Our 2012 Recital Program at the First united Methodist Church of Naples on April 28 concluded another very good year for the Naples Music Club, now 47-years-old and stronger than ever.

With funding provided by the Fernando Family to honor the memory of former director and pianist Laura Fernando, who passed away in January in 2011, the Club initiated an exciting piano program in February, 2012. The project director was Judy Evans, a Naples Music Club director who also serves as an educational consultant to public schools and is an Adjunct Professor at FGCU.

Piano class at Golden Elementary

Both programs, one at Golden Gate Elementary and a second at Bonita Springs Middle School, were offered after school to economically disadvantaged children. Approximately 36 students participated in the program this year: Golden Terrace had three classes, twice a week, 30 minutes each; Bonita had one class, once a week, for 50 minutes. Click on photo to enlarge.

We have been evaluating the impact of the program, and the results are more positive than we ever anticipated at this early stage. As part of our evaluation, representatives of the Naples Music Club (Judy Evans, Anne McLean, Richard Bosworth, and I) visited the piano classes at Golden Terrace Elementary School toward the end of the school year. We saw students who, even though they had studied for only a few months, volunteered to perform for us and spoke freely about what the classes meant to them. Afterwards, our concert pianists provide the following comments:

From Concert Pianist and Educator Anne McLean: “My colleagues and I were very impressed with this program and with the gifted instructor, who is very skilled at managing the children and designing the curriculum. In my opinion, a program such as this is crucial in bringing many positive elements to under-privileged children, including an appreciation of culture, exposure to creative problem solving, enlargement of their social skills, a boost of self-esteem and a safe environment for learning after school with their peers.”

From Concert Pianist Richard Bosworth: “I could see there was an emotional connection between the students and their teacher. There was just the right balance between discipline and nurture, which allowed the students to learn new concepts without feeling self-conscious. This kind of important outreach creates and fosters an awareness of what music really means to our culture.”

The teachers involved were very pleased with the results as well. Leah Hassell, a graduate of the Bower School of Music with a major in piano, is the Bonita Springs Middle School instructor who taught the piano program at her school, where, during the school day, her teaching assignment includes chorus, orchestra and guitar. She was so excited to be able to offer keyboard to her students and hopes to expand the program next year. Here are her comments:

“My piano class enrollment consisted of 6th grade students who were in either my orchestra or chorus classes. All the students in the class would not be able to afford lessons on their own and the only reason they could take my orchestra or chorus is because they did not have to rent instruments or pay extra to be in the class. I noticed a definite change in all the students in the piano class. Four of the students were some of the shyest in all my classes; I could see their confidence increase as well as their musical abilities. One student went from being the quietest in my choir to the most confident, and at the last concert she had every word memorized and led the choir when they forgot the words. Another student who speaks so quietly I can barely hear her asked to play a solo on her cello for a concert and did amazingly. All of the students spoke up more in class, understood theory better and increased their musical independence. The piano is perfect for creating well-rounded independent musicians, and my students benefited from learning from this instrument in many ways.”

Marissa De Andres, the instructor at Golden Elementary, who normally sees every student once a week for 50 minutes, says the piano program gave her the opportunity to get to know her students better, making it possible for them to make great strides. She commented, “Very quickly into the piano program, I noticed my shy students were coming out of their shells in and out of class. Students that were struggling in music class were actually understanding the material and excelling in music class. One student in particular would never sing alone during the regular school music class. By the end of the school year, she was one of my strongest 2nd grade singers and was not afraid of playing new instruments or trying new things. I also had a student who hated going to music class before taking piano. He later told me that the reason he hated music is because he was never good at anything in music class, but he realized that he was good at the piano. He actually was my best piano student this year and began to excel in music class also.”

Note: Read more about the Club’s Outreach Projects.

The Naples Music Club’s annual community event took place this year on Saturday, April 28, at the First United Methodist Church of Naples. It was the club’s Scholarship Winners’ Recital, chaired by Jan Grundeman, at which 18 students and 2 ensembles performed before a large, appreciative audience. The results of the club’s annual scholarship competition, completed two weeks earlier, determined the 41 winners who were awarded $28,700. Students, all of whom must be in middle school or high school, use their winnings for college, summer music camps, study with private teachers, or for instruments.

This Naples Music Club’s Scholarship Program has flourished since 1970, with $478,700 dollars awarded to 724 students during the past 42 years of the program’s existence.

