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On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup. This week, Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina of Party Politics offer their insights on stories from the local, state, and national level.Also this hour: Today is the 40th anniversary of New Coke, the change in flavor of Coca-Cola, which was one of the most infamous corporate marketing blunders of the 20th century. But hey, we all make mistakes. We revisit a 2024 conversation about some of Greater Houston's biggest mistakes.Then, Aris Kian, 2023-2025 Houston Poet Laureate, talks about her work and reads her poem Angels Fly to My Place for Dinner.And we talk with opera star Christine Goerke ahead of her performance Thursday at an event benefitting the University of Houston's Moores School of Music.
Creston Herron is the current Director of Fine Arts for the Klein Independent School District and the Conductor of Rice University's Campanile Orchestra. He is the former Director of Orchestras at Klein High School and the former Director of Strings for the Yes Prep Public Schools. Mr. Herron's many engagements as a guest conductor include work with Regional and All State ensembles in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee and throughout Texas. He has also served on the summer faculty of the AFA Summer Music Festival, Stephen F. Austin University Summer Music Camp and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Summer Music Clinic. As a dedicated pedagogue, Mr. Herron enjoys working with current and future educators and young performers. He has presented masterclasses and guest lectures at The Midwest Clinic, Rice University, Shepherd School of Music, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, University of Houston, Moores School of Music, Sam Houston State University, Texas Tech University, The American String Teachers Association, The League of American Orchestras, and the NAMM Believe in Music Webinar Series, American. He also gives professional development workshops to educators locally and nationally and is involved in judging UIL competitions and solo and ensemble contests. Mr. Herron enjoyed national recognition both as an educator and musician in tenure with the Klein High School orchestra who earned multiple national titles under his direction, including being named national winner of The American Prize, Grand Champions of the ASTA National Orchestra Festival, Texas Music Educators Association State Honor Orchestra, Grand Champions of the New York Orchestra Cup and invited group at the 75th Midwest Clinic held in Chicago, Illinois. Individually he has been recognized for his work in music education as Teacher of the Year at Klein High School, awarded the Marjorie Keller Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award by the state board of the Texas Chapter of ASTA and the Spec's Charitable Award for Excellence in Music Education awarded by the Houston Symphony. Alongside his work as an educator, Mr. Herron continues to hone his performing skills as a violinist, having collaborated with artists such as Renee Fleming, Mark O'Connor, and Rachel Barton-Pine. He has performed with Da Camera of Houston, CCM Spoleto Festival in Italy, Galveston Symphony, Trans-Siberian Orchestra Pasadena Philharmonic, Eutiner Festspiele Opera in Eutin, Germany and the Houston Latin Philharmonic. Creston Herron is a graduate of the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, where he received his B.M. in music performance, Rice University, Shepherd School of Music in Houston, TX, where he received his M.M. on scholarship as a Provost Fellow and a Brown Scholar, and recently received a M.Ed in school leadership from Sam Houston State University. Creston Herron lives in Houston with his wife, orchestra director Dawn Herron and two children. Mr. Herron can be reached at cherron1@kleinisd.net or on Twitter: @CrestonHerron --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/orchestrateacher/support
Songs for Justice: A Series Exploring Music in Social Justice Movements 2022 Annual MLK Birthday Celebration in partnership with Community Music Center of Houston In 2022, the Rothko Chapel presents Songs for Justice, a series of concerts and conversations exploring the role that music plays to further social justice movements, addressing today's inequities and injustices. Coinciding with the Chapel's annual observance of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday on January 15, the series opened with a performance of and discussion about music central to the US Civil Rights Movement. The Community Music Center of Houston Scott Joplin Chamber Orchestra conducted by Dr. Anne Lundy shared a selection of music central to Dr. King's transformative leadership and Black Americans' historic and contemporary struggles for equity. Dr. Shana Redmond, scholar of music, race and politics, discussed the broader history surrounding the relationship between music and activism in the U.S., the importance of music in Rev. King's life, and the strategic use of music within the Civil Rights Movement. Buy Shana Redmond's book Anthem: Social Movements and the Sound of Solidarity in the