Music – ��Ĵ�ý

Ronne ’93 helps students discover their voice

Michael Howie — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:55:09 +0000

One recent morning, Brad Ronne, director of vocal performance at Scottsbluff (Nebraska) High School, loaded up 11 middle school students and drove them to an honor choir event in Kimball. They weren’t even his students yet, but that was the point.

“It’s a chance to get to know them before they go to high school,” he said, already imagining how they might fit in his program, maybe as an alto in the choir, a sound technician for a concert or a cast member in a future musical.

Brad Ronne ’93 with the Scottsbluff Choir performing at Chicago Symphony Hall.

That instinct to connect with students and help them find their place has defined Ronne’s career. A 1993 ��Ĵ�ý graduate with a degree in K-12 music education, he has spent decades helping students discover their talents in music, whether it’s on stage or behind the scenes.

At Scottsbluff High, Ronne leads three choirs for grades 9 through 12 and a show choir. Each spring, he directs the annual musical, an anticipated event that attracts more than 2,000 students, parents and community members over four performances. This year’s production is, fittingly, “High School Musical on Stage!,” based on the popular Disney Channel movie where “jocks, thespians and brainiacs” navigate cliques and discover their passions.

“We’re in the home stretch of the rehearsals,” Ronne said, noting the demanding schedule of full-cast and crew rehearsals four times a week as opening night approaches. “It gets crazy busy, but it’s fun.”

The musicals are a special treat for the beautiful but somewhat isolated plains city of 14,000 in Western Nebraska. “Musicals are a huge tradition in Scottsbluff, and the community really comes out for them,” Ronne said. “It’s not just parents whose kids are in the production. The whole community loves to come to the shows.”

Ronne earned a master’s degree in teaching technology from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and those skills come in handy during school musicals and concerts. He also shares what he learned directly with Scottsbluff’s students, building a music tech program that started small two decades ago with one course and a humble recording studio.

“It was kind of thrown together in a closet,” he recalled. “But it was a fun course where kids could be creative, even kids who wouldn’t join choir or band.”

Brad Ronne’s spouse, Susan; Dr. Robin Koozer, chair emeritus of the ��Ĵ�ý Music Department; and Brad at ��Ĵ�ý’s performance of Handel’s “Messiah.”

Over the years, the music tech program gained momentum, and when a new high school was built in 2017 using a career academy model, administrators saw its potential. Today, Scottsbluff boasts a dedicated computer lab connected to a full recording studio, with three levels of courses. Students learn everything from audio production to stage lighting and live sound, and hone their skills at school performances.

Beyond Scottsbluff, Ronne has expanded music opportunities to other schools. From his 13 years teaching K-12 music in Mitchell (Nebraska) before joining Scottsbluff High in 2006, he saw that students in smaller, rural schools have fewer opportunities to explore music at a higher level. Following the pandemic, he launched the Panhandle Festival Choir, an annual event that brings together 300 high school singers from Western Nebraska to perform with top-tier guest conductors.

“It’s proven to be a good shot in the arm for our area schools,” he said.

Ronne’s influence has extended even more broadly through the Nebraska Ambassadors of Music European Tour, in which he served five times as staff and conductor. Nominated high school choir and band members — many from rural communities — perform across six or seven countries, including stops in London and Paris.

“They get to perform in some amazing places,” he said.

Ronne has been recognized numerous times for his leadership and vision. In 2019, he was named Outstanding Music Educator of the Year by Nebraska’s National Federation of State High School Associations. He also received last year’s Champions for Coaches Award for Vocal Music from the Nebraska School Activities Association.

Throughout his career, Ronne has maintained strong ties to ��Ĵ�ý, encouraging students to participate in its honor festivals and “Messiah” performances. Many of his own students have gone on to study at HC.

“At Hastings, I definitely got a solid foundation in technique and theory,” he said. “But there was also a real investment of professors into students. They loved making music and passing that on to us.”

He points to mentors like Robin Koozer, Chip Smith, Ruth Moore, Hillary Watter and Jim Johnson as lasting influences. Their passion for music guides Ronne’s work today.

“I love seeing students come alive as their confidence builds. That keeps me really excited about doing it,” he said.

Ronne recalls one student who joined choir later in high school, initially lacking confidence but steadily growing in self-assurance. When she graduated, she shared a message he has never forgotten: “Thank you for helping me find my voice.”

