Woman in Music

Music professor gives lecture on gender bias
By Ford Rasmussen

A professor at the Cain College of the Arts gave a lecture today on her career in music and the challenges she had to overcome, saying she almost dropped out of college during her postgraduate studies.

Sara Bakker, who has a doctorate in music theory, said there are multiple “barriers” for women to pass to succeed in education. The first step is applying for college, but “the biggest hurdle of them all is the Ph.D. level,” Bakker said.

After becoming a wife and a mother, Bakker found it difficult to continue her education but said she knew it was important.

“I felt like the kinds of contributions that I could make to society would be different if I completed this degree and went through with it, even if I didn’t think I wanted to at the time,” she said.

After graduation “job applications were one area where I really felt gender made a big difference in my life,” Bakker said.

Bakker and her husband, who is also a music theorist, applied for the same jobs in the same areas but he “always got more bites in the job market than I did,” she said.

“We don’t really ever know if we are experiencing gender bias,” Bakker said. “The best thing we can do is to become aware of it.”

Jenny Thompson who is the vice president of Tau Beta Sigma was the organizer of this "Woman in Music" lecture, a series, she said, is carried out all across the country. Gender discrimination is “kind of uncomfortable” so people don’t want to talk about it, but "it should be talked about,” Thompson said.

“I think this is everywhere. I think all people experience this. It’s not just a gender thing,” she said.

Alumnus Performs

Utah State University alumnus performs
By Ford Rasmussen

A Utah State University alumnus returned to Utah yesterday to perform with the college’s guitar ensembles at the Caine Performance Hall.

Pat Boyack, a guitarist who currently lives in Dallas, Texas, was invited back to his alma mater by Corey Christiansen, the director of guitar studies. Christiansen said this is the first time since he’s been at the college that they’ve brought back an alumnus.

Boyack hadn’t visited his alma mater for 20 years and said it means a lot to him to be back playing for his people.

“I feel like I’m giving back,” Boyack said. “And helping out the kids that are here, and letting them know that you can go out and do what you want to do.”

He said it’s difficult to make a living in the art business, but “it’s not something that’s impossible.”

“You don’t have to become a famous superstar to play music, be happy and make a decent living at it,” Boyack said. “You just need to want to do it, love it and work at it.”

New Art Senator

New college senator praises diversity
By Ford Rasmussen

The new Caine College of the Arts senator, Sierra Wise, said she aims to assemble an art council that represents a “wide demographic” within the college.

Wise said she is helping to assemble an art council for next year and recognizes the many students with diverse backgrounds and experiences attending the college.

“As senator, I believe diversity is one of our greatest strengths,” Wise said.

Wise is a visual arts major and is well networked in the various disciplines of the college. She said it is important for her to find representation for all the students she serves.

“I have been blown away by the incredible support I have felt both from the student body as well as the faculty and staff at USU,” Wise said.

Adrienne Larson, the Director of Stewardship & Alumni Engagement, has been in meetings with Wise and said she has had a good impression of the new senator. During the meetings “she was really on the ball,” Larson said.

Wise said she has seen many incredible individuals apply for the art council so it will be difficult to narrow down the candidates.

“I feel we are well on our way to a successful year,” she said.

Final show, big project

More than a year of creative work comes together
By Ford Rasmussen

The collective preparation of students and faculty at the Caine College of the Arts wrap up with the launch of the school’s final theater production.

The musical “Big Fish” is composed of a cast of 20, including both theater and opera students, six music students and a two-page list of behind the scene workers.

Show preparations began a year and a half ago, said director Jason Spelbring. Spelbring and the show's designers were mindful of getting the ball rolling for designs and materials in advance, he said.

This production required “probably over 60 or 70 costumes,” Spelbring said. Many of the cast members play multiple roles requiring quick costume changes during the production.

The props master, Robin Perry, said the college has a pretty big stock of costumes, but most of the main character's costumes were built from scratch.

Ally Thieme is a graduate student who has been working on the costumes.

“It’s been fun, but really hectic,” Thieme said. “One character can come off stage and they have to go back on as another character within 30 seconds.” The actors must be able to change their costumes really fast, she said and rigging the costumes so that can happen took a lot of time.

Thieme is one of the students who will be backstage helping the actors make the quick costume changes. Because of that, she won’t be able to see the final show, but she’s excited to see what response it receives.

“It’s always fun to see the reactions of people who haven’t seen the costumes being worked on, or haven’t seen the set before,” she said.

Spelbring said the time available allowed them to put more into the detail of the production, so “visually, it will be beautiful.”

“It was a big show,” he said. “And it took a lot to get it up and running, but that’s what big shows do.”

The show which opens today will run until April 22. Tickets can be purchased online or at the Caine College of the Arts Box Office. Students with a valid ID can see the show for free.

Year of the Arts target community

Plans for Utah State University’s year of the arts to engage the community
By Ford Rasmussen

The staff at the Caine College of the Arts plan to draw community support to Utah State University’s upcoming theme, the Year of the Arts.

“We want it to be a whole Cache Valley thing,” said Adrienne Larson, from the dean’s office at the college. Larson said the theme will be implemented at college extensions and local schools too.

The kickoff of USU’s Year of the Arts will start officially in June with a celebration that will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Lyric Repertory Company.

“That will be kind of a fun thing we’ll get going,” said Whitney Schulte, the Caine College of the Arts marketing director.

Schulte said they will run contests, give away event tickets and have donor events to get the public involved in the arts.

