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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Choirs to Perform at Carnegie Hall on June 26

John Hill — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 15:03:05 +0000

About 20 students in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Choirs will make their debut performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Sunday, June 26. Dr. Lorissa Mason, director of choral activities, will conduct the performance of Francis Poulenc’s masterwork “Gloria” along with the New England Symphonic Ensemble, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students, and accompanying choirs from Arkansas. Altogether, approximately 80 singers from Arkansas will be performing at Carnegie Hall during the afternoon concert that begins at 2 p.m. This will include 19 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students and three alumni, 35 from Berryville High School, 20 from Robinson High School, and 10 from Una Voca from Wildwood Park for the Arts. “It’s really humbling because a lot of people can’t say I got the chance to sing at Carnegie Hall with a university choir,” said Brent Foster II, a junior music education major from Wrightsville. “I think it will be a really great experience to get to perform on such a caliber of stage where a lot of great musicians and composers have performed their works. You never know who is watching. While I’m performing at Carnegie Hall, someone may look up to me and say, ‘one day I am going to do that too.’” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students who are attending the trip include Jessica Arellanes, LaVerne Bell, Hannah Blacklaw, Kyndal Collins, Sean Davis, Brent Foster II, Magali Gomez, Josh Gregory, Stacy Howard-Parchel, Reanna Jiles, Kaitlyn Kendrick, Laila Petties-Leon, Carmen Ramirez, Kenshayla Robinson, McKenzie Smith, Damion Snowden, Christian Waldron, Yvonne Melendez-Whalen, and Jonathan Wyatt. They will be joined by alumni Jillian Hall, Jade Keathley, and Gerald Mayo as well as Sharon Downs, Leann Jones, and Yvette Palmer. The students have been fundraising for more than a year to raise the money to go on this trip. Their efforts have included bake sales, a Halloween fall festival, vocal arts festival, concerts, a gala, auctions, and more. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to spread my music to different places as I continue to develop as a musician,” said Kyndal Collins, a junior vocal education major from Little Rock. “If it wasn’t for this trip, I’d probably be trying to find a way to go on my own. I’ve been given this opportunity to share my gift for music outside of Arkansas. I have such gratitude for the opportunity to do this. I wanted to thank the donors and my teachers for helping us to receive the opportunity to do this.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Choir students rehearse for their June 26 performance at Carnegie Hall. Photo by Ben Krain.

News of the Carnegie Hall performance has inspired much community support. The students have received a number of donations that include a $25,000 anonymous donation and a $3,000 donation from the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Student Government Association. Altogether, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock choir students received nearly $40,000 in donations to support the trip. “I’ve learned that this trip has inspired the students and jump started the musical choir program,” Mason said. “It’s been rewarding to see student leaders emerge and to contribute in a way they haven’t before. They are eager to make their mark as artists. That is what this is all about. I think every musician should have an opportunity to travel and perform together. It builds bonds as they grow into their future careers. It also gives them world experience and a different viewpoint. There is more to music than what we can do here.” Jessica Arellanes, a senior music education major, said she is looking forward to telling stories about her accomplishments to her son. “I think being able to put on your resume that you performed at Carnegie Hall is a huge, huge thing for any musician,” she said. “I am a single mom of a four-year-old son, Oliver. I think it is cool for him to see me going to school and going to the concert. He gets to see mommy go do big things.” Besides singing at Carnegie Hall, Arellanes is looking forward to visiting the top of Rockefeller Center, where her parents got engaged, on her first trip to New York City. Students will also be seeing a Broadway show, visiting Times Square, and taking a cruise of New York Harbor. “The thing I am looking forward to the most is spending time with my friends and classmates,” said Carmen Ramirez, a May graduate of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “Now that I’ve graduated, it might be the last time I get to spend with them. Carnegie Hall is one of the biggest places to perform at in the world. I’m hoping it opens up doors for me to perform or conduct.” For future Carnegie Hall plans, Mason has already been invited to conduct a second performance at Carnegie Hall in 2024. This time she will lead a festival choir of talented youth singers from around the country.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alum Fulfills Lifelong Dream of Becoming a Writer