“Things like that are powerful,” he said. “They inspire you to keep going.”

By Judee Konen ’85

Compositions by two alumni featured at annual Honor Choir concert

Michael Howie — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 15:33:32 +0000

Raoul Carlo “Miggi” Angangco (left), poses with composers Hannah Jensen and Hugo Madera following the recent 2026 ��Ĵ�ý Honor Choir performance at First Presbyterian Church of Hastings. Pieces written by both Jensen and Madera were featured in the concert, which was directed by Angangco. (Photo by Katherine Welk.)

It’s not every day high school singers get to ask a composer exactly what they meant by a specific note. During this year’s ��Ĵ�ý Honor Band and Choir Festival, that’s exactly what happened.

More than 100 of Nebraska’s top student musicians gathered Jan. 18-19 to rehearse and perform. While the Honor Band tackled a rigorous program, the Honor Choir spent its sessions bringing two brand-new pieces to life alongside the people who wrote them: ��Ĵ�ý alumni and local residents Hugo Madera ‘19 and Hannah Jensen ‘15.

“Hugo and Hannah have been incredible musical colleagues to me since I moved to Hastings, and I wanted to celebrate their artistic gifts given our shared ties with ��Ĵ�ý and the vibrant musical scene around Hastings,” said Raoul Carlo “Miggi” Angangco, assistant professor of music at ��Ĵ�ý, who led this year’s Honor Choir.

Note: This story originally appeared in the .

Championing living composers

Angangco said he wanted to challenge students to look beyond the sheet music, so he invited Madera and Jensen into the rehearsals. This allowed members of the choir to connect with the people behind the notes, Jensen’s “I Know…” and Madera’s “Alebrijes.”

Also featuring Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Loch Lomond” and Ola Gjeilo’s “The Ground,” the Honor Choir program, titled “Of Creatures and Creation,” celebrated fantastical beings, natural wonders, self-determination, and the fullness of creation in harmony.

Angangco, who joined the ��Ĵ�ý faculty in 2025, holds his doctorate in choral conducting from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. A known advocate for championing the works of living composers, he sought to offer the participants of this year’s Honor Choir the opportunity to explore different languages, cultures and worldviews — all while creating something distinctly their own with the new works by Madera and Jensen.

Angangco said he believes that the chance to work directly with living composers is rare and should not be missed whenever available.

“There’s just so much more that they can impart in-person and in the moment, beyond what’s written on the physical score. It was also a great way for the students to be able to meet and interact with the wonderful human beings behind these new works,” Angangco said.

to read the rest of this story in the Hastings Tribune.

Madera ’19 bridges cultures through music

Michael Howie — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 19:23:06 +0000

By weaving his Latin American heritage into the choral music he creates, Hugo Madera ’19 – conductor, composer and educator – builds a harmonious bridge between two cultures: his roots in Jalisco, Mexico, and the musical training he refined at ��Ĵ�ý.

“My diverse background in Latin American and, ultimately, American music provides a door to new music,” said Madera, director of choral activities at Adams Central Middle and High Schools in Hastings. “One of my goals is to make a dent in the choral canon, particularly since there’s not much choral music that reflects Latin American and Spanish-speaking influences.”

Hugo Madera ’19

A ��Ĵ�ý graduate in music education and vocal performance, Madera composes distinctive works such as “In My Absence,” “Toma Mi Mano” (Take My Hand) and “Pastoral” (based on a 16th-century poem by Christopher Marlowe) that have been performed by ensembles from Texas to Nebraska to Minnesota.

In 2023, he was selected for the New Canon Project, which commissions new works by Black and Latine composers for choir and orchestra. Madera’s piece, “I Am Home,” a choral setting of a poem written by Hannah Jensen-Heitmann ’15, premiered at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts in Dallas, Texas.

He won the Cantus Young & Emerging Composer competition in 2023 with his piece, “El Cenzontle,” which tells the story of the mockingbird according to Mexican folklore. The male a cappella ensemble Cantus, based in Minneapolis, premiered the song and will release it on an upcoming CD.

Selections of “Alebrijes” (fantastical creatures of Mexican folk art), a collection of choral works Madera wrote for his master’s degree in music education at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, will premiere at ��Ĵ�ý’s Nebraska High School Band and Honor Choir Concert in January 2026 under the direction of Dr. Raoul Carlo (Miggi) Angangco, director of choral activities.

