Changing Faces
Dr. Alyssa Morris (b. 1984)
Every person wears so many different faces in a lifetime, or even in a single day. We wear the game face, the poker face, or the straight face. Sometimes how we feel is “written all over their face,” sometimes we fall on our face, and sometimes we face our fears. Because we are experiencing the myriad of emotions that is life, we must always be changing faces.
In Changing Faces, a single phrase wears different faces in each of the following movements:
- I. Fresh Face
- III. Blue in the Face
- V. Face Off!
Each movement is based on the same descending fourth and second interval motive, yet the context and delivery change as if to signify our own changing states of mind. Changing Faces depicts one of the many beautiful aspects of being a human being: the ability to experience and express the full spectrum of emotions.
"Before I" by Insiya K. Patanwala
Read by Negil McPherson III
Information about Changing Faces obtained from alyssamorrismusic.com
The Bandana Project
The Bandana Project is a mental health awareness and suicide prevention campaign that uses backpacks and bandanas to support peers in getting help.
The green bandanas we wear today signify that each of us has received training through this project to help destigmatize the discussion around mental health, and signal that we are allies in the fight for mental health awareness.
For example, did you know that nearly 1/3 of the K-State student body had thought about attempting suicide at least once in the past year?
Nationally, 1 in 3 young adults (18-24) experienced a mental, behavioral, or emotional health issue this past year.
Students aged 15-24 are in the highest risk group for a majority of mental illnesses, though 1 in 4 (25%) will not seek help or treatment.
Grit
Lauren Spavelko (b. 1989)
Grit is defined as “an abrasive material composed of hard, sharp granules” and also, psychologically, as a personality trait characterized by “firmness of mind or spirit, unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger, and perseverance and passion for long-term goals.” Grit is thus composed to capture the dual meaning of the word.
The structure of Grit portrays concepts of perseverance, struggle, and courage in the face of adversity. This brief work makes abundant use of irregular meters, uneven rhythms, accents, abrupt shifts, and sharp dissonances which, combined, create the rough-around-the-edges sound of the piece. From the first moment, a heartbeat is set—ragged, relentless, and driving perpetually onward. This primary theme punctuates the piece, always different as it transforms through each section, but always returning—rushing to a breathless and triumphant finish.
Grit information obtained from https://www.laurenspavelko.com/grit.
Romeo & Juliet
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Tchaikovsky wrote of the premiere of Romeo and Juliet in Moscow in 1870, “My overture had no success here at all, and was wholly ignored.” He spent the following summer effecting substantial revisions to the piece . . . and then in the summer of 1880 Tchaikovsky again put the piece through a severe rewrite. After fully a decade’s work, Romeo and Juliet (now enriched by a dire, unforgiving coda) reached masterpiece status, an achievement that was recognized in 1884 when it won the 500-ruble Glinka Award, the first of many prizes that would come Tchaikovsky’s way in his remaining years.
Romeo & Juliet program notes originally written by James M. Keller for the NY Phil.
Dr. Rachel Dirks, Director of Orchestral Studies and Assistant Professor of Music at Kansas State University, is an active conductor, clinician, and educator. Dr. Dirks holds cello performance degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and Bethel College, and a Ph.D. in music education from the University of Kansas. As a guest conductor, Dr. Dirks has conducted all-state and regional honor orchestras throughout the United States, including recent appearances in New York, Georgia, Nevada, Kentucky, Oregon, Illinois, and Kansas.
As a featured clinician, Dr. Dirks has been invited to present conference sessions for the American String Teachers Association (ASTA), the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, the National Association for Music Education, and the state music education conferences of Texas, Oregon, Colorado, and Kansas. She has made numerous written contributions to journals, books, and online resources, including her most recent publications in the String Research Journal, the American String Teacher, and the Oxford Handbook of Care in Music Education. Dr. Dirks currently serves as chair of the ASTA Health and Wellness committee where she works to further the discussion surrounding mental health and wellbeing in the music classroom. Throughout all of her work, her fundamental goal is to encourage musicians to seek and create community through music.