African Diaspora. Listen to Anthem: The Mixtape, compiled by Shana Redmond & The Dreadstar Movement. The Rothko Chapel started the annual MLK Birthday Celebration in 1979 to connect the contemporary implications of Dr. King's legacy to the ongoing struggle for civil and human rights, captured by artist Barnett Newman's Broken Obelisk. This sculpture, located on the plaza adjacent to the Chapel, is dedicated to Dr. King. Learn more about upcoming programs in the Songs for Justice series. About the presenters Community Music Center of Houston (CMCH), formerly the Society for the Preservation of Spirituals, was founded in 1979. In 1983 CMCH formed the Scott Joplin Chamber Orchestra (SJCO), a 40 member predominantly Black community orchestra in response to the lack of opportunity for Black classically trained musicians in the world of symphony orchestras. Today SJCO is the nation's second oldest predominantly Black chamber orchestra actively performing. Dr. Anne Lundy, CMCH Music Director, Conductor, Violinist, Educator and Ethno-musicologist, began her musical studies on the violin. She received a Bachelor of Music Education in 1977 from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Master of Music in Conducting from the University of Houston in 1979. Dr. Lundy received her Doctor of Musical Arts from University of Houston's Moores School of Music in 2015. She has lectured extensively throughout the United States. In addition, Dr. Lundy has published articles on finding and performing music written by African American composers. In 1989, she is the first African American woman to conduct the Houston Symphony at Miller Outdoor Theater in Houston, TX. She founded and currently conducts the CMCH Scott Joplin Chamber Orchestra, the William Grant Still String Quartet, and teaches violin and viola. Shana L. Redmond, Ph.D. (she|her) is a scholar and author of Anthem: Social Movements and the Sound of Solidarity in the African Diaspora (NYU, 2014) and Everything Man: The Form and Function of Paul Robeson (Duke, 2020), which received a 2021 American Book Award. She has written widely for public audiences, including the critical liner essay for the vinyl soundtrack release of Jordan Peele's film, Us (Waxwork Records, 2019). She is President-Elect of the American Studies Association and Professor of English and Comparative Literature and the Center for the Study of Ethnicity & Race at Columbia University.
In this episode, Dan Gelok shares his story of how he switched from a career as a professional saxophonist to starting his new career as a software developer. For 11 years, Dan Gelok has held the position of Associate Instructional Professor at the University of Houston's Moores School of Music. During his tenure there, he’s had multiple professional appearances throughout North America, South America, and Asia, with frequent performances with the Houston Symphony Orchestra, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Ballet, and many other groups. During the COVID lockdowns of 2020, he switched careers to software development, and is now employed as a Business Software Developer. Keep listening to find out how Dan planned the career change, how he designed his own learning playlist, lessons learned from self-led learning and how his transferrable skills have helped him cut through the job market. We've got a special treat at the end of this episode, featuring a one-minute duet for two saxophones composed by Dan. Dan Gelok - LinkedIn Dan Gelok - Instagram (Soundcloud) Didymus - Composed by Dan Gelok. Performed by Dan Gelok and Stephen Page For more talent stack resources visit https://www.yishanchan.co/links
To kick off Season 3 of "Notes on Bach," Dr. Jeff Sposato joins us to discuss his new book Leipzig After Bach: Church and Concert Life in a German City. Listeners will hear about Leipzig's musical life in the century after Bach's death as well as Sposato’s reconstruction of the 1817 mass at Leipzig’s St. Nicholas Church in celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Reformation. Bach Society Houston will perform the reconstruction later this month. Sposato is a Fulbright scholar who has published books and articles on nineteenth-century European music and culture. Sposato is Professor of Musicology and Director of Graduate Studies at the Moores School of Music, University of Houston.
Ravel’s Boléro. Next to most of the soundtrack to Koyaanisqatsi, it’s possibly the most repetitive piece of music ever written, amiright (respect, Philip Glass)? As it turns out, I am wrong, so wrong. In fact, Boléro is a piece built entirely around change. Howard Pollack, professor at Moores School of Music, author, lecturer, and guest on BBC specials and NPR shows like Morning Edition and Fresh Air, is our tour guide through this amazing piece of music by a very subtle and sneaky composer. Music in this episode: “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from The Nutcracker Suite by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Boléro by Maurice Ravel as performed by Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, conducted by Charles Dutoit Audio production by Todd “Treble Clef” Hulslander with bass clef by Dacia Clay.