In 2015, as a high school senior from Grand Island, Nebraska, Madera performed with the HC Honor Choir after being encouraged to audition by his choir director, ��Ĵ�ý graduate Jeff Vyhlidal ’08.

“It’s crazy that my association with ��Ĵ�ý began with the Honor Choir and, thanks to great people like Miggi, we’ve come full circle,” Madera said.

Discovering his passion for music

Madera lived in a small mountain village in Jalisco, a western Mexican state known as the capital of mariachi music, until he was 13. The family then moved to Grand Island, and Madera enrolled in ESL classes and even taught himself to play the piano.

“I think it was just intuition. Everything just clicked. I learned how to read music when I was a sophomore, and I just figured things out on my own,” he said.

Offered scholarships to larger universities, Madera chose Hastings instead because of his honor choir experiences with Dr. Fritz Mountford ’75 and his desire, as a first-generation student, for the personal mentoring that comes with a more intimate learning environment.

“I wouldn’t be here without ��Ĵ�ý, particularly the opportunities that come at such a small, homelike college,” he said. “The people here were so supportive. Teachers reached out and provided opportunities and guidance.”

Madera thrived at ��Ĵ�ý, performing with several vocal and instrumental ensembles; serving on the Student Senate, as vice president of the Student Association and as a resident assistant; and being selected by his peers as a Homecoming royalty candidate.

In 2019, he was named Outstanding Senior in Music and to Who’s Who for his exemplary contributions to the campus community.

Composing the next chapters

Now Madera is serving as an alumni representative on ��Ĵ�ý’s Music Program Strategic Planning Committee, which is helping shape the direction of the program’s curriculum and facilities over the next several years. Madera is a member of a subcommittee offering suggestions on recruitment and retention.

“It’s an honor to be a part of it and give back,” he said. “It’s also a way to influence and solidify the future of music at ��Ĵ�ý.”

Madera’s own future as a composer and educator offers several paths forward. He’d like to pursue a doctor of musical arts degree in choral conducting and, perhaps, teach at the college level.

“I didn’t grow up with a standard approach to concert music or the Western music tradition, and I want to provide that and other opportunities for people who have lived a similar life story, whether that’s composing works or continuing my education and providing new resources within the field,” he said.

“Whatever it looks like, I want to continue moving forward and being one of the people who say, ‘Hey, this is a possibility. Here is my culture, here is some repertoire in Spanish, here is Latin American music, here is something out of the ordinary.’”

By Judee Konen ’85

Video: Ludwig says one-on-one learning opportunities make a difference

Michael Howie — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 20:08:49 +0000

Karl Ludwig chose ��Ĵ�ý because he liked the one-on-one learning opportunities. Ludwig said music faculty work to make sure students like him have chances to hone their skills. ��Ĵ�ý also gives students the opportunity to participate in multiple ensembles like choir, band and small groups.

Koozer ’06 builds programs to challenge the status quo

Michael Howie — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 18:19:31 +0000

A standout vocal performer during her years at ��Ĵ�ý, Dr. Maggie Koozer ’06 was a soloist in productions of Handel’s “Messiah” and Mozart’s “Requiem,” the female lead in the musical comedy “Hollywood Pinafore” and a member of nearly every musical group on campus from choir and band to the Hastings Symphony Orchestra and music theater ensemble.

But it was her work behind the scenes that resonates most with her current role as senior vice provost of curriculum, learning and academic affairs at The New School in New York City, a private university enrolling more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

Dr. Maggie Koozer ’06

“I got a lot of practice at ��Ĵ�ý. It was a soup to nuts experience where you had to think about how to build an audience, raise funds, produce something and actually make it all work, in addition to the great artistic experiences I had,” Koozer said. “Hastings afforded me those opportunities all in one place. At a lot of colleges, you focus only on performance and miss out on other types of skills.”

Those hands-on experiences at a small liberal arts college helped inform Koozer’s curriculum creation for The New School’s master’s degree in arts management and entrepreneurship, a program for artists who want to create new businesses or nonprofits.

Koozer described two recent graduates, a dancer and a multimedia artist, who had an idea to make waiting in line (a common annoyance in NYC) more interesting. They pre-recorded dance performances in the spaces where lines form and made them available through 3D goggles and a phone app for people actually waiting in those spaces. They eventually turned the capstone project into a nonprofit.

