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"At music conservatories and even major universities, the music departments are concerned with the number of majors and providing pre-professional training for their music majors.... At Davidson, the music major is geared toward those who may decide not to go on professionally, but want to study music to expand their experience, their analytical skills, and their abstract thinking abilities."

avid Kang '01 dreamed of becoming a professional musician and came to Davidson to study music. For two years, he enjoyed all that liberal arts studies had to offer, "But," he thought, "growing up in a small town in Missouri and then coming to Davidson, I had no idea what the real, harsh musical world was like." So David transferred to Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.J., "to seriously investigate a career in music."

"While my peers at Eastman were incredibly talented musicians, I missed having conversations with majors of all kinds and interacting with and learning from people with very diverse intellectual interests," David recalls. "I missed the liberal arts, the classes in philosophy and science where I could rub shoulders with truly brilliant classmates, learn from them, and then go off to choir practice to sing alongside them." After a year at Eastman, David returned to Davidson for his senior year.

Perhaps David says it best: "Davidson's music department does not accept mediocrity nor make excuses because we are not a university or school of music. Instead, it offers students very real and very memorable musical experiences, whether in the classroom or on the stage, with very high musical standards. At the same time the faculty recognize that Davidson cannot and should not be a conservatory of music. From my perspective, the balance that Davidson offers has made my musical experience here much more fulfilling and enjoyable than at the conservatory. Davidson offers such a wonderful blend of musical and non-musical opportunities, and that's why I decided to come back."

It's an exciting time for music at Davidson. With the departure of the college union this summer--the new Alvarez Union will be dedicated in September--renovations will begin on the Grey building to transform it into a home for the department of music. The faculty is almost giddy at the prospect, and hundreds of students who traverse campus to rehearse, attend class, perform, pick up instruments, take lessons--all with the theme of music--will thrive on the convenience and community the new center will offer.

A Broad Repertoire

"Our music curriculum is geared to bring breadth as well as focus to our field," says Professor and Music Department Chair Ray Sprague. "We, as faculty, focus on teaching students how to think, how to express themselves, and how to view the world in new and different ways, through the discipline of music."

According to Sprague, "At music conservatories and even major universities, the music departments are concerned with the number of majors and providing pre-professional training for their music majors.... At Davidson, the music major is geared toward those who may decide not to go on professionally, but want to study music to expand their experience, their analytical skills, and their abstract thinking abilities."

Davidson's music faculty teaches a diverse array of courses. Traditional courses, such as music appreciation, music history, and theory, form a foundation. Upon that foundation, they have arranged a variety of non-Western and contemporary courses, such as world musics, film music, music of Latin America, and electronic music.

Associate Professor and composer Jennifer Stasack incorporates a collection of musical instruments from several continents and many countries in teaching her World Musics class. She explains the perspective of the music faculty: "We value all musical styles--popular music, world music, film music, serious or 'art' music --to be embraced as valuable music venues to study. The design of our current music major reflects this, with curricular options for students with diverse interests."

Associate Professor Mauro Botelho, who specializes in Schenkerian theory and teaches about his native Brazilian music, was trained in a traditional conservatory atmosphere. He believes that liberal arts colleges are best at exposing students to a wide variety of music topics, which combine music with culture, society, and are naturally interdisciplinary. Botelho says that in the classroom, "there is a high level of interest and quality from our students--very noticeably in non-majors."

"Though I plan to pursue music as a career, I came to Davidson knowing that I wanted to study something else for four years," says Donald Plott Music Scholar Thomas Bergamo '02 from Oradell, N.J., concertmaster of the Davidson Symphony Orchestra. "In high school, I studied privately at Julliard, and I was involved in the New York Youth Symphony. What I love about Davidson's music program is that it gives people without a music background really solid experience. Here, there are people involved at different levels who can participate through lessons, ensembles, or by using music facilities."

Stasack particularly enjoys Davidson's liberal arts environment because, "In addition to highly specialized studies for the music major, we offer courses that explore the phenomenon of music as a product of the human species; that is, we are looking at the connection between music and religion, philosophy, technology, social structure...all aspects of culture. One of our goals is to expand people's critical awareness of uses and functions of music in various societies at various times in history."

