University of Southern Maine

Alumni, please send additions to: USM Music Webmaster

USM Alumni are:

• free-lance classical musicians performing with orchestras throughout the USA
• free-lance jazz musicians actively performing in the jazz centers of the country
• professional pianists and accompanists
• vocal soloists and choir members
• singing with leading opera companies
• church choral directors, music directors, singers, instrumentalists and organists
• performing locally
• performing internationally
• teaching and directing music in colleges and universities
• teaching and directing music in public schools
• teaching in home and private studios
• winning major teaching and performing awards
• composers and arrangers
• recording artists
• conducting community ensembles
• performing in the nation's finest military bands
• in positions of music sales, merchandizing, and management
• scholars in the field of music education
• making beautiful music in fields that go way beyond music

USM Alumni are proud of their undergraduate education at USM!

Here are just a few of our fabulous alumni. This is a partial list with new additions all the time. Graduates listed on this page have given their permission to be listed here. Grads, please keep in touch. Send your news and information, with permission to publish, to larsenault@usm.maine.edu and msnell@usm.maine.edu, or both at once.

'65 James Bennett was promoted to full professor and director of music at Norwich University in Northfield, Vt., where he conducts the Regimental Band, Regimental Men's Chorus, and Grenadiers Jazz Ensemble. In 2000 he toured with groups to Northern Wales, England, and Germany and also toured the People's Republic of China in May and June of 2000, performing recitals and giving master classes on trombone at four Chinese Conservatories.

'66 Gary Wilbur of Berwick is singing in a barbershop quartet, Great Bay Sound.

'69/'83 Libbie Perry Bowder of Gorham is enjoying retirement. Libbie's USM faculty listing can be found at  www.usm.maine.edu/music/faculty/bowderl.htm .

'72 Tom Davis released a CD, called "Jesus on Smallman Street," with his band, Wind.

'72 Bonnie (Chapman) Hersey is living in Hartland, Maine with her husband Steve and daughter Angela.  Bonnie teaches general music, voice, piano and strings in Hartland Christian School, and directs the choir at First Baptist Church.  She enjoys adjudicating State Festivals and guest conducting.  She also has a part time medical billing business for a chiropractor in Skowhegan.

'75 Michael Abbott is a business consultant with Perot Systems where he was recognized for his contributions to saving Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. He has a 46 acre subdivision in NH where he builds homes. This year he had a three-part article on internet strategy published in Music Trades magazine and still performs occasionally in Portland. Mr. Abbot's prior work was as  Vice President of Verne Q. Powell Flutes, where he created the Zonda line of clarinet and saxophone reeds, recognized as the world's finest.

'76 Silvia (Sam) Moore-Young was recently elected President-Elect of the Maine Music Educators Association. She is beginning her 10th year teaching grades K-8 general music and grades 5-8 band at Sabattus Primary School and Sabattus Central School after 20 years, total, in the trenches.Updated August 2006

'77 C. Scott Smith is an Associate Professor of Horn and Theory and Chair of Brass and Percussion in the School of Music at Ohio University. He is also Principal Horn in the Ohio Valley Symphony, an associate member of the Columbus Symphony, a member of the Ohio Brass, the Michiana Brass, and the Lyric Brass Ensemble. He returns to Maine to play in the Maine State Ballet Orchestra and to conduct at the New England Music Camp in Sydney.

'77 Rick Charette writes, records and performs music for children.  He has recorded nine albums of original music and songs and two videos.  His music appears on Peter Pan and Walt Disney  Records.  He has published his second book titled "I Love Mud".  Rick appears on the Learning Channel on national cable television. www.rickcharette.com  Updated November 2003

'78 Joshua Bach is teaching general music and chorus and drama in Acton.

'79 Tim Hall received a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Maine.  Tim was named as a 2003 recipient of the Barrie E. Blunt Outstanding Graduate Student Memorial Award, and was inducted into the honor societies of Pi Alpha Alpha and Phi Kappa Phi.  Tim asks readers not to compare too carefully his graduate scholarship record with that of his undergraduate career at UMPG/USM.  He does, however, attribute much of his scholastic success, both undergraduate and graduate, to his mentor Sid Halligan. He continues to work as a regional administrator for the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands, overseeing state park operations from Thomaston to Fort Kent. He plans to retire from state service in October of 2008 in order to complete studies at Bangor Theological Seminary, where he is an M. Div. candidate. Tim still performs as part of the Brass Menagerie (brass quintet) and with several church-related ensembles.  Tim lives in Orono with his wife Irene.  Two sons are now college students.

'82 Stephen Johnson was recently hired as assistant professor of music history at Fairmont (West Virginia) State College. He has also presented several papers including one on Dvorak's "The Wild Dove" at the American Musicological Society St. Lawrence Chapter. He will be presenting his papers on New York City's "Brill Building Sound" and "the History and Science of the Apollo Moon Missions" at SUNY-Potsdam's March "American Identities Festival" in 2001.

'83 Susan J. Ketch is assistant principal at Scarborough High School where she has directed performances, produced art shows and assisted with two European tours. She was a singer with the vocal jazz group, Swinging Hot from 1987 to 1998. She also gives private lessons in voice and piano. She recently completed a master's degree in educational administration from USM.