Scholarship Chair Jan Grundeman, Turiel Winner Nathaniel Cornell, Turiel Chair Myra Williams

Capturing the Club’s most coveted award, the Turiel Award, was Nathaniel Cornell, an honor student at Barron Collier High School. This award is given annually to a high school senior who best meets a number of criteria (including grades and an essay – click to read Nathaniel’s). For Saturday’s recital, Nathaniel played the 1st movement of the Tchaikovsky’s beloved Violin Concerto in D Major, for which he received a standing ovation.

From the early age of 3, when Nathaniel first heard the violin played by youngsters at a Magic Carpet Concert at the Naples Philharmonic, he was smitten with the sound of the violin and the enthusiasm of the young players. He started studying with Lisa Zeller at age 4, and since age 11 he has been studying with the Philharmonic’s Gregg Anderson. It may seem natural that Nathaniel should have taken to music since both of his parents have performed with the Naples Philharmonic. His mother currently is Assistant Principal Flute, and his father has played the trombone.

Nathaniel’s honors and achievements are many besides competing exceptionally well each year in the Naples Music Club’s competition. They include Concertmaster of the Florida All-State Orchestra, co-concertmaster of the Philharmonic Youth Orchestra from 2008-2012, concerto competition winner of the Naples Philharmonic Youth Orchestra in 2011, and Fine Arts Award in Violin at Interlochen Arts Camp in 2012, to name a few. Other distinctions include English Student of the Year in 2009, American History Student of the Year in 2011, and Barron Collier National Honor Society membership for the past 2 years. Nathaniel even finds time to perform on the violin at the Naples Community Hospital as part of their Arts in Healing Program, sharing his skills and love of music.

Nathaniel’s ambitions are lofty but levelheaded. “I know the path will not be easy, but I’d like to be concertmaster of a symphony orchestra.” He has been accepted into the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Ohio, where he’ll major in violin performance and study with the renowned violin teacher Marilyn McDonald. “I am looking forward to a broad college education to further my musical knowledge and appreciation on an even deeper level.”

Top Winners Senior Division of 2012 Scholarship Competition: Julian Gonzalez, piano; Gabriel Wallace, alto saxophone; Allison Kast, flute; Valerie Fowski, French horn; Toni-Ann Singh, soprano; Jarad Blajian, cello

2012 Recital Program

2012 Photo Gallery
With special thanks to Dr. Ivan Seligman, photographer

NDN article listing winners

NDN Feature on Nathaniel Cornell

THE WINNERS OF THE NAPLES MUSIC CLUB’S
2012 SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION

2012 Turiel Winner $3000
Nathaniel Cornell, violin

SENIOR DIVISION WINNERS

SENIOR STRINGS
1st Place $1200
Classic Chamber Concerts
Bert G. Phillips Award
Jared Blajian, cello
12th grade, Student of Si-Cheng Liu

2nd Place $950
Nathaniel Cornell, violin
12th grade, Student of Gregg Anderson

3rd Place $750
McClaran Hayes, violin
11th grade, Student of Anton Sikuta

4th Place $550
Misty Drake, violin
10th grade, Student of Joan Stewart

5th Place $350
Hao-ting Kimberly Wu, violin
12th grade, Student of Ming Gao

Honorable Mention $200
Joseph Peliska, classical guitar
11th grade, Student of Rafael Padron

Honorable Mention $200
Laura Mattson, violin
9th grade, Student of Patrick Neal

SENIOR PIANO

2nd Place $950
Julian Gonzalez
12th grade, Student of Joanne Smith

3rd Place $750
Joseph F. Lang, Jr.
12th grade, Student of Lan Lam

Honorable Mention $200
Bennett Lanni
9th grade, Student of Elena Hall

Honorable Mention $200
Andre-Lorenz T. Chu
10th grade, Student of Elena Hall

SENIOR REEDS

1st Place $1200
Clifford L. Saby Award
Gabriel Wallace, alto saxophone
12th grade, Student of Dennis Hill

2nd Place $950
Jeremy Brachle, clarinet
9th grade, Student of Ashley Leigh

3rd Place $750
Naomi Walerys, alto saxophone
9th grade, Student of Daniel Lone

Honorable Mention $200
Massimiliano Ferrari, clarinet
12th grade, Student of Paul Votapek