Kristen Hillyer '01 is focused on vocal performance and plans to pursue a master's degree in voice. "My experience in the classroom has been outstanding," says the music major from Opelika, Alabama. "These teachers make it interesting, and I can tell they really enjoy what they teachŠ. I came in with little musical background and have gained a strong foundation."

Assistant Professor Neil Lerner, an emerging national figure in film music, says, "I would put our music curriculum up against any of the top liberal arts colleges... in terms of the diversity, interesting topics, and number of offerings, we could definitely hang with them."

Making Music--The Ensembles

"I have loved singing in Davidson choirs," says David Kang. "The expectations and standards set forth by the conductor are very high, and I feel the members of the choir are up to the challenge. It's great to be a part of a group that brings together so many people gifted in so many different fields, but who all share a love for singing. For them to give up three to six hours a week to come sing in choir for no credit says something about how unique this experience is."

It is the love of making music that causes students to devote their time to the Concert Choir, the Chamber Singers, the Wind and Jazz Ensembles, and the Symphony Orchestra. When these ensembles do not quench students' thirst for music, faculty members work with those musicians to form new ensembles.

Stephanie Corwin '03, from Marietta, Georgia, plays bassoon in the Symphony Orchestra and the Wind Ensemble. When she decided she wanted to start a woodwind quintet, she knew what to do. "I just talked to Dr. Lawing, then contacted the other instrumentalists. Everyone was interested, so we picked our music and started rehearsing." Stephanie is a Donald Plott Music Scholar, but chose Davidson even before she received a music scholarship. "I was looking for a small, liberal arts college with a really strong music program.... I remember the first time I visited Davidson. My parents and I walked into the music building, and Dr. Lawing happened to be right there. He sat down and talked to us about the music program."

Music performances abound at Davidson--from widely attended performances such as Christmas Vespers, to individual student concerts for credit, to "open mic" nights in the 900 Room. The Concert Choir and Wind and Jazz Ensembles also go on tours each spring. Plus, Symphony Orchestra Conductor Milton Crotts has been taking his players off-campus to perform in nearby Statesville at Mitchell Community College. He looks forward to more opportunities to perform off-campus and take symphonic music into the community. "If alumni around the country learn about us, maybe they'll want to initiate a guest performance. There's great value in a concert tour. Not only would the students' talents be shared with the community, but the students would enjoy it," says Crotts.

"One of the reasons I was interested in coming to Davidson is because the quality is on a level with a lot of schools of music.... What's gratifying here is that students want to experience quality, which makes it possible to challenge them to grow," says Ray Sprague.

Crotts says, "The success of the Symphony is from the leadership within the group." With only one Davidson semester behind him, he says he has been amazed at the dedication of the student musicians. "I have found our orchestral musicians working in small groups, practicing their parts. The extra meetings are entirely of their own initiative."

With professional faculty, experienced applied music instructors, a wide-ranging curriculum, and excellent music library resources, the greatest obstacle for the music program in recent years has been facilities. Lawing explains that, "At four o'clock on Thursdays, we have three ensemble practices going on in different buildings--there's no synergy. Once we move into Grey, we will be in harmony with each other." Though limited practice and performance space has not limited the number of musical events nor the quality of music, certainly the many participants deserve to commune and harmonize. "Students need a place to come together," says Lawing.

"We can't overestimate how environments influence programs," Stasack believes. "An environment has the potential to ignite students' curiosity and desire to investigate a particular discipline. And in the field of music, it's hearing music--especially live music--that energizes you!"

Musical Mentors

"If someone has talent and intelligence, why not stretch them?" asks Diane Thornton, teaching associate in voice. She says some people think of musicians as people who can make great music, but don't need to know much about science, or literature, or history. On the contrary, Thornton argues that to perform music most wholly, "a musician must take into consideration the musical language of the composer, plus the culture and time period in which the work was written. Natural talent and a passion for music are only the beginning."

Thornton carefully researches the music her students are learning. She also serves as a translator, since many of the pieces her students practice and perform are in Italian, French, German, Latin, or Spanish. "Because of the liberal arts curriculum, I am able to tap into students' studies in literature, history, and language over and over," she says.

When she came to Davidson eight years ago to teach voice lessons, Thornton says, "I had three one-hour students." Now, she and colleague Alicia Purcell barely have time to keep up with the number of students lined up for lessons.