'84 Rebecca Wing is teaching voice and piano in her new private studio in Saco where she and her husband, Terry Fralich, recently opened the Mindfulness Center of Southern Maine which offers classes in meditation and stress management. She also manages a busy performance and composition schedule and serves on the board of the Maine Composers' Forum.

'84 Rae Simmonds has just released a new CD produced by Roy Clark, called "Fascinatin' Gershwin". Rae began her professional music career at the age of 12 when she appeared on WCOP Radio in Boston on Billy Earl's Kiddy Parade. She became a renowned composer, performer and teacher as well as a children's playwright who has produced plays in both the U.S. A. and abroad. She was founder and director of The Children's Studio of Drama in Portsmouth, New Hampshire from 1964 to 1971 and resident playwright at the Children's Theater of Maine from 1979 to 1982. Her trio which features bassist John Hunter and drummer Ken Clark have performed together for nearly a decade. She is a member of the International League of Women Composers and the Maine Music Teachers Association. In 1994, Rae Simmonds received her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) from Walden University. A resident of West Baldwin, Maine, she continues to compose and perform both jazz and classical piano.

'84 Greg Boardman is teaching strings for the Lewiston public schools, performing with Timbrel, a fusion quintet, and is the Director of the Maine Fiddle Camp. He is also Minister of Music at Vineyard Christian Fellowship.

'86 Carl Dimow toured Germany and Lithuania with the Casco Bay Tummlers klezmer band last year. They just released their second CD, "Jumpin' Jewpiter." He's currently composing music for a production by Figures of Speech Theater Company. It's based on a Comanche folk tale, but he's incorporating many elements of Japanese Noh theater. He's writing for three voices and a variety of instruments which he will play, including bass flute, shakuhachi tse and ukelele.

'87  Danielle Allie Fairfield is teaching instrumental music in grades 3-5 at John F. Kennedy School in Biddeford. She also performs with the Maine Chamber Ensemble and the Maine State Ballet Orchestra.

'87 John Rimkunas teaches General Music and Chorus at Skillin Elementary School in South Portland. This year he completed his Master of Music in Conducting, Choral Emphasis at the University of Maine. He is a past director of the Gorham Community Chorus, and currently directs the Lyric Choir of the Boy Singers of Maine, as well as the Spirit Risers Children's Choir at First Parish Congregational Church, UCC Gorham. Summers he tours Southern Maine and New Hampshire churches singing with and directing his family ensemble, Sibling Revelry.

'88  Gina Stevens is working on a doctorate in bassoon performance at Arizona State University. She is Principal Bassoon in the Mesa Symphony and second bassoon in the Symphony of the West Valley in Sun City, Arizona. Since her doctoral research concerns Latin American bassoon music, she traveled to Brazil and Argentina this past summer to do research.

'88 Christopher Peterson is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Music Education at California State University, Fullerton. Dr. Peterson taught music in the public schools of Maine for nine years, including elementary, middle, and high school music instruction, and was Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for six years. He is the author of articles published in the Music Educators Journal, is a contributing author for the textbook series Experiencing Choral Music, published nationally by Glencoe, and is Series Editor for choral arrangements in Hal Leonard’s Close Harmony Series for Men. While in Milwaukee, Peterson was Conductor of the Milwaukee Youth Chorale, a high school honor choir affiliated with the Milwaukee Children’s Choir, and was Director of the award-winning Midwest Vocal Express Men’s A Cappella Chorus from Greendale, WI. Dr. Peterson maintains an active schedule as a choral clinician and judge for festivals and choral performance events across the country. He earned the Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of Southern Maine, the Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Maine, and the Doctor of Philosophy in Choral Music Education and Conducting from Florida State University. (updated January 2008)

Dr. Christopher W. Peterson
Associate Professor of Music
Director of Choral Music Education
California State University, Fullerton
Department of Music
PO Box 6850
800 N. State College Blvd.
Fullerton, California 92834-6850
phone: (714) 278-3537
fax: (714) 278-5956
mobile: (414) 350-7130

"Fear less, hope more;
Whine less, breathe more;
Talk less, say more;
Hate less, love more;
And all good things are yours."
-- Swedish Proverb

'89 Christine Cochrane Chipman is teaching elementary music in the Freeport schools and teaches piano and voice lessons privately.

'89 Kaye Foster Collins is currently teaching instrumental music at Lehi High School in Lehi, Utah where she is busy rebuilding a decimated program. Enrollment in instrumental music has more than quadrupled over the past four years and the ensembles are now consistently receiving excellent and superior ratings. The Jazz Band competed at the state level during the 2001-2002 school year. Kaye is the Musical Director of the Lehi Silver Band, a community band that has been in existence for over 120 years and she serves in several music position for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Lehi area. She received her MM in Music Education from Brigham Young University in 1995 and plans to begin a doctorate in 2003. Kaye lives in Lehi with her husband Edward and their three sons: Colby, Parker, and Reed.

