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| Faculty |
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| Full-Time Faculty |
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Paul S. Brewer - Director
of Instrumental Music
Phone: (616) 632-2416
Office: AMC 119
E-mail: brewepau@aquinas.edu |
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| Dr. Paul Brewer, Associate Professor and
Director of Instrumental Music at Aquinas College holds a Doctorate
of Musical Arts in Music Composition and Jazz Pedagogy from
the University of Northern Colorado. Dr. Brewer also holds a
Bachelors and a Masters degree in Music Education from the University
of Central Oklahoma. In addition to his teaching duties, Dr.
Brewer has been active as a professional trombonist since 1970.
Dr. Paul Brewer, Associate Professor and |
| Director
of Instrumental Music at Aquinas College holds a Doctorate
of Musical Arts in Music Composition and Jazz Pedagogy from
the University of Northern Colorado. Dr. Brewer also holds
a Bachelors and a Masters degree in Music Education from the
University of Central Oklahoma. In addition to his teaching
duties, Dr. Brewer has been active as a professional trombonist
since 1970. While jazz is his main musical endeavour, Dr.
Brewer has also played in a variety of musical ensembles including
everything from orchestral groups to rock and roll bands.
His many years as a trombonist in musical theater productions
gave Dr. Brewer the opportunity to work with celebrities such
as Mickey Rooney, Ann Miller, Richard Harris, Robert Goulet,
and many others.
As a jazz performer
Dr. Brewer has performed with such greats as J.J. Johnson,
Max Roach, Urbie Green, Mel Torme, Randy Brecker, and many
others.Among his many contributions to the field of jazz education,
Dr. Brewer has been chosen three times to lecture at the prestigious
International Association for Jazz Education annual conference
(twice in New York City and once in Toronto). Dr. Brewer is
also called upon each year to adjudicate jazz festivals and
to perform as a guest soloist on public school jazz band concerts.
Along with his tenure at Aquinas College and as a Jazz Artist
sponsored by the Yamaha Corporation, Dr. Brewer is also on
the jazz faculty at the Interlochen Arts Camp held each summer
in Interlochen, Michigan.
At Interlochen Dr.
Brewer has taught many wonderful students from all over the
world among them, five-time Grammy Award winner Norah Jones
and Dr. Brewer's son, Matthew Brewer, an upright bassist currently
performing with the great alto saxophonist and Blue Note recording
artist, Greg Osby. At Aquinas College Dr. Brewer is the Director
of Bands, concert and jazz. Dr. Brewer also teaches instrumental
conducting, instrumentation/arranging/orchestration, jazz
improvisation, studio trombone and trumpet, band methods courses,
popular music history, and counterpoint. |
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Barbara Witham McCargar - Chairperson
Director of Vocal Studies
Phone: (616) 632-2417
Office: AMC 126
E-mail: mccarbar@aquinas.edu |
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Barbara has been teaching Voice on
the campus of Aquinas College since 1987 and is now an Associate
Professor of Music, teaching Voice Techniques, Private Voice,
Vocal Pedagogy and Literature, and Music Appreciation classes.
As a soloist, she has given many recitals in concert halls
and churches in addition to having been a featured singer
in Grand Rapids Symphony Pops Concerts, |
with the Kalamazoo and Calvin College Oratorio Societies,
the Grand Rapids Choir of Men and Boys, St. Cecilia Music
Society, the Ann Arbor Cantata Singers, at Lake Michigan College,
Western Michigan University and a College Music Society's
Spring Conference in Madison, Wis. Ms. McCargar sang in Austria
and Hungary, recorded a CD and performed as a member and soloist
with the Chamber Choir of Grand Rapids.
Her performing career
has spanned over three decades, from Art Song to Musical Theater.
She has performed roles on stage with Lansing Lyric Opera,
Opera Grand Rapids (most recently as Mercedes in Bizet's CARMEN),
Youth Opera USA with composer Sanford Jones, Circle Theater
(most recently as Desiree in Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night
Music), Spectrum Theater, and been featured debuting songs
by Roelof Bijkerk in the composers forum at the Urban Institute
for Contemporary Arts, with the composer at the piano.