Betsy Cook Weber pops in to talk about being present as a choral director and planning for her upcoming ACDA National Conference performance. Support our sponsor for this episode: KI Concerts Listen Bio Dr. Betsy Cook Weber is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music and is also active internationally as a conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and lecturer. In the summer of 2013, Weber became the 13th person and 1st woman to receive the Texas Choral Director Association’s coveted Texas Choirmaster Award. She is editor of the Betsy Cook Weber choral series with Alliance Music Publishing. Weber was appointed Director of the Houston Symphony Chorus in Fall of 2014, a group that she served as Assistant/Associate Director in 1990 – 1997. In that role, she prepares or has helped prepare choral-orchestral masterworks for some of the world’s greatest conductors, including Robert Shaw, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Christoph Eschenbach, and David Zinman. Choirs under Weber’s direction, including the Moores School Concert Chorale, have been featured at multiple state and national conventions including the American Choral Directors Association national convention in Miami in 2007 and 2017. Internationally, Chorale has won prizes and received acclaim at prestigious competitions in Wales, France and Germany, including a first-place finish as one of only ten choirs world-wide selected to compete in the famous International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf, Germany. Chorale won first place in their primary division in the Grand Prix of Nations in Magdeburg, Germany in 2015. In the Musica Mundi ranking of the Top 1,000 choirs worldwide, Concert Chorale was ranked third among all choirs and first in the under-24 category. Weber has prepared singers for Da Camera, for early music orchestras Ars Lyrica and Mercury Houston, and is also routinely called upon to prepare singers for touring shows, including Josh Groban, NBC’s Clash of the Choirs, Telemundo’s Latin Grammy’s, Star Wars in Concert, Andreas Bocelli. and Legends of Zelda, Dreamworks, and Final Fantasy. Before coming to the University of Houston, Weber taught vocal music, K-12, in the public schools. She holds degrees from the University of North Texas, Westminster Choir College (Princeton, NJ), and the University of Houston. Links Support the show on
That’s not a violin – it’s a woodbox! Daniel Bernard Roumain talks about creative appropriation in classical music. The Haitian-American composer’s creative world was cracked open when he realized that everything – including the definition of “violin” – was ripe for reinterpretation. As a kid in garage bands, he took the decidedly uncool violin and made it his own. As a classically trained musician, he brings classical music together with hip hop, rock, bluegrass, and other genres to create his signature sound. We talk about DBR’s creative journey and about how innovators like John Cage have changed classical music by adding an important ingredient to the genre: imagination. Audio production by Todd “T-Dawg” Hulslander with super disco breaking by Dacia Clay. Music in this episode: Lots of woodbox improvisation by Daniel Bernard Roumain “Sonata No. 2” from Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano by John Cage, played by Boris Berman “Sonata for Violin and Turntables, Part 1” from Woodbox Beats & Balladryby Daniel Bernard Roumain To see DBR perform in our studios on Skyline Sessions, go here. Daniel Roumain is an artist in residence with the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts, which is dedicated to interdisciplinary collaboration across the performing, visual, and literary arts. Based at the University of Houston, the Mitchell Center commissions and produces new works, presents public performances and exhibitions, offers curriculum and scholarships, and hosts residencies with renowned visiting artists from throughout the world. The Center is home to the Mitchell Artist Lecture, an annual event featuring a pioneer in contemporary art-making, as well as CounterCurrent, an annual spring festival of new performance. The Mitchell Center forms an alliance among five departments at UH: the School of Art, Moores School of Music, School of Theatre & Dance, Creative Writing Program, and Blaffer Art Museum. For more information visit www.mitchellcenterforarts.org.
Today – that is April 18th 2016 – much of our fair city of Houston is underwater. There was a big scary flood, the power’s out, the roads are lakes, and we, the Classical Classroom team, literally can’t get to the station to access the files we need to post our new episode. We tried to cobble together an ark, but it turns out that’s a whole thing. However! Through sheer grit, determination and the power of the human spirit to use computers, we have unearthed this episode with Todd Reynolds, which we think – nay! – we know you will enjoy. Also, on a serious note, our city is in bad shape and a lot of folks are going to need some help after the floodwaters subside. If you can help, visit the Texas Red Cross Gulf Coast Region website and make a donation. That’s also a good place to go if you are in need of help. What do we mean when we say “classical music”? Sure, sure: it refers to a period of music, like “Baroque” or “Romantic”. But we largely use the word as a sort of generic brand-name for a specific variety of sound. In this episode of Classical Classroom, genre-ignoring violinist Todd Reynolds attempts to define classical music. Does he succeed? Does he give up and just start talking about Prince instead? Maybe and maybe! Listen to this episode to find out. Audio production