'90 Janelle Gray is teaching music at the Village School in Gorham. She performs with Maine Play Productions at the Keystone theatre in Portland and with other community theaters. She is also teaching private voice in Gorham and at the Tony Boffa School of Contemporary Music.

'90 Melissa Buzza occasionally teaches private flute students from her home in Auburn. She is now the head teacher in a special needs preschool, Sandcastle Preschool, in Lewiston. She works with 3 year old children with typically developing skills as well as with those diagnosed with delays. She says, "It is truly my passion! Of course, I incorporate lots and lots of music into every day.  (Betty Atterbury would be very proud!)"  Melissa will be taking classes through UMF over the next 3 years to get her special education certification and her Masters degree in early education/special education. Melissa's husband, William Buzza, is the instrumental music teacher at Leavitt Area High School, as well as the Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator for the entire district. He is the handbell director at the United Methodist Church of Auburn, and teaches private saxophone lessons from their home. Melissa and William have 2 sons who are both very musically inclined. Updated 3/14/2008.

'90 Paul Erwin, is beginning his final two years as music director of the Seacoast Wind Ensemble, which recently produced its first CD. He composed and conducted the score to the PBS documentary, "Covered Bridges of New England," and is compiling a suite for concert band from that score. He also works as a theater music director and as composer-in-residence at Seacoast Repertory Theater of Portsmouth, N.H., where his new musical version of "Beauty and the Beast" is set to premiere in March. He also serves as music director at St. Christopher's-by-the-Sea parish in York.
 

'92 Kristine Gillam Briand is teaching 6-8 grade choral and instrumental music at Windham (N.H.) Middle School. She has spent the last 5 years building the music program (elective) by almost doubling music enrollment. The program has won many gold and silver awards in several festivals in New Hampshire, and has just moved into their new state of the art music room.

'92 Kay Hamlin teaches privately in the Portland area and is the flute instructor/flute ensemble director at Bates College in Lewiston.  Kay and her husband live in North Yarmouth.

'93 Erica Perry Monko and her husband Levi live outside of Boston.  Erica works as an Equities Trader for an investment management firm where she has been for nine years. The Monko's started their family in 2002, and welcomed their second child in October of 2005. Erica sings with a local church choir and for some weddings. Updated March 2006

'94 Kate Huntington is taking violin lessons for the first time since graduating from USM. She says, "it makes teaching lessons and orchestral playing more successful and fun." She is president and bulletin editor for the Maine Chapter of ASTA with NSOA (American String Teachers Association with the National School Orchestra Association) and enjoys the contact with string teachers throughout the state.

'94 Brian Gagne is teaching K-6 general, choral, and instrumental music  at Turner Primary and Leeds Central schools.  He is also involved in musical theater in the Lewiston /Auburn area.

'94 Madelyn Greenwood recently re-married, is now Madelyn Vertenten. Living in Austin, Texas with husband Joe, and their two children. After getting her MBA at the Krannert graduate School of Management at Purdue University, she moved to Austin Texas to work for Dell Computers in July of 2000. She enjoys her work there as a human resources manager supporting our Services business. "Although I continued to play in orchestras in Atlanta, Georgia and Lafayette, Indiana since leaving Maine, the most musical activity I see now is practicing piano with my 6-year-old. Since having another child in November, Madelyn is now working 3 days a week with the aspiration of getting out her violin, getting into the garden, the kitchen...

"Hope all is well in Gorham Maine! Nice to read about past classmates on the website, Hellos to Deborah & Mark, and Kate! Hi to Mary Snell!" updated 4/4/04

'94 Michael Davis is a K-6 music teacher at Sherwood Heights Elementary School in Auburn. He teaches general music K-6, beginner grade 5 instrumental and after school chorus. He was recently recognized by the National Association for Music Educators in an article in the Teaching Music Journal, "A Standing Ovation to Music Educators," that featured outstanding music teachers around the country. He is "Music in Our Schools Month" chairman for the MMEA executive board. Michael is in his 9th year of teaching, the 7th year for the Auburn School System. He received his Masters Degree from UMaine in the Spring of 2002. Updated Dec 2002

'94 Mark Ranger is currently teaching general music and chorus to grades 1-6 in Skowhegan. He continues to play and adjudicate throughout Maine and maintains his private studio, Carr Hill Music.

'95 Deborah Nomani, and '94 Mark Dodge, moved to New York City in 1997 but have had many adventures since. Mark has been pursuing a full-time career as a drummer, performing in various ensembles, including the jazz quintet, Between Green, with fellow alumnus Mike McGinnis, '95. Between Green's first album produced by RKM music is now being distributed in France by Harmonia Mundi Records, and in Japan by Bomba Records. (McGinnis is a co-partner with Ravi Coltrane in RKM.) From 1999-2001 Deborah taught a special piano program in the New York City public school system. Called "Music and the Brain," it is a unique three-year piano program for grades K-3. In the spring of 2001, she was invited by the creator of the program to install and teach it at the Bilingual Montessori School of Paris, France. She spent the year setting up at an exclusive private school, working collaboratively with the French and Irish teachers. She helped promote the bilingual focus of the school through her music classes. Mark performed at several jazz clubs in Paris, including the Sunside Club with Maxx Jazz recording artist Rene Marie, and he also recorded two albums in Paris with American and French jazz musicians. This past July they returned to New York City, and in August Deborah accepted a general music position at an elementary school in Eastchester, NY. Most recently, Mark won the regional division of the Guitar Center National DRUM OFF competition, and in December he went to Los Angeles to compete against six other drummers in the national finals. Updated Mar 2003