“We are proud to be innovative and challenging the status quo in all of the programs The New School offers. That’s why I work here,” Koozer said.

A different way forward

Founded in 1919, The New School is known for being “a little bit unorthodox and against the grain,” Koozer said. During the rise of the Third Reich in the 1930s, the School hosted a University in Exile as an academic haven for Jewish scholars facing persecution in Europe.

“Looking for a different way forward for the world has been a really important part of our history and continues to be central to who we are,” she said.

After joining the provost’s office in 2021, Koozer faced a unique challenge in a city that had been largely shut down by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“My first job was figuring out how we would return to campus after being fully online for a year and a half,” she said. The New School is in Greenwich Village, with an academic quad extending from 11th to 16th Streets along Fifth and Sixth Avenues. The university also has a satellite campus in Europe called Parsons Paris.

As senior provost for the central university, Koozer oversees all credentialed academic programs for The New School’s six colleges in the areas of design, performing arts, liberal arts, social research and public engagement, as well as Parsons Paris. She teaches one course each semester in music, entrepreneurship or pedagogy.

Koozer earned a master’s degree in music education from the University of Connecticut and a doctorate in executive leadership at Fordham University. She was school programs manager at The Metropolitan Opera Guild before joining the former Mannes School of Music at The New School in 2012.

Through this broad range of educational experiences, Koozer has developed an even greater appreciation for the faculty who taught and mentored her at ��Ĵ�ý.

“I hope folks realize how great it is to have faculty in a place like Hastings who are so expert in what they do,” she said. “In addition to being experts in their fields, they’re really good teachers. In my work, I focus a lot on what it means to be a great educator. I had so many examples of that at Hastings.”

A newlywed (Koozer married Hastings native Mac Rundle this past summer), she is the daughter of Ann and Dr. Robin Koozer ‘76, emeritus chair of the Department of Music and recently retired development officer for the ��Ĵ�ý Foundation.

“I’m a higher education administrator at this point,” she said. “At ��Ĵ�ý, I got to see a lot of great examples in people like Phil Dudley, who showed how you lead a campus in doing really cool and innovative things. My dad played a big role in that too.”

By Judee Konen ’85

Kerr cruising the world doing what he loves

Michael Howie — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 20:44:03 +0000

A decade ago Dustin Kerr ‘11 had never seen a cruise ship — now he travels the world on cruise ships and has visited all seven continents and 108 different countries. Kerr said he wasn’t looking for or expecting an opportunity to be a resident guest entertainer and vocalist on cruise ships. “This job basically fell in my lap,” Kerr said.

Dustin Kerr ’11 overlooking the Sydney Opera House. Kerr travels the world on cruise ships and has visited all seven continents and 108 countries.

After Kerr graduated from ��Ĵ�ý with a bachelor of music degree in classical voice and performance, he went to the New York Film Academy for a one year intensive program studying musical theater. He landed a job in the city as an executive assistant for a theater producer, but he kept auditioning and looking for performance jobs. Luckily enough, Kerr was searching audition websites and found the position that would help his life set sail.

“The guy I was working for was really open because he knew I was a performer,” Kerr said. “So if he didn’t need me and I wanted to go somewhere, he just wanted to know and would try to work around my schedule.”

Kerr’s audition went well and he was called back twice. At the end of the audition process, he was offered a job with the Belinda King Creative Productions company in England. They work with cruise lines to put singers and dancers on board. Years later, Kerr has worked with multiple cruise lines and seen more of the world then he ever imagined he would.

Dustin Kerr ’11 performing on board a cruise ship.

To get ready for a tour on a cruise ship, five to six weeks of rehearsals are held in England so everyone can learn their preset shows. “We do seven preset shows and then dance parties that we can pretty much do an unlimited number of,” Kerr explained.

After rehearsals, Kerr and other members of the group fly to the boarding location — and could be on board anywhere from five to eight months at a time.

Kerr explains that being on a cruise ship for such a long time can be hard, but being able to compartmentalize is key.

“You work, live and play in the exact same space. So you have to know when you’re in the crew area and can relax and when you’re in the guest area and have to get back to work,” Kerr said.

Being on a cruise ship for so long also means that there are unique hardships that Kerr and the entertainment crew have to deal with from connectivity issues to obtaining materials. Kerr is able to rely on the expertise of his crew to help solve these issues.