SENIOR FLUTES

1st Place $1200
Allison Kast
10th grade, Student of Wendy Willis

2nd Place $950
Cydney Brzeski
12th grade, Student of Wendy Willis

3rd Place $750
Jose Cordero
11th grade, Student of Wendy Willis

Honorable Mention $200
Abigail Huelsman
9th grade, Student of Wendy Willis

SENIOR BRASS

1st Place $1200
Valerie Fowski, French horn
9th grade, Student of Stacy Kastner

2nd Place $950
Jonathan Brown, trumpet
11th grade, Student of Benny Bolden

3rd Place $750
Connor Capes, French horn
12th grade, Student of Benny Bolden

SENIOR VOICE

1st Place $1200
The Naples Opera Society Award
Toni-Ann Singh, soprano
10th grade, Rebecca Richardson

2nd Place $950
Daniela Magura, soprano
10th grade, Student of Rebecca Richardson

3rd Place $750
Patrick Moran, baritone
11th grade, student of Dr. Jeanie Darnell

4th Place $550
Marcello Marsalli, tenor
11th grade, Student of Steffanie Pearce

5th Place $350
Nadia Marshall, soprano
12th grade, Student of Stefanie Pearce

JUNIOR DIVISION WINNERS

JUNIOR PIANO
1st Place $750
Christopher Myers
7th grade, Student of Elena Hall

Second Place $550
Colleen Kilpatrick
8th grade, Student of Joanne Smith

Third Place $450
Elizabeth Berg
7th grade, Student of Mingshan Kong

Honorable Mention $100
John Koga
7th grade, Student of Elena Hall

JUNIOR STRINGS

1st Place $750
Noelle Torres, violin
8th grade, Student of Joan Stewart

2nd Place $550
Hsih-Ting (Iris) Wu, violin
8th grade, Student of Ming Gao

3rd Place $450
Lucca Delcompare, violin
8th grade, Student of Anton Sikuta

Honorable Mention $100
Caroline Sikuta, violin
7th grade, Student of Anton Sikuta

JUNIOR WOODWINDS

1st Place $750
Timothy Kane, alto saxophone
8th grade, Student of Daniel Lone

2nd Place $550
Jenna Bainter, flute
8th grade, Student of Wendy Willis

3rd Place $450
Lindsey Haerle, clarinet
8th grade, Student of Ashley Leigh

Honorable Mention $100
Rachel Hujsa, oboe
7th grade, Student of Andrew Snedeker

JUNIOR VOICE

1st Place $750
The Naples Opera Society Award
Luciano Marsalli, Treble
7th grade, Student of Steffanie Pearce

2nd Place $550
Zofia Majewski, soprano
6th grade, Student of Michelle Byrd

SMALL ENSEMBLE COMPETITION

SENIOR DIVISION

1st Place
Anderson String Quartet
Misty Drake, violin
Noelle Torres, violin
Cassie Drake, viola
Vincent Marcantonio, cello
Teachers Joan Stewart, Si-Cheng Liu,
Gregg Anderson

2nd Place
Misty Drake, violin
Ana-Emilia Montessi, violin
Natalie Peliska, violin
Noelle Torres, Violin
Teacher Joan Stewart

JUNIOR DIVISION

1st Place
Misty Drake, violin
Gibson, Jade, violin
Cassie Drake, viola
Emery Sereno, Cello
Teacher Gregg Anderson

HAEGG AWARDS

2012 Haegg Continuing Education
Orianna Arellano, violin
Lynette Mojica, viola
Jessica Zhou Seymour, cello
Irma K. Tanelus, violin
Naomi Walerys, alto saxophone

2012 Haegg Encouragement Awards
Anna Marie Marks, viola
Widline Gourdet, cornet
Lillian Weisman, violin

Always a popular event appealing to the area’s musical community, the Club’s 2011 Annual Winners’ Recital was held this year at the First United Methodist Church of Naples on Saturday, April 30. Following the recital in which two ensembles and nineteen of the winners performed, $32,600 was awarded to 45 talented area musicians in grades 6-12. These young musicians had competed successfully in the Club’s annual competition, chaired by Jan Grundeman, held April 9, 2011.

The most coveted award, the Club’s Turiel Award, given to a student who best meets a number of criteria (excellence in performance, competition score, music achievement, grades, an essay, and a personal interview) was won by Christian Ostolazza, an 18-year-old senior at Barron Collier who plays the marimba. For the recital, Ostolaza played Michael Burritt’s Prelude No. 5.

