News
Music series on wpsu-tv has presidential flair
During his brief term as President of the United States, John F. Kennedy hosted many grand music events at the White House, with performers ranging from instrumentalists to pop singers, emerging artists to internationally known ensembles. The performances had the pomp and circumstance one would expect from an event at the President’s home, and served to increase awareness and appreciation of the musical talent found all over the world.
Sue Haug, director of the School of Music, fondly remembers those presidential musical extravaganzas. So when WPSU producer Jerry Sawyer and radio announcer Bob Barton approached her about a music series featuring Penn State faculty and students, to be modeled after the musical events in the Kennedy White House and videotaped at the home of Penn State President Graham Spanier, her response was an enthusiastic “yes!”
What began as a series focusing on chamber music evolved into one focusing on music in general at the University, titled simply “Music from Penn State.” THree programs, one featuring musical theatre students, one showcasing the School of Music’s Castalia Trio, and one featuring the Pennsylvania Quintet (which includes Eleanor Duncan Armstrong, flute; Tim Hurtz, oboe; Smith Toulson, clarinet; and Lisa O. Bontrager, horn), have already been taped. A fourth program will feature another School of Music ensemble, possibly one with students, such as the Graduate String Quartet.
The performances are interspersed with interviews with both the singers/musicians and faculty members who provide additional insight. “Because this is a television program, we wanted to add a personal element,” notes Haug. “The artists will be talking about their work and their lives.”
The Castalia Trio with Penn State President Graham Spanier following the WPSU taping at his home. From left: James Lyon, Marylène Dosse, Graham Spanier, Kim Cook.
Like those grand concerts at the Kennedy White House, the taping of the Castalia Trio was a classy affair at Schreyer House, home of Graham and Sandra Spanier. Trio members Kim Cook (cello), Marylène Dosse (piano) and James Lyon (violin) played before a live audience that included donors to the School of Music, who were invited to both enjoy the performance and provide an important “sound effect”—applause. Audience members were instructed to be silent while the trio was playing and to applaud only when Haug gave the cue. “I jokingly told the performers this was the quietest audience they would ever have,” she says.
According to Haug, Schreyer House was the perfect location for the taping. “It was the type of intimate setting where chamber music ought to be played,” she notes, adding she is grateful to President Spanier for supporting the series and opening his home for the taping. “The event was truly spectacular because everyone had a role.”
Due to scheduling issues, the first program in the series, featuring the musical theatre students, was taped at the WPSU studios, but also in front of a live audience. It is scheduled to air this fall. Check www.wpsu.org for airdates. –AMM
gaudelius named interim dean
When Dick Durst left Penn State in June 2006 to become president of Baldwin-Wallace College, Yvonne Gaudelius was successfully fulfilling her role as associate dean for undergraduate studies and outreach for the College of Arts and Architecture. But when presented with an offer to serve as interim dean of the college, she willingly dove right in. It was not a hard decision to make, she says, because Durst left the college in great shape, allowing her to focus on moving forward with its mission.
Gaudelius came to Penn State in 1989 to pursue graduate studies in the University’s top-ranked art education program. She completed her Ph.D. and joined the faculty in 1993, as an assistant professor of art education and women’s studies. In 2003 she was named associate dean in the college. Previously she served as associate director of the Institute for the Arts and Humanities and was professor-in-charge of Penn State’s art education program from 2001 to 2003. Gaudelius received the 2001 Mary J. Rouse Award from the Women’s Caucus of the National Art Education Association and the College of Arts and Architecture Faculty Outstanding Teaching Award in 1998. She holds a B.A. in art history from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, and a B.F.A. in art education and fine arts from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Gaudelius says she draws her energy and inspiration from the people around her—from the enthusiastic and innovative faculty, to the compassionate and dedicated staff, to the diverse and eager students enrolled in the various schools and departments in the college. This in turn drives her to advocate for new programs such as the Interdisciplinary Digital Studio degree, which fosters interdisciplinary approaches by students and faculty. At the same time, Gaudelius says she values the traditional disciplines of the college and is committed to building on existing strengths.
Gaudelius says being a part of the College of Arts and Architecture since 1989 has helped her to transition smoothly to her new role. “From my positions as associate dean and professor of art education and women studies, I already had contact with many of the faculty, staff and students in the college. They are a known factor to me as I am to them, and everyone has been tremendously supportive of me in this new role.” –FWM
college to launch interdisciplinary digital studio degree program
The College of Arts and Architecture has established a new degree program, the Bachelor of Design in Interdisciplinary Digital Studio (IDS), to be launched in fall 2007.
The Interdisciplinary Digital Studio degree is responsive to the distinctive technical, creative and intellectual needs of professionals working in the collaborative environments that now characterize the digital arts and design professions. Students in the major will incorporate ideas from architecture, landscape architecture, graphic design, music, photography, theatre design and visual arts in their course work and be challenged to solve problems by drawing upon multiple studio disciplines and strategies.
Students pursuing the IDS degree will begin with the College of Arts and Architecture Core Curriculum in arts and design, which covers fundamental tools and techniques, such as drawing, color theory, and 2-D, 3-D and 4-D design. The major builds on this foundational core through additional elective courses covering areas such as digital fabrication, sound design and composition, digital photography, virtual architecture, digital art and design theory and criticism, and Internet exhibitions and publishing. A required sequence of five studio courses serves as the setting to integrate these different themes and culminates in a capstone yearlong studio to synthesize the many threads of the program into professional-quality products.
The IDS program was created by faculty from all units in the College of Arts and Architecture who represent a wide range of innovative research interests, including applied digital sonic and performative technologies, digital animation, digital fabrication/rapid prototyping, and game theory and implementation. The IDS major is a college-wide program, although it will be administered by the Department of Landscape Architecture.
According to Brian Orland, professor and head of the Department of Landscape Architecture, the IDS major was developed because current digital media are no longer simply an extension of the user’s abilities. “They have taken on a life of their own and are starting to define the ways in which we express ourselves. Today’s digital media are allowing new professions to emerge and the lines between disciplines to become blurred.” –FWM
