Southwestern Oklahoma State University Department of Music

Scissortail Productions and the SWOSU Department of Music are thrilled to host a master class/workshop with Espiral7 TODAY, Friday, August 9th, at 3:00 PM, in Berrong Music Hall 101.

AND don't miss Espiral7's performance at the Levitt Amp Clinton Music Series tonight in McLain Rogers Park!

Both events are free and open to the public!

The SWOSU Flute Choir, directed by Dr. Shelley Martinson, performed in collaboration with the UCO Flute Choir, directed by Dr. Emily Butterfield, at the National Flute Association Convention last week in San Antonio, TX. The ensemble gave world premieres of two works that were commissioned with organized research grant support from the College of Arts and Sciences. SWOSU alumna, Tiffany Ragan also served as NFA Equipment Manager for the second year.

Congratulations, SWOSU flutists!

Congratulations to SWOSU music faculty, Dr. Richard Tirk and Dr. Robert Pippin! Dr. Tirk directed the Oklahoma Jazz Educators/Oklahoma Bandmasters Association Jazz All Stars at the OBA conference last month and Dr. Robert Pippin presented a workshop titled “Rehearsing with Trust, Connection, and Joy from the Podium."

SWOSU was well represented by current and former music faculty at the Oklahoma Bandmasters Association Conference last week!

Congratulations to retired music faculty, Dr. James South and Marc Mueller, on their induction into the OBA Hall of Fame. Dr. South served as Director of Bands at SWOSU from 1995 to 2011, later becoming the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 2012, and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs from 2013 until his retirement in 2021. Marc Mueller served as Director of Bands from 2011-2022 following a 22 year tenure as band director at Moore High School.

A few highlights from a great summer of camps! Looking forward to kicking off the semester in less than a month!

Check out all of the great fall offerings at the SWOSU Music Academy !

Enrollment is open for the SWOSU Music Academy Fall 2024 term! 🎵
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Classes run from September 9 to November 17, offering group classes and private lessons for students ages three and up. The registration deadline is August 26.
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🔗 For details on classes, scholarships, and more, read the full blog post here: https://bit.ly/3zXLJi0
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Band fam 🎶

Oh, man, this is going to be a doozy yawl!

Get ready for some exciting music and a grand time this week!
Put on your steppin' shoes and feel free to get up and dance with this fun music.

Did you grab a friend or bring a family member last week?
Tell us about it! Post your thoughts, photos, or even a video using to show us how much you loved last weeks concert.

The great memories you make here could last a life time.

The SWOSU Music Camps office opens in ONE week! Register at www.swosucamps.com to join us!

Reflecting on some memorable moments from the semester! A big congratulations to our exceptional students who were recognized during our awards ceremony last month!

Presser Scholar: Kelli Garrison
Outstanding Leader: Sarah Stoffels
Brass: Zander Bacon
Music Therapy: Madeline Mitchell
String: Mackynsie McKedy
Vocalist: Bailey Hanes
Piano/Percussion: Colin Ford
Woodwind: Nathaniel Pundsack

And with that, the spring semester is complete! From hitting the books to hitting the high notes, it's been a year filled with music, memories, and growth. Wishing our SWOSU Music family a fantastic summer! 📚🎶☀️

Celebrating our 2024 graduates! ✨

Congratulations to all of our 2024 music graduates! We're proud of you!

Congratulations to Erika Stutzman and Todd Estrada!

Erika will be the band director, choir director, and elementary music teacher at Vici Public Schools next year.

Favorite memory: Performing Maslanka 7 and my time as Drum Major of the Pride of the Great Southwest

Todd plans to teach as a band director next year and would also like to travel and see more concerts with his wife Demi.

Favorite memory: My favorite memory is every adventure I got to take with my best friend Rhonda

Our next up, we're featuring Joshua Branch and Lo'ren Ballard!

Joshua is graduating with degrees in music education and performance. Next year he will be the head Band director at Eisenhower High School and will continue his service in the Army as a Sergeant.

Lo'ren graduates with a degree in music therapy.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to flutists Destyne Anderson and Allena Hawthorne!

