- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Hakutani Inducted Into Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame

John Hill — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 13:55:42 +0000

Dr. Naoki Hakutani, an associate professor of piano at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, has been inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame. Hakutani is one of 44 teachers from the United States and Canada who were inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teachers Hall of Fame on Sept. 29 during a special event hosted at the Steinway Factory in New York City. “This was a real honor for me,” Hakutani said. “There are a lot of deserving people from this state, and I was honored to be chosen to represent Arkansas in the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame. This group is a mix of professors, private teachers, concert pianists, and music education professionals. I felt very honored to be included in this remarkable group.” Joining the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame is a prestigious designation recognizing the work of North America’s most committed and passionate piano educators. This year marks the second class of honorees, following the Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 2019. “Music education has been a cornerstone of our historic company since the late 1800s,�� and today is no different,” said Gavin English, president of Steinway & Sons Americas. “We are very proud to work with the talented music educators inducted this fall into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame. These teachers foster passion, creativity, and discipline in the next generation of piano artists. Their work deserves the highest praise.” Each teacher inducted into the Hall of Fame was nominated by a Steinway & Sons showroom in the teacher’s home region. Stephen Wirges, owner of Steinway Piano Gallery in Little Rock, nominated Hakutani for his dedication to his students.

Naoki Hakutani and Stephen Wirges

“The real purpose of nominating someone for the Steinway Hall of Fame is finding a teacher that has dedicated their life to the excellence of their students, and the first person who came to mind was Naoki,” Wirges said. “Steinway represents excellence, and I see that Naoki represents excellence with his students. It’s important to Naoki that his students are playing on an instrument that will help them get the best of their talent.” Both Hakutani and Wirges traveled to the Steinway Factory in Queens, New York, for a banquet and special tour of the factory. The teachers’ names are now displayed on a commemorative display wall inside the iconic factory. “When Steinway said I got to nominate a teacher for the Hall of Fame, I know Naoki lives and breathes piano,” Wirges said. “I know I work 12 hours a day on pianos, and Naoki has that same attitude toward his students. He sometimes calls me late at night from Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall trying to make sure a piano is ready for the student’s performance the next day. Teachers are everything. It’s important to us that they are bringing up the next generation of music lovers.” Originally from Kent, Ohio, Hakutani earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Northwestern University, a master’s degree in music from Indiana University at Bloomington, and a Doctor of Music Arts from the University of Texas at Austin. At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Hakutani serves as the director of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Piano Ensemble and the co-director of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Piano and Strings Festival. Among his students, Hakutani is known for his personal but rigorous style of teaching. He is praised for his work with students in his studio both at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and his home. A 2016 recipient of the Arkansas Music Teacher Association Teacher of the Year Award, Hakutani has been described as the most sought out private piano instructor in the central Arkansas region. “My philosophy in teaching piano is when I meet a student for the first time, I’m not trying to change everything about them,” Hakutani said. “I’m trying to bring out the best of what they have and make them realize their potential. I’m always aware that people are musically different, and it is the job of a teacher to find out what works for them the best.” Hakutani said he typically teaches 20-25 students in class piano settings, 10-15 students in piano ensemble, 10-12 students in his studio at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, and 10-12 students at home. “I have a variety of music students,” Hakutani said. “I teach as young as 5 and as old as 100. Most of my work happens at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, but being active in the community keeps me engaged with all kinds of pianists. The world of piano is not one size fits all. There are all kinds of people who play the piano, and somehow it’s an instrument for everyone.” In the upper right photo, Gavin English, president of Steinway and Sons, presents Naoki Hakutani with his certificate.