“I’m working with people who know what they’re doing,” Kerr said. “With the right mindset and the right people even when we don’t have what we need sometimes, we still figure it out.”

Kerr said that he felt prepared for his role because of his time at ��Ĵ�ý, especially his training in classical music, which helps with choral arranging and frequently working out different voice parts.

Despite the hardships, Kerr said he loves being able to travel the world.

“The two most beautiful places I’ve ever been are a little island called Moorea that is just off the coast of Tahiti, and South Africa is a very close second,” Kerr said.

Without taking a chance on an audition that he wasn’t expecting, Kerr would have never been doing what he loves now.

“I feel really lucky to be doing something I love so much. Just because you’re somewhere at the moment, doesn’t mean that you can’t be on the other side of the world in a matter of days,” Kerr said.

By Ally Banks, senior English major from Shawnee, Kansas

The power of Irish pub music unites HC grads

Michael Howie — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 21:20:24 +0000

Cory Johnson ’88 (center) with Steve Brosius ’92 (left) and Jamey Evans ’89, members of the band Keep Britain Irish.

Everyone’s Irish once a year—or, at least, they like to think they are. That’s what Corey Johnson ‘88 has observed playing in the band Keep Britain Irish for over 15 years.

Many initial band member connections were made at ��Ĵ�ý, he said, including Jamey Evans ‘89 and Steve Brosius ‘92.

“My wife thinks there’s one degree of separation between everything at HC,” Johnson said.

That only scratches the surface of his Bronco network. Johnson’s parents and grandmother are all alumni, and his father (Duane “Bear” Johnson ’57) directed the ��Ĵ�ý bands for 33 years. All three of Johnson’s siblings also went to HC, as well as his niece and nephew. Coincidentally, Robin Koozer ‘76 was also Johnson’s high school choir director.

This story originally appeared in .

While Johnson has always considered himself primarily a vocalist, he also grew up playing other instruments, including the trumpet, french horn and guitar. This strong musical foundation led him to participate in both choir and band ensembles at HC, where he studied religion and sociology.

“One of the highlights of the choir career there was that we went and performed at the Avery Fisher Hall in a mass choir doing Verdi’s ‘Messa da Requiem,’” he said. The Avery Fisher Hall in New York City is the home to the New York Philharmonic.

Music continued to play a strong role throughout Johnson’s life, even when he had an office job. After graduating, he moved to Denver, Colorado, where he worked at an adolescent shelter and then Denver Human Services. During his 28 years at the DHS, he performed in weddings and played in a band with his coworkers called the Uncivil Servants.

In 2008, Johnson reconnected with college buddies, including Evans and Brosius, jamming out together in an unfinished basement. Among many different musical tastes, they found a common ground in Irish pub music.

For Johnson, the blending of instruments and harmonies in Irish music are what draw him to the genre. These characteristics also lend a “singalong” quality to it.

“It’s always great when you’re at a gig and you see people singing along with you,” he said.

The name — Keep Britain Irish — is something they came up with so long ago that the origin is almost forgotten. Instead of making a bold political statement, it’s meant to be tongue-in-cheek and punchy.

“It’s more kinda cheeky…the whole idea of the name was, it was to be kind of provocative and ironic,” Johnson said. “Most of the time we just shorten it to KBI.”

The band members kept playing together, and after some encouragement, KBI had its first public debut on March 17, 2008—St. Patrick’s Day.

Unsurprisingly, the Irish-American holiday is always what draws in the largest crowds, Johnson said.

“For us it’s always been our best day of the year. It’s always when we have our largest audience,” he said. “We’ve played for the Denver St. Patty’s day population. It’s a high-energy, high-exposure day for us.”

KBI, which still has four of its original members, now includes Johnson, vocalist, mandolinist, harmonicist and penny whistler; Evans, vocalist and rhythm guitarist; Brosius, percussionist; Jake Stoudenmire, bassist; and Aaron Langton, guitarist.

Leading the party

The group has evolved over the years to incorporate more than traditional Irish pub songs. The band’s set lists now encompass an eclectic mix including covers from Tom Petty, The Who, Flogging Molly, Dropkick Murphys, Lukas Nelson and Chris Stapleton. Also in the mix are a few original KBI songs that Johnson and another band member wrote.

Through the variety of genres, the through line is the band’s mission statement to “lead the party.”