'95 Christina Laberge is currently working in the production office of the Bowling Green State University College of Musical Arts, as the liaison and producer for the Opera Department.  She is a specialist in Sacred Music, with an emphasis in the music of the English Cathedral School.  She has over twenty years experience in church music ministry, and has held the director of music position at such diverse institutions as St. Bartholomew's Catholic Church (Cape Elizabeth, ME), Congregational Church of Northridge (Northridge, CA), Emmanuel Lutheran Church (North Hollywood, CA) and Trinity Lutheran Church (Ventura, CA).  She is a founding member of Convivia, a Los Angeles-based a-cappella woman's quartet known for the excellence of their performances and programming.  She received the first B.M. in Choral Conducting from USM, the M.M. in Choral Music from the University of Southern California, and the first D.M.A. in Sacred Music from USC.  She was selected as an Outstanding Graduate for the Department of Choral and Sacred Music at USC.  She has lead independent research in this repertoire at the British Museum, Canterbury Cathedral, and the University of Oxford, England. Also an voracious reader and quilter, she resides in Bowling Green with her husband Andrew Pelletier (another USM grad), her cat, Thistle and as many books and fat quarters of fabric that the house can hold. Updated September 2004.

'95 Michael McGinnis - After earning his Bachelor of Music Performance on Saxophone at USM Michael attended the Eastman School of Music and graduated in 1997 with a Master's in Jazz Performance.  While there he won a Downbeat Magazine Award with the group "Hee Hee She" and an original composition called "Transitions" was included in the 1997 Eastman Jazz CD entitled "Take The Next Step" (This also included 2 pieces by USM alum Alan Neveu)

Michael moved to NYC in May of 1997 and from January of 1998 to May of 1998 he toured the U.S. with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra playing the lead tenor saxophone chair.  When he got back to NYC he began working part-time in the Royalties Dept. for EMI Recorded Music, Inc. where he worked until March of 2002.

In the Fall of 1998 Michael started with group Between Green with USM alum Mark Dodge and in 1999 they recorded their debut CD titled "Tangents" (featuring Michael's compositions) for RKM Music, a NYC-based recorded label in which he's a partner with saxophonist Ravi Coltrane.  (Michael is the 'M' in RKM).

In March of 1999 Michael began playing with an eclectic chamber group called "the Four Bags" and since then they've released one CD with another to be released in 2004.  They toured Japan in the Summer of 2002.  In 2003 they performed at the Annual Friends of Alec Wilder Concert in St. Peter's Church and as part of the Celebrate Brooklyn Festival in Prospect Park.  They also put on our their own concert in May of 2003 which was sold out.  In December they performed at a well known NYC hall called Symphony Space where they presented the Music of Alec Wilder with guest singer Jackie Cain.  They have been featured on WNYC (NYC's NPR Station) 3 times.

Other groups of which Michael is a member are:
Singer/songwriter Allison Tartalia (Michael co-produced her debut CD "Ready" in 2002.)
A trio called 'OK|OK'
The collective ensemble 'DDYGG'
The Matt Glassmeyer Marching Band

Michael has been a side man for the following groups::
Andy Biskin Sextet
Loser's Lounge
Portland Symphony Orchestra
Teo Macero Big Band
The Bootleg Remedy

Michael has also done a lot of freelance recording for various CD's and radio & TV commercials.

Michael is currently teaching  in the CPSM division of Queens College, at the Music School of Westchester in Mamaroneck, NY and at the Brooklyn Conservatory. Website's related to his music are:

www.mikemcginnis.com
www.rkmmusic.com
www.thefourbags.com
www.ncmeast.com

Updated December 2003

From: Michael McGinnis <mcgmusic@gmail.com>
> Date: Wed Aug 10, 2005  11:52:46  PM US/Eastern
> Subject: me on the tele - ABC Sunday @ 9 pm
>
> Hello,
>
> Crazy enough...... I'll be on primetime TV this Sunday at 9pm on ABC.
> (That's Channel 7 in NYC)
> .
> I'll be playing in the horn section of the house band on a new weekly
> one-hour gameshow called 'My Kind of Town'.
>
> The horn section also includes Jeff Hermanson on trumpet & Brian Drye
> (trombone). The band is led by Joe McGinty and features the rest of
> the Loser's Lounge band.  I'm not sure how much face time we'll get
> but you'll definitely hear some well articulated horn lines from us.

