Ramirez Chosen for Competitive Masterclass at Southwest American Choral Directors Association
糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock student Carmen Ramirez is pictured with her fellow masterclass students and teachers.
A 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock student was one of six undergraduate student conductors selected from seven states to participate in a prestigious undergraduate masterclass at the 2022
Carmen Ramirez, a senior from Columbia, Missouri, was chosen out of a large pool of applicants for the Student Conducting Masterclass, which took place March 1 at the Little Rock Marriott. She also performed in the Collegiate Honor Choir on March 2 at the Ron Robinson Theatre.
鈥淚 am very humbled and honored to have been chosen for this workshop and feel incredibly lucky to have been able to work with the esteemed Dr. Jeffrey Murdock,鈥� Ramirez said. 鈥淚 will always cherish this experience and continue to improve myself with the critique I received. I thank all of my fellow classmates, professors, and family that helped and supported me through this process.鈥�
Ramirez, a double major in music theory with an emphasis in piano and Spanish, conducted two songs with the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Chamber Choir for her application – 鈥淥 Magnum Mysterium鈥� composed by Andrej Makor and the First Movement of the Masterwork 鈥淕loria鈥� by Frances Poulenc.
Carmen Ramirez and Lorissa Mason
“Carmen is an excellent musician and hard worker,鈥� said Dr. Lorissa Mason, director of choral activities at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and Ramirez鈥� conducting coach. 鈥淥ther students respond well to her leadership, as she leads with knowledge, joy, and kindness. As a conductor, she is open to new concepts, and she always displays the ability to make changes in the moment. Carmen is the kind of student every teacher wants to teach, accepting guidance and always keeping an open mind with personal intention and work ethic that allows her to grow as a scholar and as a musician.”
During the masterclass, Murdoch, one of two clinicians for the masterclass, gave Ramirez some valuable conducting advice that she is putting to use at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock.
鈥淛ust hearing the advice from Jeffrey Murdoch and watching the other students in the masterclass has helped me reevaluate what I am doing when I am conducting a group,鈥� Ramirez said. 鈥淭he information I received in the class was very helpful to me and how I wanted to improve myself. I am conducting all the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock choirs now because we have our spring concerts coming up. I am trying to incorporate what I learned in the masterclass into my conducting here. I was very excited and shocked that I got chosen, but I am proud of myself.鈥�
After graduating in May, Ramirez is going to take a gap year to explore opportunities in music and to work as a church pianist. She then plans to pursue graduate studies in conducting.