Check out these unique course selections for fall 2019

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 19:36:23 +0000

The fall 2019 semester has just begun. For students still searching for an interesting course to fill out their , the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has some great choices. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock courses offer students the chance to study how the public interprets archaeology and pseudo-archaeology (Example: Did aliens build the pyramids?) as well as explore major themes found in protest literature written by black authors and the difficulty in finding the truth in a world full of “fake news.” Students can take an innovative class at William H. Bowen Law School, where they will study constitutional law through the lens of hip hop artists and their critique of the development of the law in areas such as search and seizure law and hyper-policing, free speech law and censorship, copyright law, and the hip hop practices of free borrowing through sampling, mashing, and looping.�� They can also develop practical skills in how to write a successful grant or memoir, how to create beautiful pieces through woodworking and furniture design, and the secrets of the trade from entrepreneurs who have built their business from the ground up. Check out the following guide for courses that explore interesting and unique topics: ANTH 4398/5398: Public Archaeology 1:40-2:55 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday with Krista Lewis�� In general, public archaeology is about how archaeology and archaeologists serve, engage, and work with non-archaeologists. Globally, there are a wide range of ways this happens. Some common forms of public archaeology are heritage education, cultural tourism, archaeological interpretation, museum studies, descendant collaboration, ethics, cultural resource management, community archaeology, and the archaeology of social justice. Archaeologists working all over the world are sharing information about what they do on social media, online videos, blogs, podcasts, and in person.�� In this class, students will also look at hot contemporary issues of how the public interprets archaeology, for example, the portrayal of archaeology in movies and video games, pseudo-archaeology (did aliens build the pyramids?), looting and antiquities markets, and cultural heritage destruction in wars, for ideological reasons, or for development. A special feature of the class will be visits from a number of archaeologists from the Arkansas Archeological Survey and the government to talk about how their work intersects with public needs and interests.�� ARAD 3310: Intro to Woodworking and Furniture Design 1:40-4:20 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday with Peter Scheidt This beginning course covers the fundamentals of furniture design and construction. Students will design multiple furniture items and develop working drawings and scale models; learn basic material selection; and employ appropriate wood joinery and finishing. The course will require the use of hand and power tools while constructing a basic freestanding bench and table.�� ARAD 4315: Advanced Woodworking: Form and Function 9:25-12:05 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday with Peter Scheidt This course is a continuing exploration of the materials, processes, and technologies of woodworking and furniture design in the construction of creative and functional forms. An emphasis is placed on increased complexity of design and construction while developing the individual aesthetic of the designer-artist.�� ARHA 4307: 18th and 19th Century European Art�� 9:25-10:40 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday with Floyd Martin This course examines art from the Rococo, Neoclassical, Romantic, Realist, and Impressionist eras. The course covers many favorite artists from about 1700 to 1880. The usual prerequisite is an art history survey class, but students who have done well in Art Appreciation and/or other humanities courses may wish to consider this as an elective. CPSC 1370: Computer Literacy 6-7:15 p.m. Monday and Wednesday with Mark Barnes This class covers the fundamental concepts of computing in a personal computer environment and an introduction to hardware and software and system configurations. The focus is on practical problem solving using popular PC application software for word processing, spreadsheets, and databases. ENGL 3330: Approaches to Literature 4:30-5:45 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays with Laura Barrio-Vilar This course serves as an introduction to literary analysis and theory. Students will learn various approaches to the study of major literary genres (fiction, poetry, and drama, and become familiar with concepts, critical perspectives, and terminology essential to the study of literature. ENGL 4350: Black Protest Literature 3:05-4:20 p.m. Monday and Wednesday with Laura Barrio-Vilar In this seminar, students will explore major themes found in protest literature written by black authors: systemic racism, poverty, sexual violence, nationalism, and genocide, The course readings include a variety of representative authors, genres, and styles, such as Richard Wright’s “Native Son,” James Baldwin’s “The Fire Next Time,” Alice Walker’s “Possessing the Secret of Joy,” and Anna Deavere Smith’s “Notes from the Field,” among others. This course counts toward both the minor in Race and Ethnicity and the minor in Gender Studies. HIST 3328: Modern France 12:15-1:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday with Nate Marvin France is America’s oldest ally, yet many in the U.S. are unfamiliar with the tumultuous history of our “sister-republic.” This course examines competing notions of the French nation, especially as they relate to religion, race, and gender, from the French Revolution to the present day. It also places particular emphasis on France’s global entanglements, exploring the ways in which imperial expansion and immigration have affected the making and remaking of the French nation at every stage of its modern history.�� LAW 6291: Hip Hop and the American Constitution 3:55-5:50 p.m. Thursday with ��Ի��é Cummings This is a two-credit course for students who are interested in exploring social justice theory and training in the law school classroom and have an interest in representing indigent and underrepresented clients. This course includes the study of Fourth Amendment search and seizure law, First Amendment free speech law, Constitutional Intellectual Property protections, as well as mass incarceration, policing, family law, and corporate law through the prism of hip hop music and culture.�� This innovative course reviews important Constitutional Law principles through the lens of hip hop artists and their critique of the development of the law in areas such as search and seizure law and hyper-policing, free speech law and censorship, copyright law, and the hip hop practices of free borrowing through sampling, mashing, and looping.