Updated August 2005
 

'95 Andrew Pelletier is the Visiting Assistant Professor of Horn at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.  Also an active soloist, he regularly presents recitals and chamber music performances across the US.  Known equally for his performing skills and pedagogical expertise, he is in demand for university residencies and his scholarly articles have appeared in the Journal of the International Horn Society, the Horn Call.  He is the Grand Prize winner of numerous competitions, including the Professional Division of the American Horn Competition.  As a former free-lance horn player in Los Angeles for the Hollywood motion picture/television industry, his credits include Lethal Weapon 4 and the X-Men and he is also the former principal horn of the Santa Barbara Symphony. He has an M.M. and the D.M.A. from the University of Southern California, and was named the outstanding graduate for the school of music for both the Master's and D.M.A./PhD levels.  Former teaching positions include the Portland Conservatory of Music, The University of Southern California and Moorpark College.  He has recorded on the Cambria Master and Koch International labels.   He is married to Christina Laberge (another USM grad) and they live in Bowling Green with their fat cat, Thistle and a house full of horns of all shapes and sizes. www.andrewpelletier.com/  Updated September 2004

Newsflash, December 18, 2004: Andy is maintaining a very active freelance schedule, performing with the Toledo Symphony, Ann Arbor (MI) Symphony, and principal horn with the Ann Arbor Ballet Theatre. Most recently his recording of the Carlos Chavez Sonata for Four Horns with Southwest Chamber Music has just been nominated for a 2005 GRAMMY Award. The category is Best Classical Recording of a Small Ensemble (with or without a conductor). This is exciting news, but certainly no surprise to us in the USM School of Music. Congratulations Andy!!

95 Lonnie (Lawrence) Wescott graduated as a "non-traditional" student. He has been teaching music for 12 years, the last 4 years at Traip Academy in Kittery teaching Band, Chorus, Jazz Band, Piano, Guitar, Music Survey, and 5th Grade General Music.  His wife Leisa owns her own pre-school/daycare in Berwick. Lonnie plays most weekends with the Motown Band "SoulMate."  (http://www.thesoulmateband.com), singing and playing keyboards and saxophone from the North Shore of Massachusetts to the mid-coast of Maine. He also substitutes as organist in a few area churches. In recent years Lonnie has guest conducted the MMEA District I 6th Grade Honors Band, and the MMEA District IV Middle School Honors Band. He has adjudicated Jazz All-State Auditions, and has served as MMEA District V Chair as well as MMEA State Editor for the Bulletin and Handbook. He says there's a lot more to know, but we'll have to dig it out of him. Look for "SoulMate" some Saturday night to find out more about Lonnie Wescott. Updated April 2007.

96 Anissa Bacon After graduation from USM, Anissa received her Master of Arts degree from Bangor Theological Seminary with a concentration in Sacred Music. The culminating study of this degree was a study of how to incorporate multi-cultural and ecumenical music in small, rural churches. Also, she is currently serving (for the past five years) the First Congregational Church of Scarborough as the Director of Music where she directs an adult choir, children's choir and handbell choir. Anissa has just finished her sixth year as the Music Director of the Healing Arts Chorus based out of Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine. For the past five years she has co-chaired a yearly fundraising concert for the Protestant Hospital Ministry. Last year Anissa added the hammer dulcimer to her repertoire of instruments.

In January 2004 Anissa started a Master of Divinity degree at Boston University. She will be pursuing ordination with the United Church of Christ. Her research includes the creation of art as an act of theology, with specific emphasis on the reflection of this in the music of the Shaker communities. Updated Jan 2004

'96 Gwendolynn L. Baker is teaching in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She is the choral director at Portsmouth High School and Middle School where she teaches 6th, 7th, and 8th grade chorus, Chamber Singers (the middle school select choir) high school Concert Choir, Treble Choir, and Madrigal Singers (the high school select choir) There are over 300 students involved in the choral program. She also helps out with the 5th grade band program by teaching beginning saxophone, clarinet and flute.
Updated Feb 2003

'96 Benjamin Day “founded the original USM Department of Music web site as a student and after graduation entered the software industry.  He is an independent consultant, trainer, and is a regular speaker at national technical conferences.  In 2006 and 2007, he was awarded “MVP for C#” by Microsoft and is currently a member of the Visual Studio Team System Customer Advisory council at Microsoft.  When he’s not busy with software, Ben plays piano with a Boston-based jazz trio and likes to hang out with his wife, Lily, and their two cats.  http://www.benday.com, http://blog.benday.com”
Updated October 2007

97 Susanna Adams is teaching preschool and kindergarten music in a private preschool.  She also teaches Kindermusik and private Suzuki violin at Portland Conservatory with 21 students, ages 3 1/2 to adult. In addition, she plays viola in, and is president of the Southern Maine Symphony Orchestra.  She sings with the acapella group Maine Blend and with the chancel choir at Woodfords Congregational Church.
Updated Jan 2003

97 Thomas Ambrose is actively performing and teaching throughout New England and has performed in many Portland based ensembles. He has worked with Murali Coryell (son of jazz great Larry Coryell), Dave Mattacks (previously the drummer for Paul McCartney), and with Berklee's Tomo Fujita and Blue Funk. Tom has a studio of bass and guitar students at Starbird Music in Portland. Updated Jul 2003

'97 Anastasia Antonacos was in Europe from September to December, playing in the International Piano Certificate Program in France and Belgium.  In the summer of 2004 she spent a month in Greece and played concerts in Sparta and on the island of Lesbos.  