Christian Ostolaza

In his Essay, Ostolaza writes, “In the seventh grade, I developed a passion for the art form of percussion. Since the first day that I picked up sticks and started to play, I have known that this is the world to which I belong.” He concludes his essay as follows, “You could say that music and percussion give meaning to my life, but that would be an understatement. Music and percussion are my life. They are the very core of my being.”

In his Resume, we learn that Ostolaza has won a number of distinctions over the years. He has been a winner of the Naples Music Club scholarship competition in his division every year since 8th grade and was also a member of All-County Band for this same period. In 2011, he was selected for the All-State Symphonic Band. Then on May 8, 2011, having participated in the Naples Philharmonic Youth Orchestra since 8th grade, he won their most prestigious award, the Myra Janco Daniels award, presented to a senior who is an exceptional musician and and outstanding leader.

Our newest Turiel winner thanked us in a note saying, “I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the extremely generous scholarships that I have received from the Naples Music Club this year and in previous years. These scholarships have enabled me to attend various different summer music programs as well as have the benefit of the continuity of private lessons. The most recent award will help me get started on my professional journey.

“It has always been somewhat of a dream of mine to receive the Turiel award, and now, having been lucky enough to have been a recipient of this award, I can tell you that I have never been more honored in my life. I will always be grateful for the opportunities that the Naples Music Club has presented to me and, hopefully, I will be able to mentor upcoming musicians someday.”

2011 Scholarship Winners’ Recital Program

2011 Scholarship Winners’ Recital Kodak Photo Gallery
With special thanks to Photographer Ivan Seligman

The 2011 Scholarship Winners of the Naples Music Club’s
41st Anniversary Competition