Ms. McCargar is also releasing a CD of Women Composers' works
for soprano and piano, which evolved from annual lecture recitals
with her colleagues on the campus of Aquinas during Women's
History Month. The 2005 CD includes songs for solo voice and
piano by Libby Larsen, Florence Price, Undine Smith Moore,
Amy Marcy Beach, Sylvia Glickman, and Betty Jackson King.
Fellow faculty members performing on the CD are accompanist
and piano soloist, Mary Hurd, and pianist, Catherine Williams,
O.P., playing extended works by Rhene Jaque and Lili Boulanger,
respectively.
In the Diocese of Grand
Rapids, Barbara is an instructor with the School for Cantor
Training, Chapter Director of the National Pastoral Musicians
(NPM) Association, and a Cantor and an Artist in Residence
for the Cathedral of Saint Andrew as a member of the medieval
chant trio, Vox
Angelica, specializing in the chants of Hildegard von
Bingen. In December 2003, Vox Angelica released its first
full-length CD, "Hildegard von Bingen - Chants of Heaven
and Earth." They performed two concerts at the Immaculate
Conception Church in July 2004 as part of the church's centennial
celebration and the Chicago Regional Convention of NPM. In
January 2005, the trio performed in Spain and Portugal as
featured artists on tour with the Diocesan Choir of Grand
Rapids, under the direction of Dr. Brandon Spence. Recent
performances include February 26 in the Basilica of Saint
Adalbert Anniversary Year Concert series, "Celebrating 125
years of musical excellence" debuting a new program of chants
be Hildegard von Bingen which was presented again at the
Regional Convention of the National Association of Pastoral
Musicians on July 17, 2006.
Associate Professor
McCargar holds a Master of Music in Voice, with secondary
emphasis in Opera from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor
, with further study at the American Institute of Musical
Studies in Graz , Austria . She received the BM in Vocal Performance
from Aquinas. She has been a member for over 20 years of the
Michigan and National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS).
Her current professional study includes: training for certification
in WEM - What Every Musician (Singer) Needs to Know About
the Body - with Andover Educators, www.bodymap.org,
and the music of Women Composers.
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Sr. Catherine Williams
- Music Ed., SS/ET: Piano, Music Theory, Basics of Music,
Music Appreciation, Liturgical Music
Phone: (616) 632-2414
Office: AMC 111
E-mail: willicat@aquinas.edu
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| Sister Catherine Williams
is an alumna of Aquinas College earning both her Master of Arts
in Religious Studies and her Bachelor of Music and Music Education
at Aquinas, she also holds a Master of Music Education from
Vandercook College and a permanent teaching certificate. |
| Her further advanced studies
are quite extensive, including Michigan State University, Early
Childhood Music Conference, Organ Seminar with Gerre Hancock,
ongoing private instruction in voice, piano and organ, and participation
in relevant conferences, workshops and lectures in the areas
of campus ministry, liturgy, music and ecumenism. Her impressive
employment history includes teacher of private lessons in piano,
organ, voice and guitar; music teacher K-12; director of liturgy
and music at Guardian Angels Parish; Campus Minister at Aquinas
College; and full-time member of the Music Department at Aquinas. |
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| Part-Time Faculty |
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| Andrew Bergeron - Guitar |
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Diane Triplett
Biser - Voice |
| Diane graduated from Westminster
Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, N.J. with a
BM in Church Music with a concentration in voice. She has studied
with Lorean Hodapp, George Lynn, Janice Harsanyi, Margaret Harshaw,
Lorna Haywood and Stanley Kolk. Diane has been the Associate
Minister of Music of the East Congregational United Church of
Christ in Grand Rapids, Mich. since 1969. In this capacity she
conducts children, youth and adult vocal ensembles as well as
bell choirs of various ages. Diane joined the voice faculty
at Aquinas College in January of 2000. Before joining the faculty
at Aquinas, Mrs. Biser taught at Grand Rapids Community College
as Adjunct Professor of Voice and for six years at |
| Kalamazoo College as
an Instructor of Voice. She has performed in the following
operas: Cavalli, L'Ormindo (Miranda), Donizetti, Lucia di Lammermoor
(Alisa) Hanson, Merrymount (Lady Astoreth-Marigold), Humperdinck,
Hansel and Gretel (Mother), Lehar, The Merry Widow (Praskovia),
Menotti, Amahl and the Night Visitors (Mother), Mozart, Die
Zauberflote (First Lady), Rossini, Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Berta),
Verdi, Rigoletto (Giovanna). Mrs. Biser has been heard as soprano
soloist in Requiems, Oratorios, and Masses in the United States,
England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Hungary, and Russia.