Annie got her D.M. in Piano Performance from Indiana University in May of 2004.  During the academic year 2003-2004, she taught for Laura Kargul while she was on leave, and made numerous trips to Indiana to finish her degree.  During that time, she also won the Kanellos Award, given by the Greek Women's University Club of Chicago, as well as 3rd Place in the Capdepera International Piano competition in Mallorca.

During this Spring, 2005, Annie is teaching applied piano, chamber music, and sight-singing at USM, as well as maintaining a private studio. She will be competing in the Beethoven Piano Competition in New York and Vienna, and pursuing full-time college teaching jobs around the country. She continues to teach at Bay Chamber Concerts summer program.  Upcoming concerts include a performance with members of the Vermeer Quartet. Updated Jan 2005

'97 Kim Bradeen operates a private piano studio. She currently has 42 private students. In addition to their lessons, Kim's students meet quarterly for informal performance parties. They prepare pieces to share and follow the performances with music games and "munchies." The studio has two formal recitals per year, and maintains a 7 week summer session with approximately 20-25 students. Kim also accompanies "specials" at her church, an plays regularly for the church services. She has recently been participating in the activities of a local recording studio, "Baked Beans," and plans to include field trips to the studio in her student's studies. Kim's two children are both active in musical organizations.

'97 Jill Breton Palmer is the music director at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Brewer where she teaches piano privately, and lives with her husband, Jay, and their their two children.Updated August 2006

'97 Frank Patch recently attended a one week Choir Director's Institute in Buffalo, N.Y., sponsored by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians.

'97 Rich Pitre is director of music at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Brunswick where he supervises a staff of four musicians and a variety of ensembles including three choirs, two praised bands, and the usual complement of cantors.  St. Charles Church was nominated one of America's "100 best Catholic parishes" a few years ago and Rich says, "the place is hopping!"  Besides his in-house responsibilities, Rich also directs music for "cluster" events of six midcoast Catholic parishes ranging from Harpswell to Camden.  He also still leads the New Camerata Singers, an auditioned ensemble that he founded when he was at USM, and teaches solfege and Dalcroze Eurythmics in the Portland Area.  In his spare time, Rich is writing a doctoral dissertation on musical intelligibility.  He and his wife, Rosemary, have five children with the oldest out on her own and the four younger ones in school or being home schooled. Updated February 2008.

'98 Kate Smith is working towards certification in music therapy and is teaching privately.

'99 Lori Arsenault is an administrative manager for the Office of the Dean in the School of Applied Science, Engineering, and Technology at USM. She is also a staff musician and parish secretary for Sacred Heart / St. Dominic Parish in Portland. She was the robotics coordinator for Gorham High School for six years while her children were on the team. Now having turned leadership responsibilities over to other parents, she is helping to keep the communication flowing between all of the Maine FIRST Robotics teams. Lori also freelances in communications and Web site management for several musicians and organizations, including the USM School of Music, orchestral conductor Lawrence Golan, jazzman Scott Reeves, the Sussex County Youth Orchestra in New Jersey, and several others. She owes her success in the field of communications to her mentor, Mary Snell, director of arts promotions for the School of Music, and is grateful for Mary's skill and patience, and for the tremendous opportunities that work study job has opened up for her over the years. Updated November 2008.

'99 Gary Beckman received his Master's Degree from the University of New Hampshire in the Spring of 2001, and is attending the University of Texas @ Austin's Ph.D. program in Musicology. Here's the latest from Gary:

April 3, 2007: Just a quick update for my friends at USM from the warm reaches of The University of Texas at Austin. Very warm, actually...it's 85 today and humid. The air conditioners have been on for weeks already. I'm putting the final touches on my dissertation - yahoo! Last year, I received a sizable grant from the Kauffman Foundation to study Arts Entrepreneurship programs in America's colleges and universities. I'm pleased to say that it was the first systematic study of the topic. The results will appear shortly in the Journal of Arts Management, Law & Society in summer 2007. I've published quite a bit on the topic now and launched the "Arts Entrepreneurship Educator's Network" http://www.ae2n.net as a partial outcome of the grant last September.

I continue to teach "Entrepreneurship in the Arts" through UT's College of Fine Arts and have a great group of students this semester! I've also been busy with conferences: I was invited by a CMS member to serve as a panelist for the "Infusing Professional Music Instruction with Systematic Training in Entrepreneurship" session for the national meeting in San Antonio a few months ago and traveled to Chicago to present another paper on the topic for the national ARNOVA meeting last November. A week later, I went to Nashville with our Dean to participate at Vanderbilt's Curb Center for Art, Enterprise & Public Policy's  "Creative Campus" conference as panel secretary. I developed a panel on Arts Entrepreneurship at Pepperdine's Arts Entrepreneurship conference March 31, 2007 (read a paper there also) and am developing another panel for the Brevard Conference on Music Entrepreneurship in July. I'm in negotiations now for 3 books on Arts Entrepreneurship - yes 3! - can you believe it? I was also interviewed for a BusinessWeek article on Music Entrepreneurship programs, which was also carried by the Wall Street Journal.