by Todd “Timbalander” Hulslander with at least 3 really good suggestions from Dacia Clay. Music in this episode: Third Construction by John Cage Composition for Four Instruments by Milton Babbitt “Pulses” from Music for 18 Musicians by Steve Reich Symphony No. 41 (the “Jupiter Symphony”), Molto Allegro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart “Happy” from G I R L by Pharrell Williams “Let’s Go Crazy” from Purple Rain by Prince and the Revolution “Crossroads” and “Taskforce: Farmlab” from Outerborough by Todd Reynolds Fantasia in G Major, BWV 571 by Johann Sebastian Bach Todd Reynolds was a special guest of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts. ABOUT THE MITCHELL CENTER The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts is dedicated to interdisciplinary collaboration across the performing, visual, and literary arts. Based at the University of Houston, the Mitchell Center commissions and produces new works, presents public performances and exhibitions, offers curriculum and scholarships, and hosts residencies with renowned visiting artists from throughout the world. The Center is home to the Mitchell Artist Lecture, an annual event featuring a pioneer in contemporary art-making, as well as CounterCurrent, an annual spring festival of new performance. The Mitchell Center forms an alliance among five departments at UH: the School of Art, Moores School of Music, School of Theatre & Dance, Creative Writing Program, and Blaffer Art Museum. For more information visit www.mitchellcenterforarts.org. For more about Todd Reynolds check out his blog: www.toddreynolds.wordpress.com
What?? Two episodes in one week? That’s right. We made you a treat: Go with us on a field trip to the Moores School of Music Organ Recital Hall at the University of Houston where we meet up with Keith “Creepy” Weber and the colossal, two-story Beckerath Organ that lurks in the hall. Learn all about Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor and why it’s the soundtrack for all things macabre in this episode, the final installment of our Bachtoberfest series. Music in this episode played by Keith Weber, except for “Toccata Remix” by VioDance. Audio production by Todd “All A-Twitter” Hulslander with snargling by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio. Thanks to Matthew Dirst and Melissa Sanson for the information they provided for this episode. Check out these photos from our recording session! Taken from the floor of the recital hall. Because why not. Photo by Dacia Clay Keith Weber and Dacia Clay. Regular-sized people, giant Beckerath organ. Photo by Mark DiClaudio. Keith Weber (L) and Dacia Clay (with zombie hand gestures). Photo by Mark DiClaudio. Keith Weber plays Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. Why are there so many keys?? I mean, 3 tiers seems excessive, no? Photo by Mark DiClaudio. Keith Weber preparing to creep us out. Photo by Dacia Clay. Organ in the dark. Extra creepy! Photo by Dacia Clay.
What is a concertmaster? We wanted to know, too, so we schlepped over to the Texas Music Festival (now happening at the UH Moores School of Music), found ourselves some concertmasters, and asked them all about what they do. Glenn Dicterow is the outgoing concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic where he’s ruled for over 34 years (his role will be assumed by the Houston Symphony’s Frank Huang), and Moores School doctoral student Ingrid Hunter was the week one concertmaster for the Texas Music Festival. Learn aaaall about the mysterious and powerful role of the concertmaster from them in this episode! Ingrid Hunter and Glenn Dicterow. Photos courtesy of the Cypress Symphony and Glenn Dicterow’s website respectively. Music in this episode: – Richard Strauss: Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40. Glenn Dicterow, violin. New York Philharmonic, conducted by Zubin Mehta. Audio production by Todd “Tarzan Yell” Hulslander with tree swinging by Dacia Clay and editing by Mark DiClaudio. For more about the Texas Music Festival: www.uh.edu/class/music/tmf/ For more about Glenn Dicterow: www.glenndicterow.com For more about Ingrid Hunter: www.cypresssymphony.org/ingrid-hunter/
The former Moores School director and composer teaches us about carols, and shares some of his favorites. It’s Christmastime in the Classroom! David Ashley White – Professor of Composition at (and former director of) the Moores School of Music, composer, and guy who writes hymns for actual hymnals – teaches us what makes a “carol” and shares some of his favorites with us. There are oldies, goodies, and stuff you’ve never heard. We assure you, it will put you in the Christmas spirit. Not the ghosty kind. The happy kind. PS, MERRY CHRISTMAS, listeners! We hope your holidays are both merry and bright. Composer David Ashely White. Photo courtesy of the Moores School website. Audio production by Todd “Feliz Navi-Todd” Hulslander with elfin shenanigans by Dacia Clay. Music in this episode: Handel: Messiah, HWV 56 – For Unto Us A Child Is Born, Susan Gritton, Bernarda Fink, Etc.; Paul McCreesh: Gabrieli Consort & Players. Handel: Messiah (Disc 1). Mary Had A Baby, Kathleen Battle, Christopher Parkening. Angels’ Glory. Sunny Bank (I Saw Three Ships, Julie Andrews. A Christmas Treasure Holiday. Cherry Tree Carol, Sting. If On A Winter’s Night… O Come, O Come Emmanuel, Sufjan Stevens. Songs for Christmas. Tomorrow shall by my dancing day, Harry Christophers: The Sixteen, 20th Century Christmas Collection. White Christmas, Anne Sofie Von Otter. Home For Christmas. Sweet Was the Song, Palmer Memorial Episcopal Choir. By David Ashley White. Deck The Halls, Julie Andrews. A Christmas Treasure.
