwon
SeaJun Kwon, also a DMA student in jazz studies, likes writing compositions that push the boundaries of jazz music including “Avant Shorts”—10 etudes exploring micro tonalities and rhythmic concepts that aren’t commonly used in jazz compositions.

Kwon plans to compose these etudes and begin recording them over the summer, using a microphone setup funded by an ECM grant.

“I thought I’d write a bunch of super short compositions that focus on different ideas to develop myself and provide my community with these resources,” Kwon says.

By keeping them brief, he hopes to make the compositions more accessible and useful for his community.

“People are really busy, there are so many things that you have to do and also so many distractions,” Kwon says. “I think these short compositions put less pressure on people—they can work on them for 10 minutes and still learn from them.”

Er-Hsuan Li with orchestra

Er-Hsuan Li
Er-Hsuan Li graduated from the College of Music in May with a DMA in piano performance. In April, he held a concert featuring the world premiere of John Clay Allen’s “The Stone Harp” concerto for piano and strings along with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1.

“It was a very fun event,” Li says. “Even though it was off-campus, it was really CU that made this possible because that’s how we connected.”

Many 91��ý musicians participated including conductor and Associate Director of Orchestras Renee Gilliland, composition alumnus John Clay Allen, Anna Kallinikos—who’s majoring in trumpet performance and minoring in business—and the majority of the 18-member orchestra. The ECM grant assisted Li with compensating the performers and renting the venue.

“I had performed in front of an orchestra only once before when I was a high schooler,” Li recalls. “So it was really special for me that—after 13 years—I got to do this again professionally. And I would like to think that I am a better musician now compared to then!”

Ethan Stahl

Ethan Stahl
When Ethan Stahl discovered Nkeiru Okoye’s music, he knew he’d found something special. “I loved her music so much that I began working on it for one of my degree recitals,” he says. “Eventually, it became evident that I had enough material to create a lecture recital.”

To prepare, Stahl—who’s pursuing a DMA in piano performance—interviewed Okoye about her music. “We talked on the phone for a few hours and in that conversation, she proposed the idea of writing a piece for me to add to one of the sets of piano pieces that I was studying.” The ECM grant helped fund Okoye’s contribution.

Okoye’s music is already part of the American Music Research Center’s Helen Walker-Hill Collection; her upcoming composition will be added to the collection.

“Okoye is extremely novel in the world of piano composition,” Stahl adds. “I’ve never heard piano music that is similar stylistically to hers.”

Natalie Trejo
Artist Diploma student Natalie Trejo competed in the finals for the Austin Flute Society’s Young Artist Competition in April—and the ECM grant helped her get there.

“I submitted the preliminary recordings back in January. From there, they selected three finalists to perform in the live final round in Austin, Texas,” Trejo says. “It went really well. I ended up getting third but I was very happy with how I played and I was not nervous at all.”

Trejo performed Chen Yi’s “Memory” for solo flute and Frank Martin’s “Ballade” for flute and piano.

“I love doing competitions because I get to learn new repertoire, meet new flutists, make connections and get to know the other finalists—it’s very important and humbling, but still encouraging,” Trejo says.

Jonathon Winter
Another spring 2024 graduate, Jonathon Winter—who earned a DMA in violin performance—recorded four pieces to be compiled into an album titled “Origin: Music by Women of the Americas.” The pieces are “ko’u inoa” by Leilehua Lanzilotti, “Scratch the Surface” by Dana Kaufman, “String Poetic” by Jennifer Higdon and “Sueños de Chambi” by Gabriel Lena Frank.

“I picked some fiendishly difficult music to play but it was so worth it,” Winter says. “I learned so much about preparing for recordings and what that actually entails.”

Winter worked with pianist and Postdoctoral Lecturer Barbara Noyes, as well as Kevin Harbison to record all four pieces over the course of seven months. Winter will continue the project over the summer with the goal of finding a label to disseminate the recordings.

Congratulations to all grant recipients and our thanks to this year’s adjudicators: College of Music staff member Kathryn Bistodeau, Music Advisory Board member Laurie Hathorn and University of Denver entrepreneurship faculty member Neil Pollard.

At the 91��ý Entrepreneurship Center for Music, students can find the skills and tools they need for their music careers. This spring, the ECM awarded $5,820 in grants to support eight student-led professional development and community engagement projects.

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Paul McKee: On mentorship and a new take on “Pomp & Circumstance”

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Paul McKee: On mentorship and a new take on “Pomp & Circumstance” Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/20/2024 - 00:00

Marc Shulgold + Sabine Kortals Stein

Associate Professor of Jazz Studies Paul McKee (center) at the inaugural Paul McKee Jazz Festival!

For Associate Professor of Jazz Studies Paul McKee, it doesn’t seem all that long ago that he was playing a gig with a small combo at yet another wedding. Around him were a handful of bored players, earning another paycheck. “But regardless of whether it’s a rehearsal or a gig, it’s important to always put forth your best effort,” says the trombonist and composer/arranger extraordinaire. “That’s what I told the kids at Indianola last month: ‘You’ve got to play full power all the time. Give it 100% effort.’”

McKee was referring to his recent visit to Indianola High School: On Feb. 17, his high school alma mater inaugurated the Paul McKee Jazz Festival, rebranded in tribute to an illustrious alumnus. “It’s a huge honor and a big event,” he explains. “Forty bands competed in the festival—from middle school to high school.

“Next year, I’m going to write a piece for the Indianola High School Jazz Band—and maybe come back and play something.” This year, McKee served as a guest judge.

McKee speaks with the Indianola High School Wind Ensemble sharing stories and life advice.
Photo courtesy: Indianola High School Band.

Being recognized in this way invites reflection on an unusual life in music—one in which McKee nimbly juggles academics with exciting experiences in jazz performance including a stint with the legendary Woody Herman’s Thundering Herd.

“I always wanted to play,” he says. “But I felt that getting a college degree would be a wise choice, so I earned music education and composition degrees. I later had the opportunity to send an audition tape to the Woody Herman band. That was in 1984.

“I had sought out opportunities to go out on the road—so when they brought me on board, I was ecstatic. It was one of the big deals of my lifetime.”

McKee’s years as a traveling musician still serve as a valuable experience to share with his students. “I always strive to teach by example,” he points out. “I give them the ball and let them run with it.”

On May 9, McKee’s impact will extend beyond the classroom to the university commencement ceremony at Folsom Field stadium, premiering his new arrangement of the familiar theme from Sir Edward Elgar’s Pomp & Circumstance March No. 1 In D (1901), performed and recorded by students in the college’s Thompson Jazz Studies Program. “It’s a contemporary arrangement in three parts capturing the diversity of our graduates and our campus community,” explains McKee. “You’ll hear a big band rendition of the march, then in the Latin montuno style and finally in the New Orleans style that should lighten things up for everybody.”

This eclectic musical mix both mirrors McKee’s approach to life and the lessons he imparts in his teaching, and reflects the College of Music’s universal musician mission: “The more skills you have, the stronger a candidate you are for finding interesting, interdisciplinary work,” he says. “That’s what I reinforce in mentoring my students. I encourage them to build on what they’ve experienced, what they’ve learned and what they know, and to understand how much they have to offer.”

Associate Professor of Jazz Studies Paul McKee reflects on the impact of mentorship and shares the spirit of his new, three-part arrangement of “Pomp & Circumstance” to be premiered at the spring 2024 university commencement ceremony!

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