Russell Clark, Graduate Teaching Assistant, is currently working towards his M.M.E. with an emphasis in orchestral conducting. He holds a B.M.E. from the University of Kansas, and his area of specialty is string pedagogy in both the classical and jazz settings. Prior to attending K-State, Russell worked as the Assistant Director of High School Orchestras in the Lawrence public school district from 2017-2022. During his time there he was named the NEKMEA Outstanding Young Music Educator for Orchestra in 2019-2020. He has also been a director of the Lawrence Youth Symphony for the past six years. Russell continues to stay active in the musical community at large by maintaining a small studio of private students on violin and bass, working Summer Camps including the K-State String Leadership Institute, and playing in community ensembles such as the Lawrence Community Orchestra and the Topeka Jazz Workshop Big Band.
His professional affiliations include; The National Association for Music Education, The National Educators Association, Kansas American String Teachers Association
KSUSO Personnel
Piccolo
Reese Byers - Wichita
Flute
Jessica Minnich - Manhattan
Laura Bogner - Overland Park
Oboe
Briele Vollmuth* - Mandan, ND
Colby Stevens - Gunnison, UT
Lily Linville - Manhattan
Clarinet
Betty Withers* - Oklahoma City, OK
Audrey Farrell - Kansas City, MO
Joseph Fortino - Olathe, KS
Mark Ahlman - Wichita
Bassoon
Rachel Woodbury*^ - Topeka
Hannah Sullivan^ - Shawnee
Ethan Karnes - Westmoreland
Horn
Braeden Jones* - Colorado Springs, CO
Josie Anderson - Crete, NE
Sam Allison^ - Wichita
Andrew Dearinger - Shawnee
Trumpet
Kyle Grimes* - St. George
Jae Seefeldt - Leavenworth
Trombone
Blake Davis* - Maize
Alesha Bergner - Pratt
Bass Trombone
Corbin Wood - Overland Park
Tuba
Trey Switzer - Gretna, NE
Percussion
Jacob Morgan - Iowa City, IA
Jake Wall - Olathe
Brandon Wells - Overland Park
Nathan Smith - Topeka
Piano
Connor Jones - Lawrence
Harp
Erin Wood - Lawrence
Violin 1
Emily Keeley* - Manhattan
Kaitlyn Jones^ - Olathe
Bridget O'Neill^ - Burke, VA
Faith Holliday - Olathe
Myiangel Harbin - Wichita
Kael Pavlik - Goddard
Emma Littich - Lindsborg
Jonathan Staten - Overland Park
Christine Aikens - Manhattan
Violin 2
Regan Lattey* - El Dorado
Joshua Fan - Manhattan
Kristine Gevock - Manhattan
Katelyn Valdez - Parsons
Jamie Pemberton - Spring Hill
Negil McPherson - Omaha, NE
Ashleigh Lincicome^ - Wichita
Annissa Dougherty - Manhattan
Cameron Sadler - Beloit
Noah McPherson - Omaha, NE
Henry Walston - Lenexa
Viola
Blake Modean*^ - Leawood
Britain Modean - Leawood
Julia Rossillon - Lawrence
Vittoria Benoit - Junction City
Eila Deavours - Lawrence
Ariana Barrera - Prairie Village
Jasmin Soriano - Wichita
Gabrielle Herrera - Albuquerque, NM
Russell Clark^ - Basehor
Cello
Cole King* - Topeka
Claire Iungerich* - McKinney, TX
Lydia Brox - Manhattan
Nicholas Dvorske^ - Lawrence
Dylan Sutherland - Prairie Village
Aubrey Thomas - Goddard
Emily Reddin - Gardner
Ashton Weaver - Olathe
Addy Osborn - Olathe
Aleah Staggenborg - Marysville
Bass
Max Scofield* - Austin, TX
Stephen Mitchell - Spring Hill
Drake Thompson - Beloit
Piper Stropes - Lee's Summit, MO
* = Principal Player
^ = KSUSO Leadership Team
Credits:
Created with images by Bruno Passigatti - "Comedy and Tragedy - Drama Theater Masks" • kokliang1981 - "Silhouette of the climbing team helping each other while climbing up in a sunset. The concept of aid." • Kavalenkava - "Patio and balcony of Romeo and Juliet house, Verona, Italy"