In addition she has given solo recitals in Virginia, New Jersey,
North Carolina, Ohio, and Michigan. In 2000, she presented a
series of recitals in St. Petersburg, Russia, under the sponsorship
of the St. Petersburg Conservatoire.Since 1981 Mrs. Biser has
been a soloist soprano section leader and librarian of the Chamber
Choir of Grand Rapids. In addition to other duties, Mrs. Biser
maintains an active voice studio both at home and at Aquinas
College. |
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Larry Biser - Choral
Conducting, Music History, Aquinas College Chamber Choir |
Mr.
Biser is a graduate of Westminster Choir College of Rider
University in Princeton , N.J. While a student there, he sang
under notable conductors of the day and toured with the world
famous Westminster Choir. His major instrument was in organ,
while minoring in voice. Mr. Biser completed his Master of
Church Music in the summer of 2002 at Concordia University
in River Forest , Ill. His vocal studies began in high school
and continued through college. Mr. Biser studied voice with
Robert Simpson and Raymond Kyser at Westminster Choir College
. Since that time Mr. Biser has studied privately with Stanley
Kolk in Grand Rapids and has also served as studio accompanist
for Mr. Kolk. Mr. Biser is currently an Adjunct Assistant
Professor of Music on the Aquinas faculty. |
Mr.
Biser studied conducting under Paul Boepple, Elaine Brown
and George Lynn. His organ studies have been with Eugene Roan
and Joan Lippincott at Westminster Choir College and Dr. Steven
Wente at Concordia University. He has served churches in Arlington
and Norfolk , Va. before coming to East Congregational United
Church of Christ in 1969. Since 1982, Mr. Biser has been the
Music Director and Conductor of the Chamber
Choir of Grand Rapids. He has recorded three CDs and toured
Austria and Hungary with the Chamber Choir. In 1995 Mr. Biser
was invited to take the Chamber Choir of Grand Rapids to Salt
Lake City where they performed with the world famous Mormon
Tabernacle Choir. Mr. Biser was afforded the unique privilege
of conducting the combined choirs for their national Sunday
morning broadcast. In June of 1999, Mr. Biser and the Chamber
Choir of Grand Rapids went to St. Petersburg , Russia , as
part of a cultural exchange program with the St. Petersburg
Conservatoire. The choir also performed in Finland and Estonia
while on this tour. Since 1969, Larry Biser has been Minister
of Music in the East Congregational United Church of Christ.