John Hill — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 15:00:36 +0000

A 2021 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate has achieved her dream of becoming a professional writer nearly 30 years after she first considered becoming a writing major in college. Virginia Pitts, a native of Bismarck, graduated high school in 1992. She first attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville for a short time, but didn’t follow through on her desire to become a writer. “I wasn’t in the right frame of mind then,” Pitts said. “Deep down, I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I didn’t have the nerve to pursue it.” Later on, Pitts met her husband, Jake, and had four wonderful children. She decided to take a second chance on going to college. “I found myself with four kids, and there was a lot of pressure on my husband to provide and I wanted to ease that pressure,” she said. “I also wanted to finish what I started. It was really important to me to get a bachelor’s degree and earn it myself.” In 2017, Pitts enrolled at National Park College and graduated with an associate degree with honors in 2019. She found ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s online bachelor’s degree program in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing, and said it hit her like a ton of bricks. “I was very fortunate to find the online Professional and Technical Writing Program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” she said. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock is a good school. As soon as I saw that program, I knew it for me. It felt like an epiphany that this is what I am supposed to do. The degree introduced me to a lot of writing styles and genres. I knew it would give me the opportunity to apply the program to a lot of different writing jobs.” At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Pitts found mentors in professors Karen Kuralt, Londie Martin, and Greg Graham. Under Dr. Kuralt, she put her newfound skills to good use as an intern at Wildwood Park for the Arts. She even wrote a grant to help Wildwood purchase a golf cart to shuttle passengers in need of assistance. “I would just like to thank all the teachers and staff at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for a job well done,” Pitts said. “I want to thank them for their support and their assistance during classes. I really miss the whole experience. It was an amazing chapter, but this next chapter is turning out even better.” In May 2021, Pitts graduated with a bachelor’s degree and a perfect 4.0 GPA. Wade “Pete” Tubbs, editor in chief of the , hired Pitts as a staff reporter in September. At the newspaper, she enjoys telling the stories of the people in Malvern. “I did a story on the Urban Search and Rescue Team that came to do some training with the Malvern Fire Department and I got to watch them in action,” she said. “I did a story about a Malvern veteran who was inducted into the Arkansas Military Hall of Fame on Nov. 6. . That was an honor. It’s something new and different every day, and it’s a dream come true.” Nearly three decades after first thinking about becoming a writer, Pitts said it still feels like a dream now she has accomplished her lifelong goal. “It still doesn’t feel real,” Pitts said. “My boss is very complimentary and told me I am a great writer. It took me so long to even pursue a writing career, let alone achieve it, that it’s taking me some time to believe it’s real. I have a lot of goals. I think every writer dreams of writing a book one day. For now, I’m basking in the moment and enjoying this opportunity.” For any other students who are thinking about going to college, Pitts would advise them not to waste any time in pursuing your education. “You just have to dig deep and be brave and figure out what you want to spend your time doing,” she said. “I think the most important thing is to know what you want to do. If you don’t know, look at your opportunities, take different classes, and figure out what you are going to be happy spending your time doing.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Choirs to Perform at Carnegie Hall in June 2022