For some students, music and arts don’t only provide personal outlets but serve as colorful palettes for job opportunities. Entities like the Corporation for Public Broadcasting are available because of government funding for the arts and humanities.

President Trump’s proposed budget to eliminate funding to CPB and other entities come as a sting for young adults who grew up with not only the physical nourishment from milk but mental nourishment from public broadcasting programs.

The school’s theme was discussed before President Trump announced his budget plan to eliminate government funding to the arts and humanities, but Schulte said it might help get people more involved and excited about the arts.

“I certainly think it couldn’t have hit at a better time,” she said.

'Beautiful' interior design

Professional designer impressed by student’s work
By Ford Rasmussen

Interior design work that was produced by students at Utah State University was praised by a visiting professional designer during a campus lecture today.

“They all had beautiful projects,” said interior designer Caleb Anderson. "Literally, every single one I found impressive."

There are about 20 juniors in the interior design program who worked with Anderson this semester. Anderson, who works in New York City, gave the juniors a project via Skype back in January and challenged each of them to design a room that he too was personally working on.

Anderson visited the Caine College of the Arts this week and saw the student’s final projects. In a presentation at 4:00 p.m. today Anderson lauded them for their work.

"They obviously worked really hard,” Anderson said. “I think they're on the right track.”

Marion Gilson is a student who is just starting the interior design program. She said the student's work is "amazing.” She said that it is a very difficult program and the students put in a lot of time.

“We pay for it because we don’t have a social life or a good sleep pattern,” Gilson said.

Nicole Lyman is one of the juniors who worked on Anderson’s project. She said that having a professional designer come in and review their work was the highlight of the project.

“It pushed us to work hard,” she said.

At the end of the lecture, Anderson encouraged the students to learn as much as they can and get real world experience.

“But whatever you’re pursuing, it’s important to have passion,” Anderson said.

Faculty Author

Art professor introduces new book
By Ford Rasmussen

The Utah State University department head of art & design introduced her new book today at 3:30 p.m. in the library.

“It’s really exciting to talk about my work,” said the department head Laura Gelfand. “I feel like I don’t get to a lot.”

Gelfand began by asking the audience “how many of you are dog people?”

As she addressed her audience they watched a slideshow of images of Medieval paintings that displayed across a screen. Each picture focused on a dog of some kind.

“Our relationship with dogs isn’t that different from the dogs in Medieval times,” Gelfand said.

Gelfand said that she published this book not only because it’s something she’s interested in, but because there isn’t anything else available like it. The book provides source material for scholars and dog lovers to gain a more complete understanding of canine/human relations of the Medieval and Early Modern periods.

As she finished her presentation, Gelfand showed a picture of her dog, or as she called it her “muse.”

Mark McLellan, the vice president for research at Utah State University, concluded the faculty author exhibition. He thanked the speakers and picked out one gem from the presentation.

“I think we all have to have our own muse,” McLellan said.

Gelfand's book "Our Dogs, Our Selves: Dogs in Medieval and Early Modern Art, Literature, and Society" is available at the campus library.

Visiting Musician

Students fascinated by visiting artist’s lecture

By Ford Rasmussen

A composer engaged his audience as the Caine College of the Arts hosted the year's final visiting music scholar this week.

Michael Buchler, an associate professor of music theory at Florida State University, began his lecture by inviting the audience to sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” a song, he pointed out, that ends on a high note. That’s what Buchler is currently researching, “things that go up,” he said.

We usually descend to the cadence in western classical tonal music, Buchler said, but theater and Broadway music often use songs that end on a high note. Buchler showed the audience several examples of sheet music and played songs from his digital device.

“I was fascinated that he found so many songs that end on a high note,” said Elizabeth Rawls, one of the many music students in the audience.

Another music student, Hunter Bergman, said he appreciates the opportunities to hear the visiting scholars. The classes he has taken teach broad theories and topics, he said, but the lectures usually dive into a specific topic.

“It’s super micro-analyzing,” Bergman said.

Madison Archibald, who is a freshman studying acting, said the lecture provided her an opportunity to learn theory about a topic outside of her current classes. She wants to study music and acting, but as a freshman in college hasn’t had an opportunity to focus on the music part.

“When I heard about this event, I was so excited to come,” Archibald said.

Timothy Chenette, a music professor at Utah State who hosted Buchler during his visit, said Buchler is well known in his field, “so it’s pretty cool to have him here.”

Buchler was the final visiting music scholar of the year, but the college will host one more visiting artist with the theater department.

Construction Changes

Art building construction will continue to block main entrance
By Ford Rasmussen

Additional work on the Nora Emma Eccles Museum of Art that began this week will continue to block access to the courtyard and main entrance of the Caine College of the Arts building.

John Thompson, the construction manager in charge of rebuilding the college, said there have been 93 changes during the construction progress, including a recent order to improve the museum. It’s normal “to have a few change orders,” Thompson said. It's not uncommon to have that many changes.

The landscaper recently finished testing the courtyard irrigation system, Thompson said. The construction crew is on track to finish the courtyard by the beginning of May.

The museum is adjacent to the courtyard, which means students won’t be able to use that entrance until construction on the museum is finished, Thompson said. Regardless of the changes, the entire project is on track to be finished before June 2018, the contractual completion date.

“We’re way ahead of schedule,” Thompson said.

Adrienne Larson, the director of development, said Thompson has done a great job.

Although students haven’t been able to use the main entry doors because of the construction, Larson said the additions and improvements are “going to be well worth it.”

More space and updated architecture will be “a great space for students to perform in,” Larson said. “It’s going to change their whole level of education.”