�� Additionally, the course reviews other areas of the law such as family law and domestic violence, Corporate law and entrepreneurship, and Criminal Procedure, prison policy and mass incarceration. In each of these areas, hip hop artists have openly critiqued the top-down development of the law and this class gives students the opportunity to explore the law from the bottom up, imagining what form the law might take if hip hop artist’s critiques and contributions were taken seriously and adopted. From its origin, hip hop music and culture have specifically critiqued U.S. law and policy from the perspective of the underrepresented and oppressed. Very specific lyrics and album themes criticize and debate Constitutional law protections that are enforced disparately and/or unfairly.�� This course will examine those critiques and challenge students to imagine a less disparate, more fair enforcement of Constitutional rights and liberties. This course provides students an opportunity to explore topics of race, inequality, misogyny, and oppression in the law school classroom. MCOM 4384/5384: Crime and the Media ��9:25-10:40 a.m. Monday and Wednesday with Chris Etheridge Studies have shown that people who watch a lot of crime shows such as “Law & Order” or “CSI” tend to be more supportive of the death penalty and broad criminal justice policies, such as mandatory minimum sentences, the war on drugs, and harsh prison experiences; and have a higher fear that they will be a victim of a crime. Through telling stories about crime and criminality, the media contribute in important ways to how viewers construct their worldviews, and this class will explore the social, political, and legal impacts of how media represent topics of crime and public safety. This course considers the relationship between mass media, crime, and criminal justice in the United States through discussions about television crime dramas, real crime novels, and so-called reality television shows such as “Cops” or “Live PD.” In the class, we will watch some examples of crime dramas, read some “true crime” journalism, and listen to podcasts about organized crime such as “Crimetown.” As a class, students will get to hear from police officers, entertainers, and journalists about their perceptions of crime and the media, and then design and execute research on the topic. MGMT 4383: Entrepreneurial Perspectives 6-8:40 p.m. Tuesday with Joseph Bell This class represents a significant exposure to the entrepreneurial process, where students will hear from nearly a dozen guest speakers covering a range of entrepreneurial experiences. Interaction with real-world entrepreneurs will enhance the entrepreneurial decision-making abilities of the students M��Vlog��ýP 64974: Piano for Non-Majors 11:15 a.m.-12:05 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday with Naoki Hakutani This course is specifically designed for non-music majors who want to gain some musical skills. Students will learn foundational skills of piano playing in a group setting. Topics addressed include basic piano technique, music reading, and elemental repertoire.�� PHIL 3315: Philosophy and Narrative 1:40-2:55 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday with Jan Thomas This is a unique course with an interdisciplinary focus combining the study of literary fiction with philosophical questions about that literature. Is it a fact that Sherlock Holmes lives in London? Can fiction convey truths? Are there some dimensions of our lives that can only be expressed through literature? What do we learn from metaphor? What are the rules of effective storytelling? How do we know the difference between good and bad books? In this course, students will look at philosophy in literature as well as philosophy of literature. PHIL 4180: Fake News 6-8:40 p.m. Tuesdays with Jan Thomas In this short but wide-ranging course, students will use the current controversy of “fake news” to explore what it is to have knowledge, the difference between truth and what is true, and the complicated role of education in response to fake news. Although participants will discuss some of the most perplexing and provocative ideas in philosophy, no prior philosophical knowledge will be assumed. Examples from current media from across the political spectrum will be used to fuel discussions of philosophical questions about knowledge, truth, and education. POLS 4375: Politics of the Middle East�� 12:15-1:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays with Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm The course covers the politics and political dynamics of the Middle East, introducing students to the main issues and actors (state and non-state) of the contemporary Middle East. The course explores the nature of contemporary politics in the region, including the impact of the complex relationships among great power intervention, economics, ethnicity, nationalism, and religion.�� POLS 4340: International Relations Online course with Eric Wiebelhaus-Brahm Students will complete the course with a conceptual understanding of the international system and an ability to analyze how it shapes, and is in turn shaped by states and other actors like multinational corporations, transnational activists, and extremist groups. Throughout the semester, students will discuss a range of theoretical approaches to the study of international relations and apply them to a variety of contemporary political, economic, security, and environmental issues. The class will include will do a 10-week simulation of a fictitious international system.�� RHET 4318/5318: Memoir 6-8:40 p.m. Tuesdays at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown with Greg Graham This course introduces students to the study and practice of memoir as a genre with an emphasis on narrative structures, techniques, and research methods appropriate to extended nonfiction. Students will join a community of writers at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown on nine Tuesday nights (Sept. 10 – Nov. 5)�� and receive coaching from a professor who will engage and respond based on each student’s level of writing. RHET 4375/5375: Grant Writing for Nonprofits 6-9 p.m. Mondays with Barbara L’Eplatteneir�� Students in this grant-writing classes have raised $535,517 for non-profits in local communities over the past 17 years and have continued on to successful grant-writing careers, both as grant writers and grant managers. Topics include, but are not limited to, finding and researching a foundation, resources for each stage of the grant writing process, developing a problem statement, creating objectives and goals, creating a budget, and working with foundations.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock announces college-level Faculty Excellence award winners