Destyne will graduate with degrees in music education and flute performance.

A double major in vocal and instrumental music education, Allena plans to continue living in Weatherford and hopes to teach middle school choir in Oklahoma City!

Favorite memory: One of my favorite memories has to be the last Wind Symphony concert of the semester in 2022. It was the former Director of Bands last semester at SWOSU and we performed Symphony No.7 by David Maslanka. It was a massive piece that we got to play alongside all the professors in the Music Department. Getting to be part of a piece like that was crazy and it was very sentimental to a lot of the students.

Congratulations to graduating music therapy majors Joseph Nguyen and Bailey Hanes!

Bailey will graduate with her BM in Music Therapy. She plans to build a memory care respite program here in Weatherford next year, explore creative hobbies, and apply for internships!

Joseph graduates with his MM degree in music therapy this spring and plans to settle into his job at Oakwood Springs, maintain his connections, and continue playing the violin.

Favorite memory: My favorite memory in the music department was the feeling before I completed my undergrad in 2021. I was content with my friends, acquired family, orchestra group, and my music therapy connections. I’m glad that I have the same feeling as I prepare to graduate with my Master’s!

Next, we shine the graduation spotlight on violinist Marquisha Thomas and clarinetist Kelli Garrison!

Marquisha will graduate with a degree in music education and plans to continue with school and teaching next year.

Favorite memory: Being able to play in the orchestra at OKMEA!

Also graduating with a degree in music education, Kelli will continue her graduate studies at SWOSU next year or begin her teaching career.

Favorite memory: There are too many to just say one, but I’ll just say those Wednesday night meetings with my Tau Beta Sigma sisters.

Congratulations to violinists, Kris Lawrence & Hannelore Clayton!

Graduating with a degree in music therapy, Hannelore plans to plant roots, complete her internship and music therapy certification, and looks forward to having some downtime!

Favorite memory: When my class taught Dr. Sophia Lee how to dance to “Copperhead Road” in one of our MTSA socials!

Music education graduate Kris Lawrence plans to get a job as an orchestra director or assistant orchestra director or take some time off next year.

Favorite memory: Orchestra concerts and learning new instruments.

This week, we're celebrating our graduates!

Emma Mankin, a graduate in music education and saxophone performance, will attend the University of Arkansas next year where she'll study with Dr. Sarah Hetrick and serve as a graduate teaching assistant.

Favorite memory: Meeting my best friend over bad cheesecake.

Demi Estrada graduates with a Bachelor of Music Education (Instrumental) degree this spring. Her plans for the upcoming year include finishing her music business degree by the end of the summer and working as an assistant band director. She looks forward to traveling the world with her husband, Todd Estrada.

Congratulations, Demi and Emma!

The SWOSU Guitar Studio, under the direction of Professor Carey Morrow, is wrapping up a busy semester! SWOSU guitarists hosted a studio recital and welcomed two exceptional guest artists, Bear Rodriguez and Lazhar Cherouana, for performances and masterclasses!

Fantastic musicianship was showcased last week by the SWOSU Music Department! With outstanding concerts from all of our large performing ensembles, we are proud of the growth of our music students made throughout this school year. Congratulations to all!

Hard to believe finals are around the corner! Finals week starts on May 6 and wraps up on May 10. You've worked hard all semester, so hang in there. You can do it! 💙
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Congratulations to the students of Research in Music who presented at the SWOSU Research Fair last week!

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Join us for a guest artist master class with Brianna Clancy and Kristen Williams tomorrow!

We love welcoming the community and young musicians to the music department. ✨ SWOSU music students and faculty performed beautifully for an enthusiastic audience of Burcham Pre-K students recently and Music Academy students performed a recital showcasing their great work this semester!

🎶Do you or your child want to continue music lessons through the summer?
🎵Maybe you or your child are ready to start music lessons?
🎹Register with the SWOSU Music Academy this summer!
🎻Register for as few or as many lessons as you want at a schedule that is flexible to accommodate your busy summer plans!

🥁Register by May 27th!

http://bit.ly/swosuacademy

Southwestern Oklahoma State University Department of Music