John Hill — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 13:31:43 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Choirs will make their debut performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City on June 25, 2022, with Dr. Lorissa Mason, director of choral activities, conducting the performance.�� “This is the first time a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock choral group has ever performed at Carnegie Hall,” said Dr. Lorissa Mason, director of choral activities. “Carnegie Hall is the preeminent concert hall in the United States and one of the top five concert halls in the world. It’s a trip to New York City where the students get to experience the life of a musical artist and the culture of the city. For a number of our students, it will be the first time they’ve traveled outside of Arkansas.” The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Choirs are leading a year-long fundraising campaign to raise the estimated $75,000 to pay for approximately 30 students who will be traveling to New York to perform at Carnegie Hall.�� The choral ensembles have received a $3,000 donation from the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Student Government Association. Donations in support of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock choral ensembles may be made via . “Performing in a place like Carnegie Hall is one of the highest honors I feel you can have as a singer,” said McKenzie Smith, a junior music education major from Benton. “Thank you doesn’t even begin to cover it for all those who have and will donate to help us achieve this once in a lifetime goal.” In addition to several rehearsals and the performance at Carnegie Hall, the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock musicians will also see a Broadway show and go on a dinner cruise tour of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Choirs is home to three vibrant ensembles and a recently premiered small ensemble. They include the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Concert Choir, the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Women’s Choir, the Chamber Singers, and Night Shift. “I have recently started my singing journey, and it has been an exciting and rewarding experience,” said Max Reyes, a junior music performance major from Sherwood. “Singing in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock choir has helped me become a better performer and musician. To be able to have the opportunity to sing in a historic and monumental locale would be an honor to the choir’s achievements thus far. I would be proud to represent my school and peers and showcase what we have accomplished during troubling times.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Choirs will be performing Francis Poulenc’s “Gloria” at Carnegie Hall. This is one of Poulenc’s most famous works consisting of six movements. They will also sing a home performance of the Carnegie Hall concert April 23, 2022, hosted by Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock choirs will be joined by the choirs of Robinson High School and Berryville High School and Una Voca from Wildwood Park for the Arts. Members of the public and the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock community have plenty of chances to support the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock choral ensembles as they prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall. “To say that singing in New York has been a lifelong dream of mine is a complete understatement,” said Kaitlyn Kendrick, a sophomore music performance major from Maumelle. “Ever since I was a little girl, I imagined myself performing all over New York and to be able to experience such a high honor like singing in Carnegie Hall is more than I could have imagined I would be doing so early in my career. Music has always been my passion and this is one of the greatest things that could happen for a young singer. We appreciate any and all support to come to help us grant so many student’s wishes to come true!” The next event in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Choirs Carnegie Hall Fundraising Campaign is a rummage sale on Sept. 18. Upcoming fundraising events include: Oct. 30 – October-fest and We Sing! 5K Race Nov. 20 – Live auction, silent auction, and pie auction Dec. 4 – Vocal Arts Festival Dec. 7-21 – Christmas Caroling for Hire Jan. 18-28, 2022 – Carnegie Hall Donor/Sponsor Drive Feb. 11-14, 2022 – Singing Valentines March 17, 2022 – ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Giving Day April 2, 2022 – Spring Vocal Arts Festival April 23, 2022 – Concert at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church April 30, 2022 – Music Gala For more information on these events, contact Dr. Mason at ldmason@ualr.edu or visit this website.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock student learns valuable skills on summer internship found through Handshake

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 22 Oct 2019 13:01:54 +0000

As the end of her junior year at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock drew near, Keely Reeves was concerned about a lack of professional experience that she felt would hurt her chances to get a job after graduation.�� “I will graduate in May 2020,” said Reeves, a Benton native double majoring in mass communication and professional and technical writing. “I only had one internship under my belt before last summer, and I was panicking, thinking that I might graduate without having any internships related to my majors.”�� Last spring, she began an intense search for internships that involved video editing, photography, social media, writing, and editing.�� “I went on Indeed.com and applied for everything under the sun in Arkansas,” Reeves said. “Then I tried the university’s new job-search platform, Handshake, since it specializes in internships. I applied for everything under the sun, and I found a great internship with P. Allen Smith Co. in Little Rock.”�� Vlog��ý Little Rock launched Handshake, a career network tailored to college students, in December 2018 to help students connect with future employers. The digital platform system is easy to use and allows users to customize every step of their career development journey.�� “We wanted to provide our students with a professional online job search platform,” said Lisa Henderson-Davis, director of Distributed Learning and Career Center. “It is the most popular and diverse platform, and that is why we picked it. It definitely helps us enhance our services to our students. The creators of Handshake went to Michigan State, and they realized they didn’t have the same opportunities as people coming from Silicon Valley or the East coast, so they built a platform to democratize job searching.”�� Reeves is the first ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student to officially find an internship through Handshake. As a production intern, she spent her summer producing videos and content to increase traffic to P. Allen Smith Co.’s�� social media pages.�� “Keely was a pleasure to work with,” said Patrick Green, director and executive producer of P. Allen Smith Co. “She came in each day ready to learn and to take on any task assigned to her. Our company has expanded our multimedia department into the realm of YouTube. Keely learned how micro content is created and used on Instagram and Facebook to help promote YouTube videos.”�� Green began using Handshake in 2018 as a way to recruit more college students.�� “Handshake is a great tool to streamline the announcement of internships and job openings to current and graduating college students across multiple schools at one time,” Green said.�� The valuable video editing, social media, and marketing skills that Reeves learned have already come in handy.�� “I’m interning at Wildwood Park for the Arts this fall, and I’m doing social media, videography, and photography,” Reeves said. “Working at P. Allen Smith Co. helped me come to Wildwood and think about what kind of videos I can do to promote them on Instagram and Facebook.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock student Keely Reeves used the university’s Handshake career network program to find work as a video production intern. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Career Center offers students free accounts and training on the Handshake job search tool. Photo by Ben Krain.