Meanwhile, I've taken up golf again - in my copius spare time, that is....

Whew!

Back to the books!

Best to all

Gary Beckman
Assistant Instructor
FA 360: Entrepreneurship in the Arts
The University of Texas at Austin
archlute@mail.utexas.edu

'99 Matthew Polletto received his Master of Education degree September 2003 from Lesley University, Cambridge, Mass in "Curriculum and Instruction: Creative Arts in Learning." He is in his fifth year teaching general and vocal music, K-8 at the William H. Lincoln School in Brookline, Massachusetts. 

'99 Linda (Charlé) Vaillancourt auditioned and was accepted into the viola section of the Bangor Symphony in the fall of 2000.

00 Jennifer Dedominici, Mezzo-Soprano, is gathering impressive reviews for her work on some Colorado's finest stages. For her portrayal of the title character in Rossini's La Cenerentola for June, 2005 performances with Opera Theatre of the Rockies, the Gazette Telegraph stated: “At the end of the three-hour evening, the dazzling Jennifer DeDominici merely has to deliver one of the most mind-bogglingly difficult arias ever written for a mezzo-soprano.  She did so on opening night with style, a velvety, even tone, and an extraordinary clarity that made the aria the evening's climax.” And, for her portrayal of Signora Fioria in the Arvada Center’s 2007 production of Do I Hear a Waltz?, in Westword: “Jennifer DeDominici delivers a gemlike performance as pensione-keeper Fioria.  DeDominici’s voice is as fluid and gleaming as a deep, running stream at night; her Fioria is seductive and amoral, but so utterly content with herself and her life that you can’t help admiring her;”  In 2007, Jennifer triumphed as Hänsel in Opera Theatre of the Rockies’s production of Hänsel und Gretel and as Aldonza in Colorado Light Opera’s Man of La Mancha.  She was also declared the first place winner of the Denver Lyric Opera Guild Auditions.  Ms. DeDominici was also seen performing in the Arvada Center’s production of La Cage aux Folles. 

Jennifer was selected from among some 1,000 singers to participate in the prestigious Santa Fe Opera's Apprentice Artist Program for the summers of 2002 and 2003.  For the Santa Fe stage, she covered the roles of Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte, Filipyevna in Eugene Onegin, and sang the role of Feklusha in Katya Kabanova.  She has also been  seen on the stage of Opera Colorado as Clotilde in Bellini’s Norma, Hänsel, Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and Zweite Dame in Die Zauberflote.    In March of 2006, Jennifer enjoyed the role of Pitti Sing in The Mikado with Central City Opera and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra.  Jennifer has toured with Central City Opera both in 2004 and 2005 in addition to being a regular member of the Central City Opera Ensemble.  She was a member of the Opera Colorado Outreach Ensemble from 2001-2004, and ventured to Alaska in 2005 to be Mezzo-Soprano soloist for the Anchorage Opera Studio Theatre.  Other performances include “Opera on the Rocks” with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra in 2004, “West Side Story” with Colorado Music Festival,  Hänsel for the Fort Collins Symphony, 2005 Soloist for the Maine Gay Men's Chorus,  and the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors in Boulder in 2005. 

Ms. DeDominici had the distinct honor of covering the role of Carmen for Opera Colorado's premiere operatic production in the new Ellie Caulkins Theatre with Denyce Graves during November, 2005.   She was also one of only 11 singers world-wide to be chosen to study at Italy's famed EPCASO (Ezio Pinza Operatic Institute in Oderzo) where she spent the summer of 2006 studying with renowned Italian musicians, Claudia Pinza and Maestra Enza Ferrari. 

Jennifer will perform the starring role in the opera Carmen in March at the Opera Theatre of the Rockies in Colorado. A resident of Denver, she was awarded first prize in the 2007 Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition, has performed for Opera Colorado, Central City Opera and the Santa Fe Opera. She performed the role of Hänsel in Opera Theatre’s March, 2007 performances of Hänsel and Gretel and the title role 2005’s La Cenerentola. (Updated 1/2008)

'00 Nicole Rabata: Since leaving USM, Nicole spent three years teaching at County Clare School of Music in the west of Ireland.  During her time there she played with the Hibernian Orchestra in Dublin and various chamber ensembles. She also played with a traditional Irish group and toured England, France, Wales and Scotland, playing at many international festivals. Nicole also recorded a CD with traditional fiddler Ellery Klein. She is currently completing a masters in flute performance at Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK where her focus is on chamber and contemporary music. Additionally, she plays in the wind orchestra which will be recording on Chandos Records in May.  "I am excited to be going to Sweden in June to teach traditional Irish flute and do a concert at the International Flute Festival of Lund, Sweden along with such well-known flautists as Peter Lloyd and jazz-flautist Mike Mower."  Nicole looks forward to visiting Maine in the summer of '04. updated Mar 2004

'00 Danielle Vachon is teaching K-5 general music at Marion T. Morse Elementary School in Lisbon. She is now considering graduate studies.