During the Fall 2000 semester, more than one hundred students took applied music lessons from either salaried Davidson teachers or contracted instructors. The five teaching associates coach the majority of students from their Eu Hall studios. More than a dozen additional musicians, who specialize in classical and folk instruments, travel to campus to teach their specialties. Most are principal musicians with local ensembles like the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. The numbers of students taking lessons continue to grow, as do the kinds of lessons they are taking.

Jon Singleton, an active member of the Charlotte Folk Music Society, teaches banjo, mandolin, fiddle, and dobro (a Hawaiian slide-guitar). Most of those studying with Singleton are interested in bluegrass music. He says, "Students at Davidson are unique because they are very intense in their love for the culture of the region around them." He continues, "They tend to look at things from the big picture.... If they have classical training, they know that folk music goes hand-in-hand. I encourage folk people to study classical and get a full background."

Students take music lessons for a number of reasons. Some may be preparing for graduate study in music. Some simply love music or may be pursuing musical studies for the first time. "The instructors are constantly adjusting in order to stretch their students. A student's talent is maximized through individual instruction," says Sprague. Thornton believes, "If someone has tremendous talent, but chooses another profession, he or she can still enjoy music immensely." Singleton points out that music "makes math easier. It makes concentration more acute. It acts as a tension reliever. It's great therapy. Music helps you relax.... and relaxation helps learning."

Listening, Studying and Learning--The Music Library

"A music library like ours is rare among highly selective liberal arts colleges," says Lawing, who has visited college music libraries across the country. "Our resources are comparable to what many large universities have, and the fact that we have a full-time professional music librarian is extraordinary."

Housing more than 2200 CDs, 2500 LPs, 4500 musical scores, about 200 videotapes, and hundreds of cassette and DAT (digital) tapes which may be played at nine listening stations, the Presser Library is bursting at the seams. "To meet the needs of students enrolled in music classes, we need room for additional resources and more seating space; that is why I am so excited about the new library space planned for Grey.... it will be more than twice as much space as we currently have," says music librarian Steve Mantz.

Mantz, with master's degrees in both library science and music history, came to Davidson in 1994 as the first full-time music librarian. Director of E.H. Little Library Leland Park is glad to take credit for hiring Mantz. "He has the perfect background and has done a wonderful job organizing the materials," praises Park. Mantz says the music library is really "a faculty collection, which has been selected by experts." He sees his job as assisting the faculty, the applied music instructors, students, and others in the community who require his help.

Music resources and equipment are rapidly changing with technological advances. This spring semester, Mantz has piloted a program utilizing "streaming audio" for Botelho's Music of Brazil class. Instead of every student being required to listen to one or two copies of musical selections on reserve in the music library, they will have access to each selection via the Internet. The need for listening stations will remain, but more students will be able to use limited study materials--and more conveniently.

Park is excited that the new library space, which will be handily located on the main floor of Grey, is to be "designed by a librarian who is also a musician, with Davidson experience." He adds that, "Once the new music library is complete, I would be glad to put it up against anyone's!"

Beyond the Classroom--
A Descant

Teaching is the priority for the music faculty, but their activities are not limited to teaching. They are instrumentalists and vocalists who perform along with the students. They work with students who want to form new ensembles. Plus, they advise and guide students interested in pursuing graduate-level music studies. The music faculty constantly research, read, learn, and serve the community through music. They are musicians, after all.

Ray Sprague made his Carnegie Hall debut under the auspices of Mid-America Productions in fall of 1999. Millner Professor Bill Lawing '73 plays trumpet with the Carolina Brass, a quintet that has produced its own CD, and he performs regularly with the Charlotte Symphony. Associate Professor and Conductor of the College Symphony Orchestra Milton Crotts leads "Classic Conversations," a Charlotte Symphony-sponsored educational series. Mauro Botelho has facilitated professional music theory conferences at Davidson, and performs as bassoonist with college instrumental ensembles. Jennifer Stasack has won numerous awards for her compositions, many of which are informed by her love of Asian musical styles. And Neil Lerner plays and teaches harpsichord and sings with the college Chamber Singers.