Turiel Award Winner:
CHRISTIAN OSTOLAZA
marimba, $2500

JUNIOR STRINGS

1st place: Laura Mattson, violin, $650

2nd place: Hsih-ting Wu, violin, $550

3rd place tie: Lucca Delcompare, violin, $450

3rd place tie: Noelle Torres, violin, $450

Honorable Mention: Emilia Lipinska, violin, $100

JUNIOR WOODWINDS

1st place Clifford L. Saby Award

Jeremy Brachle, clarinet, $650

2nd place: Tatum Shellenberg, bassoon, $550

3rd place: Timothy Kane, alto saxophone, $450

4th place: Naomi Walerys, alto saxophone, $350

5th place: Hannah Wiley, flute, $250

JUNIOR PIANO

1st place Gunther Manchen Award

Bennett Lanni, $650

2nd place: Colleen Kilpatrick, $550

3rd place: Olivia Yang, $450

4th place: Christopher Myers, $350

5th place: Elizabeth Berg, $250

VOICE

1st place Naples Opera Society Award

Luciano Marsalli, boy soprano, $650

Haegg Continuing Education Award

Nerline Nerlien, clarinet

2001 Haegg Encouragement Awards

Orianna Arellano

Jessika Hernandez

Lynette Mojica

Jessica Seymour

Irma Tanelus

Gabriel Trevino

Jose Velez

Dillon Voell

Naomi Walerys

SENIOR STRINGS

1st place Bert G. Phillips Award by Classic Chamber Concerts

McClaran Hayes, violin, $1,150

2nd place (tie): Jared Blajian, cello, $950

2nd place (tie): Nathaniel Cornell, violin, $950

3rd place: Joseph Peliska, classical guitar, $750

4th place: Hao-ting Wu, violin, $550

5th place: Misty Drake, violin, $350

Senior Woodwinds

1st place Clifford L. Saby Award

Gabriel Wallace, alto saxophone, $1,150

2nd place: Allison Kast, flute, $950

3rd place: Nicole Pavlisin, flute, $750

4th place: Catherine Schramm, clarinet, $550

5th place: Cobby Brzeski, flute, $350

SENIOR PIANO

1st place Phyllis S. Warren Piano Award

Joseph F. Lang, Jr., $1,150

2nd place: Andre Chu, $950

3rd place: Christian Stahlman, $750

4th place: Kevin Boyd, $550

5th place: Yvonne Jiang, $350

VOICE

1st place Naples Opera Society Award

Nadia Marshall, soprano, $1150

2nd place: Johanne Nordilus, soprano, $950

3rd place: Daniela Magura, soprano, $750

4th place: Chloe Popoli, soprano, $550

5th place: Marcello Marsalli, $350

SENIOR BRASS

1st place: Morgan Block, trumpet, $1150

2nd place: Mario Trejo, French horn, $950

3rd place: Lincoln Kollander, trumpet, $750

SENIOR PERCUSSION

1st place: Christian Ostolaza, marimba, $1150

2nd place: Rafael A. Rivas, marimba, $950

3rd place: Scott Renner, percussion, $750

4th place: Richard Stein, percussion, $550

Chamber Exhibition, Senior Division

1st Place

Misty Drake, violin

Noelle Torres, violin

Cassie Drake, viola

Vincent Marcantonio, cello

Judges’ Award

Misty Drake, violin

Ana-Emilia Montessi, violin

Natalie Peliska, violin

Noelle Torres, violin

Chamber Exhibition, Junior Division

Judges’ Award

Rachael Koral, tenor saxophone

Naomi Walerys, alto saxophone

Timothy Kane, alto saxophone

West McCann, baritone saxophone

These funds will help continue the middle school master classes that were established this past school year. Second year music students are recommended by their school directors to attend four to six small group help sessions taught by professional musicians.  The Middle School Master Classes are coordinated by Judy Evans.

The Education Foundation of Collier County, Naples Music Club and the United Arts Council grant will help fund the 2011-2012 Master Classes.

Background

The data on the impact of music education in academic success are very persuasive.  An article by Steve Kelly, Ph.D., summarizes the current status on the Florida Music Educators web site where he states that students from across the state achieve higher academic success if participating in music classes.  This result is independent of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic levels.  The students also have a lower dropout rate than those not enrolled and higher SAT and FCAT scores.

In spite of these data, the availability of music education in the Collier County Public Schools varies dramatically depending upon the school scheduling of music classes and the background of the music staff.  In Collier County the formal band, orchestra and choral classes start in the sixth grade in the middle schools.

Collaborations between the Bower School of Music at FGCU and community groups have resulted in two exciting music programs in Immokalee.  The programs were designed by Judy Evans who did a brilliant job creating programs with significant impact.  The pre-k violin literacy program utilizes the small violins that were donated by a Naples Music Club member, Clifford Saby, in 2000.

Programs:

Pre-K Violin Vision Program
After School Elementary Mariachi Program

Description of Programs

Pre-K Violin Vision (Literacy Based) – 3rd year of program

70 four-year-old children receive violin lessons twice a week in groups of 10-12 at the Immokalee Guadalupe Early Childhood Center.  Three Bower School of Music string education students are intern/teachers under the close supervision of Judy Evans, a certified string educator.  Judy is the program designer and director. She oversees the curriculum and training of interns.

The children in the program have demonstrated increased attention span, improved listening skills, enhanced ability in finding patterns, improvement in fine motor skills, better rhythm/pitch discrimination that assists with language skill, enhanced skills at identifying symbols, pre-reading skills and improved discipline.

Pinecrest Elementary Mariachi Classes – 2nd year of program

Pinecrest Elementary School in Immokalee has a 99% poverty rate. The only way these students can afford music instruction is through programs such as this.

Thirty-four third through fifth graders receive violin and guitar lessons once-a-week.  Three Bower School of Music string education students are the interns/teachers.  Judy Evans also oversees this program. For the university students, the program provides an unparalleled opportunity for them to hone their teaching skills working under the direction of a master teacher.

The Naples Music Club contributed funds to assist with these Immokalee music programs during the 2010-2011 school year.

Goal

The goal is to quantify the impact of these programs and to expand them to additional sites as money and qualified instructors become available.  Assuming the pilot program is successful, the Club will work to help document that success and assist in applying for grants and/or donations until the public schools assume funding and clone the programs.

Implications

This pilot program adds a major new dimension to the Naples Music Club’s focus – it does not diminish the commitment to the scholarship program.  Supporting the music program in Immokalee enables NMC to have an impact on academic achievement in a minority area, it instills a lifelong love of music in the students, and it helps to identify talented students who would never have had an opportunity to pursue music.

UAC President Molly Khorasantchi, left, presents Stars in the Arts award to NMC President Marilyn Bogen

The Naples Music Club received the prestigious 2011 “Stars in the Arts” award from the United Arts Çouncil of Collier County on March 4, 2011, at a celebratory lunch at Naples Grande Resort. The United Arts Council initiated its Stars in the Arts program six years ago to recognize individuals and organizations for leadership in the arts. Nominations are accepted from the public, and this year 53 nominations were received. A selection committee of past winners and leaders in the arts community then rate each nominee.