“There’s people that have their favorite traditional Irish songs, you see them singing along, you’re doing like a Flogging Molly song, Irish punk style, you see people singing with that. You see people sing ‘Galway Girl’ by Steve Earle,” Johnson said. “We choose songs people are familiar with…songs people instantly recognize.”

The band has also slowed down its performance schedule somewhat over the years. Gone are the days of performing a “St. Patty’s Run” of three to five shows the week of St. Patrick’s Day — “Our voices and our bodies don’t hold up.”

Over the past summer, KBI’s monthly performance schedule included an appearance at Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

What keeps the band going after all these years is the simple connecting power of music and the energy of the crowds, Johnson said.

“Every time we get up there (on stage) it just reminds us of why we enjoy doing it,” he said.

These connections radiate out to the venues and communities they perform in. It’s been another form of the “HC connection” for Johnson.

“Another thing that’s been great is the connections with other ��Ĵ�ý people. We have a lot of HC people who come to our shows that we stay connected with,” he said. “Music brings out something that is very unifying.”

Editors note: Follow along with KBI at and .

By Emily Case-Buskirk ‘14

Kingsley ‘19 brings hospice patients comfort and joy with music therapy

Michael Howie — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 16:39:56 +0000

For many people, music is a passage to their most cherished memories, and songs from the past can be a source of comfort and joy. That’s why for adults in skilled care and hospice facilities, music can really make a difference. This is, in part, what inspired Katie Kingsley ’19 to focus her career on music therapy — she knows it makes a difference and also engages cognitive function, relieves stress and allows patients to express themselves.

Katie Kingsley ’19 uses music therapy to help patients engage cognitive function, relieve stress and to express themselves.

“What’s interesting about music therapy is that it activates your entire brain in ways you can’t imagine. For example, there have been studies conducted where music therapy sessions have helped stroke victims regain their motion in parts of their body through the repetitive playing of an instrument such as a drum or by dancing to a melody,” Kingsley said.

Kingsley, who majored in music and psychology at Hastings, said she believed this career choice was her true path.

Kingsley said her passion for music therapy and helping older people began before she attended ��Ĵ�ý. As a young girl, her dream was to help families feel confident that their older loved ones were cared for while creating a musical environment that brings joy to patients. Other benefits of music therapy include reducing stress, communicating with caregivers, and allowing patients to express themselves.

Music therapy is a new type of treatment — primarily clinical and evidence-based — used to help patients achieve goal-specific tasks. In Kingsley’s case, she implements voluntary live music sessions with patients in hospice care units in the Kansas City area. This allows patients to engage with others and activate their brains.

For Kingsley, a session in care units can differ by days. While some patients prefer her to play their chosen songs live with her voice and guitar, others want to participate in music circles where they can play musical instruments like hand drums, maracas or hand shakers.

During music therapy sessions, patients can play the instruments however they please, with no directions or restrictions. Kingsley provides an open and safe space for everyone to feel comfortable.

The ��Ĵ�ý music faculty, including professor of music Dr. Louie Eckhardt, pushed Kingsley’s love for music. She also credits her voice instructor and choir instructor for allowing her to get creative when it comes to voice and singing with and for patients. Kingsley said music is her passion, and she’s thrilled to get to utilize all elements of music she learned at ��Ĵ�ý every day while working with patients.

After graduating from ��Ĵ�ý she continued her education and licensing at Kansas University. After graduating she landed a job as a music therapist at Ascend Hospice.

Kingsley is working to open internship opportunities for students pursuing music therapy at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) to encourage more students to enter the field. She also oversees the Legacy Project at her hospice care center where they provide heartbeat recordings of patients to a custom song for families and memory bears.

“Never sell yourself short, instead follow those desires or aspirations you may have for your future,” Kingsley said. “Never be afraid to test the waters with different classes outside your major and speak with faculty, because they are there to support you.”

By Cecilia Velarde, a junior marketing and communication studies double major from Loveland, Colorado

Video: Enochs finds success following dual passions of biology, music

Michael Howie — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 19:38:06 +0000

Emma Enochs, of Lebanon, Kansas, came to ��Ĵ�ý and double majored in biology and music. While she recognizes it is an odd combination and difficult to do, she says at ��Ĵ�ý, it is possible to do both — and she was accepted to her top choice medical school after graduation.

“��Ĵ�ý really gives you a chance to grow in a safe place,” she said.

Talarico building resources for fine arts educators

Michael Howie — Sat, 26 Nov 2022 22:28:15 +0000

After teaching K-6 vocal music in the Bellevue (Nebraska) Public Schools for 23 years, Cody Talarico ’99 is strengthening arts education across the state as the new fine arts education specialist with the Nebraska Department of Education.

Cody Talarico ’99

“My main focus right now is building relationships and meeting as many people as I can to learn more about fine arts education in the state,” said Talarico, who began the position in June. “I’ve been focused on the Omaha Metro area for the past 23 years, and I’m now learning about many great things happening in the rest of the state, too.”

The Wilber, Nebraska native, who earned his bachelor of music degree in K-12 music education from ��Ĵ�ý and master of music degree from the University of Nebraska Omaha, is part of the Office of Teaching, Learning and Assessment. The office provides leadership, service and support to public and non-public schools in various content areas, including the fine arts, which comprise music, theatre, visual arts, media arts and dance. Talarico became involved with the office as a teacher serving on the writing committee for statewide fine arts standards adopted in 2014.

“Having been a teacher definitely gives me an inside perspective of what fine arts teachers need. It’s important that I listen to what teachers are going through and how we can support them,” he said.

Creative approaches

Talarico meets with K-12 fine arts teachers, educational service units, arts organizations and teacher education faculty to build connections and facilitate learning experiences for both students and educators. What he’s learned in his first few months inspired him to create the Fine Arts Exchange, a month-long, asynchronous electronic event in fall 2022 where arts educators learned about programs and resources offered by more than 20 arts nonprofits and state agencies.

“It’s meant to be a one-stop resource for teachers,” he said. “One of the hardest things as a teacher is you never have time to do everything you want to do.”

He developed another initiative, Fine Arts Rap, after conversations with higher education faculty at a Teacher Education Forum in August.

“Faculty from colleges and universities that offer certification in music, visual arts and theatre talked about wanting to connect with teachers in the field and to hear about their successes and challenges,” he said. “That way, faculty can strengthen their teacher preparation programs, making them more relevant to current needs and trends.”

Talarico also launched an electronic newsletter, “Expressions,” containing teaching resources, links to arts-related websites and books, technology tips, grant opportunities and other valuable information.

The Hastings connection

When Talarico was in high school and considering colleges, Hastings wasn’t even on his radar until his piano teacher, MarySue (Hormel) Harris ’63, encouraged him to visit campus for a piano competition. He met and played for faculty member Ruth (McKevitt) Moore ’69, and his course for the future was set.

“MarySue and Ruth graduated from Hastings, and they both studied with Elinore Barber. I had amazing piano instruction for so many years,” he said.

Talarico remembers his years in the music department as a time of joy and creativity. Moore, inducted into the inaugural class of the ��Ĵ�ý Fine Arts Hall of Fame in 2019, held regular sessions with her piano students from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. Mondays in Fuhr Hall so they could hear each other play and eat her famous Texas sheet cake.

“I made great friends among my fellow students and faculty, and I still communicate with them. I don’t know how many students at other colleges can say they regularly communicate with their professors nearly 25 years later,” he said.

Now a statewide advocate and resource for educators and students, Talarico credits his alma mater with inspiring a career that has taken him from the classroom to the Nebraska Department of Education, each step guided by his deep-seated commitment to the fine arts.

“The arts give space for students to learn and express themselves in ways that are different from other subject areas,” he said. “The arts aren’t on the periphery. They’re part of a well-rounded education.”

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Ronne ’93 helps students discover their voice

By Judee Konen ’85

Compositions by two alumni featured at annual Honor Choir concert

Championing living composers

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Madera ’19 bridges cultures through music

Discovering his passion for music

Composing the next chapters

By Judee Konen ’85

Video: Ludwig says one-on-one learning opportunities make a difference

Koozer ’06 builds programs to challenge the status quo

A different way forward

By Judee Konen ’85

Kerr cruising the world doing what he loves

By Ally Banks, senior English major from Shawnee, Kansas

The power of Irish pub music unites HC grads

Leading the party

By Emily Case-Buskirk ‘14

Kingsley ‘19 brings hospice patients comfort and joy with music therapy

By Cecilia Velarde, a junior marketing and communication studies double major from Loveland, Colorado

Video: Enochs finds success following dual passions of biology, music

Talarico building resources for fine arts educators

Creative approaches

The Hastings connection

By Judee Konen ’85

Music – ��Ĵ�ý