At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, 2,645 students have activated their Handshake accounts and can search through jobs posted by the nearly 3,500 employers from across the country that are recruiting ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students. “Handshake is such a great resource to get an internship, but it also has full- and part-time jobs for students,” Henderson-Davis said. “All students need to do is fill out a profile to search for jobs, and they can make their profile public so employers can find them on Handshake.”�� Gaining professional experience during college is becoming important as more employers expect new graduates to have work experience.�� “We want our students to have more experiential learning opportunities in college,” Henderson-Davis said. “Students need real-world work experience to complement their education by the time they graduate.”�� Reeves remains grateful to Handshake for leading her to an internship that will prepare her for her future career.�� “I thought it was cool to get the internship through Handshake,” she said. “I wasn’t having a lot of luck on Indeed.com for things that would actually work for me. I applied for with P. Allen Smith Company, and they were willing to work with my schedule, and it turned out great.”�� Any student who is interested in joining Handshake can sign up.��

Wildwood Park for the Arts offers discounted tickets for Seussical to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock community

Janea Snyder — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 20:09:02 +0000

is offering reduced pricing to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty, staff and students for its production of “Seussical the Musical,” running Oct. 26-28 at the center, 20919 Denny Road, Little Rock. The discounted ticket price is $20 for the general public and $10 for students, which includes anyone under 18 and college students of all ages. That’s $10 off the regular general public price and $5 off the regular student price.��Tickets can be purchased . The discount will automatically apply and no additional code is needed. The show’s dates and times are as follows:

Friday, Oct. 26 – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 27 – 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 28 – 3 p.m.

“Seussical” is directed by Dr. Bevan Keating, who is associate professor of music and director of conducting and choral studies at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Keating also serves as director of music and the arts at Little Rock’s Second Presbyterian Church, home to the performing arts organization. He recently became Wildwood’s executive director. For more information, call Wildwood Park for the Arts at 501-821-7275. Pictured top right are Gertrude, Horton, Mayzie and Thing from “Seussical the Musical” at Wildwood Park for the Arts.

Keating named artistic director of Wildwood Park for the Arts

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 14:48:01 +0000

Bevan Keating has one goal – to foster local artists from childhood through their professional careers.�� It’s a goal that Keating, director of conducting and choral studies at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, spends much of his busy life trying to accomplish. At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Keating conducts the Concert Choir, the Chamber Choir, and the Community Chorus. He is also director of music and the arts at Second Presbyterian Church in Little Rock and founding artistic director for , a multidisciplinary performing arts company supported by Second Presbyterian. To these positions, Keating adds a new role as artistic director of . Keating previously served as artistic director of the Wildwood Academy of Music and the Arts, which he will continue to oversee. He is the park’s third artistic director since its founding in 1991. Over the past 26 years, Wildwood Park has provided a home in west Little Rock for both natural beauty and artistic expression, including 105 acres of trails and botanical gardens and a 625-seat theatre and art gallery. Keating will manage the park’s music and arts education programs, all concerts and events in the Lucy Lockett Cabe Festival Theatre, Wildwood’s Art in the Park visual arts exhibitions, and many seasonal festivals. Through the combination of his leadership roles in the arts, Keating is enjoying helping young artists from childhood through new careers. “This is another way to be active in the community and representing the university in a positive way,” he said. “Many of our graduates from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock participate in productions at Wildwood Park for the Arts. It really shows young students what they can do in their future career.” Keating keeps up with his many responsibilities thanks to an immeasurable amount of energy, help from his co-workers and friends, and a love for the arts. “I don’t have jobs,” Keating said. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock is not a job; Wildwood is not a job. It’s who I am. When I get up in the morning, I want to do something that I love. So when I get up in the morning, I don’t go to work. I go do something I love.” He is thankful to the many people who help him with his artistic projects. They include Karen Kuralt, graduate coordinator for the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Department of Rhetoric and Writing, who serves as communications director for Praeclara and handles social media, web design, and publicity documents for many of the choirs Keating leads. Keating enjoys helping artists from childhood through new careers. “It takes a community to foster and raise the arts in a city like Little Rock,” he said. “Now at Wildwood, I am working the community as a professional. I am helping young performers to gain professional experiences. It’s a great way to connect the community at all levels, and that is the exciting part to me.”

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

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Choirs to Perform at Carnegie Hall on June 26

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Alum Fulfills Lifelong Dream of Becoming a Writer

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Choirs to Perform at Carnegie Hall in June 2022

����Vlog��ý Little Rock student learns valuable skills on summer internship found through Handshake