Ravel’s Boléro. Next to most of the soundtrack to Koyaanisqatsi, it’s possibly the most repetitive piece of music ever written, amiright (respect, Philip Glass)? As it turns out, I am wrong, so wrong. In fact, Boléro is a piece built entirely around change. Howard Pollack, professor at Moores School of Music, author, lecturer, and guest on BBC specials and NPR shows like Morning Edition and Fresh Air, is our tour guide through this amazing piece of music by a very subtle and sneaky composer. Audio production by Todd “Treble Clef” Hulslander with bass clef by Dacia Clay. Music in this episode: “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from The Nutcracker Suite by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Boléro by Maurice Ravel as performed by Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, conducted by Charles Dutoit For more about Howard Pollack: www.uh.edu
What do we mean when we say “classical music”? Sure, sure: it refers to a period of music, like “Baroque” or “Romantic”. But we largely use the word as a sort of generic brand-name for a specific variety of sound. In this episode of Classical Classroom, genre-ignoring violinist Todd Reynolds attempts to define classical music. Does he succeed? Does he give up and just start talking about Prince instead? Maybe and maybe! Listen to this episode to find out. Audio production by Todd “Timbalander” Hulslander with at least 3 really good suggestions from Dacia Clay. Music in this episode: – Third Construction by John Cage – Composition for Four Instruments by Milton Babbitt – “Pulses” from Music for 18 Musicians by Steve Reich – Symphony No. 41 (the “Jupiter Symphony”), Molto Allegro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – “Happy” from G I R L by Pharrell Williams – “Let’s Go Crazy” from Purple Rain by Prince and the Revolution – “Crossroads” and “Taskforce: Farmlab” from Outerborough by Todd Reynolds – Fantasia in G Major, BWV 571 by Johann Sebastian Bach Todd Reynolds was a special guest of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts. ABOUT THE MITCHELL CENTER The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts is dedicated to interdisciplinary collaboration across the performing, visual, and literary arts. Based at the University of Houston, the Mitchell Center commissions and produces new works, presents public performances and exhibitions, offers curriculum and scholarships, and hosts residencies with renowned visiting artists from throughout the world. The Center is home to the Mitchell Artist Lecture, an annual event featuring a pioneer in contemporary art-making, as well as CounterCurrent, an annual spring festival of new performance. The Mitchell Center forms an alliance among five departments at UH: the School of Art, Moores School of Music, School of Theatre & Dance, Creative Writing Program, and Blaffer Art Museum. For more information visit www.mitchellcenterforarts.org. For more about Todd Reynolds check out his blog: www.toddreynolds.wordpress.com
That’s not a violin – it’s a woodbox! Daniel Bernard Roumain talks about creative appropriation in classical music. The Haitian-American composer’s creative world was cracked open when he realized that everything – including the definition of “violin” – was ripe for reinterpretation. As a kid in garage bands, he took the decidedly uncool violin and made it his own. As a classically trained musician, he brings classical music together with hip hop, rock, bluegrass, and other genres to create his signature sound. We talk about DBR’s creative journey and about how innovators like John Cage have changed classical music by adding an important ingredient to the genre: imagination. Audio production by Todd “T-Dawg” Hulslander with super disco breaking by Dacia Clay. Music in this episode: Lots of woodbox improvisation by Daniel Bernard Roumain “Sonata No. 2” from Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Pianoby John Cage, played by Boris Berman “Sonata for Violin and Turntables, Part 1” from Woodbox Beats & Balladry by Daniel Bernard Roumain To see DBR perform in our studios on Skyline Sessions, go here. Daniel Roumain is an artist in residence with the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts, which is dedicated to interdisciplinary collaboration across the performing, visual, and literary arts. Based at the University of Houston, the Mitchell Center commissions and produces new works, presents public performances and exhibitions, offers curriculum and scholarships, and hosts residencies with renowned visiting artists from throughout the world. The Center is home to the Mitchell Artist Lecture, an annual event featuring a pioneer in contemporary art-making, as well as CounterCurrent, an annual spring festival of new performance. The Mitchell Center forms an alliance among five departments at UH: the School of Art, Moores School of Music, School of Theatre & Dance, Creative Writing Program, and Blaffer Art Museum. For more information visit www.mitchellcenterforarts.org.
In this episode, Dacia Clay talks with MusicLab intern and Moores School graduate student, Daniel Webbon, about Steve Reich's "Piano Phase" andclassical music minimalism. Audio production by Todd Hulslander and Daniel Webbon.