The five teaching associates of applied music are all active concert performers, who have entertained national and international audiences. Diane Thornton has performed as soloist for Lincoln Center in New York. Pianist Cynthia Lawing has performed in Carnegie Hall and with the Hong Kong Philharmonic. Alicia Purcell has soloed with the Chicago Lyric Opera. Violinist Martha Koljonen has been a full-time member of the Charlotte Symphony for twenty years. Ruskin Cooper, also a pianist, has completed advanced studies in Germany and has published a book on the early Romantic pianist and composer Ludwig Schuncke.

Departmental Assistant Lynn Brickels has supported faculty and students through the music department since 1979. Her own love for music brought her to the department, and the people have kept her there. "I experience the best of both worlds, because I get to work with the faculty, and I really get to know the students."

Perfect Pitch: Renovating Grey for the Music Department

"The idea of having all our students come into the same building and forming a music community is just wonderful," exclaimed Ray Sprague, chair of a department that has everything going for it but space.

The news that the Grey building will be renovated to bring music under one roof has been met with an enthusiastic chorus of cheers from faculty and students, now spread out all over campus to make and study music. Built in 1941, the Hugh A. and Jane Parks Grey Memorial Library served Davidson for thirty-three years before becoming the College Union in 1975. When the union staff moves across campus to the new Alvarez College Union this summer, construction crews will begin to give this noble structure in the heart of the academic campus yet another identity: Department of Music.

Community is a leitmotif in the college's $250 million campaign, LET LEARNING BE CHERISHED, and the Grey renovation sounds that chord with gusto. Try to track down the music staff and faculty, and you'll appreciate the excitement about their future home. For years, orchestra, chamber choir, wind ensemble members have been spreading out all over campus for rehearsal space. At four every afternoon, students stream across campus to rehearse, but trombonists and sopranos and violinists are headed in three different directions. With theatre and music negotiating Cunningham's limited space, music classes and rehearsals are held all over campus--in Davidson College Presbyterian Church, Love Auditorium, Elm Row, Oak Row, Eu Hall, and Cunningham. In addition to bringing the student ensembles together, faculty offices, the music library, and storage space for instruments and sheet music will be located conveniently at last. One center for rehearsal, study, and performance will add a previously unknown dynamic to the music program.

Grey seemed a perfect fit for the music department. According to project architect Al Filoni of MacLachlan, Cornelius & Filoni, "When we do a building for a music department, we look for big, open spaces and for sound isolation. Since Grey was originally a library, it has both of these elements." An added bonus is the classical beauty of the interior--pilasters, exposed beams, heavy plasterwork, and large windows--which the architects plan to utilize. To provide office space for the college union, many of these interior features were covered up. "Any time you can incorporate the history of a building in a project, I think that's important," explained David Holthouser, the college's director of facilities and engineering. "I think people are going to be surprised at how beautiful the building is on the inside," said Sprague.

After a combination of restoration and renovation, this building will be tuned up for musicians, musical ensembles, music faculty, and music lovers in grand style.

Let's take a floor-by-floor tour:

Lower Level--This level, which now houses offices and the Bookstore, will contain practice rooms, teaching studios, instrument storage lockers, and a classroom/rehearsal area. Sprague sees this level as the bustling heart of the building: "Students will come to pick up their instruments or get a little practice time before they go to rehearsal. Two lounges will encourage the sense of community among students and faculty." The floor will be lowered four feet to create an acoustically sound space for the practice rooms and studios.

Main Level--Where the Union Café, game room, and information desk are today will be music faculty offices, classrooms, and the music library. The main entrance will bring students into a bright atrium area that extends to the second floor. The classrooms on this level will be available for general use by the entire campus community--the largest will be outfitted with a demonstration table and hood to accommodate chemistry department needs. The music library will be a bright, airy room and will include state-of-the-art listening stations.

Upper Level--This level will undergo the greatest transformation during the renovation. The 900 Room will be converted into a recital hall. The hall will seat 150 people on two levels and has been designed for small performances, lectures, and film viewing. The rest of the level will house large choral and instrument rehearsal rooms.

The renovations will be complete in time for the 2002-03 academic year. "At a liberal arts college, it's important that the arts be given some prominence," said Filoni. "I like the fact that this move will bring the music department to the center of campus."

The Music Department at Davidson

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