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 14:10:12 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Faculty Excellence Awards by honoring 17 of its top faculty members at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, in the College of Engineering and Information Technology Auditorium.�� Since 1989, when the first award was given, the event has provided a way to recognize the great work of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty and is made possible through the valued contributions of the Office of the Chancellor, the Office of the Provost, and the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chancellor’s Circle. A panel of external judges will review the achievements of the college-level winners and select the university-wide winners in the categories of teaching, research, and public service. The three university-wide winners will each receive a cash prize of $5,000. The event is free and open to the public. A reception will follow the awards ceremony in the Engineering and Information Technology Building lobby. For more information, contact the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Office of the Provost at 501-569-3204. The following is a list of college-level winners: Public Service

Avinash Thombre, professor of applied communication, College of Social Sciences and Communication
Linda Holzer, professor of music, College of Arts, Letters and Sciences
Beth McMillan, professor and chair of the Department of Earth Sciences, George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology
Alicia Mitchell, visiting assistant professor of law and director of the Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, William H. Bowen School of Law
Clifford Franklin, associate professor of audiology and speech pathology and research integrity officer, College of Education and Health Professions

Research/Creative Endeavors

Tusty ten Bensel, associate professor of criminal justice and graduate coordinator, College of Social Sciences and Communication
Mariya Khodakovskaya, professor of biology and interim associate dean, College of Arts, Letters and Sciences
Mary Yang, associate professor of information science, George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology
J. Lyn Entrikin, Charles Baum Distinguished Professor of Law, William H. Bowen School of Law
Bronwyn MacFarlane, professor of gifted education, College of Education and Health Professions
Guarav Kumar, professor of accounting, College of Business

Teaching

Cheryl Johnston, senior instructor of applied communication, College of Social Sciences and Communication
Naoki Hakutani, associate professor of music, College of Arts, Letters and Sciences
Jin Wook Lee, assistant professor of systems engineering, George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology
Lindsey Gustafson, professor of law, William H. Bowen School of Law
Jeffrey Carmack, associate professor of nursing, College of Education and Health Professions
Ahmad Naeem Bajwa, assistant professor of management, College of Business