Other individuals and organizations recognized this year were Kristen Coury, Mark Danni, Donna Fiala, and Opera Naples. Past Stars in the Arts award recipients have been:  Patty and Jay Baker, Myra Daniels, Harriet Heithaus, Erich Kunzel (posthumously), Philharmonic Center for the Arts, Classic Chamber Concerts, Naples Art Association, Art League of Marco Island, Naples Players, Paradise Coastmen Barbershop Chorus, Dolph von Arx, Clyde Butcher, Olga Hirshhorn, Andrea Clark Brown, Delores & John Sorey, Charlie Horn, Paul Arsenault, Bill Meek, Jonathan Green, Mary Margaret Gruszka, Joel Banow, Dr. Ron Bowman, Betsy & Al Harris, Jim Rideoutte, Kathy Spalding, Dr. Ron Doiron, Ted Tobye, Elaine Vreenegoor, Bette Young, Toby Blumenthal & Bert Phillips, Peg Longstreth, and  student Star Kylen Moran.

In her acceptance speech on March 4th, Naples Music Club President  reminded the several hundred guests present that The Naples Music Club had been founded in 1965 at a time when there was little to do in Naples.  Then she said, “Look at Naples now, and look at what the Naples Music Club is doing. The Naples Music Club is all about kids.  It may not be our actual mission statement, but that’s the essence of the way we think.  “All about the kids.”  I want to thank our board of directors and all former directors who, along with our members over the years, other musical organizations and the community, have supported us.  Thank you for this great honor.”

The “Duos and Double Duos” concert, held November 14, 2010, at Mooring Presbyterian Church, was conceived as a memorial to longtime member Phyllis Warren, who passed away in 2009. Phyllis served ten years as scholarship chair or co-chair in charge of the club’s prestigious Student Scholarship Competition. She was also a teacher and an accomplished pianist, specializing in duets and double duos.

Cathy Frecker, who shared in Phyllis’s love of two-piano music and performed as Phyllis’s piano partner in her later years, was the organizer of the recital. In her opening remarks, Cathy mentioned the many piano recitals Phyllis had given and spoke of the various partners with whom she had performed over the years. Some of these performances had been given as benefits for the Naples Music Club. It was noted that one of the two pianos used for the recital, a Mason & Hamlin, had belonged to Phyllis and had been given to the church.

Those who contributed their talents, along with Cathy, were Lidia Doroshina, Deb Doud, Esther Duncan, Elena Hall, Joyce Kempton, Loretta Myers, Maurizio Nisita, Anne Roberts, Marilyn Stanhope, Rumi Wildner, and Myra Williams. To add special interest, two young 2010 scholarship winners, Joseph Lang and Bennett Lanni, gave solo performances as well.

The club was especially pleased to have Priscilla Grannis, Phyllis’s daughter attend this concert and address the audience before the intermission. Priscilla told of how keenly interested her mother had been in developing young musical talent as a piano teacher for 60 years. She also described current studies showing the benefits of music education and the profound impact such education has on young lives. Read her remarks.

At the conclusion of the recital, club members couldn’t help but feel that Phyllis would have been very pleased with the music and events of the day. Click to view recital photos, the program or a video.

Rewind to 2001. I was invited by my Ritz-Carlton colleague Ed Staros to become a founding supporter of the new Resort and Hospitality Management School at FGCU. Since then, thousands have walked through those doors and entered into this region’s some 77,000 employees of our treasured tourist and hospitality industry. Not even a whispered word about music was in the air of the campus in those days.

Bower School of Music

Fast forward to 2010. Walking into the Bower School of Music’s new facility for the first time was an awesome and surreal experience technically, architecturally, musically, and of great human interest.

About three dozen of us gathered on October 27th for this first-of-its-kind exposure to the facility, faculty and students. The Naples Music Club was the sponsor of the tour, under the guidance of Jeannette Boucher and Deb Stone.

We were first given an enlightening tour of the building. I was in abject awe of the construction process and care for the discipline it houses. Floating floors, no 90-degree angles, total acoustical consideration in every nook and cranny, incredible recording capability, specialized desks and rehearsal chairs, specific lighting, etc. High-end Mac computers everywhere. On, and on, and on. It took my breath away.