With his wife, Diane, they maintain a program of six singing
choirs and three ringing choirs. Mr. Biser is listed in the
International Edition of "Who's Who in Music?" |
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| Monty Burch - Tuba |
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| John Clapp - Private
Instrumental Lessons, Bassoon |
| John Clapp joined the Aquinas
College music faculty in the fall of 2003. Mr. Clapp has been
contrabassoonist of the Grand Rapids Symphony since September
2000. Prior to his appointment in Grand Rapids, he held the
position of contrabassoon with the Charlotte Symphony in Charlotte,
North Carolina. A native of Philadelphia, Mr. Clapp received
his undergraduate degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music
and a master's degree from the Juilliard School of Music. He
has performed with the New York City Ballet Orchestra, Orchestra
of St. Luke's, the Harrisburg Symphony, and the Northeastern
Pennsylvania Philharmonic. |
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| Edward Clifford - Saxophone,
Flute, Woodwind Methods |
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| Robin Connell - Jazz
Pianist, Composer/Arranger |
| Robin Connell currently teaches
part time at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids and at the Interlochen
Arts Camp in Michigan. She regularly conducts clinics, adjudicates
and concertizes at schools, festivals and clubs. Originally
from Detroit and an alumnus of Grand Valley State University,
Robin was a full-time musician in NYC for twelve years before
moving to Colorado in 1991. Her commissions include compositions
for jazz band, wind ensemble, choir, vocal jazz and film. As
a composer/performer she has received several grants from the
Colorado Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for
the Arts. She is also the recipient of a 2001 ArtServe Michigan
grant in conjunction with the Michigan Council for Arts and
Culture. Robin completed her Doctorate of Arts in Music Theory
and Composition from the University of Northern Colorado in
1999. |
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| Tom Erickson - Double
Bass |
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| Tim Froncek - Percussion |
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| Dave Hay - Jazz Bass |
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Mary Hurd - Pianist
Phone: (616) 632-2419
E-mail: hurdmar@aquinas.edu
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| Mary Hurd has a Master of Music degree
in Piano Performance/Pedagogy from Northwestern University,
a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from the American
Conservatory of Music and a Diploma in Church Music/Piano from
Moody Bible Institute. Since beginning to teach piano in 1972,
Ms. Hurd continues to teach privately, managing an extensive
list of private students across the entire age spectrum. |
| She has taught courses in
piano, piano pedagogy and music theory at Aquinas College, Grand
Valley State Colleges, Grace Bible College and Grand Rapids
School of the Bible and Music. She has been with Aquinas College,
teaching courses in piano, piano pedagogy and music appreciation,
since 1994. Ms. Hurd has been active both as a soloist as well
as an accompanist: 1980 - guest recitalist for Moody Bible Institute's
Church Music Conference; 1975 to 1981 - accompanist for many
faculty and student recitals at Moody Bible Institute; 1981
to 1983 - accompanist for all student recitals at Grand Valley
State Colleges; 1985 to 1990 - faculty recitalist for Grand
Rapids School of the Bible and Music; 1994 to the present -
featured both as a solo performer and accompanist for many programs
at Aquinas College, including: |
- accompanist for soprano, Joan Gillett in 1998
- soloist and accompanist in faculty recitals every January,
since 1995
- soloist/lecturer in "Music of Women Composers" series
every March since 1998
- joint solo recitalist in conjunction with Barbara Witham
McCargar in February of 2000
- collaboration as a soloist and accompanist on a CD of
women's music, recorded in 2003
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| Mike Hyde - Jazz Guitar |
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| Christopher Kantner
- Flute |
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| Roger MacNaughton -
Piano, 20th Century Popular Music |
Following his 1973 graduation from Michigan State University, Roger MacNaughton embarked on a full-time music career. Along with teaching and an active performance schedule, Roger writes and produces music for commercial broadcast and video underscoring through his company Acoustic Arts Custom Music Production LLC. Roger has also penned and produced CDs for the opening of the Lena Meijer Children’s Garden in Grand Rapids and the Christian Reformed Church “Walk With Me” series.
Other credits include being named Composer of the Year in 2000 by the Urban Institute of Contemporary Arts and winning Third Place, Finalist and (3) Honorable Mention in the 2006 Great Lakes Songwriting Competition. Roger’s original music CDs in the Acoustic Arts catalogue presently total four; an instrumental CD “Summer Dance,” Jazz Trio CD “Blue Muse,” piano and cello CD “Winter Canvas,” and solo piano CD “Cold-Hearted Orb.” |
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| Bill Marfink - Staff
Accompanist |
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| Nursun Redmon - Violin |
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| Stephen Redmon - Cellist |
| Cellist Stephen Redmon received
his Bachelor of Music degree from Western Michigan University.