Mozart concert to feature faculty and guests

Janea Snyder — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 17:37:25 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Music Department will host a faculty and guest recital on Sunday, Feb. 17, featuring faculty members Meredith Hicks on violin and Naoki Hakutani on piano and guests Katherine Williamson on violin; Tze-Ying Wu on viola; Ethan Young, on cello; and Jaeyeon Park-Hakutani on piano. The concert will begin at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17, in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Fine Arts Building. The event is free and open to the public. Dr. Rolf Groesbeck, professor of music history, will give a pre-concert lecture at 2:30 p.m. The program includes “Mozart Piano Concerto in D Minor, K. 466” and “Mozart Piano Quartet in G Minor, K. 478. For more information, contact Naoki Hakutani at nxhakutani@ualr.edu or 501-683-7230.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock pianists to play four hands recital

Janea Snyder — Tue, 24 Jul 2018 17:57:37 +0000

Pianists Naoki Hakutani and Jaeyeon Park-Hakutani will perform a four-hands recital entitled “World Journey by Piano Four-Hands” on Thursday, July 26, at 6:30 p.m. at the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Building on the campus of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. �� Piano four hands is a type of piano duet in which two people play on a single piano. The couple will play works by Mozart (arrangement from Cosi fan tutte), Dvorak (Slavonic Dances), Moszkowski (From Foreign Lands), and Khatchaturian (arrangement of Sabre Dance). Dr. Naoki Hakutani is associate professor of piano at ��Vlog��ý at Little Rock and co-director of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Piano and Strings Festival. He holds degrees in piano performance from Northwestern University, Indiana University at Bloomington, and the University of Texas at Austin and has conducted master classes throughout the United States, Mexico and Asia. Dr. Park-Hakutani is an associate Professor of Piano at Chosun University where she teaches piano, chamber music, piano literature and music history and serves as chair of the Music Department. She graduated with highest honors from Seoul National University and holds an MM and DMA from the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas at Austin. The music program will last approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Admission is free.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock guest pianist Shing-Ming Liao to perform

Janea Snyder — Wed, 07 Mar 2018 15:07:12 +0000

Guest pianist Shing-Ming Liao will give a recital ��featuring music by J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Debussy, Messiaen and Franck on March 13 at 7:30 p.m., in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall��in the Fine Arts Building, on the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock campus, 2801 S. University Ave. Liao, a native of Taiwan, earned a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. She is currently on the faculty of Northern Kentucky University. As a solo pianist, Liao has won the Oberlin International Piano Competition, the Theodor Leschetizky International Piano Competition and the Taipei International Chopin Piano Competition. She has appeared as guest pianist at the Kentucky Center Governor’s School for the Arts, the University of Dayton, and Miami University of Ohio. The program includes Partita No. 6 in E Minor, BWV 830 by Johann Sebastian Bach; Images, Book 2 by Claude Debussy; Sonata Pathétique in C minor, Op. 13 by Ludwig van Beethoven; Petites esquisses d’oiseaux by Olivier Messiaen; and Prélude, Choral et Fugue by César Franck. Also, on March 13, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock piano students will perform for Liao’s public master class from 12-1:30 p.m. in Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall. Admission is free. For more information, contact Naoki Hakutani at 501-940-1562 or nxhakutani@ualr.edu

Piano and strings festival to commence March 2

Jenny Lambert — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 14:56:06 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock campus community is invited to join the Department of Music for an evening of bliss during its annual Piano and Strings Festival, Friday, March 2. The faculty and guest recital will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall. Turkish composers Ahmed Adnan Saygun, Âşık Veysel, and J.S. Bach will perform their musical numbers, followed by the sounds of Antonin Dvorak’s piano quintet in A major. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty trio, Meredith Maddox Hicks, violinist, David Gerstein, cellist, and Naoki Hakutani, pianist, will team up with Turkish violinist, Burcu Yazici, cellist, Melih Kara, and violinist, Katherine Williamson, for the final performance of the night. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Naoki Hakutani at 501-940-1562 or nxhakutani@ualr.edu.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock