Alumni Spotlights

Congratulations to alum Justin Tucker (BA, Recording Technology, 2011), former Texas Longhorn and current kicker for the Baltimore Ravens. Rookie Tucker hit two crucial field goals in the fourth quarter as the Baltimore Ravens survived a furious second-half rally by the San Francisco 49ers en route to a 34-31 victory and the Super Bowl title on Sunday, February 3rd.

Mary Dave Blackman (Ph.D., Music Education, 1989) has published a textbook for music appreciation courses. An Introduction to Art Music is an eBook that uses listening materials from the Classical Music Library, an online resource with more than 500 university subscribers. The text is published by Kendall Hunt and approaches material from the point of view of a music educator, not a musicologist.

Music Performance alum David Cloyd (BM, 1998) will officially launch Hook & Ladder Records, an imprint on ECR Music Group, on January 22, 2013.

Besides being the owner of Hook & Ladder Records, Cloyd has released two albums (Unhand Me, You Fiend! in 2009 and I Could Disappear in 2010) and is currently ECR Music Group's executive vice president of creative operations.

The label's first release, Caroline Fenn's debut album Fragile Chances, is currently slated for a worldwide release in January.

Butler School of Music alumnus Dr. Gary Beckman (Ph.D., Musicology, 2007) has become co-editor of a new journal - Artivate: A Journal of Entrepreneurship in the Arts. The inaugural issue will be published on September 1, 2012. 

Dr. Beckman is currently a musicology professor and the Director of Entrepreneurial Studies in the Arts at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Andrew O. Hallock (BM, 2002, Music Composition) and the five other musicians in the ensemble "Sopra il Basso", based out of the Hague, Netherlands, have been invited to become the Resident Ensemble for 2012 at the Academie Ambronay in France.

After graduating from UT Austin in 2002, Hallock moved to Europe to study singing at the Royal Conservatory in the Hague; he graduated in 2009. Hallock also works as a freelance instrument maker, producing a variety of historical woodwind instruments in his workshop in the Hague.

The Texas Guitar Quartet, comprised of BSoM graduates Isaac Bustos (DMA, Music, 2010), Jonathan Dotson (DMA, Music, 2010), Alejandro Montiel, (DMA, Music, 2009) and Joseph Williams II, released their debut album titled "Red" in March of 2012. Produced in Houston, the recording contains new pieces and arrangements for guitar quartet, including the world-premiere recording of Antoine de Lhoyer's "Air Varié et dialogué" and Joseph Williams' "Red" quartet. For more information, please visit www.txgq.net.

The Virtuosi Quintet, founded by alumnus James Jeter (BM, 1971), bassonist, performed the world premiere of Jim Lahti's "Woodwind Quintet," written for Dr. Jeter, on March 25, 2012 at St. Malachy's Church in New York City. Works of Bach, Bozza, Grieg and Reicha were also featured. The other members of the Virtuosi include Karla Moe, flute, Bette Condon, oboe, Larry Tietze, clarinet, and Janet Lantz, horn.

David Cloyd (BM, Music Performance, 1998) offers up a fresh take on a Paul McCartney classic—"Dear Boy" from the 1971 album Ram. "David's talents as a multi-instrumentalist and his vocal work on the song 'Unhand Me, You Fiend!' made 'Dear Boy' both an obvious choice and an ideal challenge for a new recording," says producer Blake Morgan.  Worldwide Release TODAY, September 13th, 2011 on Engine Company Records. Watch the Official YouTube Video: HERE Worldwide Release TODAY, September 13th, 2011 on Engine Company Records

Following the release and success of recording artist David Cloyd’s (B.M., Music Performance, 1998) second album, I Could Disappear, Cloyd has been named Vice President of New York City record label Engine Company Records. While Cloyd is currently writing material for his next album, he and ECR are releasing a new worldwide single in August 2011, available on iTunes, Amazon, eMusic, and everywhere else music is sold. Visit the ECR website at www.EngineCompanyRecords.com for more information.

Dr. Kayoko Dan (B.M., Music Studies, ’00) has been announced, after a two year search, as the new music director at the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera.  Dan has been selected as the eighth Music Director of the CSO and the first woman to hold the position.