Oh yes, I am a pianist, and was a Piano Major back in the day. Uh-huh, I counted around four dozen new Steinways haunting this grand building. I think in my school we had two! The only place in the world that I have seen that many Steinways under one roof is at Steinway Hall in New York City.

After the tour we were bused to the classiest student cafeteria in the land. I am so ready by now to go back to school. But there was much more in store.

OK. Great new building. Right.  Let’s cut to the chase. How about the faculty and students?

We snuck in on a Music Methods class under the brilliant direction of Louise Patrick. OK. What are Music Methods? Well, since I was a performance major in college, I never attended such education classes. Dr. Patrick had me mesmerized after twenty minutes of her techniques she uses with second and third graders. She employed use of the revered Orff instruments in her instruction. She was totally fetching with her infectious love of teaching music to the world!

I walked out of that room thinking that if every School Board member and every County Commissioner from the region would witness her class, they would never cut back funding for music ever again! You immediately could feel the surge in the cognitive abilities of the students through the power of music presented in this fashion.

University Choir Rehearsal

On to chorus rehearsal. OK, so I hear Mozart’s Magnificat as I walk through the door. This is not a throat killer or an impossibly note-plagued work. Hmmmm. Something sounds different. Something is out of the box for such a school. Aha! I get in the room and know immediately what it is. Trent Brown, their new Choral Director, has this group of alert young students singing the Latin text with German diction. This is rarely heard in this country. It added a terrific touch of class.

Dr. Brown’s sense of energy, phrasing and studied harmonics, also added to the group’s eagerness to know, respond, and deliver.

Chorus out. Wind Ensemble in. Percussion instruments being hauled around. Instruments out of cases, large and small. I am yet marveling at the rehearsal space.

I took the extra two minutes to look at the iPhone and check messages, head down. I quickly turned it off. I thought I was dreaming. I heard singing! From a Wind Ensemble? What? Yep.

Trumpet section of the Symphonic Band

I have never seen this done before. Troy Jones, their wonderful leader, had them in singing! This is beyond enlightening for all concerned. It teaches the students to properly initiate their tones and negotiate air-speed, which is critical in woodwind performance. It also keeps forefront in their minds a unique ‘sense of song.’ (I’ve met more than a few brass players that could use a good dose of this!) Again, awesome teaching and response.

After an informative briefing by Judith M. Cassidy, Senior Director of Advancement, and Dr. Robert Thayer, Interim Head of the Music Department, we then attended a mini master class given by the head of the piano department, Dr. Michael Baron. Several of our NMC members had the nerves to go up on stage and perform. It was informative and fun. But I was totally distracted by the look, feel and acoustics, of the room. What a concert hall!

The Concert Hall

The acoustics in this hall, which are totally adjustable, are second to none for such a size. The only one that compares is Spivey Hall in Atlanta, which has double the audience capacity.

For the final event of the day, we were exposed to a student recital. Good Gracious. The first student, Hae-Jin Hwang, walked out on stage and danced through the final movement of the devilishly difficult Piano Sonata by Samuel Barber. It was dazzling!

Another piano student, Priscilla Navarro, performed a most gracious final movement of Beethoven’s Waldstein Sonata. Several vocalists, Lorena Vargas, Jamie Bocco and Raul Escalona, brought forth clear phrasing and studied understandings to their offerings as well.

But the musical highlight of the day for me was pianist Paul Wright’s performance of Ravel’s La Valse. Here’s the skinny on this one! I have never heard anyone in school even try to perform this piece, graduate or undergraduate. I have only encountered two professionals in my entire career, both world-class virtuosos, who would actually program it. This young student of Dr. Baron’s performed this vastly difficult work with such freedom and a depth of understanding, and color rarely heard on any stage!

As I walked back to my car, I was daunted by the day’s proceedings. In Lee County. At  FGCU. In the middle of the Everglades! With all of my experience on the East Coast of Florida, I know none of this is happening anywhere else in an undergraduate department. And certainly, not in a brand new building with a brand new faculty. Thank You! AND WOW!

Stop. Pause. Fast Forward. They are planning to soon build a new concert hall for the larger orchestral ensembles. I can only imagine what “Be a Music Major for a Day” will be like in a few years!