He earned a Master of Music degree in cello performance from
the University of Massachusetts. Upon moving to Grand Rapids,
he has been active as a chamber musician and teacher. He has
served as cello instructor at Hope College, Cornerstone College
and Grand Valley State University. He also earned his teaching
certificate in Music Education from the University of Michigan
and taught orchestra in the public schools for several years.
He is married to violinist Nursun Redmon and has a son, Daniel,
who is almost two. |
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| Donald Scott - Directed
Teaching Supervisor |
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| Andrew Sheneman - Introduction
to Studio Recording & Intermediate |
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| Dr. Brandon Spence,
DMA - Organ |
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| Annette Y. Stein -
Directed Teaching Supervisor |
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| Richard Streng - Directed
Teaching Supervisor |
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Steve Talaga
- Vocal Jazz, Theory, Piano
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| Pianist, composer and arranger
Steve Talaga has been performing professionally for more than
20 years. He is co-leader of Mind's Eye, a jazz quartet with
three compact discs to its credit, "Angst for the Spoiler,"
"Seasons," "Lucky Nine," and "Children
of the Glacier." Talaga has performed with Mind's Eye at
many venues and jazz festivals, including the Montreux Jazz
Festival in Switzerland and the Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festival
in Michigan. Music from "Seasons" has been featured
on the nationally syndicated public radio program, "Jazz
After Hours." Talaga has released three other compact discs
under his own name: "Mirage," "Yin-Yang,"
and most recently, "Basement Alchemy," which was chosen
as best |
| release of 2000 by Lazaro
Vega at WBLV-FM.He is also pianist for many other small and
large jazz ensembles and is featured on recordings with some
of them. He has performed with many jazz greats, including Kenny
Wheeler, Wes Anderson, Marcus Printup, Michael Brecker, Randy
Brecker, Bob Berg, Adam Nussbaum, Wycliffe Gordon, Ric Margitza,
Bobby Shew, Maria Schneider, Marvin Stamm, Denis DiBlazio, Jon
Faddis, Claudio Roditi, Johnny Bassett, Greg Abate, Walt Weiskopf,
and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. Talaga is currently an adjunct
professor of music at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and
Aquinas College and Grace Bible College in Grand Rapids, Michigan,
where he teaches courses in jazz studies and music theory/composition.
He has also taught music at Grand Valley State University. Talaga
has frequently been on the faculty at the Aquinas College Summer
Jazz Camp and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. Talaga received a Bachelor
of Music Degree in Jazz Studies, Magna Cum Laude, and a Master
of Music Degree in Composition from Western Michigan University.
He received a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast and Cinematic Arts
from Central Michigan University. As a student in 1993, Talaga
won a Downbeat Magazine award in the jazz composition category.
He has won outstanding soloist awards from the Elmhurst, Aquinas,
Ohio State University, and Notre Dame Jazz Festivals; and awards
for jazz composition from the Notre Dame and Montreux-Detroit
Jazz Festivals. He received honorable mention in the 1995 Billboard
Magazine Song Writing Contest, Jazz Category. From 1982 -1989,
Talaga was a producer and on-air personality at CMU Public Radio
in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. |
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| Mark Webb - College
Chorus, Secondary Vocal Methods and Materials |
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Stephanie Wiltse
- Valenti Handbell Choir |
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| Stephanie Wiltse has been director of the
Valenti Handbell Ensemble of Aquinas College since 1998. She
was named director of the Calvin College Handbell Ensemble in
the fall of 2001. She has held positions directing church handbell
ensembles since 1992, including South Congregational Church,
UCC, and Park Congregational Church, UCC. She was recently appointed
Director of Handbells for LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed
Church, where she oversees a program of three choirs ranging
in ages from fifth grade to adult. Stephanie is a founding member
of the professional community handbell ensemble Embellish and
has served as Music Director of the group since the fall of
1999. |
| For the past
several years, she has chaired the Grand Rapids District of
the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers (AGEHR), organizing
several mass rings and directors' sessions, and helping to serve
as a resource to other handbell directors in the area. She is
also a handbell soloist and a choral singer and vocal soloist,
performing frequently in the greater Grand Rapids area. |
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