'00 Rebecca Wallace is teaching general music and beginning band at Lisbon Elementary School. She is also teaching instrumental music in grades 6-8.
 

'01 Eric Stokes Eric continues to free-lance playing Classical literature through several Churches in the Portland area, when not performing Jazz and Pop with the Bob Charest Band (http://www.bobcharestmusic.com) based out of Westbrook.  Both being supplementary, Eric also continues his tenure at American Music of West Falmouth. He helps to provide Music Teachers around the state (and many former USM graduate teachers!) with what they need. He also provides service as an occasional educational representative on the road (visiting Gorham every now and then) and instrument product specialist and Brass playtester. Updated December 2003

News from Jason Plourde '02

>>> Jason Richard Plourde <jplourde@indiana.edu> 08/21/04 6:51 PM >>>

I just wanted to write a little note to y'all about what I have been up to these last few years.

I am currently going into my 3rd year of studies here at the Indiana University School of Music where I now study with renowned baritone, Timothy Noble.  In just a few lessons we have done a lot of work in getting a much clearer, easier tone out of me.

Many exciting and wonderful things have been happening for me since my relocation to Bloomington 2 years ago.  I have performed 4 roles (2 principle roles) with the Indiana University Opera Theatre.  I have performed the roles of The Marquis in La Traviata, Baron Mirko Zeta in The Merry Widow, William Jennings Bryan in The Ballad of Baby Doe and most recently Swallow in Peter Grimes.  I have also had the opportunity to work with world-renowned stage directors Colin Graham and Tito Capobianco and conductor David Effron.

I am also a member of the Bloomington Music Works Board of Directors, Bloomington's own Community Musical Theatre/Opera Company.  I have also performed with them many times including the roles of The King in Cinderella, Dick Deadeye in HMS Pinafore and am currently working on Furfante in The Impresario which is slated to go up in September.

My summers have been equally as rewarding.  Last summer I returned to Maine to take part in my 2nd year as a Portland Opera Repertory Theatre Emerging Maine Artist and my 3rd year, overall in the companies Young Artist based program.  While a member of this program I performed the roles of Ben in The Telephone and Gasparo in Rita under the direction of USM's Ellen Chickering.  I also had the opportunity to cover the role of Enrico Ashton in Lucia di Lammermoor, the companies Main Stage production.

This past summer was even more exciting as I attended the Brevard Music Center in Brevard, North Carolina.  This 8 week program offers young singers with various performing opportunities such as lead roles in main stage productions, orchestra pops concerts and recitals.  We also received the opportunity to sing for representatives from the Metropolitan and Houston Grand Opera Houses.  The most exciting experience for me while attending the Brevard Music Center was the distinct honor and privilege of performing the role of Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady.  This role, with its vast amount of spoken dialogue and the challenges this character brings to any actor, especially a young one was a great learning experience for me.

Even with us only being in August of 2004, my summer for 2005 is already shaping up to be another great one.  I will have the honor of returning to Maine again to perform Mendelssohn's Elijah with Dr. Robert Russell and the Lincoln Festival Choir.  I am overjoyed to be working with Dr. Russell again after 2 years and I am very much looking forward to singing this wonderful piece of music.

My next year, here at IU will be exciting as well.  I will once again working with soprano, Martina Arroyo in her Operatic Role Preparation course where I will be learning the roles of Mozart's Don Giovanni and Verdi's Rigoletto.  Ms. Arroyo is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to preparing a character for the stage and it is always an honor to work for her.

We also have a great season lined up for the IU Opera Theatre and auditions for these productions will be held on September 2-4.  In addition to these auditions I will also be starting my auditions for apprenticeship programs all over the country including the Houston Grand Opera.  And I am in the works of preparing an All-German Recital to include the works of Beethoven and Schumann.

Things are definitely going well for me here in Bloomington.  I have had many opportunities to learn, grow and perform and I am awaiting many more.

I hope all is well at USM.  I was reading through the website and it sounds as if there are a lot of great performances coming up and that the School of Music is thriving.  I am glad to see that.

Take care and please give my regards to everyone at the school.  I hope to see you all soon.

Cheers,  
Jason Richard Plourde, baritone
425 S. Grant St. Apt. 9
Bloomington, In 47401
812.369.0793

Elisa Haveles '05 is the first recipient of the Barbara Potter Educational Fund Scholarship awarded by the Connecticut Music Educators Association (CMEA).  This scholarship is awarded to a teacher who is pursuing advanced study in music education and has successfully completed a BEST Portfolio in the state of Connecticut.  She was honored at the CMEA Elementary General Music Conference held at the University of Connecticut on October 20, 2007.  She is pursuing the degree Master of Music in Music Education at The Hartt School, University of Hartford and teaches general music at Washington Elementary School in Manchester, CT.

This is a partial list with new additions all the time. Graduates listed on this page have given their permission to be listed here. Grads, please keep in touch. Send your news and information, with permission to publish, to larsenault@usm.maine.edu and msnell@usm.maine.edu, or both at once.

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