Daniel Rosman

The last award made is always the most coveted. It’s the Club’s Turiel Award, given to a student who best meets a number of criteria, including excellence in performance. This year’s winner, Daniel Rosman, an 18-year-old clarinetist and  senior at Estero High School, secured his win, worth $2,000, by wowing the judges with his performance of the Allegro movement from Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major. Grateful for the award that will launch him on to FSU in the fall, where he will major in music education, he says, “From being the drum major of a state finalist high school marching band and a student teacher in jazz and wind ensembles, I’ve discovered that my passion for music is more than the music itself.” To Rosman, life is also about the people one encounters who touch your life and whose lives you influence. “It is my goal to become a music teacher so I can give back the same (or better) experiences that I have been privileged to enjoy.” He credits his clarinet teacher, Paul Votapek, principal clarinetist with the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra, as being the one person who has influenced him the most.

Rosman lists many years of participation, during which he was 1st chair, with the Estero High School Marching Band, Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble, the Naples Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Tri-State Festival Bands, Florida All State Band, and the Lee County Honor Band. For four years, he has been the 1st place winner in the woodwind division in the Naples Music Club’s Scholarship Competition, and in 2009 he was top winner of the Naples Philharmonic Concerto Competition.  Playing tenor saxophone as well as clarinet, he also has the distinction of receiving his high school’s Top of the Class and Student Choice awards for wind ensemble.  Besides those organizations connected with music, he belongs to the National Honor Society, Knowledge Master Open, Estero High School Academic Team, and Teen Trendsetters.

Thinking ahead beyond college Rosman would also consider a short career in the U.S. Marine or Air Force Band, where travel is a side benefit of the music. In his immediate future, Daniel Rosman has received a full scholarship to FSU’s Summer Music Camp’s Honors Chamber Winds Program. Armed with his music, his credentials, his scholarship awards, and his desire to share the music experience with others, Daniel Rosman seems more than ready to take up the challenge of fulfilling his goals.

The 2010 Scholarship Winners of the Naples Music Club 40^th Anniversary Competition

Turiel Award Winner: Daniel Rosman, clarinet, $2000

Junior Strings

1st place: Natalie Peliska, violin, $500

2nd place: Noelle Torres, violin, $400

3rd place: Lucca G. Delcompare, violin, $300

4th place: Tarik Machado Marque, cello, $150

5th place: Laura Mattson, violin, $75

Junior Woodwinds

1st place: Jeremy Brachle, clarinet, $500

2nd place: Christine Eugenides, flute, $400

3rd place Timothy Kane, alto saxophone, $300

Junior Piano (Junior Piano Awards given in memory of Margaret Haegg)

1st place: Bennett Lanni, $500

2nd place: Colleen Kilpatrick, $400

3rd place: Ilana Goldstein, $300

4th place: Andre Lorenz T. Chu, $150

5th place: Hannah Feng, $75

Haegg Continuing Education Award

Nerline Nerlien, one year clarinet lessons

Senior Strings

1st place: Bert G. Phillips Award by Classic Chamber Concerts, Jared Blajian, $1,000

1st place: Clifford R. Saby Award: McClaran Hayes, violin, $1,000

2nd place: Nathaniel Cornell, violin, $750

2nd place: Joseph Peliska, $750

3rd place: Hao-ting Wu, violin, $400

Senior Woodwinds

1st place: Clifford R. Saby Award, Daniel Rosman, clarinet, $1,000

2nd place: Catherine Schramm, clarinet, $750

3rd place: Cobby Brzeski, flute, $400

3rd place: Katherine Nunner, flute, $400

Senior Piano

1st place Phyllis S. Warren Piano Award: Joseph F. Lang, Jr., $1,000

2nd place: Christian M. Stahlman, $750

3rd place: Julian Gonzalez, $400

Voice

1st place: Tom and Sandi Moran Award, Elizabeth Drugan, $1,000

2nd place: Naples Opera Society Encouragement Award, Johanne Nordilus, $750

3rd place: Naples Opera Society Encouragement Award, Nadia Marshall, $400

Senior Brass

1st place: Jon Coulter, French horn, $1,000

2nd place: Phillip Brindise, French horn, $750

Senior Percussion

1st place: Christian Ostaloza, marimba, $500

2nd place: Rafael A. Rivas, marimba, $750

3rd place: Richard Stein, timpani and marimba, $400

2010 Scholarship Winners’ Program
Winners’ Recital Photo Gallery by Ivan Seligman